GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) — First graders at Sidway Elementary School in Grand Island cheered, put their dancing shoes on, and showed off their team spirit ahead of the Buffalo Bills Thursday night game in Texas. “It’s a Thursday, it’s game day, it’s a great atmosphere. Today is a half day for our students so […]
https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/erie-county/grand-island/sidway-elementary-holds-bills-prep-rally-ahead-of-thursday-night-football/
Month: November 2025
D’Andre Swift, Jaquan Brisker up to full practice participation for Bears
Running back D’Andre Swift returned to full practice participation for the Bears on Thursday. Swift (hip) was listed as limited on Wednesday and Thursday’s upgrade should put him on track to play against the Steelers on Sunday. The team will issue injury designations for the game on Friday. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin) and safety Jaquan Brisker (shoulder) were also bumped up to full. Johnson was limited on Wednesday while Brisker was out of practice. The Bears added running back Roschon Johnson (thumb) to Thursday’s report. He was out of practice along with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (groin), linebacker T. J. Edwards (hand, hamstring), running back Travis Homer (hamstring, knee), linebacker Noah Sewell (elbow), and left quguard Joe Thuney (rest). Left tackle Theo Benedet (quad), center Drew Dalman (knee), cornerback Kyler Gordon (calf), cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hip, calf), and right tackle Darnell Wright (pec, back) were limited participants.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/dandre-swift-jaquan-brisker-up-to-full-practice-participation-for-bears
Hanukkah 2025: How New York City is celebrating this year
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready. The festive, eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins this year on Sunday, Dec. 14. Fortunately, in this great and very Jewish city of ours, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate, from pre-Hanukkah shopping bazaars to family-friendly concerts to parties where adults can dance the night away. Keep reading for our list of Hanukkah events across New York City this year there’s truly something for everyone. And remember: Each night of the holiday, there are also public lightings of two of the world’s largest menorahs at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan and Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Are you hosting a Hanukkah event that’s open to the public? Send us an email with the details at jhajdenberg@jta. org if you’d like to be added to the list. Pre-holiday fun Dec. 5-12: Check out 35 unique menorahs up for sale at Christie’s Head to Christie’s Rockefeller Center (20 Rockefeller Plaza) for a public viewing of 35 unique and historic Hanukkah menorahs that are up for sale, with prices starting at $5,000. Get details here. Dec. 6: An annual concert with an a cappella take on the Torah Town and Village Synagogue, a Conservative congregation at 334 East 14th St., is putting on its 37th annual Cantor Louis Moss Memorial Concert at 7: 30 p. m. This year’s concert, “A Hanukkah Concert: Songs in the Key of Peace & Harmony,” features Cantor Shayna Postman, the synagogue choir and more. The concert is free for under 13s, $18 for students and $40 for adults. Get tickets and details here. Dec. 6-7: Tablet Magazine’s Hanukkah Bazaar Head to Canyon Essex (135 Delancey St.) for Tablet Magazine’s annual Hanukkah Bazaar, where more than 40 vendors will sell food, jewelry, art, dreidels and more. The bazaar will be open Saturday, Dec. 6 from 7 p. m. to 10 p. m. and Sunday, Dec. 7 from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. $18 to enter; grab tickets here. Dec. 7: Havurah’s Hanukkah Market Congregation Rodeph Shalom (7 West 83rd St.) hosts a Hanukkah market curated by Jewish art collective Havurah, featuring food and artisans’ wares from 2 p. m. to 7 p. m. Entry is free, but registration is required. Sign up here. Dec. 13: A Hanukkah-themed choral concert Hear from two choral ensembles Zamir Chorale, the premier Hebrew choir in North America, and Zamir Noded, the Jewish choir for young professionals at Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center (129 West 67th St.) at 8: 00 p. m. The concert will “celebrate Hanukkah, Jewish independence, resilience