WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s acting inspector general announced Thursday that he would review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to convey plans for a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The review will also look at other defense officials’ use of the publicly available encrypted app, which is not able to handle classified material and is not part of the Defense Department’s secure communications network.
Hegseth’s use of the app came to light when a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, was added to a Signal text chain by national security adviser Mike Waltz. The chain included Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.
“The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business. Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements,” the acting inspector general, Steven Stebbins, said in a notification letter to Hegseth.
Public concern over a controversial development in Sugar Grove continues, as evidenced by Tuesday’s unofficial election results.
Unofficial results from Tuesday night appear to show the ousting of current village president Jennifer Konen and an incumbent village trustee, and the passage of a non-binding referendum question asking the village to reverse its decision on the controversial Crown development project.
The advisory referendum asking the village to reverse its decision to allow the project appears to have passed with 57.74% of votes as of Tuesday night, according to unofficial election results from the Kane County Clerk’s Office.
Of 7,056 registered voters in Sugar Grove, just over one-third voted in Tuesday’s election.
The Sugar Grove Village Board approved
the 760-acre mixed-use development known as The Grove, as well as an agreement to annex the property into the village and to give the developer financial incentives via a tax increment financing district, in September despite public opposition.
According to past reporting, The Grove, proposed
by land owner and developer Crown Community Development, will sit on
what is currently mostly farmland surrounding the Interstate 88 and Route 47 interchange in what was previously unincorporated Kane County. The plan is for the area to include neighborhoods, mixed-use commercial and residential areas, a walkable town center and a business park area, Crown representatives have previously said.
A rendering shows what the town center planned at The Grove development might look like. (Norris Design)
As of late September, Crown was in the process of
getting contracts in place for the engineering design of the first phase of development, according to past reporting, with the goal of beginning work on the site in fall 2025.
A petition to get a non-binding referendum on the ballot about reversing the project got over 500 signatures and was submitted
to the village of Sugar Grove in December, according to past reporting.
The full text of the question read, according to the Kane County Clerk’s Office, “Should the Village of Sugar Grove’s approval of “The Grove,” a development project by Sugar Grove LLC/Crown Community Development, located near Interstate 88 and Illinois Route 47, be immediately reversed using all necessary and lawful measures?”
The goal of the non-binding question, according to Pat Gallagher, the primary proponent of the petition to get the referendum on the April 1 ballot, was to give voters a chance to express their feelings on the development and prompt village leadership to explore ways to reverse the approval of the controversial project.
“There’s a lot of apprehension about this project, both in the TIF and the industrial aspects of it,” Gallagher said over the phone on Wednesday. “I think this gives a clear message to the board that, you know, the village does not want this, the residents don’t want this, and everything should be done to try to get us out of this deal that clearly the public is against.”
Gallagher is affiliated with Neighbors for Sensible Growth, a local organization that has vocally opposed the Crown development.
A spokesperson from Crown said on Wednesday that they “remain committed to creating a vibrant development that will benefit the community and look forward to working with the village of Sugar Grove as plans progress.”
In addition to the apparent passage of the referendum question, Village President Jennifer Konen’s seat was also up for grabs on Tuesday. As of Tuesday night, unofficial results from Kane County show Konen with 41.99% of the votes and challenger Susan Stillwell with 58.01%.
Stillwell, on the other hand, previously told
The Beacon-News that voters are concerned about the TIF proposal for the development project, saying it would interfere with lowering taxes for residents.
In an email statement Thursday morning, Stillwell said that she is “ready to open the lines of communication, listen to residents and neighbors and bring everyone together again” and that her campaign “heard (the community’s) voices in regard to the advisory referendum and will do everything that we can to advocate for our community.”
Village Administrator Scott Koeppel said that the village “look(s) forward to working with the mayor-elect and the newly elected trustees” in an email statement to The Beacon-News on Wednesday.
Konen did not respond to a follow-up request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
As for the village trustees, three seats were up for grabs on Election Day, according to the Kane County Clerk’s Office. Four candidates were in the running: incumbent James White and challengers Nora London, Michael Roskopf and Anthony Speciale.
As of the unofficial election results reported on Tuesday night in Kane County, the three challengers were leading. Nora London had 27.96% of the vote, Michael Roskopf had 27.72% and Anthony Speciale had 23.87%.
White, who voted
in favor of the Crown development in September, was trailing as of Tuesday night with 20.44% of the votes, according to unofficial election results from the Kane County Clerk’s Office.
The two current trustees opposed
to the development, Heidi Lendi and Sean Michels, were not up for reelection and will sit on the board until at least 2027, according to the village’s website.
The trustees opposed have previously expressed concern
that the financial incentives offered to Crown would divert tax dollars away from local governments and other taxing bodies, like the school district.
