Author: mfnnews
Ancient berry may improve blood vessel function — most people overlook it in the freezer aisle
A new scientific review of 12 clinical trials conducted over 24 years links wild blueberries to improved blood vessel function and heart health. Here’s what to know.
NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to pull out as host of Winter Olympics opening ceremony as mother remains missing
NBC star Savannah Guthrie will be backing out as co-host of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony Friday in Milan, Italy, as her mother Nancy Guthrie remains missing.
Violent repeat offenders — 1 was arrested 14 previous times — accused of attempted murder, sexual abuse in two Chicago cases
Two violent repeat offenders — one of whom had been arrested 14 previous times — are accused of attempted murder, sexual abuse, and aggravated battery in separate cases in Chicago.
The first suspect is accused of sexually abusing a woman inside a Chicago Transit Authority elevator at the Jackson Red Line station in the Loop on Tuesday, CWB Chicago reported.
Briana Bush last week also was charged with three counts of aggravated battery in connection with the stabbing of a 24-year-old man, the outlet said.
Kurtis Porter is charged with criminal sexual abuse by force and aggravated battery of a transit passenger, the outlet said.
Porter allegedly followed a 29-year-old woman into the elevator around 5:40 p.m., the outlet said, adding that police said CTA security video shows Porter obstructing the surveillance camera upon entering the elevator.
The victim told police Porter exposed himself, sexually abused her, and grabbed her face during the attack, the outlet said.
Police and CTA distributed an internal bulletin that included images of Porter, the outlet said, adding that a CTA supervisor recognized Porter hours later and notified nearby patrol officers.
Judge Shauna Boliker on Friday ordered Porter detained, the outlet said. Cook County Jail records indicate that Porter — a 30-year-old — is behind bars on no bond.
More from CWB Chicago:
CPD records show Porter has been arrested 14 other times since becoming an adult in 2014, mostly for misdemeanors, but court files show nearly all of those charges were dropped. The only exceptions were a 2019 domestic battery case that ended with court supervision he did not complete satisfactorily and two trespassing charges at the same Old Town building that resulted in a 14-day sentence in November.
Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune
The second suspect — a 21-year-old female already on probation in connection with a violent 2024 robbery aboard a CTA train — has been charged with attempted murder, CWB Chicago said in a separate story.
Briana Bush last week also was charged with three counts of aggravated battery in connection with the stabbing of a 24-year-old man, the outlet said.
Officials told the outlet Bush was fighting the man and a 37-year-old woman aboard a Red Line train at 69th Street on Jan. 5 when Bush allegedly stabbed the man and left the scene. The victim was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition, the outlet added.
Judge Luciano Panici Jr. detained Bush at the state’s request, the outlet said.
Bush had been on probation in connection with a group robbery aboard a Red Line train in July 2024, the outlet said, citing court records.
More from CWB Chicago:
In that case, CTA surveillance footage allegedly showed Bush punching a 29-year-old man as he slept on the train near 95th Street and taking his phone. Police arrested Bush shortly after she fled the scene with the victim’s phone in her pocket, authorities said.
Bush was also charged with escaping electronic monitoring while awaiting trial in the robbery case, but prosecutors dropped that matter when she pleaded guilty to the robbery in September. Judge Peggy Chiampas sentenced Bush to two years of probation for the robbery.
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‘False and defamatory’: Trump threatens to sue Grammys host Trevor Noah over Epstein snipe
President Donald Trump made a not-so-veiled threat to sue Hollywood leftist Trevor Noah, who made a snide remark associating Trump and Epstein’s island while hosting the 2026 Grammys.
Though he did not attend, Trump appeared to be the main focus of the music award show on CBS Sunday night. Bad Bunny, slated to perform at the Super Bowl next Sunday, sneered, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out.”
‘Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.’
Billie Eilish, who won the Song of the Year award for “Wildflower,” also repeated tired lines about immigration, including that “no one is illegal on stolen land.” She then punctuated her anti-American diatribe with a “f**k ICE” jab.
After Eilish’s acceptance speech, host Trevor Noah piled on, making what appeared to be a joke tying together Trump, Greenland, and even Epstein’s notorious island.
“Song of the Year! Congratulations, Billie Eilish! Wow! That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland,” Noah said.
