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

A grey wind turbine with three blades stands against a hazy blue sky, near the Testa Produce facility in Chicago.

Will climate change suck the air out of Illinois' wind power industry?

Wind and solar are supposed to replace coal plants that are closing, but that didn’t happen in 2023. Another fossil fuel, natural gas, filled the void.

By Brett Chase and Dan Gearino | Inside Climate News

Cristina Nichole Iglesias, who received gender affirming surgery in March 2023 while she was serving her prison sentence, sits among the flowers at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Garfield Park, Friday, April 5, 2024. Iglesias said that going through gender dysphoria was “traumatic” and “torture.” The surgery was made possible by a settlement she reached with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

LGBTQIA+

After fighting to have gender-affirming care, a former prisoner adjusts to life in Chicago as a woman

Cristina Nichole Iglesias sued the federal Bureau of Prisons for the right to have the surgery and get the agency to pay for it and won.

By Stefano Esposito

Housing & development

How Realtors deal will affect homebuying

Work

Former Foxtrot workers rally, demand back pay after grocer's sudden closure

Mayor Rahm Emanuel | Sun-Times file photo

Politics

Ex-National Enquirer boss testifies that he buried story about alleged affair by Rahm Emanuel

R. Kelly

R. Kelly's Chicago conviction upheld by appeals court

Commentary

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

Lee Bey

Architecture Critic and member of the Editorial Board

Bears have designs on the lakefront, as Mayor Johnson plays the wrong position of cheerleader-in-chief

David Roeder

Business reporter

Bears, White Sox want stadium deals, so how about a cut of the action?

Mary Mitchell

Columnist

Scam calls asking for money are serious business; authorities believe one was tied to an Ohio death

CST Editorial Board

In blocking April Perry from U.S. attorney post, J.D. Vance shows he’s pro-Trump, pro-crime

Politics

LGBTQIA+

After fighting to have gender-affirming care, a former prisoner adjusts to life in Chicago as a woman

Cristina Nichole Iglesias sued the federal Bureau of Prisons for the right to have the surgery and get the agency to pay for it and won.

By Stefano Esposito

Democracy Solutions Project

Illinois Republicans grapple with mail voting amid mixed signals from Trump — 'We have to adapt'

Housing & development

Pritzker announces new action plan to combat homelessness and address racial disparity

Environment

ComEd unveils 2 more EV charging stations in Bronzeville as part of 2-year pilot project

Education

Arlington Heights school nurse placed on leave amid probe into possible medicine swap

Sports

Bears

Caleb Williams: Right guy, right place, right time

The Bears have been here before in their search for a quarterback — Jay Cutler, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields — and have found only disappointment. But Williams not only is a cut above as a prospect, the Bears are set up for him to succeed where others failed.

By Mark Potash

Bears

Bears get all A's for Caleb Williams-Rome Odunze draft

Bears

After drafting Caleb Williams, GM 'done talking about' Bears' spotty QB history

Bears

Bears GM Ryan Poles corrects errors, fixes WR room with Rome Odunze pick at No. 9

Bears

Bears' Caleb Williams has one thing on his mind: Winning the Super Bowl

Entertainment and Culture

Ondřej Pšenička in 52 Lovers. Michael Brosilow Photo.jpg

Theater

There's plenty to like in magician Ondřej Pšenička's '52 Lovers'

The Czech performer, who has fooled Penn and Teller, engages his audiences with a show of personality and interactive tricks.

By Steve Heisler | For the Sun-Times

Music

Travis Scott, Playboi Carti and Chief Keef to headline 2024 Summer Smash

Theater

Timeless ‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone’ richly acted by Goodman Theatre's all-Chicago cast

Murals and Mosaics

In Blue Island, Chris Campagna's murals aim to soften hard edges, tie together neighborhoods

Movies and TV

Routine heist movie 'Cash Out' relies on Travolta's sturdy star power

All latest stories

La Voz Chicago

15 parejas de migrantes venezolanos contraerán matrimonio en iglesia de Chicago

Todas las parejas son miembros de la Iglesia Cristiana La Vid, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, en Uptown, que brinda servicios a los recién llegados.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

6_Midsummer Night's Dream_The Joffrey Ballet Ensemble_Photo by Cheryl Mann.jpeg

Dance

A dance party at heart, Joffrey Ballet's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' is a joyous celebration

Despite its familiar-seeming title, this piece has no connection with Shakespeare. Instead, it goes its own distinctive direction, paying homage to the summer solstice and the centuries-old Scandinavian Midsummer holiday.

By Kyle MacMillan - For the Sun-Times

La Voz Chicago

Se declara culpable agente de seguridad de Boston que apuñaló fatalmente a Marine de Gage Park

Álvaro Larrama fue sentenciado a entre 17 y 20 años en una prisión estatal después de perseguir y apuñalar a Daniel Martínez, un ex sargento de la Marina.

By Violet Miller

Small Business

Call & Response Books opening new store in Hyde Park

Owner Courtney Bledsoe said the store will focus on stocking books by authors of color and celebrating the stories they tell.

By Isabel Funk

Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

Crime

A list of every known Illinois resident charged in the U.S. Capitol breach

More than 1,300 people have been arrested in connection with the breach in almost all 50 states. That includes Illinois, where at least 49 known residents have faced federal charges for their role.

By Jon Seidel

La Voz Chicago

Artistas para el Festival de Micheladas 2024: Junior H, Los Ángeles Azules, Luis R. Conriquez entre la lista

El sexto Festival anual de Michelada regresa al sur de Chicago los días 13 y 14 de julio, con Oakwood Beach como su nueva sede designada.

