In 1988, Public Enemy released the song “Don’t Believe the Hype,”  which warns of being bamboozled by false narratives coming from the corridors of power. It speaks of the peril of being ignorant to the truth. Today, this message is more important than ever. We live in a day in which the seeking of truth seems to have become a forgotten value and the difference between truth and lies has been blurred by those promoting their own power.

We see the distortion of truth daily from the golden Oval Office and the crowd of false witnesses attending it without ever voicing criticism. The administration is cavalier in its repetition of hype, be it about false crime reductions under federal watch in Washington, false assertions about affordability or repetitions of fictitious election claims so blatant we all know them as “the Big Lie.”

We see the distortion of truth too often in the media and elected officials. These are dark times for the media, when misinformation and disinformation are as rampant as a mentality that equates “bias” with stories one side doesn’t like, as former journalist Dan Rather explains. In recent months, one of the four major TV networks has drawn increasing scrutiny for political decisions made in place of editorial judgments. And two of the four major networks have laid off journalists of color disproportionately since the 2024 election, diminishing the aperture through which the news is reported.

We also see the distortion of truth from pulpits that have chosen to compromise their holy books out of fear because they have bought into the blurring of truth. We saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic; we witness this today with too many Christian leaders promoting the great replacement conspiracy theory.

Yes, this intentional distortion of the truth, “the hype,” has become the norm; unfortunately, truth has been put on life support. This surrender to the hype has allowed narratives to demonize individuals and entire races of people, legitimized mistruths and stereotypes, allowed character assassination to become acceptable, sanctioned the weaponization of religion and authorized killings.

The hype is deadly. Just ask the families of Renee Good and Silverio Villegas González.

The killing of Good in Minneapolis by a federal immigration agent fills us with outrage. Following this wholly avoidable tragedy was a horrific wake of hype, which some have called a “torrent of untruths.” ICE agents spread mistruths about the situation, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security made statements that contradict videos and the Department of Justice pushed for an investigation into Good’s widow. This tragic situation does not surprise us: We have witnessed this same systematization of lies and hype. We have seen the same state-sanctioned killing under similar circumstances, followed by the same fictitious spin, here in Chicago.

Early on in Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE agent shot and killed González, 38, a father of two. ICE responded to this killing with lies, that González was a violent criminal, that he attempted to drive his car into agents and that the agent who shot him was seriously injured. All of these claims were proved untrue. The president, one of his Cabinet secretaries and the federal agent who killed this man all responded to the incident with lies, with hype.

This playbook of lying in the face of fact, trotted out first in Chicago, has been employed in Minnesota.

Twentieth century political philosopher Hannah Arendt learned about the role of hype in her study of how the Nazis perpetrated their atrocities. “What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer.” That propaganda playbook of hype has hit America hard this past year.

When the line between the truth and lies become blurred, so does the line between right and wrong. That’s when righteousness and justice become merely personal opinion and morality is rendered so subjective that a world leader can claim immunity from international law and the Constitution and that he is only limited by his “own morality.”

Under these conditions, hate becomes acceptable, conscience is silenced, division is fostered, murder is sanctioned, and evil is justified. It is a sad day for America and for humanity when morality is relativized.

Recently, we honored the living legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a guiding light for each of the four of us. In an early sermon from 1954, “Rediscovering Lost Values,” King stressed the importance of ensuring universal morality was at the center of American society. “The first principle of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all reality hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this is a moral universe, and that there are moral laws of the universe just as abiding as physical laws.”

The hype of our present day is not only dangerous for this present moment but also for the generations to come. We cannot leave our children a relativistic world where might makes right, where moral vision has been intentionally blurred, because that will shape them. When truth and lies, and right and wrong, are blurred, souls and conscience die. So, too, do very real people such as González and Good.

Don’t believe the hype. Believe in human morality and strive to restore that morality to our ailing America.

Chicago faith leaders Rabbi Seth Limmer, the Rev. Otis Moss III, the Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain and the Rev. Michael Pfleger joined the Tribune’s opinion section in summer 2022 for a series of columns on potential solutions to Chicago’s chronic gun violence problem. The column continues on an occasional basis.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/opinion-hype-donald-trump-administration-lies-renee-good/ 

Paramount’s new season is opening in August with a little attitude, and some might say that’s appropriate considering the challenges the Aurora theater faced in 2025.

The Chicago-area premiere of “Mean Girls” kicks off the lineup for its 15th Broadway Series – a show which a press release labeled as “sassy” – but it could also be described as a reflection of today’s social behavior.

Still, “Mean Girls” the musical has a softer, more comedic tone than the sharper, sarcastic 2004 movie version, notes Paramount President Tim Rater, who has borne much of the brunt of last year’s controversial budget cuts that led to the closing of its excellent BOLD Series, not to mention plenty of angst, anger and uncertainty over the future of downtown Aurora’s undisputed economic turnaround engine.