“Which makes sense,” he continued. “I mean, because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
Perhaps sensing that he had crossed a line — and perhaps recalling that the Grammys were airing on a network that recently agreed to shell out millions to settle a lawsuit with Trump — Noah, who is not expected to host the Grammys again after six tries, added: “I told you it’s my last year. What are you going to do about it?”
It seems Trump may have taken that statement as a dare.
RELATED: ‘$15 Billion’: Trump sues another major news corporation for defamation and libel
Early Monday morning, Trump ripped into Noah for making a “false and defamatory statement” about Trump and Clinton paling around on Epstein’s island.
“WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media,” Trump railed on Truth Social.
Trump then indicated he may file a lawsuit if Noah does not retract.
“Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$,” the president added.
Trump also referenced his previous successful lawsuits against ABC and host George Stephanopoulos.
“Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” the president warned.
CBS and Noah’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
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LAPD defies Newsom: Chief refuses to enforce mask ban on ICE
The Los Angeles Police Department says it will not enforce a new California law that restricts federal immigration agents from wearing face coverings, pushing back against a measure backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and aimed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department will not stop or cite federal agents for violating the state’s mask ban, citing safety concerns and the risk of escalating confrontations between law enforcement agencies.
‘It’s not a safe way to do business.’
“The reality of one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict over something that would be a misdemeanor at best or an infraction — it doesn’t make any sense.”
RELATED: Anti-ICE rioter’s deadly mistake: Woman allegedly tried to run over federal agents before she was fatally shot
Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The No Secret Police Act, signed by Newsom in September, prohibits most law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks or facial coverings while carrying out official duties, with limited exceptions for undercover work or protective equipment. Supporters say the measure increases transparency and prevents the use of “secret police” tactics during immigration operations.
Federal officials and Republican leaders have sharply criticized the law, arguing it endangers agents by exposing their identities and unlawfully interferes with federal authority. The U.S. Department of Justice has challenged the law in court, saying it violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
McDonnell said the LAPD’s role is to maintain public safety, not to police federal officers engaged in immigration enforcement.
“You have the ICE agents who are doing their job. And for us to come in then and try and create an enforcement action for wearing a mask, it’s not a safe way to do business,” McDonnell said.
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‘ICE on Notice’: Chicago Mayor Johnson threatens to prosecute federal agents enforcing immigration laws
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) signed an “ICE on Notice” executive order on Saturday, threatening to prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for potential misconduct.
Johnson’s executive action directed the Chicago Police Department to “investigate and document alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents and refer evidence of felony violations to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”
‘Instead of working with us, Illinois sanctuary politicians RELEASE violent criminals from their jails directly back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.’
CPD officers are directed to document federal enforcement activities, including by recording body-camera footage and verifying names and badge numbers of federal supervisory officers on the scene. Police are required to submit a complete report detailing any alleged violations.
Any documented illegal activities will be shared with the public, according to the city.
The mayor claimed that the order created “a framework for public accountability in the event federal agents violate local or state law while operating in Chicago.”
Johnson further alleged that the Trump administration’s federal immigration operations have “violated constitutionally protected rights.” He also claimed that ICE activities have “destabilized communities” and “provoked life-threatening confrontations.”
RELATED: Seattle’s sanctuary mayor orders local police to investigate ICE activities
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
“Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity’ in America,” Johnson stated. “The lawlessness of Trump’s militarized immigration agents puts the lives and well-being of every Chicagoan in immediate danger. With today’s order, we are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents.”
In a statement to the Center Square, Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara Jr. called Johnson’s executive order political bluster.
“The only good thing in that piece of toilet paper is ‘no CPD member will be required to arrest any federal agents,'” Catanzara said.
Catanzara raised concerns that the order requires police to document any allegations of misconduct against a federal agent.
“That needs to be a two-way street, and I will advise our members of such. Citizens can also be named offenders,” he said.
“These claims of criminal misconduct by ICE law enforcement are FALSE,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement shared with WLS-TV.
McLaughlin stated that under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, “ICE is held to the highest professional standard, and officers regularly receive ongoing training.”
