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

Bears

Bears take Iowa punter Tory Taylor in 4th round of NFL Draft

Taylor figures to replace Trenton Gill.

By Patrick Finley

Renderings of the proposed new Bears stadium

Bears stadium costs? Add another $1.2 billion

The Bears put the figure at $4.7 billion. But a state official says the tally to taxpayers goes even higher when you include the cost of refinancing existing debt.

By Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout

Crime

Arrest warrant issued for Aurora man charged with killing Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca

Housing & development

How Realtors deal will affect homebuying

Volunteer Sean Cameron, a project manager at Ryan Companies, cuts wood in the 6800 block of South Morgan Street in Englewood during Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago’s National Rebuilding Day, Saturday, April 27, 2024. About 1,500 volunteers from different corporations helped repair over 60 homes in the Englewood area and in Park Forest, Illinois, according to a press release. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Chicago

Volunteers repair Englewood, Park Forest homes for National Rebuilding Day: 'It’s like I’m in a new home'

Crime

Man sought by police after allegedly following girl, 10, into bathroom at Museum of Science and Industry

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

Michael Sneed

Columnist

Why did Harry Caray always say ‘Holy Cow?’ It could be linked to a 1930s flying bovine. No bull!

Politics

Bears Stadium

Bears stadium costs? Add another $1.2 billion

The Bears put the figure at $4.7 billion. But a state official says the tally to taxpayers goes even higher when you include the cost of refinancing existing debt.

By Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout

Columnists

More stadium drama is on the horizon

Consumer Affairs

Federal broadband program helping more than 300,000 Cook County residents set to expire

Politics

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

Politics

Cook County Democratic leaders pick Monica Gordon to run for county clerk: 'I have some big shoes to fill'

Sports

Bears

Breaking down every Bears pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Bears ended up taking five players after giving up a 2025 fourth-rounder to pick Kansas defensive end Austin Booker in the fifth round.

By Jason Lieser, Patrick Finley, and 1 more

Bears

Bears offense has rare potential to become the star of the show

Bears

Caleb Williams wanted to be 'the greatest' — and was willing to work for it

Bears

Bears have massive opportunity — and right GM to maximize it in Ryan Poles

Bears

Bears take Iowa punter Tory Taylor in 4th round of NFL Draft

Entertainment and Culture

95_Brooklyn Museum_Cents Sign Travelling from Broadway to Africa via Guadeloupe.jpeg

Art

Chryssa exhibit a vivid reminder of all-but-forgotten Greek artist and her impact on 20th century American art

“Chryssa & New York” is the first museum show in North America in more than four decades to spotlight the artist. It also highlights her strong ties to Chicago’s art world.

By Kyle MacMillan - For the Sun-Times

Entertainment and Culture

Heading to C2E2 this weekend? Have a game plan ready to navigate its vast offerings

Environment

Whoops! Rare crane rescued in Wilmette, returned to Wisconsin

Murals and Mosaics

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

Dance

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

All latest stories

Bears

Bears undrafted free agent tracker

The Bears began signing undrafted free agents not long after the end of the NFL draft Saturday.

By Patrick Finley and Jason Lieser

Halas Intrigue

Halas Intrigue podcast: The Caleb Williams Era begins

Can Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze finally push the Bears over the top?

By Sun-Times staff

Bears

Bears draft edge rusher Austin Booker in fifth round

Just when it appeared the Bears had used their final pick on Iowa punter Tory Taylor, they traded a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Bills to take the 6-4, 253-pound edge rusher from Kansas who had eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2023.

By Mark Potash

Bulls

Could Bulls guard Zach LaVine's return hamper progress of Coby White?

White took on a huge jump in minutes this season, also catapulting himself into second place in the Most Improved Player Award. But if the Bulls can’t move off the LaVine max contract will White continue to surpass his current ceiling?

By Joe Cowley

Bears

Polling Place: Best night ever? How you voted on Bears' drafting of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze

Bears fans haven’t been this high on life since Devin Hester was running that opening kickoff back in the Super Bowl.

By Steve Greenberg

Sports Saturday

Bet on it: Handicapper John Murges isn’t letting Parkinson’s keep him down

The Chicago native and veteran sports bettor supplies selections to members of his handicapping service. At some point in 2022, Murges lost his sense of smell. Afternoon fatigue became commonplace.

By Rob Miech

Chicago Fire

While Fire honor past, their present needs work

Before their game Saturday night at Soldier Field against Atlanta United, the Fire will induct former goalkeeper Zach Thornton into the Ring of Fire, and then try to recover from a 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake.

By Brian Sandalow

Diamond DeShields, Lexie Brown and Azurá Stevens dance after a parade and as they head to a rally at Pritzker Pavilion to celebrate the Chicago Sky’s WNBA Championship title.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Diamond DeShields' homecoming with the Sky comes with a sweet sense of 'relief'

After spending two seasons outside of Chicago, DeShields is back on a one-year deal with the franchise that drafted her third overall in 2018.