But with this announcement as we kick off 2026 Rater says he’s feeling much better about that future.

“We’re really excited about the new season and where things are going. We still have lots to figure out but we’re in a good spot,” he insisted.

Much of Rater’s optimism comes from a highly successful “White Christmas” holiday run as well as the big gala fundraiser last weekend that featured top-tier celebrity Jerry Seinfeld.

A couple dozen protesters outside the theater withstood frigid temperatures on Jan. 17 to protest the comedian’s controversial pro-Israel comments made last year. And inside, a few ticket holders tried to interrupt the sold-out show, including one who was taken into custody, police said, and cited for obstructing a peace officer and criminal trespass, both misdemeanors.

Still, this political interlude, which kept Rater and other officials on high alert, did not take away from the great time people had during Seinfeld’s performance or at the gala parties, he told me.

“I felt recharged” after the event, Rater said, adding that he had “some of the best conversations” that evening.

The passion and commitment so many feel toward the Paramount not only buoyed his spirits, he felt good about a recent discussion with Aurora Mayor John Laesch, who’s hardly been on the same page as the Paramount president after the city dramatically reduced previously discussed funding for the Aurora Civic Center Authority – which owns the Paramount Theatre, the Copley Theatre, Paramount School of the Arts and North Island Center plus manages the city-owned RiverEdge Park and Stolp Island Theatre – from $6 million to $2 million, to combat a budget shortfall.

The misinformation and mistrust flying around last year could have made for a musical production’s dramatic narrative thread. But a new year and new season holds out the hope of an Act Two with less controversy and conflict.

“I have had productive conversations with Mr. Rater and will be scheduling future meetings to talk about vision, goals and financing,” Laesch said in an email response. “There has been a lot of progress between ACCA leadership and the mayor’s office, and we look forward to building on the successes of the past, while attracting new, high-energy entertainment options for Aurora” and the region around it.

There are still important questions, including who will go and who will stay on the current Aurora Civic  Center Authority board. Laesch noted he’s been interviewing existing board members and new candidates “to share my vision with ACCA with them.” And I’ve been told a decision should be made in the next couple of months.

ACCA Board Chairman Jonathan Hylton, who said he finally got a sit-down with the mayor, shared Rater’s cautious optimism, noting “we are trying to find ways to partner together” but “need to define what it is (the mayor) wants to see and what we can do to help.”

Still, he compared ACCA’s challenges to “landing a jumbo jet in the middle of Galena Boulevard after flying at 42,000 feet,” without destroying everything in its path, including downtown.

The $2 million in previously discussed funding that ACCA received from the city – at one point that number had plunged to zero – is “not what we need,” Hylton told me. “But we built the budget around it” and under Rater’s leadership – “he is the glue,” declared the chairman – found a way to maintain the Paramount School of the Arts while not taking “a step back” from the quality of shows audiences have come to expect.

In addition to “Mean Girls,” the new season includes what the Paramount described as the world premiere of a new and reimagined version of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” Stephen Sondheim’s Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning musical “Sunday in the Park with George” and the return of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

ACCA officials admit they relied too much on funding from past administrations, a mistake that will never be made again, said Hylton, adding that the strength of this board is not being afraid of missteps but learning from them.

And “that takes experience,” he insisted, then went on to promise that, even with “costs rising all around us,” the board will continue to work toward fiscal sustainability.

“We want to be an important anchor in the downtown, and continue to bring in patrons,” he said, noting that, while ticket costs will go up, as they are in theaters everywhere to keep pace with rising production expenses, “we do not want to abandon our mission of inclusion,” which means keeping shows affordable and available.

“This is the first year of our crunch,” Hylton said. “We can start to lower our landing gear but we need a clearly defined runway to land” this metaphoric big plane.

“But we are making progress.”

dcrosby@tribpub.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/column-paramount-theatre-in-aurora-cautiously-optimistic-as-new-season-is-announced/ 

Before choir practice on a Saturday morning, Marina Lopez rushed her three children to get ready. They were running late. 

“Andenles, ya apaguen la tele y ponganse la chamarra. Hurry, turn off the TV, put on your jacket,” she told them. 

Her youngest daughter, Sofia, ran toward her mother so that she could tie her hair into a braid. Lopez smiled. She had dreamed of mornings like this. There was a time she worried she would never be able to braid her daughter’s long, brown hair again. Or even see her again. 

Seven months earlier, Lopez had been detained after receiving a sudden notice from immigration authorities summoning her to an appointment in Chicago’s South Loop. The mother had been in the United States more than 10 years under supervision as she sought asylum. Long enough to believe there was no reason to suspect that the June 4 check-in would end with her being led away in handcuffs. 