By Andrea Flores

Bears

New Bears QB Caleb Williams sets draft night sales record for Fanatics

Caleb Williams is No.1 in more ways than, well, one.

By Patrick Finley

Crime

2 teens critically wounded in South Shore shooting

Two people entered an apartment and began shooting, police said.

By Sun-Times Wire

Bronzeville

Woman dies in Bronzeville fire

The cause of the fire was apparently accidental, police said.

By Sun-Times Wire

Crime

Man dies after being shot 20 times in South Shore

The man was found by police in the 200 block of West 72nd Street around 2:30 a.m.

By Sun-Times Wire

Outdoors

Reaching into the art of Matt Mullady's outdoors experiences

Matt Mullady is known as a Kankakee River expert and former guide, but he has a very important artistic side, too.

By Dale Bowman

US-CONGRESS-POLITICS-UKRAINE-ISRAEL-TAIWAN

Columnists

Americans yearn for bipartisan cooperation

When push comes to shove, what the vast majority really want is something like what happened in Congress last week — bipartisan cooperation and a functioning government.

By Gene Lyons

Other Views

Climate change demands global solutions, not local lawsuits

Chicago’s climate lawsuit won’t curb greenhouse gas emissions or curb the effects of climate change. Innovation and smart public policies are what is needed.

By Mark Denzler and Phil Goldberg

Dear Abby

Dear Abby: Boyfriend’s living with other woman — in my apartment

Reader still hopes to make the relationship work as she watches her man fall for someone else under her own roof.

By Abigail Van Buren

Horoscopes

Horoscope for Friday, April 26, 2024

By Georgia Nicols

Crime

2 shot, wounded near United Center on Near West Side

The men, 18 and 20, were in the 1800 block of West Monroe Street about 9:20 p.m. when two people got out of a light-colored sedan and fired shots. They were hospitalized in fair condition.

By Sun-Times Wire

Top draft prospects stand on stage during the first round of the NFL football draft.

NFL

2024 NFL Draft first-round results: Full list of top 32 selections

Here’s where all the year’s top rookies are heading for the upcoming NFL season.

By Sun-Times staff

33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Arrivals

Music

Mike Pinder, Moody Blues co-founder and keyboardist, dies months after bandmate Denny Laine

Pinder, the last original member of the band, sang and played keyboards, as well as organ, piano and harpsichord. He founded the British band in 1964 with Laine, Ray Thomas, Clint Warwick and Graeme Edge.

By USA Today Network

Northwestern University students stand on green grass holding signs and a Palestinian flag at a protest camp on Deering Meadow, with blurred trees in the background.

Israel-Hamas War

Northwestern students set up pro-Palestinian encampment, joining protesters nationwide

Students linked arms and formed a line against police after Northwestern leaders said the tent encampment violated university policy. By 9 p.m. protest leaders were told by university officials that arrests could begin later in the evening.

By Isabel Funk

NFL

J.J. McCarthy, former Nazareth QB, selected by Vikings in 1st round of 2024 NFL Draft

McCarthy, who went to Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park before starring at Michigan, will now play for the Bears’ rivals in Minnesota.

By Patrick Finley

Education

Facing budget criticism, CPS officials say changes are 'milestone' to be celebrated

In a surprise, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top ally — the Chicago Teachers Union — was also critical of the district’s lack of transparency and failure to prioritize classroom aides in the budget, even though the union has long supported a shift toward needs-based funding.

By Nader Issa

Bears

Bears draft Washington WR Rome Odunze at No. 9 to pair with QB Caleb Williams

They’ll go into Williams’ rookie season with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Odunze at wide receiver.

By Jason Lieser

Immigration

15 migrant couples to exchange wedding vows at Near North church

A big ceremony will be held Friday evening at Community Park Near North Church for 15 migrant couples. They pooled together money to help pay for the celebration, which will be witnessed by about 200 family and friends of the couples.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Bears

He's No. 1: Caleb Williams era to get started right away

The Bears tried an ill-fated apprenticeship plan with Mitch Trubisky in 2017 (behind Mike Glennon) and Justin Fields in 2021 (behind Andy Dalton). But the 2024 Bears are set up for Williams as the Week 1 starter.

By Mark Potash

Cubs

Cubs sweep Astros at Wrigley Field while battling injury bug

Manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy provided injury updates for Seiya Suzuki, Justin Steele and Kyle Hendricks this week.

By Maddie Lee

Crime

Boston man who fatally stabbed Chicago-area Marine gets 17 to 20 years in prison

Alvaro Larrama, a bouncer at a bar, chased and stabbed Daniel Martinez to death in 2022. Martinez, a former Marine sergeant, grew up in Gage Park.

By Violet Miller

Bears Stadium

Bears President Kevin Warren: 'I'm not going to think negatively' about stadium obstacles

The vision laid out by the Bears on Wednesday included detailed renderings of Museum Campus upgrades, including the conversion of Soldier Field to public parkland. But all that work would be paid for by taxpayers, not the team.

By Fran Spielman

Entertainment and Culture

Butterfly sculptures unveiled outside Peggy Notebaert Museum before spreading wings to other parts of city

The sculptures, each designed by local artists, made their debut Thursday.

By Mitch Dudek

Obituaries

Scott Craig, documentary producer who chronicled Chicago, Midwest and beyond, dies at 89

“In some ways, he helped pave the way for the rising tide of documentary production that we see today,” said colleague Thea Flaum.

By Mitch Dudek