Category: News
Karoline Leavitt Torches The Left’s Hypocrisy On Deportations
Karoline Leavitt Torches The Left’s Hypocrisy On Deportations
At her first briefing since the Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Democratic leaders for refusing to enforce federal immigration law. She described Pretti as an armed left-wing agitator and said the administration’s message was clear: the Biden-era approach to immigration enforcement is finished.
Leavitt accused Democrats and hard-left activists of trying to obstruct the mandate voters gave President Trump, while federal immigration officers are carrying out the will of the American people. She noted that Trump has condemned the “vile” treatment of those officers and called the resistance to enforcement deadly.
She also outlined what the White House sees as the path forward in Minnesota, stressing cooperation from state and local officials who have shielded illegal aliens. Trump spoke with Gov. Tim Walz on Monday in a productive conversation, Leavitt said, noting the two were on a similar wavelength about next steps.
The administration’s demands include turning over all criminal illegal immigrants in state and local custody for immediate deportation, requiring local police to transfer all illegal aliens they arrest to federal authorities, and mandating cooperation with federal law enforcement in apprehending suspects.
It was also announced that White House Border Czar Tom Homan has been assigned to oversee federal immigration efforts in Minnesota and will report directly to Trump.
When a reporter questioned Homan’s assignment, that’s when Leavitt delivered the knockout punch.
She pulled up a 2016 Washington Post article with the headline:
“Meet the man the White House has honored for deporting illegal immigrants.”
The piece praised Homan’s work under Barack Obama.
What he said https://t.co/Kpz3GRou7H
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2026
Homan was serving as executive associate director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. He was one of only three Department of Homeland Security career executives selected for the 2015 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service.
The award is the nation’s highest civil service honor, given annually by the president to top career executives and senior professionals who demonstrate “strength, integrity and commitment to public service.” According to figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, between fiscal years 2013 and 2015, under Homan’s leadership, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations deported more than 920,000 illegal immigrants from the United States. That figure includes 534,000 individuals with criminal convictions, setting multiple agency records.
“Thomas Homan deports people. And he’s really good at it,” the Washington Post wrote at the time. “Homan is the Washington bureaucrat in charge of rounding up, detaining, and kicking illegal immigrants out of the country. As Americans fight over whether the next president should build a wall on the Mexico border to keep migrants out or protect millions of them from deportation, Homan is actually hunting undocumented immigrants down right now, setting strategy for 8,000 officers on the front lines.”
The article continued:
He was honored last week with the government’s highest civil service award, bestowed on federal leaders whose work gets “extraordinary” results. According to his bosses at the Department of Homeland Security, not only did Homan successfully handle an unexpected surge of unaccompanied children and families who have streamed here from Central America across the Southwest border, but last year his operations set records for the share of illegal immigrants expelled from the U.S. who had criminal records.
Many of President Obama’s immigration policies have been unpopular with immigration advocates who say he has not done enough to overhaul a system that relies on deportations. But Homeland Security officials were intent on plugging Homan’s success.
Leavitt held up a printout of the article for the media to see, with the headline, “Meet the man the White House has honored for deporting illegal immigrants.”
“And I would remind everyone in this room that it was former President Barack Hussein Obama who awarded a medal to Mr. Homan. So he’s obviously very qualified. He has the full trust and faith of the president. He will continue to have these meetings in the hopes that ICE and local law enforcement can cooperate and work together to have successful immigration enforcement, as we’ve seen in almost every other state across the country.”
🚨BARACK OBAMA HONORED TOM HOMAN!
Washington Post headline from 2016L “Meet the man the White House has honored for deporting illegal immigrants”
“It was former President Barack Hussein Obama who awarded a medal to Mr. Homan.”
