We asked readers for their favorite Chicago music venue. Here’s what you told us, lightly edited for clarity:
“Lincoln Hall. No bad seats, always good sound and great bands. Bonus points for being within walking distance of my apartment.” — Annie Sheeha
“Reggie’s. It’s small and intimate with a solid drink section.” — Brad Leshyn
“Metro. Classic venue with top-notch staff and a wide variety of alternative musical acts. Anywhere in the audience makes you feel close to the stage. Every concert I’ve been to there has run very smoothly.” — Nicholas Farrar
“Daley Center Plaza in the summer when there is the farmers market in concert with the music stage.” — Terrence Camodeca
“They don’t book that many acts, but the Auditorium Theatre elevates any concert to another level.” — Larry Synakiewicz
“Have some old favs, but Salt Shed has become the GOAT. Both inside and outside, it’s a perfect venue. Not crazy big, but big enough for some excellent acts.” — Kevin Lyons
“The Old Town School of Folk Music. The people who work there love music and musicians. Every seat in the house has great sight lines and the acoustics are excellent. It’s a warm place with real history.” — Lori Beth
“Chicago Theater, sound is great and view from everywhere.” — Tracey Sunde
“The Jazz Showcase in Printers Row. It’s close to being the last stand in Chicago for straight ahead jazz.” — Michael Vicari
In a crowded election, the front-runner typically is whoever the other candidates are targeting. In the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is leaving to run for U.S. Senate, the focus is on former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean.
Opponents have attacked Bean in commercials, at forums and in private. Having previously held the seat from 2005 to 2011, she has name recognition and legislative experience.
But the political landscape has changed dramatically since Bean held the seat and then lost it to Republican Joe Walsh in a Tea Party upset, a defeat she blames on her vote for the Affordable Care Act, the health care plan known as Obamacare. Since then, Donald Trump has been elected president twice, and immigration and inflation have become critical battlegrounds.
The 8th District itself has changed substantially. When Bean defeated longtime incumbent Republican Phil Crane to take office, the district was farther north, mostly in parts of Lake and McHenry counties that were more conservative at the time. Since redistricting, the district now lies in parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, stretching mainly along I-90 from Des Plaines to rural Gilberts, and along the Fox River from St. Charles to Carpentersville.
The 8th District has grown solidly Democratic and has become much more diverse, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting that 55% of the population was white, 15% two or more races, 13% Asian, 11% some other race, and 5% Black. In addition, 27% identify as Hispanic, and 28% were born in another country.
That demographic shift is reflected in the eight-candidate field running in the Democratic primary on March 17, which includes white, Asian and Black candidates trying to differentiate themselves. Some have no political experience, like Neil Khot, while others ran for the seat before, like Junaid Ahmed, or are members of the Cook County Board, like Kevin Morrison, or a local municipal office, like Yasmeen Bankole. Others have worked with the federal government, like Dan Tully, Sanjyot Dunung and Ryan Vetticad.
Despite differences in experience and tone, most emphasize similar themes: lowering costs for families, expanding access to health care and abolishing Trump’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which they say repeatedly breaks the law while arresting undocumented immigrants. They differ on the details of how stop Trump.
Bean’s own polling, released in January, showed her in the lead with 10% of the vote, but with other candidates close behind and two-thirds of voters undecided, leaving the race wide open.
The amount of campaign funds raised by the leaders was also similar at the start of 2026. Bean led with $1.3 million, followed closely by Ahmed and Khot, each with about $1.2 million.
Bean — who has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Reps. Bill Foster, Brad Schneider and Nancy Pelosi, — sounded a common theme in the race: “The American Dream is under assault, as are our American values,” she said. Speaking of Trump’s attacks on immigration, she said, “It’s dangerous and unconstitutional. I’m ready to deliver again and hold him to account.”
Former Rep. Melissa Bean, a Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, speaks during a candidate forum at Harper College in Palatine on Feb. 7, 2026. (Talia Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)
After Bean left office, she worked for JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow Financial. Ahmed, a progressive, has attacked Bean as “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat,” a reference to campaign contributions from the finance industry and to her opposition, while in office, to letting states override federal banking regulations. Bean argued that a national standard was necessary to let banks operate without conflicting laws.
But in responding to the criticism that she’s too tight with the nation’s monied interests, Bean argues that while she was in Congress following the 2008 financial crisis, she helped pass the Dodd-Frank Act, which was signed into law in 2010 and limited risky bank speculation and created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to regulate mortgages and credit cards.
Ahmed, who ran unsuccessfully against Krishnamoorthi in 2022, has countered that Bean is “out of touch.” A tech entrepreneur, Ahmed helped launch the nonprofit Chi-Care to deliver meals to the homeless. He boasts that he doesn’t take any corporate or PAC campaign contributions, and criticizes Bean for doing so.
With endorsements from U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Ahmed has called for abolishing and replacing ICE as part of a broader immigration reform, supporting Medicare for all, and ending military aid to Israel due to its bombing and blockade of Gaza after the Hamas attack on Israel.