While she was in detention in Grayson County Detention Center in Kentucky, Lopez would hide under her covers to cry and pray. She was desperately worried about her husband and children. They have no one else in this country. They left everyone behind in their native Guatemala, fleeing from gang violence and poverty. 

Then came help. The choir director at their church began to quietly rally the community. Parishioners dropped off food at the family home almost daily. They helped her husband pay rent and bills. Parents took turns taking care of the children, who, every Sunday, sat with the youth choir, praying that their mother would return home. 

Marina Lopez helps her children get ready for church at their home on Jan. 18, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) 

Lopez felt the support, the shared weight, carried by hymns of praise, week by week. It helped her endure sleepless nights and hungry days for the seven months she spent in detention. 

“They are the family that I don’t have here,” Lopez said. “It gave me peace knowing that we were so loved. That my children were safe. That kept me going day by day.” 

Then, more than 200 days after her arrest, her prayers were seemingly answered. Authorities released her on Dec. 23.

As President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown continues its march across Chicago and the country, countless families have been shattered in its wake. Federal agents often seize breadwinners and family caretakers. Some, like Lopez’s husband and children, have no other relatives in the country for support. 

But amid the upheaval, a new sense of community has been born, as neighbors, teachers and parishioners step in to fill the gaps of broken families navigating their new reality. 

“An arrest doesn’t affect just one person,” said Jose Verduzco, the church choir director, “It ripples through a whole community.” 

When Lopez and her family finally arrived at the church on that Saturday morning, a little late and Sofia’s hair tied in a neat braid, the choir group welcomed Lopez and her children with hugs and some cheers. 

Rudy, her older son, took out his guitar. Aaron, the middle child, and Sofia sat next to each other and took out their music notes. The church filled with the sounds their mother dreamt of all those sleepless nights: her children singing, as if she had never left them at all.

“Gracias a Dios por traer a mi mama. I want to thank God for bringing back my mom.” Aaron, 8, said when Verduzco went around the group asking to say something they were grateful for. 

“Yo le quiero pedir a Dios que nunca se la lleven otra vez. I want to ask God that they never take her away again,” Sofia answered. Meanwhile, Lopez went around the room, hugging other children and their parents. 

Jose Verduzco, right, leads a children’s choir practice with Marina Lopez’s children and others before the start of Mass on Jan. 18, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) 

Then Carolina Morales arrived with her children to practice. The two mothers wrapped each other in a long, quiet embrace. 

Before Lopez’s detention, they had only known each other in passing and through brief conversations. 

But during her detention, it was Morales who took care of Lopez’s children nearly every day while their father was at work, taking them to school, cooking for them, taking care of doctor appointments, sometimes washing their clothes and, of course, driving them to choir practice. 

The support extended beyond emotional care. Morales and the other parents in the choir group also took notice of the financial strain on the children’s father. He had to pay rent, bills and attorney fees while also sending money to Lopez in detention. Each phone call to her family was at least $15 for five minutes. She also needed money for food and sometimes even for warm clothing and personal hygiene products. 

So some choir parents and other parishioners organized food sales, raising nearly $10,000 for the family. 

“As a mother, it felt like a calling. I could see the pain through (the children’s) eyes and the desperation their father felt,” said Morales, who has three children of her own. “It was a lot of work, and we never imagined it would take more than seven months until Marina returned home, but we never lost hope.” 

When the children would cry, asking about their mom, Morales would take them to the park, to the movies or play games with them. The children now see Morales, her husband and their three daughters as their extended family. Earlier this month, Rudy asked Morales to be his sponsor for his confirmation in May. 

“Ya hasta vamos a ser comadres,” Morales said with a smile, agreeing to become Rudy’s godmother. They would officially become family.

Rudy at 13, is the oldest of the three kids. When he missed his mother or when he started to have doubts that she would be released, he found solace in his guitar and would write songs or play music. 

Just about 10 years ago, when Rudy was only 3, Lopez arrived in the United States seeking asylum from an indigenous town in Guatemala. At the time, the mother was allowed in the country and given permission by immigration authorities to stay under supervision as Rudy’s asylum case unfolded. 

Since then, Lopez had not heard from immigration authorities until June 4, when she became part of the first large group of immigrants arrested during check-in with immigration authorities, sparking angry protests from advocates, city aldermen and community members. 

Handcuffed detainees, including Marina Lopez, third from right, are led into a van by federal agents on South Michigan Avenue as protesters demonstrate on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Lopez spent three days at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview before she was taken to Grayson County Detention Center in Kentucky. She was among several migrants who later described the conditions in Broadview as the beginning of what she called “endless days of agony.” Detainees slept on the floor under lights that remained on around the clock, she said, with limited food and, at times, no access to water.