Same deportation policies, new Trump Derangement. pic.twitter.com/gPfBXORT37
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 26, 2026
Homan did the same work under Obama that he’s doing under Trump. The difference is that Obama gave him a medal, and the left cheered. Now, under Trump, the same deportation-focused approach draws outrage from Democrats and breathless condemnation from the media. The only thing that changed was the man in the Oval Office.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/27/2026 – 12:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/karoline-leavitt-torches-lefts-hypocrisy-deportations
Chicago Archdiocese dismisses substitute teacher with allegations of child molestation allegations, most recently working at Evergreen Park school
A substitute teacher for Evergreen Park’s Queen of Martyr’s Catholic School has been fired after a long history of child molestation allegations came to light, the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a letter 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 the superintendent of schools, Greg Richmond, and Leah Heffernan, director of the achdiocese’s office for the protection of children and youth
The teacher 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 state background and fingerprint checks, the archdiocese said.
The teacher worked with at least one family with a student enrolled at a Catholic school in the south suburbs, the archdiocese said.
He worked as a long-term substitute teacher at St. Walter-St. Benedict School in Chicago during the 2024-2025 school year, as a third party vendor at Pope John Paul II Catholic School in Chicago at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year and as a substitute teacher at Queen of Martyrs Catholic School in January 2026.
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 said it is cooperating with the Department of Children and Family Services and two police departments.
“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 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.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/chicago-archdiocese-substitute-allegations-molestation/
Luis Enrique no tiene miedo al tener que pasar por los playoffs otra vez en la Liga de Campeones
Por JEROME PUGMIRE
PARÍS (AP) — Asegurar la clasificación automática para los octavos de final de la Liga de Campeones no es una gran preocupación para Luis Enrique.
El técnico del Paris Saint-Germain confía en que su equipo repita en la final, sea cual sea el camino.
El PSG recibirá el miércoles a Newcastle, con ambos equipos empatados a 13 puntos en el sexto y séptimo lugar de la tabla de la fase de liga. Únicamente los ocho primeros pasan directamente, mientras que los siguientes 16 equipos se batirán en un playoff a dos partidos para llegar a la fase eliminatoria.
“Firmaría una derrota o un empate (contra Newcastle) y estar entre los 15 primeros como la temporada pasada”, dijo el técnico español en una rueda de prensa. “Si me dices que estaremos entre los 15 primeros y luego ganaremos la Liga de Campeones directamente”.
Una serie de otros equipos están justo detrás del PSG por diferencia de goles, y otros dos equipos tienen 12 puntos, lo que significa que una derrota o un empate en el Parque de los Príncipes podría sacar al campeón defensor de los ocho primeros.
Eso no supondría un problema para Luis Enrique, quien ya está mirando hacia adelante.
“Somos un equipo increíble en las eliminatorias y lo demostraremos nuevamente”, expresó.
La temporada pasada, el PSG terminó en el puesto 15 en la fase de grupos, pero ganó la competición por primera vez. Después de sortear playoffs con una aplastante victoria global 10-0 sobre su rival francés Brest, los parisinos eliminaron a Liverpool, Aston Villa y Arsenal en su camino a la final, donde vapulearon 5-0 al Inter de Milán.
El PSG está a punto de estar en plenitud después de un comienzo de temporada plagado de lesiones.
Sin embargo, Luis Enrique dijo que todavía estaba abierto a más fichajes antes del cierre del mercado de transferencias de enero, tras la llegada de Dro Fernández, un mediocampista de 18 años, procedente del Barcelona el lunes.
“Nos gusta fichar jugadores jóvenes”, señaló Luis Enrique. “Tenemos que estar preparados en el mercado y aprovechar si hay una oportunidad. No es fácil encontrar jóvenes de calidad que puedan mejorar nuestro equipo. Creo que en el futuro Dro se convertirá en un jugador importante para nosotros”.
____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Chesterton welcomes future with Town Hall ribbon-cutting
Chesterton ushered in a new era Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its refurbished Town Hall.
About 100 people were on hand for a community open house and ribbon-cutting before the Town Council and Redevelopment Commission meetings.
“What we heard a lot of times about this project is, well, I’ll believe it when I see it. Well, we can all believe it,” said Town Engineer Mark O’Dell.