and hope.” Tickets from $40; get them here. Dec. 13: An underground Hanukkah discotheque Havurah transforms the legendary Astor Place Hairstylists (2 Astor Pl.) into an “underground 80s Hanukkah club” with funk, soul, house and disco music from 9 p. m. to 1 a. m. Guests must be 18 or older; open bar for 21+. Student tickets are $20, early bird tickets start at $32. Get them here. First Night Sunday, Dec. 14 92NY’s “Chanukah Extravaganzukah” Bring the whole family to 92NY’s Kaufmann Concert Hall (1395 Lexington Ave.) at 10: 30 a. m. for a “Chanukah Extravaganzukah,” featuring an interactive performance by Israeli dance troupe Parparim, followed by a party with sufganiyot (Hanukkah jelly doughnuts), potato latkes, crafts and games. $10 entry for adults, $5 for children, children under 2 are free. Get tickets here. Jazzukah in Greenwich Village Enjoy a musical afternoon with the Jazzukah Project an ensemble of Jewish jazz musicians who will perform “the ultimate holiday playlist” at Groove (125 MacDougal St.). Showtimes at 11 a. m. and 1 p. m. Tickets from $25. 95; purchase them here Hanukkah family day at the Jewish Museum Drop in to the fourth floor of the Jewish Museum (1109 Fifth Ave.) for a full afternoon of art making, music and activities for the family from 11 a. m to 3: 30 p. m. Free with museum admission, which is $24 for adults and free for kids. Get tickets here. The 9th Annual Chanukastravaganza Watch a great lineup of New York’s Jewish comedians including Lana Schwartz, Ilana Michelle Carmi and Ophira Eisenberg at this Hanukkah-themed benefit for Jews for Racial and Economic Justice at 7: 30 p. m. at Brooklyn Art Haus (24 Marcy Ave.). Expect songs, surprises, and gelt. Get tickets, $23. 18, here. Hanukkah speakeasy with Kehillat Harlem Head uptown to Kehillat Harlem (2248 Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvd.) for a speakeasy night at 8 p. m. featuring jazz, cocktails and latke flights. Get tickets, from $36, here. Second night Monday, Dec. 15 A Hanukkah party with Russ & Daughters Celebrate the second night of Hanukkah at Russ & Daughters Café (127 Orchard St.) with latke bar, “nosh favorites,” sufganiyot, beverages both alcoholic and not, plus a menorah lighting. The festivities begin at 6: 30 p. m. Tickets are $125; must be 21+ to attend. 54 Celebrates Hanukkah: A Festival of Writers 54 Below, New York’s Broadway-themed supper club at 254 West 54th St., showcases Jewish musical theater writers as they each present an original Hanukkah song, performed by Broadway actors. Showtimes at 7 p. m. and 9 p. m. Tickets start at $35; get them here. Third night Tuesday, Dec. 16 A guided tour of Temple Emanu-El’s permanent Judaica collection At 11 a. m., head to Temple Emanu-El (1 East 65th St.) to take a curator-guided tour of the menorah collection at the Reform congregation’s in-house museum. Details here. Chanukkah on Ice at Wollman Rink “Chanukkah on Ice” is back at Central Park’s Wollman Rink this year from 6 p. m. to 9 p. m. Skate to live Jewish music accompanied by a life-sized dreidel mascot. Also included: hot drinks, food and a “meaningful” menorah lighting. Tickets start at $30. until Nov. 25. Fourth night Dec. 17 A Zusha Hanukkah concert Hasidic folk-slash-electronic band Zusha performs a Hanukkah concert at The Altneu, an Orthodox synagogue at 107 East 70th St., in partnership with the SAM School. Tickets to the 6 p. m. show are $54 for Altneu members and SAM families ($26 for kids); $118 for non-members ($54 for kids). Get tickets here. The Great Chanukah Doughnut Duel 2025 Find out who makes the best Hanukkah doughnuts, or sufganiyot, at this annual doughnut duel hosted by The Neighborhood and held at The Moxy Williamsburg (353 Bedford Ave.) at 7 p. m.. Guests will sample doughnuts made by a variety of top chefs and vote for their favorite. Get tickets here for $36. Old Jewish Men Hanukkah Spectacular Join lifestyle brand-slash-Instagram-comedy group Old Jewish Men for their Hanukkah Spectacular comedy show at the Gramercy Theater (127 East 23rd St.). The show begins at 8 p. m.; tickets start at $33. 