Her arrest could not be explained, attorney Cynthia Fernandez, who said Lopez had received no prior notices from immigration authorities regarding her case. Her release on Dec. 23, one day before Christmas Eve, was also sudden and without explanation. 

“It was the most beautiful blessing, the best gift God has given us,” said Lopez’s husband. When she arrived around 5 a.m., their children were sleepy but eagerly waiting to see their mother. 

According to the habeas corpus filed on Lopez’s behalf in Kentucky, the federal government did not provide a reason or evidence for which Lopez was still detained. 

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not return a request for comment.

But in Lopez’s case, attorneys representing the federal government argued that they planned to reinstate Lopez’s order of removal and deport her, but they couldn’t provide a copy showing that they actually did, Fernandez said. 

In directing her release from ICE custody, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton wrote that “the government admits it has no record of why (Marina’s) supervision was revoked and makes no effort to explain why she is now detained.”

Beaton continued that while the government acknowledged Lopez had an outstanding removal order and had been under supervision that deferred her removal while her application for asylum was pending, “it couldn’t find a copy of any notice that the order had been revoked … or any documents memorializing the decision to revoke it and detain her.”

Fernandez also noted the ways the immigration system itself had failed Lopez and her family. “If the asylum and immigration process weren’t broken, this family wouldn’t be living through this,” she said. 

Marina Lopez, right, hugs a friend goodbye at her family’s home on Jan. 18, 2026. Lopez spent seven months in a Kentucky detention center after being detained by federal agents during a routine check-in. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) 

That’s because Lopez first arrived seeking asylum in 2014 but was not given an interview in her native language. When she tried again in 2015, carrying then-3-year-old Rudy in her arms, she was allowed to seek asylum for him and not herself. So she was only granted a work permit and permission to remain in the United States under supervision. 

Although she has now been released, she is still not safe from deportation. She also does not have a clear path to continue her immigration case, Fernandez said. “In fact, we have not received any information from immigration authorities that can give us any direction about her case,” Fernandez added. 

Last September, the administration expanded the use of expedited removal without judicial review, orchestrating maneuvers to use it on individuals previously covered by various temporary protections as well as those with asylum cases pending at immigration courts and asylum offices. Lopez’s situation is far from unique, Fernandez said.

Lopez’s work permit was nullified during her detention and authorities took most of the documents she had taken with her to that appointment on June 4. 

“I don’t want to ever go through that again, and I don’t want my children to go through that again,” she said. If immigration authorities were to detain her again, Lopez said, she would rather return to her hometown in Guatemala. “But God has done this for me, and I’m faithful that he will provide.” 

For now, her safety and that of her family is measured in moments, day by day. The yapping to get the children ready for practice. Braiding her daughter’s hair. The sound of her children singing in the choir. 

The embrace of the church community that carried her through the darkest months.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/mother-detained-ice-church-community-help/ 

Today is Sunday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2026. There are 340 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 25, 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city to add fluoride to its public water supply.

Also on this date:

In 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France.

In 1945, the World War II Battle of the Bulge ended as the German army concluded its final offensive on the Western Front; approximately 19,000 U.S. soldiers were killed during the five-week campaign.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first live televised presidential news conference.

In 1971, Charles Manson and three of his followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actor Sharon Tate.

In 2011, Egyptians began nationwide protests that forced longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak to step down amid the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed an order reversing a Pentagon policy that largely barred transgender people from military service.

In 2024, Alabama conducted the nation’s first execution using nitrogen gas, putting to death Kenneth Eugene Smith for his conviction in the 1988 murder-for-hire killing of a pastor’s wife.

Related Articles

In 2004, NASA’s Opportunity rover landed on Mars and sent its first pictures of the planet to Earth; originally planned as a 90-day mission, the rover remained operational for over 15 years, traveling a total of 28 miles across the planet’s surface.

Today’s birthdays: Football Hall of Famer Carl Eller is 84. Actor Leigh Taylor-Young is 81. Actor Jenifer Lewis is 69. Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios is 64. Actor Ana Ortiz is 55. Actor Mia Kirshner is 51. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is 48. Soccer manager and former player Xavi is 46. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys is 45. Football Hall of Famer Patrick Willis is 41. Actor-singer Ariana DeBose is 35. Rapper Lil Mosey is 24.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/today-in-history-fluoride-added-to-city-public-water-supply/ 

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 25, according to the Tribune’s archives.

Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.

Front page flashback: Jan. 25, 1947

Dr. Arthur J. Logie, a chest specialist, confirmed former Chicago gang leader Al Capone had developed pneumonia on Jan. 24, 1947. “I doubt very seriously if there is a chance for recovery. It is impossible to say how long he will last,” Logie told reporters. (Chicago Tribune)

1947: Former Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone died in Florida.