“Americans are realizing, we cannot be on the side of genocide,” he said. “I’ve yet to find someone who says, ‘I want my tax dollars to go to starve children.’”
Khot, who was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, said he’s running to fight for women’s rights, protect seniors and implement insurance reform, noting that his mother was denied coverage.
Born in India, Khot came to the United States 30 years ago with his parents, who emphasized education and respect for elders. Now, because immigration officers are asking people for citizenship identification, he carries a passport to show his identification, saying, “This is what we have come to in this country.”
“I’m looking to give back to the country that has given me everything,” he said.
Morrison, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Cook County Board, defeated the then-head of the Illinois Republican Party, Tim Schneider, in 2018. In office, Morrison helped create the county’s first Office of Behavioral Health, and he has called for lowering costs and protecting voting access and reproductive freedom.
He has endorsements from U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley.
“My generation feels like the American Dream is out of reach,” the 36-year-old said. “I’ll tackle the affordability crisis. I’ll always stand up for Main Street, not Wall Street … so we all have the ability to actually earn the American dream.”
Bankole was the youngest trustee ever elected to the Hanover Park Village Board, and helped create a water bill discount program there.
She cites her experience as an aide in Congress, having previously worked for Krishnamoorthi and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who has endorsed her candidacy. She’s calling for universal health care and child care, and abolishing ICE.
“We’re seeing the law broken time and again by ICE,” she said. “I believe in law and order, not violence and chaos.”
Dunung also came to the United States from India at a young age. She has a small education business, and served on the Truman Center for National Policy board. By taking care of her mother, who had muscular dystrophy, Dunung said she came to understand that disability care is a right, not a privilege.
She blamed both parties for failing to pass immigration reform, saying legal immigration must be streamlined and expedited.
“I’m tired of politics as usual, and I know that all of you are too,” she said at a League of Women Voters forum.
Tully was a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve, and worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce, before resigning in protest of Trump, saying the president “betrayed the oath of office and is a danger to our country.”
Tully remains in the Army Reserve and argues that his legal experience makes him well-qualified to fight Trump’s challenge of the separation of powers and to reassert congressional authority. He has a 10-point plan to stop Trump, including reasserting Congress’ constitutional powers, and called for an elected U.S. attorney general to act as an independent check on the president.
“I have the experience to hold this administration accountable,” he said. “The president is acting outside the law.”
Vetticad, the youngest candidate in the race, is too young to serve in Congress, but he will turn 25, the minimum required age, just before the March 17 primary election.
He grew up in an immigrant, Catholic, Indian American family. He taught Sunday school and worked on counterterrorism in the Presidential Management Fellows Program for the U.S. Department of Justice, but resigned in protest of Trump’s policies.
He called for lowering property taxes, making groceries and health care affordable, banning Congress from trading stocks, and enacting gun safety laws.
“We need not just younger, but better voices in Congress,” he said.
Republican candidates for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District Jennifer Davis, from left, Kevin Ake and Mark Rice listen to questions during a candidate forum at Harper College in Palatine on Feb. 7, 2026. (Talia Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)
The Republican primary features Mark Rice, who challenged Krishnamoorthi in 2024 but lost with 43% of the vote, tech entrepreneur Jennifer Davis, retired Chicago police Officer Herbert Hebein and accountant Kevin Ake, who was convicted of a hate crime in 2002 and previously ran unsuccessfully against Morrison.
The suspect was taken into in custody after the victim was shot Tuesday afternoon, Chicago police said.
Police said the shooting happened in the Brainerd neighborhood’s 9400-block of South Ashland Avenue around 3:30 p.m.
A known person approached a 32-year-old man, took out a handgun and fired shots, police said. The victim, shot in the stomach, was transported to Christ Hospital in critical condition. He later died, officials said.
On Wednesday, the Cook County Medical Examiner identified the victim as 32-year-old Antoine Alexander. He died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and his death was being investigate as a homicide.
Investigators were staged near a Page Security parking lot on Tuesday.
Employees from a nearby business say the shooting happened after an altercation between two Page Security employees.
One of the employees told ABC7 they ran for cover after they witnessed the shooting. They said the shooter ran away.
Police recovered a gun from the scene. CPD later confirmed that one person was taken into custody.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson held a town hall Thursday evening to address the recently passed 2026 budget and hear from residents on the city’s West Side.
A Chicago man charged in the shooting deaths of a father and son who owned a Little Village jewelry store was arrested in St. Louis, according to Chicago police.
Muhammad Thomas, 35, faces nine felony charges including two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated battery, burglary and armed vehicular hijacking, according to police. The charges are from three separate burglaries that span three years. Three warrants were executed with his arrest.
Thomas is accused of killing Berwyn resident Faustino Alamo, 63, and his son, Luis Angel Alamo, 25, after he grabbed some jewelry from their store and they ran after him the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2025. Faustino Alamo fired off one or two shots with his own weapon, according to a police report.
He’s also accused of shooting and “seriously injuring” a 26-year-old man July 28, 2023, in the 1700 block of West Maypole Avenue and a July 16, 2024 armed robbery in the 2300 block of West Cermak Road.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops, who fired back, killing four and wounding six, according to the Cuban government.
