Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago news, sports, politics, entertainment

Renderings of the proposed new Bears stadium

Bears might need new playbook for initial lakefront stadium huddle with Pritzker aides

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has repeatedly voiced skepticism over the Bears’ stadium plans, which include public subsidies. On Wednesday, the team will meet with two top Pritzker staffers.

By Tina Sfondeles

Pinned on a blue police form is a button picturing and honoring Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca.

Crime

Gun of slain Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca found at Far South Side home of suspect's relative

Caschaus Tate, 20, stopped investigators at the door of a home in Morgan Park, then went out the back and tossed a gun over a fence, police said.

By Rosemary Sobol and Matthew Hendrickson

USA vs. Edward M. Burke

Former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas urges leniency for Ed Burke, ‘whom I always felt met my standards for ethics’

City Hall

Mayor Brandon Johnson chooses 7 members to serve on Chicago's permanent police oversight commission

Students at DePaul University erected tents Tuesday, joining campus protests across the country expressing support for people in Gaza.

Israel-Hamas War

DePaul students pitch tents on campus, join pro-Palestinian protests

A dosage of Wegovy, a drug used for weight loss, on March 1, 2024, in Front Royal, Va. Illinois state employees will get expanded access to the high-priced weight-loss drugs, but that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Politics

Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars

Commentary

The opinions in and around Chicago that inform, analyze, hold power accountable and entertain.

CST Editorial Board

City Council members, be honest when talking about migrants

Rick Telander

Sports columnist

Northwestern protests, encampments bring back dizzying memories

Beria Hampton

A community land trust would help my Far South Side neighborhood flourish again

Neil Steinberg

Columnist

Movie on Dante’s life, journey leads to look at hellish real-world events

Politics

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) in November; Gov. J.B. Pritzker (right) last week.

Politics

Taking the fight South? Pritzker's nonprofit spends $500K in Florida — battling DeSantis and GOP over abortion rights

Florida is the fourth ballot initiative Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s nonprofit Think Big America is supporting this year. Pritzker’s group is also supporting efforts in Nevada, Arizona and Montana.

By Tina Sfondeles

Iza Redlinski holds a bouquet of garlic mustard, an invasive plant she picked out of Red Gate Woods in the Cook County Forest Preserves on April 25, 2024.

Suburban Chicago

Cook County Forest Preserves is launching a $10 million makeover of Palos Preserves

Columnists

Coal ash pollution cleanup will boost Waukegan, other Great Lakes communities

Movies and TV

'The Daily Show' coming to Chicago for Democratic convention

Transportation

CTA, Metra and Pace could be merged into one transit agency under bill proposed in Springfield

Sports

College Sports

Northwestern's Izzy Scane — lacrosse's Caitlin Clark? — has a scoring record to break this week

Entering the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on her home field in Evanston, Scane is six goals shy of tying the Division I career mark. After that, she and the No. 1-ranked Wildcats will go for a second straight national championship.

By Steve Greenberg

Angel Reese wears a sparkly black hooded evening gown, and Kamilla Cardoso is clad in a bright red pantsuit, as each stands with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and holds a Chicago Sky jersey in this composite image.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese are finding routine in Chicago

Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Connor Bedard named finalist for Calder Trophy

Bears

1st-and-10: Shane Waldron, your table is ready

College Sports

Bears help Pac-12 go out with a bang in NFL Draft

Entertainment and Culture

MAMMA-MIA-2.jpeg. Christine Sherrill (Donna Sheridan), and the Company of MAMMA MIA! 25th Anniversary Tour
Photo by Joan Marcus

Theater

Christine Sherrill celebrating 25th anniversary tour of 'Mamma Mia!' in a familiar role

The show stars the veteran Chicago actress in a role she’s performed more than 2,000 times, in a musical built around the music of ABBA.