“As our brave law enforcement arrests and removes dangerous criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, and gang members from our communities, America can be proud of the professionalism our officers bring [to] the job, day in and day out,” the statement continued. “Instead of working with us, Illinois sanctuary politicians RELEASE violent criminals from their jails directly back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.”
McLaughlin contended that the state’s sanctuary policies had led to the release of 1,768 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. She noted that there are over 4,000 immigrants with active detainers currently incarcerated in Illinois jails.
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson (D) took similar action against federal immigration agents last week, requiring the Seattle Police Department to investigate, verify, and document immigration enforcement activity.
The Seattle Police Officers Guild called the mayor’s action “toothless virtue-signaling rhetoric,” declaring that the “concept of pitting two armed law enforcement agencies against each other is ludicrous and will not happen.”
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Modern life isn’t so bad (even if my furnace is out again)
Every year, at the coldest time of the year, our furnace goes out. I’ve written about it before, I’m writing about it now, and I’m sure I’ll write about it again. Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I say, “In this world, nothing is certain except winter — and our furnace breaking.”
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about modernity: not just as an era, but as a way of life, and as a particular relationship we have with technology and the natural world. Winter has a way of provoking those thoughts. It’s unforgiving outside and warm inside, and that contrast shapes not only our environment but our state of mind. Winter invites introspection whether we ask for it or not.
You don’t actually want to go back to 1198 or 1598. At most, you want to go back to 1998 — before things took such a strange turn.
It also reminds us of something more basic: Winter wants to kill us.
Cold truth
Without insulated homes, reliable transportation, and warm clothing, many of us simply wouldn’t make it. Maybe that isn’t true everywhere. It’s not true in places with mild winters. But it is true here, where the temperature tonight is expected to dip to ten below zero. In places like this, modernity doesn’t just make life comfortable — it makes it possible.
That’s easy to forget. I turn the thermostat up and the furnace obeys. I want it to be 67 degrees, and it becomes 67 degrees. No delay, no doubt. I can count on warmth in the same way I count on the sun rising tomorrow — until I can’t. Then the house turns cold, the basement office becomes unusable, space heaters migrate upstairs, and our seemingly invincible HVAC world collapses all at once. Annoyance quickly turns into perspective.
The furnace, of course, is only one small example. This isn’t really about heating systems or cold weather; it’s about how easily we take the blessings of the modern world for granted.
RELATED: Why does our furnace go out every winter? (and other burning questions)
Heritage Images/Getty Images
No thanks
We all do it. Whatever we have now quickly becomes the baseline. We stop remembering what life was like without it. You see this with people who move to America from poorer parts of the world. After a decade, they are often just as accustomed to convenience as those born into it. You might expect memories of hardship to linger, but they rarely do. Perhaps death once sat closer to daily life, even in developed societies, and kept gratitude sharper. Perhaps something else has changed. Either way, ingratitude seems to come naturally to us now.
Medicine is a clear example. How many of us would be dead without modern medical care? Many. Imagine surgery without anesthesia. Imagine life without optometry or dentistry. It’s not a romantic picture.
The same goes for something as mundane as mail. People love to complain about the USPS, but in much of the world, a functioning postal system barely exists. I know someone who lived in Africa building embassies for the U.S. government, and he told me that local mail simply wasn’t usable. Here we send letters, order books, ship packages, and trust that they will arrive — and that if they don’t, someone will make it right. That trust is a modern miracle we barely notice.
Horse power
Or consider transportation. We can wax poetic about the romance of horse-drawn travel, but the truth is, we would hate it. It might charm us for a day or two, but before long, we’d be desperate to return to cars, trains, ferries, and planes. Modern speed isn’t just convenient — it reshapes what a human life can contain.
Lately I see a lot of anger directed at modernity itself. Some of it is understandable. There are technological and medical “advances” that drift away from the good and toward the destructive. That frustration is real, and I feel it too. But rejecting the modern world wholesale is neither wise nor serious. You don’t actually want to go back to 1198 or 1598. At most, you want to go back to 1998 — before things took such a strange turn.
Our task, then, isn’t to flee modernity, but to refine it. We cannot escape it — and we shouldn’t want to. The better path is gratitude without naivety: thankful for the blessings, alert to the dangers, and willing to curb excess without denying reality. If we do that, we may yet manage to build not just a modern world, but a good one.