95. Fourth night Wednesday, Dec. 17 A SNL Hanukkah jam at the JCC Celebrate Hanukkah with music and comedy at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.) at this Saturday Night Live tribute show from 7 p. m. to 8: 15 p. m. Starring singer-songwriter Romi Hanoch, the event will pay tribute to SNL’s most beloved musical sketches, including, of course, Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song.” Tickets are $20. Fifth night Thursday, Dec. 18 Hanukkah party with the East Side Quartet and National Council of Jewish Women Join the National Council of Jewish Women at the Council House (241 West 72nd St., second floor) for a Hanukkah party from 1 p. m. to 2 p. m. featuring vocalist Deborah Karpel who will perform Jewish music from across Yiddish, Sephardic and Israeli traditions, as well as American standards. There will also be latkes and candle lighting. Free; learn more here. Nefesh Mountain Hanukkah show at Brooklyn Bowl Jewish bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain is putting on a Hanukkah show at Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave.) beginning at 8 p. m. Get your tickets here from $21. Arrive at 7 p. m. for a pre-show Hanukkah party and candle-lighting, co-hosted by the band and a variety of local Jewish community partners. Hanukkah Bash for young Jewish professionals with the Museum of Jewish Heritage The Young Friends of The Museum of Jewish Heritage host “Light Up the Night,” a Hanukkah party at the museum (36 Battery Pl.) featuring an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and stellar views. The party goes from 8 p. m. to 11 p. m.; get tickets, from $54, here. A Hanukkah musical performance with 14Y in Union Square Join the 14Y for their second annual Hanukkah musical performance at 6 p. m. in Union Square, featuring a special performance by Broadway’s Adam Kantor, who is the current director of immersive culinary experience “Diaspora”. Free; register here. Hanukkah Tanz! album release party Celebrate Hanukkah and the release of klezmer clarinetist Michael Winograd’s new album “TANZ! Live in NYC,” at Brooklyn’s Center for New Jewish Culture (17 Eastern Parkway). Doors open at 7: 30 p. m., and the concert begins at 8. There will be latkes, l’chaims and music. Get your tickets here, from $18. Sixth night Friday, Dec. 19 Spin, Sing, and Shine for Hanukkah! From Dec. 19 to 21, head to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (212 West 83rd St.) for a range of child-friendly Hanukkah activities, like creating wooden dreidels, making candles and listening to musical performances. Get the full schedule here; activities are included with regular museum admission, which starts at $17. Seventh night Saturday, Dec. 20 “Hanukkah Lit” takes Williamsburg Dance the night away at Unveiled, the nightclub beneath the Brooklyn’s William Vale Hotel (94 North 13th St.) with hundreds of young Jews at the tenth annual “Hanukkah Lit” party, from 10: 00 p. m. to 4 a. m. Get your tickets here from $23. 97. Eighth night Sunday, Dec. 21 Hanukkah concert with YIVO.
https://www.jta.org/2025/11/20/ny/hanukkah-2025-how-new-york-city-is-celebrating-this-year
How Minnesotans are honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance
Thursday marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors transgender people who lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence. MPR News says dozens of people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda to recognize the day. “LGBTQ+ people said the remembrance events carry a different weight this year as changes are introduced in other states and on the federal level designed to attack transgender rights.” How are Minnesota counties spending opioid settlement payouts? Minnesota Reformer reports municipalities are using the funding for treatment, education and addiction recovery support. “Some Minnesota counties spent the cash on law enforcement expenditures intended to weed out drug stashes and bolster criminal investigations: Three spent money on K-9 units, and at least two counties used the funds to pay the salaries of agents investigating drug-related crimes.” A new emergency shelter has opened in Stillwater to help residents experiencing homelessness, The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. They explain the new shelter “is the first of its kind in Washington County and could be a model for other suburbs where such facilities are rare.” You’ll soon notice more autonomous cars on Twin Cities roads. KARE 11 says Waymo is bringing its self-driving vehicles to Minneapolis. “Starting Thursday, a mixed fleet of its Jaguar I-PACE and Zeekr RT vehicles will be visible on Minnesota roads, already with an emphasis on safety as winter looms.”.
