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

Jim Gwinn, who has worked at Conn-Selmer for 11 years, works on a trombone at the factory in Elkhart, Indiana Wednesday, March 27, 2024. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Picture Chicago: 18 must-see Sun-Times photos from this week in news

Hundreds gathered for a memorial service for Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, a mysterious QR code mural enticed Taylor Swift fans on the Near North Side, and a weekend mass shooting in Back of the Yards left 9-year-old Ariana Molina dead and 10 other people wounded, including her mother and other children.

By Sun-Times staff

Inking Well

Chicago tattoo artist Allie Marie gives pets a permanent spot on their owners' bodies

The artist at Goodkind Tattoo in Lake View incorporates hidden messages and inside jokes to help memorialize people’s furry friends.

By Katie Anthony

Artist Jason Messinger stands with the murals he created hanging in the Ogden stationhouse at the Illinois Medical District stop on the Forest Park branch of the CTA Blue Line.

Murals and Mosaics

For Illinois Medical District CTA station, muralist wanted to relax patients arriving on the L

Suburban Chicago

Two dead after apparent murder-suicide in Lemont motel

Iranian women without wearing their mandatory Islamic headscarf walk past a banner showing missiles being launched from Iranian map in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 19, 2024. Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones early Friday morning, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.

Nation/World

Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pa., on Jan. 5, 2024.

How Biden will win women

Commentary

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

Alicia Schemel

25 years after my dad was killed, his murder is unsolved. Two bills could spur action on cold cases like his.

Mary Mitchell

Columnist

What’s your Chicago story? We want to hear it.

Natalie Y. Moore

Columnist

‘Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation’ looks back at city’s racist housing history

Jeff Agrest

Deputy sports editor

With Stadium, Jerry Reinsdorf can create something he couldn’t 40 years ago

Politics

Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III points at Rev. Jesse Jackson as both sit and eat at a red cloth covered table at the Rainbow PUSH Convention, with a packed crowd seen behind them.

Politics

Rainbow PUSH leader’s quick exit underscores challenge of following Rev. Jackson: ‘It’s the most difficult job in Black America’

It’s unclear why the Rev. Frederick Haynes III, a Texas megachurch pastor, suddenly resigned Tuesday as president of the South Side social justice organization. But longtime observers say an out-of-towner was doomed from the start.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Politics

Watchdog group asks feds to probe Trump over $50 million 'nonexistent' loan to his Chicago company

The Watchdogs

Ex-Citi VP in Chicago ripped by judge for bilking elderly clients of $1.5 million, gets 30 months in prison

2024 Democratic National Convention

No cracks in Blue Wall? Top Democrats vow Chicago is ready for convention, despite party divisions

LGBTQIA+

Pride Parade will now allow participants from schools, organizers say

Sports

Crime

Kim Foxx won't take sides on request by man facing rape trial for 'certificate of innocence' in murder case

William Dukes Jr. was acquitted of the 1993 killings of a Cicero woman and her granddaughter after a second trial in 2019. In 2022, he was arrested in an unrelated sexual assault case in Chicago.

By Frank Main and Matthew Hendrickson

Northwestern football helmets at an NCAA college football against Stanford in Evanston, Ill, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015.

College Sports

NCAA approves helmet radios for next football season

Thomas J. Dart

The Watchdogs

'Deceptive' real estate firm tied to Loop's Monroe Capital sued by Kwame Raoul

Crime

Man stabbed to death in Pilsen

Entertainment and Culture

Taylor Swift performs Friday at Soldier Field.

Entertainment and Culture

Review: Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is great sad pop, meditative theater

In moments, her 11th album feels like a bloodletting: A cathartic purge after a major heartbreak delivered through an ascendant vocal run, an elegiac verse, or mobile, synthesized productions that underscore the powers of Swift’s storytelling.

By Maria Sherman | AP

Obituaries

Jun Mhoon, music producer and adolescent drummer for The Staple Singers, dies at 69

Inking Well

Chicago tattoo artist Allie Marie gives pets a permanent spot on their owners' bodies

Theater

Jason Alexander's latest role plumbs the meaning of life and beyond in 'Judgment Day'

Music

The Clark Sisters, Chandler Moore among Chicago Gospel Music festival lineup

All latest stories

"Stony Island" director Andrew Davis discusses the Chicago-made film on Thursday at Ebertfest in Champaign.

Movies and TV

Ebertfest in Champaign a time for discovery and rediscovery

25th anniversary event presents ‘Star 80,’ ‘Stony Island’ and other under-the-radar movies, often hearing from the artists who made them.

By Nell Minow | For the Sun-Times

White Sox

Tim Anderson on his rise and fall with the White Sox and trying to 'get back to the player I used to be'

Anderson talked smack, flipped bats and became the coolest thing about a Sox team seemingly headed for great things. Then it all went “poof.” In town with the Marlins, he discussed it on Thursday.

