Moon Alert There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Sagittarius. Aries (March 21-April 19) Oh, happy day! As of yesterday, Mercury is no longer retrograde; and today, the moon is in an exciting part of your chart, which is why you want to run away and join the circus. You want freedom! You want excitement! You want something fresh and fun to happen! (Good luck.) Taurus (April 20-May 20) You're in a resourceful frame of mind , which is why you might see new uses for shared property or new ways to handle shared responsibilities. You might also see new ways to ..read more

FILE - Tape cordons off the scene where multiple people were shot including police officers in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. In a report issued this week, homicides in 2023 are declining in a cross-section of American cities, though their numbers remain higher than before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, according to a new report analyzing data from 30 U.S. cities. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) ORG XMIT: NYWS302 AP Two men were wounded in a shooting Thursday night near the United Center on the Near West Side. The men, 18 and 20, were in the 1800 block of West Monroe Street ab ..read more

Wide receiver Rome Odunze celebrates with Bears fans after being selected with the No. 9 pick in the NFL Draft. Jeff Lewis/AP It’s impossible for any general manager to get every move right. Misses are inevitable, but finding ways to fix them is what matters. Wide receiver has been a problematic position for Ryan Poles and the Bears — until now. Poles drafted Washington star Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick Thursday, stacking his room with talent and giving incoming rookie quarterback Caleb Williams a potential long-term partner. Odunze thought about that pairing throughout the pre-draft ..read more

John Lodge (left) and Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues attend the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium in 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Pinder died Wednesday at the age of 82. Theo Wargo/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The last original member of The Moody Blues has died. Keyboardist Mike Pinder died at 82 on Wednesday in Northern California, according to his family, the band and guitarist John Lodge, who lives in Naples, Florida. Pinder follows original singer and guitarist Denny Laine, who died in Naples last year. "Very sad news, th ..read more

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) rolls out during the second half of the Rose Bowl CFP NCAA semifinal college football game against Alabama Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif. Kyusung Gong/AP Photos J.J. McCarthy grew up in Bears country. Now he’ll face them twice a year. The Vikings traded up with the Jets to draft the Nazareth Academy alum with the 10th pick in Thursday night’s draft. McCarthy fills one of the most obvious needs in the NFL — the Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in free agency this offseason. Related 2024 NFL Draft first-round results ..read more

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez defended a new budgeting system being rolled out for schools at Thursday’s board meeting at Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Calumet Heights on the South Side. “Let us celebrate this change as an important milestone in the long, broad struggle to improve the quality of education for all of Chicago’s children, especially those farthest from opportunity,” Martinez said. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Facing criticism over a new budgeting system being rolled out this month, Chicago Public Schools officials defended the change, calling it a "milestone to be cele ..read more

Odunze led the NCAA in yards receiving last season. Lindsey Wasson/AP Photos The Bears are giving rookie quarterback Caleb Williams as many options as possible down the field. They drafted Washington standout wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick Thursday, following their selection of Williams first overall. Odunze led the NCAA with 1,640 yards receiving last season on 92 catches and scored 17 touchdowns. There was debate over whether he or LSU's Malik Nabers was the second-best receiver in this class after Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. It's a huge pick for Bears general manag ..read more

Anyela Faneite and Yorfran Chirinos are one of 15 couples newly arrived in Chicago who’ll be tying the knot Friday at Park Community Church Near North. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Back in Venezuela, Luis Rodriguez was the "popular boy" in high school: slim with an athletic build and a mischievous smile. Crucelis Rodriguez, who is a couple of years older, was more reserved, studious and focused on graduating. It was those qualities that first caught Luis' eye and captivated his heart. "She was a hard worker, kind of serious," said Luis, 28. "She was responsible and curious; I liked ..read more

Caleb Williams (13) threw 93 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in three college seasons — at Oklahoma (2021) and USC (2022-23). Mark J. Terrill/AP Caleb Williams is No. 1 in more ways than one. The Bears’ first-round draft pick not only was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night, but he’s No. 1 on the depth chart as well. For better or worse, the Bears aren’t planning on playing the apprenticeship game with Williams as they did with previous first-round picks Mitch Trubisky (No. 2 overall in 2017) and Justin Fields (No. 11 in 2021). With Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien ahe ..read more

The Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Detroit. Jeff Roberson/AP Amid unprecedented anticipation, the Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night — a watershed moment that heralded the dawn of a new era in Bears history. Again. Any Bears fan out of grade school can’t be blamed for tempering the excitement with at least a bit of skepticism. The Bears have been here before. Too many times, actually. The trade for Jay Cutler in 2009. Drafting Mit ..read more