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/11/how-minnesotans-are-honoring-transgender-day-of-remembrance/
At least 6 businesses burglarized in about 90 mins. across Chicago part of string of crimes: police
CHICAGO (WLS) — Thieves have been busy this week, knocking off businesses. Early Thursday morning, a group smashed into a GameStop on Cermak Road, and hit El Taconazo Restaurant that’s just steps away in the city’s Heart of Chicago neighborhood. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch And at Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream on 47th Street in Bronzeville, there was a similar scene Thursday morning. The owner said the alarm company called him in the middle of the night. When he arrived, the register was gone and even the safes had been taken. The Cermak burglaries were part of a string of crimes, Chicago police said. SEE ALSO: CPD issues alert for dozens of armed robberies over last month across Chicago In each incident, two to four men between 20 and 30 year old, wearing dark-colored hooded sweatshirts, sweatpants and ski masks, forcibly entered businesses after breaking the front glass door, Chicago police said. Once inside, suspects stole money in safes and cash registers, CPD said. In one incident, one of the suspects pointed a gun and threatened to shoot the unsuspecting victim as he arrived to work and entered into the business, according to police. A stolen gray 2011 Infiniti four-door sedan and a black 2017 Infiniti four-door sedan were identified as being used by the suspects in a majority of incidents. The crimes took place at the following times and locations: 3300-block of North Broadway at 3: 20 a. m. on Nov. 5 (Lake View East) 7100-block of North Ridge Boulevard at 3: 32 a. m. on Nov. 5 (West Ridge) 600-block of West Washington Boulevard at 4: 30 a. m. on Nov. 5 (West Loop) 400-block of South Wells Street at 5 a. m. on Nov. 5 (Chicago Loop) 1900-block of South State Street at 4: 58 a. m. on Nov. 7 (Near South Side) 2000-block of South Clark Street at 5: 04 a. m. on Nov. 7 (South Loop) 500-block West Harrison Street at 5: 40 a. m. on Nov. 7 (Near West Side) 6100-block of North Milwaukee Avenue at 5: 04 a. m. on Nov. 15 (Norwood Park) 6700-block of North Northwest Highway at 5: 21 a. m. on Nov. 15 (Edison Park) 3400-block of North Elston Avenue at 6: 30 a. m. on Nov. 15 (Avondale) 4300-block of West Irving Park Road at 3: 11 a. m. on Nov. 20 (Old Irving) 4300-block of West Irving Park Road at 3: 11 a. m. on Nov. 20 (Old Irving) 4300-block of West Irving Park Road at 3: 54 a. m. on Nov. 20 (Old Irving) 2300-block of West Cermak Road at 4: 25 a. m. on Nov. 20 (Lower West Side) 2300-block of West Cermak Road at 4: 27 a. m. on Nov. 20 (Lower West Side) 800-block of West Jackson Boulevard at 4: 41 a. m. on Nov. 20 (West Loop) Anyone with information should call Area Three Detectives at (312) 744-8263.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-burglaries-least-6-businesses-burglarized-90-minutes-old-irving-park-west-loop-lower-side-cpd-says/18181639/
Philadelphia man draws prison for role in southeast PA gun trafficking network
NORRISTOWN A Philadelphia man was sent to prison after he admitted to purchasing eight firearms for the ringleader of a multi-county gun trafficking network who illegally obtained and put nearly 100 guns on the streets. Malik Keyon Rowell-Jernigan, 26, of the 1900 block of East Pacific Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 5 to 10 years in a state correctional institution after he pleaded guilty to charges of corrupt organizations, making false written statements on federal firearms paperwork, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and conspiracy in connection with incidents that occurred between 2022 and 2023. Judge Steven T. O’Neill said gun violence is ravaging communities and that those who put guns in the hands of others who are prohibited from having them are helping to promulgate the violence. “We are in a society that lives in worship of guns. It is particularly troubling that the population gaining access to these guns is getting younger and younger and younger. They are killing members of our community,” said O’Neill, adding a state prison term was appropriate for Rowell-Jernigan. “Protection of the public has to start somewhere.” The five-year sentence was a mandatory term allowable under state law for one of the illegal gun transfers. The judge imposed concurrent five-year sentences for the other seven illegal gun purchases. Rowell-Jernigan did not address the judge before learning his fate and did not comment to a reporter as he was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs to begin serving the sentence. Rowell-Jernigan was among eight people charged in 2023 with participating in the gun trafficking network led by Larry B. Williams of Philadelphia. Prosecutors said participants used straw purchase schemes to arm the organization. A straw purchase occurs when someone who is legally allowed to purchase a firearm purchases one and then gives it illegally to someone who is not permitted to purchase that firearm. With the charges, detectives specifically alleged Rowell-Jernigan purchased eight firearms “in furtherance of this gun trafficking organization.” The weapons included Taurus 9mm handguns, Glock . 