By Steve Greenberg

Health

Measles case count reaches 63 in Chicago, but pace of new cases is subsiding

Another exposure location was reported at the Sam’s Club at 9400 S. Western Ave. in Evergreen Park, Cook County health officials said Thursday.

By Kade Heather

Green cherry trees with no pink blossoms are seen against a blue sky in Jackson Park.

News

Cherry blossom trees in Chicago skip blooming for second year in a row

The Chicago Park District said April’s cold and wet weather has kept the buds of 190 cherry blossom trees at Jackson Park from fully opening.

By Cindy Hernandez

Transportation

Uber launches rider verification program in Chicago, 11 other cities

Chicago riders may now find a blue check mark under their name, as part of Uber’s rider verification process.

By Jessica Ma

News

Top dogs: Here are Chicago's most popular breeds

The most common dog breed in Chicago — making up about 14% of all registered dogs — is a mixed-breed dog, followed by pit bulls, Labrador retrievers and German shepherds.

By Amy Qin and Matt Kiefer

Marijuana

4/20 is Saturday: What you need to know for weed's 'high' holiday

Read on to find out about how 4/20 came about, some frequently asked questions about Delta-8 weed alternative and a weed syndrome that causes vomiting, and some events that fall on the high holiday.

By David Struett

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates

City Hall

Chicago Teachers Union demanding 9% annual raises, won't rule out a strike

Having former CTU organizer Brandon Johnson in the mayor’s office won’t keep the union from walking out if needed, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates told the Sun-Times, adding that, “We’re a labor union that understands the power of solidarity and the power of work stoppage.”

By Fran Spielman

Obit Dickey Betts. Dickey Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, exits the funeral of Gregg Allman at Snow's Memorial Chapel, June 3, 2017, in Macon, Ga. Guitar legend Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” died Thursday, April 18, 2024. He was 80. (Jason Vorhees/The Macon Telegraph via AP, File)

Music

Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist, dies at 80

As a child, Betts changed schools often because his father worked construction, and those memories later inspired him to write “Ramblin’ Man,” the band’s biggest hit.

By Associated Press

A view of the Chicago skyline from part of the old U.S. Steel South Works site near 85th and South Shore Drive in 2014.

Letters to the Editor

Transform South Works site into a lakefront park, not a quantum computing facility

The South Side deserves and can have both a beautiful lakefront park and new investments in jobs.

By Letters to the Editor

Arizona Coyotes fans sit in their seats long after the team's NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers ended, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. The Coyotes won 5-2.

NHL

NHL approves Coyotes' move from Arizona to Salt Lake City

The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $1.2 billion sale from Alex Meruelo to Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, clearing the way for the franchise’s move to Utah next season.

By Associated Press

The little girl (Alisha Weir) abducted by kidnappers turns out to have an ancient vampire trapped inside her in "Abigail."

Columnists

'Abigail': When the victims aren't exploding, the vampire story is meandering

Toothy young hostage fights back in tedious gore-fest.

By Richard Roeper

Politics

Cook County approves the sending of up to $70 million to Chicago to feed migrants

Commissioners widely supported sending cash to the city, but raised concerns about making sure the city uses the money for its intended use.

By Kristen Schorsch | WBEZ Chicago

The Shedd Aquarium will undergo a $500 million transformation beginning this summer and culminating with the Shedd’s 100th anniversary in 2030.

Work

Shedd Aquarium workers form union

In an open letter, staff cited work-life imbalance, financial struggles and lack of communication from management, among other grievances, as reasons for unionizing.

By Amy Yee

Olympic Sports

Simone Biles thought 'world is going to hate me' after she left team final at Tokyo Games

The four-time Olympic gold medalist revealed what was going through her mind in the 2020 Summer Olympics on an episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast posted on Wednesday.

By USA TODAY

Columnists

Chicago was once the heart of country music

The WLS National Barn Dance, which predated the Opry by two years, was first broadcast 100 years ago Friday, on April 19, 1924.

By Neil Steinberg

Dexter Reed Shooting

In case of Dexter Reed, killed by cops in traffic stop, court filings, family detail struggle with mental health

Court documents and police records offer more details about the man killed last month in a shootout with police in Humboldt Park.

By Tom Schuba and Rosemary Sobol

Bears

Simone Biles: 'Nothing foul' about comments made by her husband, new Bear Jonathan Owens

She thought the backlash from her fans was “hilarious at first — and then they hurt my feelings.”

By Patrick Finley

Diamond DeShields models the Chicago Sky's rebel jersey.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Sky release new Rebel edition uniform

The new uniform features light-blue coloring, silver piping and a white gradient throughout, meant to exemplify “infinite possibilities.”

By Annie Costabile

One person was hurt in a shooting August 18, 2021, on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Suburban Chicago

1 dead in fiery I-90 crash when car plows into toll booth near Hoffman Estates

The vehicle crashed into the toll booth near Barrington Road and burst into flames, according to police.