Chesterton spent $3.53 million on the renovation project, evenly split between the Town Hall and the neighboring Chesterton Fire Station.
Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek said someone might ask why the town invested so much time in the project.
“All you had to do is see the original pictures of the Town Hall, and that’s enough motivation,” Gavelek said.
The former Town Hall meeting space was dimly lit with a matching drab color scheme and a worn-out tile floor.
Meetings literally had to stop because the racket from passing trains behind the Town Hall would engulf the proceedings.
The remodeling drastically changed the Town Hall’s appearance.
Council President Erin Collins, D-2nd, credited veteran Councilwoman Sharon Darnell, D-4th, for her long-time advocacy to do something about the Town Hall.
Councilwoman Sharon Darnell speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, for the Chesterton Town Hall. Councilman Dane Lafata and Clerk-Treasurer Courtney Udvare look on. (Jim Woods/for Post-Tribune)
“Sharon has put an incredible amount of time, care and dedication into this project,” Collins said.
Collins noted that the Town Hall building is the same size, but the council chambers can actually accommodate more people – 112 compared to 80. A room that can be used by the community is now available for the public to use.
The exterior lobby has many windows that let in natural light.
There are no windows in the Town Hall chambers but the lighting is plentiful and Darnell and Collins made design choices that brighten the atmosphere.
Considerable resources were devoted to acoustics that deaden the train noise from the outside. The trains still pass, but people can carry on conversations with no disruption.
“Haven’t heard a train yet, and it’s kind of beautiful,” Collins said.
The ceremony closed with the ribbon-cutting and Collins proclaiming: “Welcome to the future of Chesterton!”
During the Redevelopment Commission meeting, Assistant Street Superintendent Dan Moy detailed one of the town’s next projects – Indian Boundary Road.
The town was unsuccessful in obtaining a state Community Crossings grant for repaving Indian Boundary Road and making other upgrades.
Moy said the town would like to proceed with some aspects of the Indian Boundary Road project and reapply for funding in July.
The Redevelopment Commission approved the proposal to spend $178,000 to put in a new camera system at the Calumet Road and Indian Boundary Road intersection and to install a sidewalk and crosswalk with a signal in the area of the Plaza Drive intersection.
Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th, said that a crosswalk with a signal at Plaza Drive would enhance pedestrian safety there, particularly when tour buses come in the summer and people attempt to cross Indian Boundary Road.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/chesterton-welcomes-future-with-town-hall-ribbon-cutting/
The Gold Move Is A Vote Of No Confidence In The Entire Global Financial Architecture
The Gold Move Is A Vote Of No Confidence In The Entire Global Financial Architecture
By Michael Every of Rabobank
As Axios puts it, ‘Wall Street’s playbook for 2026 already needs to be rewritten’. Many players’ do.
Gold is through $5,000 and silver up 5.5% at over $109 – it was even higher intraday. You might not trade either, and I remain sceptical that we are moving back to a gold or silver standard, even for limited international trade. Yet besides the notable industrial implications from silver (and copper), this is hoarding, and a vote of no confidence in the entire global financial architecture. Wall Street is calling it “the Debasement Trade.’ That fails to see that, in time, it can lead to Wall Street being put in a basement, or up against a wall. Plenty to think about there.
The IMF head warned the world to ‘prepare for a global run on the US dollar’, adding the EU should issue more common debt to provide investors with an alternative safe asset to gold and US Treasuries. There are vast structural changes implied in every part of that sentence.
In Japan, 10-year yields are +4.5bps, reversing the recent JGB rally. As the WSJ notes, ‘Wall Street Is Fixated on a Possible Yen Intervention.’ After all, Japanese CPI is 2.1%, 30-year yields are 3.66%, the BOJ can’t do too much because public debt is so high, the country has run five annual trade deficits in a row, removing its protective shield, and a weak JPY isn’t helping, just feeding inflation. Some see Japan needing a US bailout before these JGB problems flow back to US Treasuries… even as markets are wondering who is going to bail the US out.