By Stefano Esposito

Theater

Larissa FastHorse satirizes well-meaning theater artists with 'The Thanksgiving Play' at Steppenwolf

Movies and TV

After exciting premiere, Hulu thriller 'The Veil' bogs down over six episodes

Movies and TV

John Mulaney returns to St. Ignatius for playful, sometimes poignant David Letterman chat

Horoscopes

Horoscope for Tuesday, April 30, 2024

All latest stories

Recipes

Let quinoa do the heavy lifting in this Southwestern salad

Quinoa may be prepared like rice, and its nutty flavor adds hearty, toothsome texture to salads, pilafs and stews.

By Lynda Balslev | Taste Food

Tama chefs and owners Adalberto Olaez (left) and Avgeria Stapaki..jpeg

Food and Restaurants

Tama — an adventurous Mediterranean escape opens in Bucktown

As an independent restaurant owner, Chef Avgeria Stapaki says culinary artistry is a core facet of her identity. At Tama, she says has the freedom to present her true self on the plate.

By Naomi Waxman | Eater Chicago

A scene from The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theatre spotlighting the character Tommy, played by Ali Louis Bourzgui.

Theater

Chicago productions on Broadway among 2024 Tony Award nominations

A total of 28 shows earned a Tony nod or more, with the musical “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film, earning 12 nominations.

By Mark Kennedy | AP Entertainment Writer

City Hall

What happened before Mayor Brandon Johnson finally agreed to stay away from slain offcer's funeral?

John Catanzara, police union president, discussed the maneuvering with the Sun-Times. When the mayor’s office began “pushing back” against staying away, Catanzara said, the slain officer’s sister told him if the mayor showed up, she would “make a scene and throw him out myself.”

By Fran Spielman

Money

Chicago Tribune, seven other newspapers sue Microsoft and OpenAI

The lawsuit claims the tech giants “purloined” millions of articles from the newspapers without permission or payment to train their generative artificial intelligence software and dramatically boost their businesses.

By Amy Yee

MLB

Astros will send slumping first baseman José Abreu to spring training facility

Abreu, in the second season of a $58.5 million, three-year contract, is hitting .099 with just one extra-base hit and three RBIs. In 77 plate appearances across 22 games this season, Abreu has just seven hits.

By Associated Press

La Voz Chicago

Buscan al hombre que presuntamente siguió a una niña de 10 años al baño del Museo de Ciencia e Industria

La policía ha difundido una descripción detallada del sospechoso tras el incidente ocurrido el jueves.

By Sun-Times Wire

Cast members of the TV show "The Office" stand, some with their arms crossed, while others sit.

Letters to the Editor

Groups urge state legislators to pass worker freedom of speech law

Even in worker-friendly Illinois, employers have tremendous power and can discipline employees for declining to participate in non-work-related meetings that discuss politics or religion.

By Letters to the Editor

Rachel White (left) and Rachelle Frosch, horticulturalists at the Morton Arboretum cover a crab apple tree with tulle.

Environment

How to protect your trees as historic cicada emergence begins

Experts at the Morton Arboretum says it’s important to protect any trees planted in the past two or three years with fine mesh netting.

By Mary Norkol

This photo provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum shows a document signed by President Lincoln in April 1861 ordering the blockade of southern United States ports after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter started the Civil War.

Springfield

Pritzkers donate Lincoln's Civil War order to blockade Southern ports to state museum

The fateful 163-year-old document had been in an anonymous private collection until its purchase at auction by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and first lady M.K. Pritzker, who donated it to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Close-up of someone's hands typing on a laptop.

La Voz Chicago

Programa federal de banda ancha que ayuda residentes del Condado de Cook está a punto de terminar

El Programa de Conectividad Asequible ofrecía $30 al mes a los hogares que cumplían los requisitos necesarios para pagar su factura de Internet de banda ancha, pero con el fin del programa, algunos proveedores de servicios ofrecen sus propias opciones.