40-caliber handguns and Glock 9mm handguns, according to court documents. “Those eight firearms were then handed over to Larry Williams as part of this overarching organization,” said Assistant District Attorney William Harry Highland III, who sought a mandatory sentence for Rowell-Jernigan. “The danger of these straw purchase cases is that individuals who cannot own or possess firearms are now able to get guns in their hands. “It presents a serious problem on the streets. When people are buying guns for those who cannot have them the ramifications of what could happen are endless,” said Highland, adding some of the illegal guns linked to the organization were used in other crimes. Some of the firearms were recovered during investigations of other crimes including in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and during an October 2021 gunpoint robbery in Wolcott, Conn., according to court documents. Members of the network allegedly purchased 94 firearms and attempted to purchase an additional 23 firearms in Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Lehigh, Philadelphia, Columbia, Northampton and York counties. Previous testimony revealed about 52 of the firearms are still on the streets. Authorities said about half of the illegal gun purchases and attempted purchases were completed at gun shows statewide, including at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks in Upper Providence Township. Seven of the eight firearms that were purchased by Rowell-Jernigan have been recovered by authorities. Defense lawyer Francis John Genovese was pleased the judge sentenced Rowell-Jernigan to only one five-year mandatory sentence. “He came in early on and admitted to what he had done, took responsibility for it. He was just hoping for the best sentence possible which is what the judge ultimately gave him, the 5 to 10 year mandatory sentences all running concurrently, so he was satisfied with that outcome,” Genovese said on behalf of Rowell-Jernigan. “When he initially got involved in this at the request of Mr. Williams he didn’t realize the consequences that came along with the straw purchases. He did it to make a couple of bucks because he really wasn’t working at that point in time. He made a couple of bucks but obviously it wasn’t worth the ultimate penalty he just paid with a 5- to 10-year prison sentence,” Genovese added. Authorities said Williams was prohibited from buying, owning or possessing firearms because of previous felony convictions for drug crimes, so he recruited other people who lived in Philadelphia to buy firearms for him. The investigation found that oftentimes Williams accompanied the straw purchasers to gun stores and helped choose the weapons or he directed the purchases from afar using text or phone conversations. “Law enforcement identified multiple members of this gun trafficking organization with different roles and responsibilities,” detectives wrote in a criminal complaint. “We know through our training and experience individuals involved in this illegal activity operate in attempt to conceal the true identity of the ultimate possessor of the firearm.” For each purchase made on behalf of the organization the purchasers indicated on the record of sale paperwork that they purchased the firearms for themselves and not another individual, detectives said. “The purpose of this corrupt organization was to illegally obtain and distribute firearms to others,” detectives alleged. In April, Williams, 42, of Jasper Street in Philadelphia, was sentenced to 22½ to 45 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of corrupt organizations, making materially false written statements or illegal transfer of firearms, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and conspiracy. In June 2022, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau initiated an investigation into illegal activities associated with the gun trafficking organization. Members of the county’s Violent Crime Unit followed the multiple purchases of firearms by the defendants through the state’s Electronic Record of Sale (EROS) system and through hard copies of ATF and Pennsylvania State Police forms at gun stores. Detectives used surveillance, interviews, information from law enforcement agencies, call detail records and cellphone downloads, social media analysis, records of cash transfers, inspection of forms used in purchasing firearms and other methods of investigation. Collaboration between law enforcement agencies and increased data sharing through initiatives like Track and Trace aided in uncovering the scale of the widespread operation. The following law enforcement organizations participated in the investigation: the Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force; Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Violent Crime Unit; Bucks County District Attorney’s Drug Strike Force; U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole; FBI Bucks Montgomery Safe Streets Task Force; U. S. Marshal’s Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force; New York State Police and multiple police departments including Abington Township Police, Philadelphia Police, Middletown Township Police, Wolcott, Conn., Police, Darby Police, New York City Police and the Pittsburgh Police.