There, note that, the US is breaking the global architecture to bail itself out. That starts with geopolitics and geoeconomics, then flows back to markets:
PM Takaichi just underlined her country’s alliance with the US would ‘collapse’ if Japan fled a Taiwan crisis. As a result, the US-Japan trade deal –which isn’t an FTA because time is too short for technocratic politesse– is logically likely to hold; Japan’s industry will be worked into US military supply chains; and the US could logically extend its still-powerful fiat largesse to Tokyo. What other options do Japan or the US have? “Because markets”?
Yet South Korea has seen Trump threaten to increase US tariffs back to 25% because Seoul is “not living up to” the trade deal struck last year. As another stick there, the latest US National Defence Strategy makes clear South Korea, as others, is expected to do far more for its own defense under the US umbrella: but the implication could be that umbrellas can be closed if those under them don’t contribute to holding tightly against strong geopolitical winds.
On which, China’s Xi just purged most of his senior generals on a scale unseen since Mao: the WSJ states one was accused of selling nuclear secrets to the US. It certainly appears all power over the PLA is now in Xi’s hands; but all else is far less certain.
In Europe, the EU parliament delayed its decision to unfreeze the EU-US trade deal after the Greenland crisis, while an FTA with India is on the cards. However, NATO chief Rutte warned Europe can’t defend itself without the US, and “The EU should stop dreaming of creating a European pillar for NATO and continue to build ties with the US despite Trump.” The New York Times adds, ‘As Europe’s reliance on natural gas grows, so does Trump’s leverage’, noting concern that “Trump could turn the strong position that the US has gained in the oil and gas industry into a weapon to try to coerce other countries…” So, what is the ultimate EU decision to be?
UK PM Starmer stated the UK doesn’t have to choose between the US and China and is heading to Beijing to strike deals. Note that as with Canadian PM Carney, such trips are planned well in advance. Indeed, Politico claims behind closed doors, ministers have pushed for closer economic collaboration with Beijing for a year, even as they signed a US deal that runs the other way – and as it’s reported that China hacked the Downing Street phones for years. Will the US express the same unhappiness to the UK here as it did to PM Carney, and to PM Starmer over his proposed Chagos Islands deal. If so, does he have to choose?
Carney’s retort that he has no intention of signing an FTA with China (which allows the US to dissolve the USMCA), leaves one wondering what exactly a “strategic partnership” with Beijing, as part of a “New World Order”, involves: the political or military sphere? Meanwhile, in the geoeconomic one, again as predicted, the Canadian press notes the US has broached the idea of “something approaching a North American customs union… The partners would apply a common trade policy to other countries, even globally.” And the US would set it. That would, as its press also notes, render Canada’s status akin to that of Hong Kong within China. Meanwhile, Canada, like the EU, is looking to India for more trade – but that ‘Hong Kong’ issue is in the background.
Not as extreme a case, but still notable, Australia’s financial press underlines that it can expect to be next to be told to make a choice and to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defence.
Meanwhile, as middle powers talk about propping up the liberal world order without the US, the USS Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has arrived in Middle East, showing what real power is. On one hand, Trump says ‘Iran wants to make a deal,’ yet we may see US strikes against regime targets to trigger new mass protests, and there are suggestions it may impose a Venezuela-style blockade on Iranian oil exports – the kind of upstream disruption of commodity supply chains to China we flagged last year as a trump card vs. Beijing’s control of rare earths (where Japan-China tensions are driving high-tech mineral prices to record highs). Markets will be watching closely.
In the broader region, the Houthis said they may close the Red Sea and Suez Canal again if the US strikes Iran; Hezbollah also said, “we are not neutral,” but it remains to be seen if it is still lethal or not. More broadly, key players are realigning on the expectation that in near future Iran will be less of a threat and the US will be less involved: we see an emerging Saudi-Qatar-Egypt-Turkey-Somalia-Sudan-Yemen-Pakistan alignment vs. the UAE-Israel-Somaliland-South Sudan-South Yemen-India. How will the liberal middle powers tread those waters?