By Sun-Times Wire

Outdoors

Go & Show: Decoys and sporting collectibles show and a film festival are things to see

The North American Decoys & Sporting Collectibles Show opens Tuesday and runs through April 27 while the One Earth Film Festival is going at varied sites through Tuesday, April 23.

By Dale Bowman

Dear Abby

Dear Abby: Mom helps with our kids but favors sister’s over mine

Parent feels her son is neglected by his grandma because she looks after his cousins more often and spends more money on them.

By Abigail Van Buren

Henry Cavill plays a British officer who assembles an off-the-books naval attack squad in "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare."

Movies and TV

'Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' credits real WWII rule-breakers with some unreal adventures

Good-looking rogues take on the Nazis in Guy Ritchie’s madcap attack mission

By Richard Roeper

Horoscopes

Horoscope for Thursday, April 18, 2024

By Georgia Nicols

Bulls

Bulls dominate Hawks to advance in play-in tournament

Coby White led with a career-high 42 points, and the Bulls will face the Heat on Friday for the No. 8 seed in the East.

By Joe Cowley

Crime

Man charged in slaying of 74-year-old man in Greater Grand Crossing

Shermain Sargent, 41, is accused of beating Timothy Ash, 74, on Jan. 7 in the 6400 block of South King Drive. Ash died Jan. 12 of injuries suffered from the assault, the medical examiner reported.

By Sun-Times Wire

Sports Media

Jerry Reinsdorf’s timing for new RSN isn’t great, but it shouldn’t stop him: expert

“It may be the best option available,” Marc Ganis, the co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based Sportscorp Ltd., said Wednesday. “Sometimes you just have to take the best option available, even if it’s not ideal.”

By Jeff Agrest

Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Joey Anderson quietly enjoyed career breakthrough by not obsessing about it

Anderson became a full-time NHL player for the first time on the 2023-24 Hawks, and he did so by not focusing so singularly on that exact objective.

By Ben Pope

Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals

White Sox

A 'surreal' start for Jonathan Cannon marks two good debuts in a row for White Sox pitchers

Cannon, who allowed three hits, struck out three and walked one, threw 54 pitches for strikes.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Crime

3 University of Chicago students held up near campus

The students were approached by people with guns Wednesday afternoon and robbed. No one was hurt. University police will ‘maintain an increased presence’ following the incidents.

By Sun-Times Wire

The Rev. Mark Santo, shown at St. Philip High School in Chicago in the 1960s.

The Watchdogs

Catholic priest accused of sex abuse served in 9 church jurisdictions, including Chicago. So why is he on just one abuser list?

The Catholic church’s transparency on accusations of sexual abuse by clergy members, including the Rev. Mark Santo, remains inconsistent and lacking across the United States, clouding the extent of the crisis more than 20 years after it exploded into view.

By Robert Herguth

Outdoors

Chicago No Limits Fishing opens the outdoors for people with disabilities

The organization provides boating and fishing experiences around downtown on Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.

By Dale Bowman

Blackhawks

Blackhawks rally, then crumble, in season-ending loss to Kings

The Hawks finished their season 23-53-6 — with the most losses in franchise history — after a 5-4 overtime defeat Thursday in Los Angeles. They ripped off three third-period goals to take the lead, but conceded late in regulation and then six seconds into overtime.

By Ben Pope

Horoscopes

Horoscope for Friday, April 19, 2024

By Georgia Nicols

Blackhawks

With ACL recovery on track, Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall used lost season to ‘refresh mentally’

Hall participated in Hawks morning skate Thursday — on the last day of the season — for the first time since his surgery in November. He expects to be fully healthy for training camp next season.

By Ben Pope

Blackhawks

Connor Bedard assesses rookie season with Blackhawks: 'I was OK'

Bedard entered the season finale Thursday with 61 points in 67 games, making him the most productive Hawks teenager since Patrick Kane in 2007-08, but he’s not entirely pleased with his performance.

By Ben Pope

White Sox

You can put it on the board ... no! Numbers don't look so good for White Sox

A bevy of low averages glares in the first weeks of the season.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Crime

Joliet mother charged in death of girl, 12, who ingested heroin, fentanyl

Mya King, 12, was found unresponsive Sunday morning and died Wednesday. Her mother, Colette Bancroft, was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

By Sun-Times Wire

Cubs

Opening game of Marlins-Cubs series postponed; split doubleheader scheduled for Saturday

The Cubs still made a series of roster moves, activating right-hander Jameson Taillon and Patrick Wisdom from the IL.

By Maddie Lee

Miracle Boyd, wearing a pink shirt and green headband, gives public comment while standing at a lectern microphone during a Chicago Police Board meeting at CPD Headquarters on April 18, 2024.

Dexter Reed Shooting

Protesters demand firing of top cop and officers who fatally shot Dexter Reed

At a rally at police headquarters, community members called for greater transparency of the investigation, a halt to the use of tactical units and an end to pretextual traffic stops.

By Emmanuel Camarillo