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News from October 24, 2025

1643 articles found

Multiple people arrested in home invasion where 3 including a child were locked in closet: Officials
Chiefs Rookie LT Josh Simmons Expected To Rejoin Team In Few Weeks
Oxtoby: NI 'still in the tie' despite first-leg loss
White House donor list for Trump's ballroom includes Chicago entrepreneur
Technology

White House donor list for Trump's ballroom includes Chicago entrepreneur

Demolition crews finished tearing down the White House’s East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom — one that President Donald Trump said would be paid for by himself and private donors. The White House released a list of 37 donors on Thursday, and one person helping to fund the ballroom is Konstantin Sokolov, a Russian-born entrepreneur who is the head of a Chicago-based private equity firm. Many of the names come from industries such as technology and cryptocurrency like Coinbase, Tether, Apple, Google and Meta. Cryptocurrency companies have seen major benefits under the Trump administration through policies and executive orders. Trump’s family has amassed billions through cryptocurrency ventures. Other companies on the list, like Microsoft and Google, have received lucrative White House contracts for their AI and cloud tools, while firms like Palantir and Lockheed Martin have recently secured billions in new and expanded contracts with the government. It’s unclear how much each donor contributed, though Paolo Tiramani, CEO of Las Vegas-based modular home manufacturer Boxabl, said this week that he donated $10 million in stock to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, which is managing donations for the project. Sokolov founded IJS Investments in 2006. The private equity firm focuses on investing in infrastructure, technology and finance companies. He’s a major shareholder in one of Armenia’s largest mobile and telecommunication company, Viva. Sokolov also serves as chairman of the Northern Pillar Energy Consortium, an initiative to increase the supply of renewable energy between Africa and Europe, according to IJS Investments’s website. IJS Investments didn’t respond to requests for comment. In April, Sokolov donated $100 million to the University of Chicago for its executive MBA program at the Booth School of Business. It was among the largest-ever donations to Booth, and the program was renamed to the Sokolov Executive MBA Program. “I am deeply honored by the school’s decision to give my name to its world-leading Executive MBA Program. Two decades after my graduation, the lessons I learned, the experiences I gained, and the friendships I forged at Booth remain the foundation of my career and my life,” Sokolov said in an April news release. He previously donated $1.5 million to Booth, which helped fund improvements to the student lounge at Booth’s downtown campus, the Gleacher Center. Sokolov received his executive MBA from Booth. He also has a master’s degree from St. Petersburg State University. He moved the U.S. in 1997, at 21, according to a University of Chicago news release. Sokolovis married with two daughters and has homes in Miami, Switzerland and Malta, but he comes to Chicago about six times a year, according to the Chicago Tribune. The White House ballroom would be approximately 90,000 square feet, with a seated capacity of 650 people. Designed by Washington, D.C.,-based McCrery Architects, construction is expected to finish before the end of Trump’s term in 2029, according to the White House. Trump estimated this week the project would cost $300 million and seat nearly 1,000 people, up from the administration’s initial estimate in July of $200 million with seating for 650. The project has drawn criticism among historic preservationists and raised questions about whether the administration has the legal authority to demolish the East Wing. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to say how much money Trump has personally committed to the project at a Thursday press briefing, but said the administration would share a dollar figure at a later point. Here’s the list of individuals and companies helping to pay for the ballroom. Altria GroupAmazonAppleBooz Allen HamiltonCaterpillarCoinbaseComcast Corp.J. Pepe and Emilia FanjulHard Rock InternationalGoogleHPLockheed MartinMeta PlatformsMicron TechnologyMicrosoftNextEra EnergyPalantir TechnologiesRippleReynolds AmericanT-MobileTether AmericaUnion Pacific RailroadAdelson Family FoundationStefan E. BrodieBetty Wold Johnson FoundationCharles and Marissa CascarillaEdward and Shari GlazerHarold HammBenjamin Leon Jr.The Lutnick FamilyThe Laura & Isaac Perlmutter FoundationStephen A. SchwarzmanKonstantin SokolovKelly Loeffler and Jeff SprecherPaolo TiramaniCameron WinklevossTyler Winklevoss

Matt Nagy gave three bullet points for Chiefs' offense sustaining its success throughout remainder of the season
Technology

Matt Nagy gave three bullet points for Chiefs' offense sustaining its success throughout remainder of the season

The Kansas City Chiefs have been on fire offensively over the past several weeks, but that doesn't mean it's bulletproof.When Kansas City's offense is clicking, it may be the best in the NFL. It is averaging 32 points per game over the past four weeks, and also leads the league in total yards during that span.However, as we saw in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, sometimes the Chiefs' offense is its own worst enemy. If complacency sets in, crucial mistakes get made, and the margin for error is small in the NFL. While speaking to the media on Friday, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy gave three bullet points for K.C.'s offense sustaining its success throughout the remainder of the season. Keep the execution at a high "Keep the execution at a high, which it is right now," Nagy said. "The execution by these players has been great."The biggest part of this is the mental side of things, such as limiting penalties, playing in sync, and getting the most out of every play. The Chiefs' offense has accomplished all of those goals over the past two games, but no much when it played Jacksonville, which led to a loss. It also struggled with those things during the team's 0-2 start. Protect the football "Protect the football," Nagy continued. "That's been a key element. Making sure that, with our defense, if we protect the football and score touchdowns, we're always going to be in good shape."Taking care of the ball is a timeless necessity to winning in the NFL. A pick-six thrown by quarterback Patrick Mahomes was a huge factor in K.C. losing to the Jaguars, as was a ball that bounced off the hands of tight end Travis Kelce that resulted in an interception. Never get relaxed with the details "Never get relaxed with the details," Nagy concluded. "This is a detailed offense. Just when you think you're doing everything the right way, all of a sudden, one little detail can hurt you. I think our coaching staff, coach (Andy) Reid, the players, they're professionals."Reid and Nagy have a large and complex offensive playbook, so players have to stay with the details. Fortunately, the Chiefs have a lot of veterans on their offense who have been in the system for multiple years.