Against this backdrop, it’s reported that a ‘Record number of people in UK live in ‘very deep poverty’, analysis shows’; ‘Health Insurance Is Now More Expensive Than the Mortgage for These Americans’; and ‘Carney unveils hike to GST credit, other measures targeting affordability.’ Moreover, ‘The Wait List for a Birkin or Rolex Is Getting Shorter’ says the WSJ, while “Falling resale values show that even makers of the world’s most popular luxury goods are feeling a slowdown.” Oh, the humanity!
In short, expect domestic politics to stay as ‘interesting’ as geopolitics – and the two are inextricably linked. Indeed, even as Trump appears to be taking a more conciliatory stance over ICE in Minnesota for now, hedge fund star Ray Dalio warns of ‘a more clear civil war.’ Is a Birkin or a Rolex much help in one of those? I’m asking for a friend.
Lastly, as markets wait for the Fed this week while wondering about political pressure on the central bank, Indonesian President Prabowo’s nephew is now a step closer to securing a position as Bank Indonesia’s Deputy Governor. Yes, playbooks are being rewritten – with some very old plays.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/27/2026 – 11:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/gold-move-vote-no-confidence-entire-global-financial-architecture
Duke and QB Darian Mensah reach a settlement in legal fight, clearing the way for him to transfer
Duke and Darian Mensah have reached a settlement in their legal fight over the quarterback’s plan to transfer, clearing the way for him to move on.
The school and Mensah’s agency released statements Tuesday confirming a deal without providing any details. It came roughly a week after Duke filed a lawsuit seeking to block Mensah’s efforts to transfer and reach a contract with another school to play elsewhere next season.
The case was scheduled for a hearing Thursday in Durham County Superior Court.
Mensah, who transferred from Tulane and led the Blue Devils to an unexpected ACC title last month, had signed a two-season contract in July 2025 running through 2026 that paid him for exclusive rights to market his name, image and likeness tied to playing college football.
“We are committed to fulfilling all promises and obligations Duke makes to our student-athletes when we enter into contractual agreements with them, and we expect the same in return,” the school said in a statement. “Enforcing those agreements is a necessary element of ensuring predictability and structure for athletic programs.
“It is nonetheless a difficult choice to pursue legal action against a student and teammate; for this reason we sought to resolve the matter fairly and quickly.”
Young Money APAA Sports, which represents Mensah, said the agency had “successfully navigated an unprecedented path, one that has now reached a fair and mutually agreeable resolution.”
Duke had attempted to block Mensah from entering his name into the transfer portal at all, as well as taking additional steps in the process of enrolling to play at another school. A judge granted a temporary restraining order on the latter issue, meaning Mensah could do little other than state his planned move.
Duke had argued that the contract required parties to go through arbitration before any dispute can be resolved.
“Darian extends his sincere gratitude to Duke University for engaging in good-faith discussions and reaching this resolution,” the agency said in a social media post. “He wishes the Blue Devils, Coach (Manny) Diaz, the staff and the entire fan base continued success in the seasons ahead.
“The 2025 ACC championship run will forever stand as a remarkable chapter in Duke football history, one Darian is proud to have been part of.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/duke-darian-mensah-lawsuit-settlement-transfer/
3 hermanos mueren tras caer en un estanque helado en Texas; van 35 fallecidos por el clima invernal
BONHAM, Texas, EE.UU. (AP) — 3 hermanos mueren tras caer en un estanque helado en Texas; van 35 fallecidos por el clima invernal.
US Weighs Precision Strikes On Iranian Officials As Govt Is ‘Weakest’ Since 1979
US Weighs Precision Strikes On Iranian Officials As Govt Is ‘Weakest’ Since 1979
On the one hand there are reports that the Trump administration “is open for business” when it comes to negotiations with Iran. “If they want to talk, and they know our terms, we are open to have a conversation,” a senior US official has told Axios. But on the other, amid this ‘openness’ toward cutting a deal (presumably on the nuclear and ballistic missile fronts), President Trump is said to be weighing a menu of escalation options aimed squarely at forcing regime change in the Islamic Republic, according to fresh regional and US reporting.