https://www.pottsmerc.com/2025/11/20/philadelphia-man-draws-prison-for-role-in-southeast-pa-gun-trafficking-network/
Joe Biden’s Sad Last Days: Ex-Prez, 83, Sparks ‘Dementia’ Fears as He Appears Confused and ‘Struggles to Walk’ at Former Veep Dick Cheney’s Funeral
Nov. 20 2025, Published 2:00 p.m. ET Former President Joe Biden has sparked dementia fears after he appeared “confused” at ex-Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral in Washington, D.C., RadarOnline.com can reveal. Biden spent his 83rd birthday attending the prominent Republican’s funeral on Thursday, November 20. The ex-president, who is currently battling cancer, stiffly walked into the National Cathedral holding his wife Jill’s hand as she led him to their seats. Biden Spends 83rd Birthday at Dick Cheney’s Funeral Instead of following the former first lady down their row, Biden shuffled past her and greeted a row of guests seated behind them, including Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao. After exchanging handshakes and pleasantries, Biden returned to Jill and extended a hand to his former Vice President Kamala Harris, as former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, filed in next to him. Viewers took to social media to call out how disoriented Biden appeared before the service started. A critic on X remarked he looked “around like a lost, demented fool trying to figure out how to sit in his chair.” Others cruelly mocked Biden “might think it’s his funeral,” while others claimed he “didn’t know where he is.” “Am I in the casket, or do I sit here? – Joe Biden,” wrote an X user as another said, “Biden looks like he is about to clobber someone or smelling something?” Biden’s appearance at Cheney’s funeral comes amid his cancer battle. In May, he announced he had been diagnosed with “aggressive,” hormone-sensitive prostate cancer “with metastasis to the bone.” While he’s taken a step back from public life, Biden was spotted out to dinner in Arlington in early November. He slowly made his way inside the Italian restaurant as Secret Service agents surrounded him. Once again, social media users called out how “lost” the octogenarian appeared during the rare outing. “He looks absolutely lost,” one observer wrote at the time, as another echoed, “He is not sure where he is.” Biden Health Fears Ramp Up Since leaving office, Biden has been holed up at his Delaware home working on a book in-between cancer treatments. He’s said to have one or two aides and a few Secret Service members watching over him as he works with a ghostwriter on his memoir. In August, concerns for his health amid his cancer battle ramped up when he was seen in public with a large bandage on his head after undergoing Mohs surgery, a procedure to detect how deep skin cancer has spread. His spokesperson, Kelly Scully, attempted to downplay the procedure, which removed a potentially deadly malignant lesion and surrounding tissue. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump have been hellbent on exposing Biden’s use of the “autopen,” claiming there was a “cover-up” among his staffers to conceal his cognitive decline.