Syphilis-related complications earned Capone an early release from prison in 1939, after he served seven years for tax evasion. Almost eight years later and some 1,400 miles away from Chicago, Capone’s final months were spent with family at his Palm Island estate near Miami.

Al Capone’s final days, death in Florida and burial in Chicago — why we remember it 75 years later

Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)

High temperature: 67 degrees (1950)
Low temperature: Minus 20 degrees (1897)
Precipitation: 1.12 inches (1990)
Snowfall: 4.6 inches (1895)

Chicago police Officer Dorelle C. Brandon was accidentally shot and killed by her partner Jan. 25, 1984 on the Far South Side. She was the first female police officer in the department to die in the line of duty, and also the second officer killed in nine days while making a drug raid. (Chicago Tribune)

1984: Chicago police Officer Dorelle C. Brandon — a six-year veteran of the department — became the first patrolwoman killed in the line of duty in the city. She was accidentally shot in the head by a partner who meant to save her as she tried to wrestle her gun away from a narcotics suspect on the Far South Side.

A community room at the 3rd District was rededicated in her honor in 2025.

A Sears Wish Book catalog from 1968 is displayed Nov. 8, 2017, at the company’s Hoffman Estates headquarters. (José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

1993: Sears closed its money-losing catalog division, which meant the demise of its storied Big Book. Wish Book — the department store’s Christmas catalog — was produced sporadically into the 2010s.

Sears closed its last store in Illinois in 2021.

(Chicago Tribune)

1994: The Chicago Wolves formed as part of the International Hockey League and would play at the Rosemont Horizon (now Allstate Arena).

New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles speaks after being introduced on Jan. 31, 2022, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

2022: The Chicago Bears hired Ryan Poles as the team’s new general manager.

After taking over as GM, Poles spent the first year trading veteran players and shedding expensive contracts while amassing young talent. He executed a blockbuster trade for the No. 1 draft pick in 2023, a deal that — with some help from a woeful 2023 Carolina Panthers team — eventually landed the Bears quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick a year later. They also added receiver DJ Moore and a handful of additional draft picks, which later netted tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, punter Tory Taylor and receiver Luther Burden III.

Poles signed a contract extension in July 2025 that keeps him and head coach Ben Johnson with the Bears through the 2029 season.

Want more vintage Chicago?

Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/january-25-chicago-history/ 

Associated Press

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) — Rescatistas indonesios lidiaban el domingo con montones de barro, escombros y un suelo empapado, mientras buscaban a decenas de personas que desaparecidas después de un alud de tierra provocado por lluvias torrenciales el día anterior en la isla principal del país, Java, que mató al menos a 11 personas.

El deslizamiento de tierra, que ocurrió antes del amanecer, se abatió el sábado por las laderas del monte Burangrang en la provincia de Java Occidental, sepultando unas 34 casas en el pueblo de Pasir Langu. El domingo, 79 personas seguían desaparecidas y se temía que muchas estuvieran enterradas bajo toneladas de barro, rocas y árboles arrancados de raíz.

Unos 230 residentes que vivían cerca del lugar fueron evacuados a refugios temporales del gobierno. Los rescatistas recuperaron dos cuerpos más el domingo por la mañana, elevando el número de muertos a 11, según Ade Dian Permana de la oficina de búsqueda y rescate.

Videos publicados el sábado por la agencia de búsqueda y rescate del país, conocida como Basarnas, mostraron a los rescatistas usando herramientas agrícolas y manos desnudas para sacar un cuerpo cubierto de barro del suelo y colocarlo en una bolsa naranja para llevarlo a enterrar.

Apenas se estaban empleando equipo pesado y excavadoras porque el suelo era demasiado blando e inestable.

“Si la pendiente no se estabiliza, los equipos están preparados para continuar de forma manual”, dijo Permana, estimando que la altura de los montones de barro podría ser de hasta cinco metros (16 pies).

“Algunas casas están enterradas hasta el nivel del techo”, agregó.

En una visita a la zona el domingo, el vicepresidente indonesio Gibran Rakabuming Raka prometió que las autoridades tomarían medidas para prevenir desastres similares. Instó a las autoridades locales en Java Occidental y Bandung Occidental a “abordar el problema de la conversión de tierras en áreas propensas a desastres”, incluyendo formas de reducir los riesgos.

El jefe de Basarnas, Mohammad Syafii, confirmó a los periodistas después de visitar el devastado pueblo de Pasir Langu con Gibran, que la condición del terreno y el mal tiempo continúan complicando las operaciones de búsqueda el domingo.

“Estamos a merced del clima, y el deslizamiento sigue siendo barro… fluyendo e inestable”, dijo Syafii, “Con un área tan amplia, usaremos todos los recursos que tenemos… drones, equipos caninos y unidades terrestres, pero la seguridad es lo primero”.