In February, Kaneland School District 302 said
it was considering legal action against the village over the tax increment financing district for the project, saying it would limit property tax revenue.
The school district’s proposal to issue over $140 million in bonds to pay for school building improvements also appears to have passed on Election Day, according to unofficial election results.
Gallagher said he’s watching the school board’s discussion of litigation against the village and thinks it could be the “primary mode to challenge this right now.”
And, while the development project is still set to move forward as of now, he’s hopeful that new elected officials in the village may be more open to considering ways to reverse course.
“Certainly, it’s advisory,” Gallagher said Wednesday about the referendum, “but, you know, I think it opens up the door for them (the Village Board) to … talk to the village attorney and say, like, ‘Hey, what are our options here?’, see what can be done to get out of the agreement and contracts.”
GRAY, Maine, EE.UU. (AP) — Un pasajero de automóvil en Maine mató a tiros a su madre antes de disparar a vehículos que pasaban, matando a otro conductor e hiriendo a dos más, luego se suicidó, informó la policía estatal el jueves.
Los tiroteos ocurrieron en la ciudad central de Sabattus, Maine, el miércoles por la tarde, indicó la policía. El tirador de 29 años iba de pasajero en el vehículo conducido por su madre, Christine Smith, de 47 años, de Sabattus, según un comunicado de prensa de la policía.
El tirador, James Davis III de Sabattus, mató a Smith y salió del vehículo después de que se detuvo, momento en el cual comenzó a disparar a los vehículos que pasaban, señaló la policía. Murió Katherine Williams, de 53 años, de Sabattus, y quedaron heridos Tyson Turner, de 19 años y de Jay, y David Wilson, de 35 y de Hartford, informó la agencia.
Williams era la única ocupante de su vehículo, afirmó la policía.
Williams, conocida como Kay, era la gerente de cocina en dos escuelas en Litchfield, donde tenía una notable habilidad para construir fuertes conexiones con los estudiantes y el personal, afirmó la superintendente Katherine Grondin en un correo electrónico.
“Su amabilidad y dedicación dejaron un impacto duradero en nuestra comunidad escolar, y la extrañaremos profundamente. Nuestros corazones están con su familia mientras enfrentan esta pérdida. Ha sido un día difícil para todos nosotros mientras lamentamos la pérdida de un miembro valioso y querido de nuestra familia escolar”, expresó Grondin.
Davis se suicidó después de los tiroteos, señaló la policía.
Smith fue declarada muerta en el lugar, se informó. Williams fue llevada al Centro Médico Central de Maine después del tiroteo y fue declarada muerta.
Turner y Wilson fueron llevados al Centro Médico Central de Maine y se espera que sobrevivan, informó la policía. Viajaban en autos separados y eran los únicos ocupantes de sus vehículos.
La policía manifestó que la investigación continuaba y que dará más información más tarde. No dijo si había determinado un motivo para los tiroteos.
“Los tres individuos fallecidos fueron transportados a la Oficina del Médico Forense Jefe en Augusta, donde se realizarán autopsias”, declaró Shannon Moss, portavoz de la Policía Estatal de Maine.
Numerosas agencias policiales asistieron en la escena de los tiroteos el miércoles por la noche, informó la policía. Una sección de la carretera en el área fue cerrada por un tiempo durante la investigación y la policía pidió al público evitar la escena.
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La corresponsal Holly Ramer contribuyó desde Concord, Nueva Hampshire.
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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.
Coffee in the U.S. risks getting even more expensive as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff measures hit Vietnam, one of its biggest suppliers, with hefty levies.
The Southeast Asian nation is the world’s leading producer of robusta coffee, the variety used in instant drinks and espressos. The 46% tariff on Vietnam’s goods — among the highest of the rates Trump imposed against U.S. trading partners — threatens to disrupt flows and comes as coffee costs have already soared on the back of harvest shortfalls.
New York futures for arabica, the high-end variety used in coffee shops, have held near a record high after adverse weather hit key growing regions. Supply shortfalls also pushed robusta futures in London up more than 40% over the past year.
On Thursday, the most-active contract for robusta fell as much as 2% when markets opened before paring those losses, while arabica futures also declined.
“The tariffs will likely add to coffee market volatility and could exacerbate existing supply tightness,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova Pte. in Singapore. “U.S. coffee prices could rise, especially for robusta-based products.”
Nguyen Nam Hai, chairman of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association, said he was “stunned” to see such a high tax rate against the nation. “Everyone is worried, especially about the signed export contracts,” he said by telephone.
Still, the country ships a lot to other regions like the European Union, helping to temper the impact.