Middle East Eye, citing Arab officials, reports that Washington is actively considering direct strikes on senior targets in Tehran. “The US is weighing precision strikes on ‘high-value’ Iranian officials and commanders who it deems responsible for the deaths of protesters, a Gulf official familiar with the discussions told Middle East Eye.”
The Jerusalem Post reports that another option under discussion is a full blockade of Iranian oil exports – a replay of last year’s Venezuela playbook. That campaign saw Washington impose an embargo, seize oil tankers, and ultimately kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Jan.3rd military raid on Caracas.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has emerged as a leading advocate of economic warfare, arguing that collapsing Iran’s economy would create conditions severe enough to trigger an internal uprising against the government, or starve the system until it breaks (as also happened in Iran’s ally Syria). US Treasury days ago began hitting Tehran officials with new protest-related sanctions.
Other senior officials are pushing for a more kinetic approach. Members of Trump’s Cabinet have urged targeted military strikes against Iranian government and military assets, but say these could be limited in scope akin to military action in the June 12-day war involving Israel.
Earlier this month, Trump reportedly held back from striking Iran, citing concerns that the Pentagon lacked sufficient forces in the region to decisively topple the government, also at a moment the US Navy strike force was built up on the southern Caribbean.
But a former US official told Middle East Eye that the odds of a strike are now higher than they were just weeks ago. Currently there’s a major military buildup ensuing across the Middle East, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group (the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group), additional fighter jets, and advanced air defense systems – signaling ‘all options’ are indeed on the table.
Protests is in Iran have long gone quiet, but what has changed? The NY Times reports Tuesday:
President Trump has received multiple U.S. intelligence reports indicating that the Iranian government’s position is weakening, according to several people familiar with the information.
The reports signal that the Iranian government’s hold on power is at its weakest point since the shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.
But the dilemma remains as hawks in the administration urge action: “Mr. Trump warned that he could strike Iran as the government’s bloody crackdown on the protests expanded. Still, his advisers have been divided on the benefits of strikes, particularly if they were simply symbolic strikes against elements of the government involved in the crackdown,” The NY Times report adds.
Washington logic: Give them an ultimatum that they’ll never accept anyway and consequently you have the perfect reason to start bombing them…
The Americans are basically asking the Iranians to abandon their entire defense strategy. It’s completely untenable for the regime. https://t.co/oGRDn1dDLh
— Woofers (@NotWoofers) January 26, 2026
One anti-Iran think tank hawk, Jason Brodsky, who is Policy Director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), writes that “Iran’s regime wants a JCPOA-like deal. It is highly unlikely Khamenei will agree to the terms America is demanding because it would basically amount to a form of regime change. But the Islamic Republic will try and lead the U.S. on to think it will negotiate meaningfully to avoid an attack and entrap the U.S. in endless negotiations.”
But we should note that Tehran also has little reason to ever trust Washington, given the original JCPOA was collapsed when the first Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of it.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/27/2026 – 11:25
Bajo Trump, gobierno de EEUU publica videos manipulados con IA, alarmando a expertos
Por KAITLYN HUAMANI
LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — La administración de Trump no ha dudado en compartir imágenes generadas por la inteligencia artificial en línea, adoptando visuales tipo caricatura y memes y promocionándolos en los canales oficiales de la Casa Blanca.
Sin embargo, una imagen manipulada pero realista de la abogada de derechos civiles Nekima Levy Armstrong llorando tras ser arrestada está generando nuevas alarmas sobre cómo la administración está borrando el límite entre lo que es real y lo que es falso.
La cuenta de la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional Kristi Noem publicó la imagen original del arresto de Levy Armstrong antes de que la cuenta oficial de la Casa Blanca publicara una imagen alterada que la mostraba llorando. La imagen manipulada es parte de un aluvión de imágenes editadas por IA que se han compartido en todo el espectro político desde los tiroteos fatales de Renee Good y Alex Pretti por agentes federales en Minneapolis.