https://radaronline.com/p/joe-biden-dementia-dick-cheney-funeral-confused-struggling-to-walk/
Cook County budget for 2026 holds line on taxes and fees, prepares for federal cuts
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle won swift approval of her $10. 12 billion 2026 budget on Thursday, calling its passage a protection against President Donald Trump’s cuts. Preckwinkle made special note of the fact there is money in the budget to expand county Public Defender Sharone Mitchell’s immigration unit, which will get seven more positions next year, bringing it to 15. By adding more lawyers, county officials expect to be able to represent more clients who are in the midst of the immigration process or facing criminal prosecution and deportation. The unit, Mitchell said Wednesday, has so far represented 190 clients. Like the last several years, the 2026 budget does not include any layoffs or new taxes, fines or fees. The county has not raised its base property tax levy in nearly three decades. Avoiding those unpopular moves is a political boost for Preckwinkle and board members who are facing primary elections in March. The budget remains largely unchanged from Preckwinkle’s initial proposal in October. Commissioners will give themselves pay raises, to $102, 170 per year from $99,194, the latest such increases tied to inflation that they voted to enact starting in 2022. Finance Chairman John Daley’s salary goes up from about $105, 000 to $108, 198. Recent tweaks include roughly two dozen new positions at State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office and new mental health and domestic violence programs. And thanks to the city’s planned record surplus of special taxing district funding, there will be nearly $20 million in new spending on homelessness, food benefits, and help for renters. Its easy passage and the “collegiality” board members celebrated stood in stark contrast to the budget struggles swirling on the other side of the City-County building, which several commissioners alluded to after quickly approving a series of amendments in the Finance Committee. Even Sean Morrison, the board’s lone Republican, supported the budget, estimating the county was in the “best fiscal position” in the state thanks to difficult pension fixes funded by a sales tax hike approved in 2015, the decision to refinance hundreds of millions in debt, and a flood of federal dollars hitting Cook County Health. The county has received a ratings upgrade every year for the last four years. But many expect the following budget to be more difficult. The 2026 spending plan will tap reserves to weather what county officials think will be stormy conditions in 2027 and beyond. Health officials predict state and federal changes could result in an estimated $400 million “negative impact” on Cook County Health. Reductions in federal Affordable Care Act tax credits could lead to more uninsured patients with limited ability to pay their bills coming to county facilities for care. New Medicaid work requirements that kick in starting in 2027 could lead to an estimated 10% of current enrollees losing coverage. Eligibility checks for Medicaid patients will also happen twice a year instead of annually, which could lead to another 5% to 12% drop in coverage. Other stresses to the safety net hospital system could also bring in more uninsured patients, leaders have warned. The county expects to lose nearly 29, 000 members in its Medicaid managed care program, CountyCare, next year. To prepare for that and other looming cuts, the board agreed to move some of the nearly $1 billion sitting in the county’s “unassigned” reserves. $65 million will go into a “grant risk mitigation fund” in case the Trump administration scales back federal grants and $55 million would go to a pension reserve. Nearly $200 million will help make up for money the county expects to lose thanks to a lawsuit first brought by the Illinois Roadbuilders in 2018. A judge is scheduled to rule in early December about whether the county improperly spent money that should have been used on transportation projects. The county spent some of that money on public safety offices they argued helped enforce traffic laws. Elsewhere in the budget, State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke won budget tweaks to add ten positions to an “in-house digital forensics unit” she argued was sorely needed for attorneys to skim through reams of video evidence. That is paid for with a reroute of money set aside for capital projects. Six other new technology positions and eight victim witness specialists assigned to domestic violence cases in the office were also added in amendments. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plans to sweep roughly $1 billion from the city’s tax increment financing districts would deliver an additional $19. 9 million windfall to the county. If that money comes through, commissioners voted to spend $5. 8 million on help for renters in court; $4. 1 million on homeless services and $10 million on food access. Another half a million dollars from Stroger Hospital’s budget will go to hosting community mental health forums for young people in suburban districts.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/20/cook-county-budget-2026-holds-line-taxes-fees-federal-cuts/
Existing home sales up 1.2% in October
