A second man has been charged in a deadly robbery at a CTA station in the Loop last fall that killed a chef as he left a restaurant where he worked. Darnell Rawls, 25, was extradited from Louisville, Ky. and charged with killing Michael Byrnes, 41, as he headed home from work on Sept. 6.  A week after the attack, another man, Anthony Rawls Jr., 28, was arrested and charged with the murder. It was not known how the two were related. Both face murder and armed robbery charges. Authorities have said Byrnes left a restaurant he managed around 10:55 p.m. and went to catch a tra ..read more

Natalie Phelps Finnie, as IDNR deputy director, with Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton at the Governor’s Tent at the Illinois State Fair. Provided SPRINGFIELD — A framed photograph of her three children centered behind her desk is the lone personal stamp Natalie Phelps Finnie has put on her office so far. On Jan. 23, Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointed her director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. I squeezed in an interview Wednesday. Her appointment is subject to confirmation by the Illinois Senate. Initially, I was outraged at the appointment, thinking it was a political mov ..read more

DEAR ABBY: About 10 years ago, my longtime best friend, “Byron,” abruptly cut me out of his life. I never clearly understood why. I reached out to him on and off for several years without success. Then I ran into him, traded pleasantries and we followed up. He returned my email, we began communicating again about things that mattered, and it appeared our friendship was on the mend. A short time later, my wife (only an acquaintance of his) divorced me and began a massive social media attack against me. Most of my friends saw through her lies. I took the high road and never said anything about ..read more

An artist’s rendering of Bally’s plan for its River West casino, which includes a grassy plaza. Provided Three months after Mayor Lori Lightfoot chose Bally’s for a lucrative deal to build and operate Chicago’s first casino, the daughter of a contractor expected to help oversee its construction was named to chair Lightfoot’s campaign fund. Lightfoot announced Bally’s as her pick last May to develop a casino along the Chicago River on the site of the Chicago Tribune’s printing plant, a deal that required Bally’s to make an upfront payment of $40 million to City Hall. Then, last August, the ..read more

A 12-year-old boy (Colin O’Brien) who survived the plane crash that killed his immediate family goes to live with his aunt (Taylor Schilling) in “Dear Edward.” Apple TV+ The Apple TV+ series “Dear Edward” is the latest in the line of Plane Crash Aftermath shows, from “Lost” to “Yellowjackets” to “The Wilds” and “Manifest.” Given that Jason Katims of “Friday Night Lights” and “Parenthood” is the showrunner, keep the box of tissues close at hand. Nearly every episode has at least one moment that will grab you by the heart, usually right near the end. Fortunately, most of the emotionally res ..read more

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is aiming for his breakthrough as a head coach. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times MOBILE, Ala. — Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy considered himself a mastermind years ago, long before any NFL team thought about hiring him. After a nice run as Akron’s quarterback and a training-camp stint with the 49ers, -Division II West Virginia Wesleyan signed him to be their offensive coordinator for about $30,000. Getsy practically strutted into the job. “I was a know-it-all,” he said with a laugh. “You’re the 24-year-old that thinks you know everything and you’ve fi ..read more

Moon Alert Until 10 p.m PST, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in mancer. Aries (March 21-April 19) Around this time (yesterday, today or tomorrow), you might have an argument with a friend or a member of a group. You might even separate from this friend or group because you are undergoing disruptions dealing with others. Someone’s behavior might have created an upsetting situation for everyone. Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a poor time to challenge parents, bosses, teachers and the police because you will be at loggerheads with them. It’s actually a ..read more

Mount Carmel’s Angelo Ciaravino (33) drives the ball past St. Rita’s Morez Johnson (21). Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times Following major midweek upsets, including St. Charles East over Wheaton South, Prairie Ridge over Burlington Central and Marmion over Mount Carmel, what will the weekend bring?  There are several compelling conference matchups that will heat up the Weekend Forecast across the area high school basketball scene. Here are seven games, with some picks, to keep tabs on.  Last week: 5-1 Season: 24-13 Mount Carmel (21-3) at Brother Rice (23-3), Friday Another mass ..read more

Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer shoots over Michigan forward Tarris Reed Jr. on Thursday night in Evanston. Nam Y. Huh/AP Hunter Dickinson scored 19 points and Michigan pulled away in the second half to earn a 68-51 win on the road, completing a season sweep of Northwestern on Thursday night in Evanston.  The victory is just the second win away from home for the Wolverines this season and the first since they knocked off Minnesota in their Big Ten Conference opener Dec. 8 in Minneapolis.  Brooks Barnhizer’s jumper with four seconds left in the first half pulled Northwestern ..read more

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images In the fourth quarter of their game last month in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Hornets torched the Bulls. History wouldn’t repeat itself Thursday at the United Center. Every time the Hornets made a run, the Bulls had an answer. A layup from Ayo Dosunmu here, a three-pointer by Nikola Vucevic there and an overall strong response to any threat. The Bulls sealed their 114-98 victory after Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was sent to the locker room for being assessed back-to-back technical fouls that All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan converted into free throws. The vi ..read more