Sin embargo, el uso de inteligencia artificial por parte de la Casa Blanca ha preocupado a los expertos en desinformación que temen que la difusión de imágenes generadas o editadas por IA erosione la percepción pública de la verdad y siembre desconfianza.
En respuesta a las críticas sobre la imagen editada de Levy Armstrong, los funcionarios de la Casa Blanca redoblaron su postura sobre la publicación, con el subdirector de comunicaciones Kaelan Dorr escribiendo en X que los “memes continuarán”. La subsecretaria de Prensa de la Casa Blanca, Abigail Jackson, también compartió una publicación burlándose de las críticas.
David Rand, profesor de ciencias de la información en la Universidad de Cornell, afirma que llamar meme a la imagen alterada “ciertamente parece un intento de presentarla como una broma o una publicación humorística, como sus caricaturas anteriores. Esto presumiblemente busca protegerlos de las críticas por publicar medios manipulados”. Observó que el propósito de compartir la imagen alterada del arresto parece “mucho más ambiguo” que las imágenes caricaturescas que la administración ha compartido en el pasado.
Los memes siempre han transmitido mensajes complejos que son divertidos o informativos para las personas que los entienden, pero indescifrables para otros. Las imágenes mejoradas o editadas por IA son solo la última herramienta que la Casa Blanca utiliza para involucrar a los jóvenes simpatizantes de Trump que pasan mucho tiempo en línea, explicó Zach Henry, un consultor de comunicaciones republicano que fundó Total Virality, una firma de marketing de influencers.
“Las personas que están constantemente en línea lo verán y lo reconocerán instantáneamente como un meme”, dijo. “Tus abuelos pueden verlo y no entender el meme, pero como parece real, les lleva a preguntar a sus hijos o nietos al respecto”.
Mejor aún si provoca una reacción feroz, lo que ayuda a que se vuelva viral, indicó Henry, quien generalmente elogia el trabajo del equipo de redes sociales de la Casa Blanca.
La creación y difusión de imágenes alteradas, especialmente cuando son compartidas por fuentes creíbles, “cristaliza una idea de lo que está sucediendo, en lugar de mostrar lo que realmente está sucediendo”, señaló Michael A. Spikes, profesor en la Universidad Northwestern e investigador de medios de comunicación.
“El gobierno debería ser fuente de información confiable, de información precisa, esa es su responsabilidad”, apuntó. “Al compartir este tipo de contenido, y crear este tipo de contenido… está erosionando la confianza —aunque siempre soy un poco escéptico del término confianza— pero la confianza que deberíamos tener en nuestro gobierno federal para darnos información precisa y verificada. Es una verdadera pérdida, y realmente me preocupa mucho”.
Spikes sostuvo que ya hay “crisis institucionales” por la desconfianza en organizaciones de noticias y de educación superior, y siente que el comportamiento de los canales oficiales agrava esos problemas.
Ramesh Srinivasan, profesor en UCLA y presentador del podcast Utopias, destaca que muchas personas ahora se preguntan a dónde pueden acudir para obtener “información confiable”. “Los sistemas de IA solo van a exacerbar, amplificar y acelerar estos problemas de ausencia de confianza, una ausencia de incluso entender qué podría considerarse realidad o verdad o evidencia”, destacó.
Srinivasan dijo que siente que la Casa Blanca y otros funcionarios que comparten contenido generado por IA no solo invitan a las personas comunes a publicar contenido similar, sino que también otorgan permiso a otros que están en posiciones de credibilidad y poder, como los legisladores, para compartir contenido artificial no etiquetado. Agregó que dado que las plataformas de redes sociales tienden a “privilegiar algorítmicamente” el contenido extremo y conspirativo —que las herramientas de generación de IA pueden crear con facilidad— “tenemos un enorme desafío en nuestras manos”.