Las lluvias estacionales y las mareas altas desde aproximadamente octubre hasta abril suelen causar inundaciones y deslizamientos de tierra en Indonesia, un archipiélago de más de 17.000 islas donde millones de personas viven en áreas montañosas o cerca de fértiles llanuras inundables.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/el-lodo-y-los-escombros-complican-la-bsqueda-de-decenas-de-desaparecidos-en-deslave-en-indonesia/ 

If you’re looking for a guaranteed quick dinner win, stop scrolling now. My hot honey chicken bites have it all, and there’s no better way to serve chicken on weeknights. Cutting the boneless chicken into bite-size pieces helps it cook in less time than a full-sized breast or thigh. Plus, there’s more surface area for browning, spices, and sauces to cling to.

Why you’ll love it

Upgrade boring chicken with a hot honey glaze. The glossy hot honey glaze coating bite-size pieces of chicken is so good, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon.
It’s so easy! This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with just a few flavorful ingredients like hot honey, vinegar, and spices. (We don’t count kosher salt or black pepper, as they’re kitchen staples.)

Key ingredients in hot honey chicken bites

Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination for this recipe. Cut 1 1/2 pounds into 1-inch pieces so that every bite cooks evenly.
Spices: Mix paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl first for easy seasoning.
Hot honey: This sweet and spicy condiment is the backbone of the delicious glaze and is readily available in most grocery stores.
Apple cider vinegar: Vinegar balances the flavor of the honey glaze. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, substitute with distilled white or white wine vinegar.

Hot Honey Chicken Bites

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 teaspoons paprika

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/4 cup hot honey

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)

1. Pat 1 1/2 pounds chopped boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Stir 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper together in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle over the chicken and toss to coat.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add half of the chicken in a single layer. Cook until golden-brown and the chicken easily releases from the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Toss and cook until golden-brown on the second side, about 2 minutes more. (Some pieces might not be cooked through.)

3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Melt 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in the skillet and repeat cooking the remaining chicken on its first side.

4. Flip the chicken, then return all of the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1/4 cup hot honey, and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Cook until the butter melts, the sauce is reduced by half and glossy, and it coats the chicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.

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Recipe note: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.

(Patty Catalano is a food editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/chicken-bites/ 

Por SAM McNEIL, JUSTIN SPIKE y SYLVIE CORBET

BRUSELAS (AP) — Las tensiones sobre los planes del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, para tomar el control de Groenlandia han creado una brecha en el vínculo antes inquebrantable entre su movimiento MAGA (siglas en inglés de su lema “Hagamos grande a Estados Unidos otra vez”) y la extrema derecha europea.

La ruptura parece indicar que la alineación ideológica por sí sola puede no ser suficiente para calmar las preocupaciones entre los nacionalistas europeos sobre el intervencionismo de Trump en el extranjero.

Líderes de extrema derecha en Alemania, Italia y Francia han criticado fuertemente los planes de Trump para Groenlandia. Incluso Nigel Farage, un viejo aliado de Trump y líder del partido nacionalista Reformar Reino Unido, calificó las acciones de Trump en Groenlandia como “un acto muy hostil”.

Durante un debate en el Parlamento Europeo el martes, los legisladores de ultraderecha, que típicamente se alinean con Trump, apoyaron abrumadoramente detener un pacto comercial entre la UE y Estados Unidos debido a su inquietud con sus amenazas, que calificaron de “coerción” y “amenazas a la soberanía”.

Socios transatlánticos de MAGA

Esa divergencia entre Trump y sus acólitos europeos fue algo sorprendente.

Los partidos de extrema derecha ascendieron al poder en 2024 en toda la Unión Europea, sacudiendo a los partidos tradicionales en las 27 naciones del bloque, desde España hasta Suecia. Sus agrupaciones políticas ahora ocupan el 26% de los escaños en el Parlamento Europeo, según el Instituto Alemán de Asuntos Internacionales y de Seguridad.

Hace menos de un año, los partidos europeo de extrema derecha se reunieron en Madrid para aplaudir la victoria electoral de Trump bajo el lema “Hagamos Europa grande de nuevo”, mientras que Elon Musk, antes de caer en desgracia con Trump, había respaldado a influencers y líderes de extrema derecha europea en X, incluido al partido radical de derecha Alternativa para Alemania.

El vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, fue objeto de críticas dentro de Alemania y en toda Europa después de reunirse con la líder de AfD, Alice Weidel, durante la campaña electoral en febrero. El partido, con el que los partidos convencionales se niegan a trabajar, remeció la política alemana al duplicar su presencia en el Bundestag para convertirse en el segundo partido más grande del país.