While there has been an incentive to use the cheaper robusta variety, the world’s top arabica grower Brazil has been hit by a lower 10% baseline tariff. That potentially makes arabica a more appealing option, said Steve Wateridge, head of research at TRS by Expana.
“The fact that all the main arabica producers seem to be at a 10% tariff rate, whereas Vietnam and Indonesia are much higher, there may be a change in the flow as there’s an incentive to use more arabica or Brazilian Conilon,” he said.
But for U.S. buyers, alternatives are limited, with Vietnam its third-biggest supplier. Stocks in the U.S. already have little room for further drawdowns and will likely remain low with the tariffs in place, said Daryl Kryst, vice president of Soft and Agricultural Commodities Asia for StoneX Group Inc.
Although some importers may try to increase purchases from Brazil, Indonesia and Ivory Coast, those countries cannot fully replace Vietnam’s high volume and consistent quality, Sachdeva said. And some of them were hit by steep tariffs too.
Switching to arabica may also not be viable as robusta is critical for instant coffee and espresso, she said. The tariffs will make it “even harder for U.S. buyers to secure affordable robusta, leading to potential shortages,” she said.
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Los “gatos de almacén” de la ciudad de Nueva York son queridos en la Gran Manzana, pero están del lado equivocado de la ley.
Los gatos que viven en muchas de las tiendas de conveniencia y establecimientos de comida rápida para llevar de la ciudad parecen lo suficientemente inocentes, pasando sus días descansando en escaparates bañados por el sol o deslizándose entre estantes de bocadillos mientras reciben caricias amistosas de los clientes.
Sin embargo, la ley estatal prohíbe la mayoría de los animales en tiendas que venden alimentos, y los dueños de almacenes enfrentan multas si su gato es sorprendido acurrucándose cerca de las latas de atún y papel higiénico.
La precaria posición legal de las mascotas volvió a ser el centro de atención recientemente, cuando circuló en línea una petición que abogaba por que la ciudad proteja a los dueños de gatos de almacén de las multas, acumulando más de 10.000 firmas.
Pero inspeccionar estos negocios es responsabilidad del gobierno estatal. El Departamento de Agricultura y Mercados del Estado de Nueva York explicó en un comunicado que su objetivo es garantizar el cumplimiento de las leyes y regulaciones de seguridad alimentaria, aunque señaló que los inspectores buscan ofrecer “recursos educativos, así como cronogramas y opciones de medidas correctivas” antes de considerar las multas.
Muchos partidarios argumentan que los gatos en realidad ayudan a mantener las tiendas limpias al disuadir a otras criaturas ubicuas de la ciudad de Nueva York, como roedores y cucarachas.
No obstante, algunos tenderos aseguran que el trabajo más importante de los felinos es atraer clientes.
En un almacén en Greenpoint, Brooklyn, un esponjoso gato gris y blanco llamado Mimi se ha convertido en una atracción aún más destacada después que una clienta publicara un video de ella en TikTok que fue visto más de nueve millones de veces.
Sydney Miller, la cliente que compartió el video, dijo que la experiencia le ha ayudado a construir una relación duradera con el cuidador de Mimi, Asam Mohammad, un inmigrante yemení que tiene pocos años viviendo en Estados Unidos.
“En última instancia, los gatos son un símbolo de construcción comunitaria y del tipo especial y único de conexión que ocurre en una ciudad como Nueva York”, afirmó Miller, poeta y productora de contenido digital.
Mohammad dijo que uno de los descendientes de Mimi, una bola de pelo blanca llamada Lily, también es ahora un gran éxito con los clientes.
“Jugará con cualquiera”, dijo Mohammad. “Antes era Mimi, pero ahora todos son famosos”.
Otro de los gatitos de Mimi, Lionel, se ha instalado en un almacén cercano propiedad de la misma familia, donde es más que un vendedor o un técnico de control de plagas.
En una reciente tarde, el primo de Mohammad, Ala Najl, quien es musulmán, había estado ayunando por el Ramadán desde las 5:00 de la mañana y le quedaba otra hora y 17 minutos. Sintiendo un poco de inquietud, Najl decidió jugar con Lionel. Desenrolló su alfombra de oración roja, atrayendo al musculoso gato a un amistoso juego de tira y afloja.
El juguetón forcejeo ayudó a distraer a Najl mientras lidiaba con los dolores de hambre.
“Sí, me ayuda con eso”, dijo Najl.
En otra tienda de Greenpoint, el tendero Salim Yafai dijo que su gato, Reilly, es tan popular que un cliente de mucho tiempo incluso intentó comprarlo, preguntándole a Yafai por un precio.
“Dije 10.000 dólares. Él propuso 1.000. Yo respondí, ‘No’”. comentó Yafai.
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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.