By Annie Costabile

High School Baseball

Lane senior pitcher Amaan Khan among few prep players invited to MLB draft league this summer

“It’s a huge steppingstone to get seen this early in front of the MLB scouts,” Khan said. “That would be a great opportunity to showcase my skills at that level against some of the best competition.”

By Mike Clark

Blackhawks

Blackhawks' players now understand how rebuilds work, but they're growing impatient

Seth Jones, Nick Foligno and the Hawks’ other veterans are eager — perhaps overly so — for the team to take a massive step forward next season. Realistically, even as general manager Kyle Davidson begins the building-up stage, that probably won’t happen.

By Ben Pope

Outdoors

Chicago outdoors: From pileated woodpeckers to eastern milksnakes

Photos of pileated woodpeckers in the Palos area and an eastern milksnake found at Lemont Quarries are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

By Dale Bowman

Dear Abby

Dear Abby: My wife's going to regret becoming a cop

Spouse expects she’ll be bad at the job and miss out on family time.

By Abigail Van Buren

Columnists

How old are you in cicada years?

The appearance of the 17-year cicadas this year will mark the fourth emergence of the red-eyed, orange-veined creatures in my lifetime — thus, my fourth cicada birthday, Scott Fornek, an editor at the Sun-Times, writes.

By Scott Fornek

Horoscopes

Horoscope for Saturday, April 27, 2024

By Georgia Nicols

Israel-Hamas War

Columbia protesters say they're at an impasse with administrators, will continue anti-war camp

As the death toll mounts in the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis worsens, protesters at universities all over the U.S. are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict.

By Associated Press

White Sox

Chris Flexen deals as White Sox snap seven-game losing streak

White Sox starter Chris Flexen delivered the best start of his season, throwing five scoreless innings, three walks and two strikeouts in Friday’s 9-4 win over the Rays.

By Kyle Williams

Cubs

Cubs visit Fenway Park for the first time since 2017: 'Awesome, historic'

Notes: Lefty Justin Steele threw in an extended spring training game Friday.

By Maddie Lee

Cubs

How Cubs' Shota Imanaga helped steady a rotation tested by injuries

Imanaga held the Red Sox to one run through 6 1/3 innings in the Cubs’ 7-1 win Friday.

By Maddie Lee

University of Chicago students, faculty members and their supporters protest in support of Palestine and march around the South Side campus, Friday, April 26, 2024. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Israel-Hamas War

Hundreds join pro-Palestinian protests at Chicago universities; Northwestern encampment continues for 2nd night

Hundreds of protesters from the University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago and Roosevelt University rallied in support of people living in Gaza.

By Isabel Funk, Sophie Sherry, and 1 more

Yale offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Bears

Bears draft local product Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie with 'starter potential' in 3rd round

Amegadjie played for Hinsdale Central High School before heading to Yale.

By Jason Lieser

Bears

'Why duck?' New Bears QB Caleb Williams elevates expectations rather than tempering them

In every possible way, Williams feels like a breath of fresh air for a franchise that desperately needed it. This is a different type of quarterback and a compelling personality.

By Jason Lieser

Bears

Ryan Poles on Bears' QB history: 'Those days are over'

Even Caleb Williams was asking Poles why the Bears have had such a hard time developing a quality quarterback. But the Bears’ GM has responded by not only getting Williams, but a solid supporting cast that should put him in a position to succeed.

By Mark Potash

Food and Restaurants

Plymouth Restaurant, rooftop bar closing after 20 years downtown; rooftop to reopen as Mexican cantina

The owner hopes the rebrand will appeal to more customers after the spot suffered losses in recent years. The restaurant downstairs, for now, will be used for private events and catering.

By Jessica Ma

White Sox

Player development falls at the feet of White Sox manager Pedro Grifol

When asked how he felt the players were developing, Chris Getz said, “I look forward to seeing better performances from our players.”

By Kyle Williams

White Sox

Morale? Not a problem, White Sox GM Chris Getz says as worst season ever continues

So the Sox have that going for them, which is, you know, something.

By Steve Greenberg

News

First bison babies of year born at Fermilab: ‘Calving season is the most rewarding time of the year’

Two bison were born Friday at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia. The facility’s 30-acre pasture has long been home to the grazing mammals.

By Kade Heather

Bears

Bears fans embrace rare feeling of euphoria as Caleb Williams arrives

Have the years of quarterback frustration been worth this moment? We’re about to find out.

By Scoop Jackson

Editorials

With Bears stadium plans, Springfield should just slam on the brakes

With all the important priorities the state has to tackle, why should Springfield rush to help the billionaire McCaskey family build a football stadium? The answer: They shouldn’t. The arguments so far don’t convince us this project would truly benefit the public.

By CST Editorial Board

Bears

Once grounded, Bears WR Rome Odunze ready to soar with Caleb Williams

Months before Rome Odunze ever shared an airplane ride with new Bears teammate Caleb Williams, he was forced into a two-day road trip.

By Patrick Finley