Sin embargo, las profundas divisiones dentro de MAGA sobre la estrategia de Trump en asuntos exteriores han resonado en Europa, con sus acciones sobre Groenlandia, Venezuela e Irán, obligando a sus aliados políticos a favorecer sus convicciones ideológicas sobre su deferencia al presidente de Estados Unidos.

La soberanía supera los valores compartidos

El partido ultraderechista francés, Agrupación Nacional ha ensalzado en ocasiones su cercanía ideológica con Trump, particularmente en inmigración.

Hace un año, el partido envió a uno de sus altos representantes, Louis Aliot, a asistir a la investidura de Trump. A su vez, Trump ha defendido firmemente a la líder del partido, Marine Le Pen, describiendo su condena por malversación de fondos de la UE como una “caza de brujas”.

Jordan Bardella, de 30 años, eurodiputado y actual presidente de la Agrupación Nacional, ha elogiado las opiniones nacionalistas de Trump, diciendo a la BBC el mes pasado que un “viento de libertad, de orgullo nacional” soplaba a través de las democracias occidentales.

En los últimos días, sin embargo, Bardella ha parecido distanciarse del gobierno de Estados Unidos. En su discurso de Año Nuevo criticó la intervención militar de Estados Unidos en Venezuela destinada a capturar al entonces presidente Nicolás Maduro, calificándola de “interferencia extranjera” diseñada para servir “los intereses económicos de las compañías petroleras estadounidenses”.

Yendo más allá, Bardella denunció el martes el “chantaje comercial” de Trump sobre Groenlandia.

“Nuestra subyugación sería un error histórico”, afirmó Bardella.

Otro aliado de Trump, la primera ministra italiana, Giorgia Meloni, se hizo eco de ese sentimiento. En una entrevista en la televisora Rai el miércoles, dijo que le dijo a Trump durante una llamada que su amenaza de aranceles sobre Groenlandia era “un error”.

Reticencia a criticar en el flanco oriental de la UE

Sin embargo, las reacciones entre los líderes de derecha europeos no han sido unánimes. El primer ministro húngaro, Viktor Orbán, ampliamente considerado como el pionero del populismo conservador de Trump, ha sido cuidadoso de evitar incluso la más mínima crítica al presidente de Estados Unidos.

Orbán, que enfrenta en abril lo que probablemente será la elección más difícil de sus 16 años en el poder, ha construido su identidad política alrededor de su afinidad con Trump, prometiendo a los votantes que su estrecha relación con el presidente rendirá grandes dividendos.

Trump, ha insistido Orbán, es la única esperanza de Europa para la paz en medio de la guerra en Ucrania y un garante de la soberanía nacional.

Orbán ha intentado presentar las amenazas de Trump sobre Groenlandia y la captura de Maduro como beneficiosas para Hungría, o como un asunto que no le concierne.

“Es un asunto interno… Es un asunto de la OTAN”, dijo Orbán sobre los planes de Trump para Groenlandia durante una conferencia de prensa a principios de este mes, agregando que cualquier cambio propuesto a la soberanía de Groenlandia puede discutirse dentro de la OTAN.

A pesar de su firme defensa de la soberanía nacional, Orbán también elogió la acción de Estados Unidos en Venezuela, calificando al país de “narcoestado” y sugiriendo que la destitución de Maduro podría beneficiar a Hungría a través de futuros precios más bajos del petróleo en los mercados mundiales.

La reticencia de Hungría a oponerse a las acciones de Trump reflejó posiciones similares entre los líderes de extrema derecha en el flanco oriental de la UE.

El presidente polaco Karol Nawrocki, considerado un aliado tanto de Orbán como de Trump, dijo en Davos esta semana que las tensiones sobre Groenlandia deberían resolverse “de manera diplomática” entre Washington y Copenhague, no mediante una coalición europea más amplia. Hizo un llamado a los líderes de Europa Occidental para que moderen sus objeciones a la conducta de Trump.

En la vecina República Checa, el primer ministro y aliado de Trump, Andrej Babis, se ha negado a pronunciarse en contra de las amenazas de Estados Unidos a Groenlandia, y advirtió contra permitir que la UE cause un conflicto con Trump por este asunto. En Eslovaquia, el primer ministro Robert Fico ha permanecido en silencio sobre los planes de Trump para Groenlandia, incluso cuando se reunió con el presidente en su balneario de Mar-a-Lago la semana pasada.

Aun así, la destitución de Maduro por parte de Trump llevó a Fico a “condenar inequívocamente” la acción, calificándola de “secuestro” y la “última aventura petrolera estadounidense”.

Disrupción o división por delante

La ideología que vincula a MAGA y sus aliados europeos podría sobrevivir a los recientes desacuerdos al redoblar viejas quejas compartidas, dijo Daniel Hegedüs, director de Europa Central del German Marshall Fund.