Year-over-year, existing home sales were up 1. 7%. Prices were also up. The median sales price increased 2. 1% to $415,200. “Home sales increased in October even with the government shutdown due to homebuyers taking advantage of lower mortgage rates,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. Sales shrank at the low end of the market, with home sales below $100,000 falling 2. 8%. For homes priced between $100,000 and $250,000, sales climbed less than 1%. Sales of homes priced between $250,000 and $500,000 gained 5%. Realtors reported even bigger gains at the upper end of the housing market. For homes priced between $500,000 and $750,000, the increase was 6. 3%. Sales increased 10. 2% for homes priced between $750,000 and $1 million. And home sales above $1 million jumped 16. 4%. DAVID HARSANYI: DON’T BUY THE NOSTALGIA, GENERATION Z. LIFE IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK Earlier this month, the median age of a first-time home buyer reached a record high of 40, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. The median age of first-time buyers increased to 40 this year from 38 the previous year. In the 1980s, the typical first-time home buyer was in their late 20s,” according to NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/3894133/existing-home-sales-up-october/
Frederick: No, Anthony Edwards is not an MVP candidate. This week reminds us why
“MVP and a championship.” Those were Anthony Edwards’ stated goals entering the 2025-26 season. There was little reason to doubt his pursuit of either. The Timberwolves guard had made massive strides each season, dragging the franchise along with him in the process. Why couldn’t he ascend to the sport’s ultimate individual and team heights this year? This week, he showed us why. Being the best player in the world, or something very close to it, requires a robotic level of dominance. You walk onto the court, you take over the game. Rinse, repeat for the 70-plus times you take the floor in the regular season and beyond. There’s no room for duds like the one Edwards delivered in Minnesota’s home win Wednesday over Washington. The guard was aggressive in the first quarter, logging 12 points, two steals, a rebound and a blocked shot. But when the shots stopped falling, Edwards stopped making an impact in any way, shape or form. Minnesota fell off the tracks in the second half, allowing a 27-point lead to be trimmed to five by the one-win Wizards with fewer than five minutes to play. “Really (we just lost) our edge and our activity and our aggressiveness,” Wolves forward Julius Randle explained. “All that stuff, we kind of just left it in (the locker room) at halftime.” Edwards led the charge on Minnesota’s relative indifference. He played all 12 minutes in a third frame in which the Wolves were outscored 36-23. In that quarter, he scored two points on 1-for-7 shooting. On top of the misfires, he accrued a total of zero assists, rebounds, steals or blocks. It was more of the same in the closing quarter: two points, an assist and a turnover. Edwards was invisible on offense and a non-factor in every other phase of the game. If your shots aren’t falling Edwards has hit just 3 of his 30 3-point attempts over the past four games then do something else. Instead, Edwards, who declined to speak after Wednesday’s win, occasionally disengages entirely. He finished with 18 points on 30% shooting to go with two rebounds and two assists against Washington. MVP? MVP? Edwards’ highs are higher than most. The lows while infrequent are far too low. Hey, there are 82 games. You’re bound to be at less than your best at various points throughout the course of a regular season. But the game’s best, the ones who legitimately contend for the ultimate awards, make their presence felt every night. Shooting 30% or worse from the field on a night you also grab two or fewer rebounds and dish out two or fewer assists in 30-plus minutes of action has never been replicated even once by any of the following players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard. And many, many more. That includes Randle, who has given Minnesota the consistent production it has desperately needed all season. Without it, the Timberwolves wouldn’t be 10-5 at this point in the campaign. Forget League MVP; Edwards isn’t carrying the bulk of his own team’s burden right now. Perhaps he’s not at 100% or something is going on that we don’t know about. But that’s true for a lot of players at various points of a season and career. Even as a one-off, Edwards’ game on Wednesday is simply not a performance those other names would accept from themselves. And this clunker came directly off the heels of another. Against Dallas on Monday, Edwards shot 35. 7% from the field while recording four rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. The 24-year-old has now shot 36% or worse with four or fewer rebounds and three or fewer assists in 28-plus minutes in consecutive games. Here’s how many single games in which that’s happened throughout the careers of Doncic and Jokic: Zero. LeBron James has done it one time in 1, 563 career contests. It hasn’t happened to Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum since they were 22 years old, and Gilgeous-Alexander since he was 23. Those players represent a high bar, but that’s supposedly the air Edwards hopes to occupy. It’s not the stratosphere in which he currently resides. That realm is reserved for those who deliver consistent excellence on a game-to-game basis, no sleepwalks allowed. It’s something Minnesota’s All-NBA guard is still either unwilling or unable to achieve. Those are the guys who are able to bear heavy loads deep into the postseason and lift trophies in late May and June. They build up those muscles throughout the season to the point where elite production becomes second nature. Even the exhausted versions of themselves can deliver it, because it’s all they know. Edwards will bounce back at some point. It would shock no one if he scored 40 points on Friday in Phoenix. But if he can’t match his peers’ consistency, his current preseason goals feel unreachable.
https://www.pineandlakes.com/sports/pro/frederick-no-anthony-edwards-is-not-an-mvp-candidate-this-week-reminds-us-why