Los videos generados por IA relacionados con la acción del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) ya están proliferando en las redes sociales. Después de que Renee Good fuera disparada por un elemento de ICE mientras estaba en su auto, comenzaron a circular varios videos generados por IA de mujeres alejándose de agentes que les ordenan parar. También hay muchos videos fabricados circulando de redadas migratorias y de personas confrontando a efectivos de ICE, a menudo gritándoles o arrojándoles comida en la cara.
Jeremy Carrasco, un creador de contenido que se especializa en alfabetización mediática y desmentir videos virales de IA, asegura que la mayoría de estos videos probablemente provienen de cuentas que están “buscando clics” con palabras clave y términos de búsqueda populares como ICE. Pero aclara también que los videos están obteniendo vistas de personas que se oponen al gobierno y los ven como “ficción de fanáticos”, o participando en “pensamiento optimista” con la esperanza de que sean reales las imágenes de una resistencia al gobierno.
Aun así, Carrasco también cree que la mayoría de los espectadores no pueden decir si lo que están viendo es falso, y se pregunta si sabrían “qué es real o no cuando realmente importa, cuando el contenido es mucho más serio”.
Incluso cuando hay señales evidentes de generación de IA, como letreros con galimatías u otros errores obvios, solo en el “mejor de los casos” un espectador es lo suficientemente astuto o está prestando suficiente atención para saber que se trata de algo falso.
Este problema, por supuesto, no se limita a las noticias sobre redadas migratorias y protestas. Imágenes falsas de la captura del líder venezolano depuesto Nicolás Maduro explotaron en línea a principios de este mes. Los expertos, incluido Carrasco, piensan que la difusión de contenido político generado por IA solo se volverá más común.
Carrasco cree que la implementación generalizada de un sistema de marcas de agua que incrusta información sobre el origen de una pieza de medios en su capa de metadatos podría ser un paso hacia una solución. La Coalición para la Procedencia y Autenticidad del Contenido ha desarrollado tal sistema, pero Carrasco no cree que se adopte extensamente al menos por otro año.
“Va a ser un problema para siempre ahora”, aseveró. No creo que la gente entienda lo grave que es esto”.
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Contribuyeron a esta nota los corresponsales Jonathan J. Cooper en Phoenix y Barbara Ortutay en San Francisco.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight over threats from nuclear weapons, climate change and AI
Earth is closer than it’s ever been to destruction as Russia, China, the U.S. and other countries become “increasingly aggressive, adversarial, and nationalistic,” a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday and advanced its “Doomsday Clock” to 85 seconds till midnight.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists cited risks of nuclear war, climate change, potential misuse of biotechnology and the increasing use of artificial intelligence without adequate controls as it made the annual announcement, which rates how close humanity is from ending.
Last year, the clock advanced to 89 seconds to midnight.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: The Atomic Age is born at the University of Chicago’s football stadium
Since then, “hard-won global understandings are collapsing, accelerating a winner-takes-all great power competition and undermining the international cooperation” needed to reduce existential risks, the group said.
They worry about the threat of escalating conflicts involving nuclear-armed countries, citing the Russia-Ukraine war, May’s conflict between India and Pakistan and whether Iran is capable of developing nuclear weapons after strikes last summer by the U.S. and Israel.
International trust and cooperation is essential because, “if the world splinters into an us-versus-them, zero-sum approach, it increases the likelihood that we all lose,” said Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board.
The group also highlighted droughts, heat waves and floods linked to global warming, as well as the failure of nations to adopt meaningful agreements to fight global warming — singling out U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to boost fossil fuels and hobble renewable energy production.
Starting in 1947, the advocacy group used a clock to symbolize the potential and even likelihood of people doing something to end humanity. At the end of the Cold War, it was as close as 17 minutes to midnight. In the past few years, to address rapid global changes, the group has changed from counting down the minutes until midnight to counting down the seconds.
The group said the clock could be turned back if leaders and nations worked together to address existential risks.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/doomsday-clock-midnight/