By Amy Yee

Marijuana

US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say

The DEA’s proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

By Associated Press

Outdoors

Chicago fishing: Spring signs abound, perch closure and Wisconsin opener

Leading this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report are spring signs on Lake Michigan and inland waters plus the perch closure beginning May 1 on Illinois’ Lake Michigan waters and Wisconsin’s general inland opener coming Saturday.

By Dale Bowman

Transportation

US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in 5 years and set performance standards

The regulation is designed to prevent many rear-end and pedestrian collisions and reduce the roughly 40,000 traffic deaths per year.

By Tom Krisher | AP

White Sox

White Sox sign first baseman Jared Walsh to minor-league deal

The former All-Star was DFA’d by the Texas Rangers.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Crime

Man found fatally shot in Chatham apartment building

The victim, found early Tuesday morning, hasn’t been identified.

By Sun-Times Wire

Editorials

CTA, Metra and Pace could ride together under separate plans to improve transit governance

Two new proposals seek to bring the change that’s needed. We believe they are both worthy of consideration.

By CST Editorial Board

Letters to the Editor

Black youth in foster care deserve hair care plans to build self-worth, cultural identity

Many of these youth face challenges related to their hair care needs not being adequately met, which can impact their sense of self-worth and cultural belonging.

By Letters to the Editor

Dear Abby

Dear Abby: Husband seldom says ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘Thank you’

College professor seems incapable of showing common courtesy to his wife.

By Abigail Van Buren

Recipes

Menu planner: Smoky chipotle pot roast is both tasty and tender

Thinking ahead to your next few meals? Here are some main dishes and sides to try.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

TOTW05-01-24Tony 24.5 lb Gobbler 042024RS.jpeg

Outdoors

'Nothing like the spring woods!' in turkey hunting

Tony Farinella Jr. had a good morning opening day of Illinois’ second season for spring turkey in Jo Daviess County.

By Dale Bowman

City Hall

Johnson to relaunch guaranteed basic income program to use up federal COVID-19 funds

The city has until the end of the year to allocate hundreds of millions of federal dollars or risk losing them.

By Mariah Woelfel | WBEZ and Tessa Weinberg | WBEZ

White Sox

White Sox' mental performance coach helps players find balance, strive for consistency

Cristian Guzman, who has worked for the Mets and the Mariners, meets players “where they are at for what they need.”

By Daryl Van Schouwen

White Sox

Twins' eighth straight win halts White Sox' streak at 3

Garrett Crochet, who retired last 11 Twins he faced, pulled after five innings.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Cubs

Cubs' Jameson Taillon matches Mets' Luis Severino in fierce pitching battle: 'I love pitching in New York'

The Cubs scratched out a 3-1 victory, thanks to Christopher Morel’s two-run home run in the ninth inning.

By Maddie Lee

Crime

Man killed in Belmont Cragin shooting

A man, 32, was near the sidewalk in the 5600 block of West Diversey Avenue just before 6 p.m. when someone approached him and shot him with a handgun, police said. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital where he later died.

By Sun-Times Wire

University of Chicago student protesters rally on the Main Quad of campus where a pro-Palestine encampment was set up on Monday.

Israel-Hamas War

University of Chicago students set up pro-Palestinian encampment on campus as protests spread

Hundreds of University of Chicago students set up an encampment in the Main Quadrangle on Monday, joining groups on over 100 university campuses nationwide in support of Palestinians.

By Jessica Ma and Isabel Funk

Crime

16-year-old boy among 3 wounded in Humboldt Park shooting

They were standing near the sidewalk when someone opened fire around 1 p.m. Monday in the 1200 block of North Keeler Avenue, Chicago police said.

By Cindy Hernandez

Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, speaks during a June 2020 rally in Federal Plaza.

Education

CTU, CPS negotiations open with optimism

The teachers union was happy to see “more people in the first session ... with direct understanding and clarity about how school works,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said.

By Nader Issa