Señaló las recientes votaciones en contra del liderazgo de Bruselas en el Parlamento Europeo por parte de legisladores europeos de extrema derecha sobre el pacto migratorio de la UE y la congelación del enorme acuerdo comercial con el bloque Mercosur de cinco naciones sudamericanas.

“Si Trump continúa de esa manera, suponiendo una amenaza para la soberanía de los países europeos, entonces, por supuesto, eso dividirá a la extrema derecha europea”, afirmó.

“No sabemos si esta división permanecerá con nosotros o si podrán nuevamente unir fuerzas en torno a temas donde puedan cooperar. Esos temas pueden ser lo suficientemente dañinos para la Unión Europea”.

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Spike contribuyó desde Budapest y Corbet desde París.

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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.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/las-ambiciones-de-trump-sobre-groenlandia-tensan-lazos-de-maga-con-la-extrema-derecha-europea/ 

Por JOHN PYE

MELBOURNE (AP) — Tan pronto como Carlos Alcaraz avanzó a los cuartos de final del Abierto de Australia con una victoria sobre Tommy Paul, la atención se centró en su servicio.

El español, número uno del mundo, trata de completar en Australia la colección de cuatro trofeos del Grand Slam en su carrera, apenas a los 22 años. Con ese fin, ha tratado de pulir su saque.

Le funcionó bien el domingo en una victoria por 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5 sobre Paul (19no preclasificado). No hubo dobles faltas, Alcaraz logró que el 70% de sus primeros servicios entraran en juego y ganó el 79% de esos puntos. También ganó el 68% de los puntos con su segundo saque.

El ajuste en el inicio de su movimiento de servicio tiene un aspecto familiar, y no ha pasado desapercibido para Novak Djokovic. El ganador de 24 títulos de Grand Slam bromeó anteriormente en el torneo diciendo que le había enviado a Alcaraz un mensaje pidiéndole una tarifa por derechos de autor.

A Alcaraz se le preguntó sobre esto en una entrevista televisiva en la cancha en la Rod Laver Arena, y él también siguió la broma.

“Sí. Escuché eso. Tengo el contrato por ahí, ¡pero aún no lo he visto!” dijo el español sobre su intercambio con Djokovic.

Abundó en el tema, al decir que cuando surgieron videos del movimiento de servicio antes de la campaña revisó su teléfono y tenía un mensaje de Djokovic que, más o menos, decía: “¡Está bien, tienes que pagar!”

Alcaraz dijo que las bromas en el vestuario lo mantienen divertido. En busca de un 25º título de Grand Slam, algo sin precedentes, Djokovic ha sido frenado en los últimos dos años por Alcaraz y Jannik Sinner, quienes se han repartido los ocho títulos por igual.

Un elemento que falta en el currículum tenístico de Alcaraz es un trofeo en Melbourne Park. Nunca ha pasado de los cuartos de final. Se enfrentará al local Alex de Miñaur o al número diez Alexander Bublik esta semana en la ronda de los ocho mejores.

Pausa médica

Paul llegó a las semifinales del Abierto de Australia en 2023. Tenía eso a su favor al entrar al partido de cuarta ronda con Alcaraz.

Los rivales estaban intercambiando buenos tiros en el desempate del primer set cuando un episodio médico pausó su partido por más de 14 minutos.

La situación estaba 3-3 cuando la jueza de silla Marija Cicak les informó que un espectador en la Rod Laver Arena necesitaba atención médica urgente.

Esta demora duró tanto que los jugadores pudieron calentar nuevamente durante un par de minutos antes de que se reanudara el juego, y después de que el espectador salió de la arena, ayudado por el personal médico y una ambulancia.

Alcaraz siempre estuvo al frente después de eso. Rompió el servicio en el crucial décimo juego del tercer set y terminó el partido en dos horas y 44 minutos.

Los adversarios se abrazaron en la red, Alcaraz hizo un pequeño movimiento de baile en la cancha para entretener a la multitud, y luego aplaudió al estadounidense de 28 años mientras salía de la cancha.

“En general, un nivel de tenis realmente alto de ambos lados”, dijo Alcaraz. “Realmente feliz de haberlo conseguido en sets corridos”.

Alcaraz dijo que estaba al tanto de sus estadísticas de servicio y, en una especie de inusitado alarde, agregó: “Sí, me estoy impresionando a mí mismo, para ser honesto” en sus primeros cuatro partidos en Melbourne Park.

“Después de cada set trato de revisarlo, mirando las pantallas”, dijo. “En general, creo que los cuatro partidos que he jugado (aquí) el servicio ha sido un arma importante para mí.”

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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/25/con-saque-renovado-carlos-alcaraz-se-instala-en-cuartos-de-final-del-abierto-de-australia/