The Cuban Ministry of the Interior said the people aboard the boat Wednesday were Cubans living in the U.S. and accused them of trying to infiltrate the country to engage in terrorism. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was not a U.S. government operation.
Here’s what to know about the confrontation that has resulted in investigations in both Cuba and the United States and could add to tensions between the two countries.
Cuban president says island will defend itself
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday that Cuba “does not attack or threaten.”
“We have stated this repeatedly, and we reiterate it today: Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist or mercenary aggression that seeks to undermine its sovereignty and national stability,” he wrote on X.
Cuban authorities launched an investigation, the foreign minister said.
Rubio said the American government was gathering its own information, including whether the people were U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said it was pursuing answers “through every legal and diplomatic channel available.”
One man was obsessed with Cuban freedom
The wounded people were detained, Cuban officials said, and the government identified seven of the 10 passengers.
It said that two of them, Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, are wanted by Cuban authorities “based on their involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission” of terrorism.
It identified the others as Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra.
Cuba’s government said one of the four killed was Michel Ortega Casanova. His brother Misael Ortega Casanova told The Associated Press that his sibling had developed an “obsessive and diabolical” quest for Cuba’s freedom given the suffering they endured on the island before moving to the U.S. He said his brother was an American citizen who lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, Galindo Sariol, another passenger, was identified as a former political prisoner in a 2025 interview with Martí Noticias, a U.S.-based news site that has long called for a change of government in Cuba.
The Cuban government said it was a Florida-registered speedboat and that officials who searched it found assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms.
The AP was unable to verify details because boat registrations are not public in Florida.
Confrontations with US are not unusual, but deaths are rare
The island’s foreign minister wrote Thursday on X that Cuba has faced “numerous terrorist and aggressive infiltrations” from the U.S. since 1959, “with a high cost in lives, injuries and material damage.”
The most famous attempt involving Cuban exiles was the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961.
The CIA had trained a group of exiles under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower that was led by José Miró Cardona, a former member of Fidel Castro ’s government and head of the Cuban Revolutionary Council in the U.S.
The failed invasion that occurred under former President John F. Kennedy led to the surrender of some 1,200 exiles, while more than 100 others were killed.
Another high-profile encounter occurred on Feb. 24, 1996, when Cuba’s air force shot down two unarmed civilian airplanes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based organization. Four men were killed following the attack that the International Civil Aviation Organization said occurred over international waters.
According to the radio communications between the MiG-29 and a military control tower published by the Organization of American States, the MiG-29 celebrated upon striking the second plane: “Homeland or death, you bastards!” in a reference to the famed Cuban revolutionary cry.
In 2022, several incidents were reported in Cuban waters involving an exchange of gunfire and arrests but no apparent casualties.
It’s not unusual for skirmishes to erupt between Cuba’s Coast Guard and U.S.-flagged speedboats in Cuban waters, although deaths are rare. In past years, some of those U.S.-flagged boats were laden with unidentified cargo headed toward the island, or they were going to pick up Cubans to smuggle them into the U.S.
The potential effects on US-Cuba relations
The shooting threatens to increase tensions between the two countries after President Donald Trump ‘s administration has already having taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward Cuba.
When the U.S. attacked Venezuela and arrested its leader on Jan. 3, oil shipments to Cuba that were largely keeping the island afloat were halted.
Then Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 29 that would impose a tariff on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, which recently implemented austere fuel-saving measures.
William LeoGrande, an American University expert on Cuba, said there’s a risk that the Trump administration “uses this incident as some kind of an excuse to come up with even more sanctions.”
“But if the Cuban government lays out all the guns that they captured and has some of these people confessing to what they were up to, that might put the issue to rest,” he told journalists Thursday in an online briefing.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department slightly eased restrictions on the sale of Venezuelan oil to Cuba, but the island’s energy and economic crisis is expected to persist.
LeoGrande said Cuba’s private sector would not import enough oil “to really make a significant dent in the humanitarian crisis.”
MELROSE PARK, Ill. — An 18-year old, who just got off his shift, was struck and killed last week in Melrose Park by a semi-truck. Hector Banuelos came through asylum from Mexico a year ago because his mother became sick and passed away, according to family. He recently got off his shift at Tom’s Steakhouse, […]
February 26, 2026 | United Center | 7:00 PM CT | NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago Bulls (24–33) host the Portland Trail Blazers (19–37) tonight, and this is exactly the kind of game we’ve been blowing all season. Portland’s worse than us. They’re 13th in the West. They’re young, inconsistent, and giving up 118.9 points per game.
We’re 12th in the East, giving up 120.4 points per game, and still somehow clinging to faint play-in hopes that are basically dead at this point.
But you know what? We just beat Charlotte. We finally protected home court against a bad team. Now we need to do it again against Portland. No excuses. No moral victories. Just beat a team we’re supposed to beat.
For Bulls fans who’ve watched us lose winnable games all year, tonight’s our chance to prove we can actually be consistent.
Where the Bulls Stand (Still Not Good)
Record: 24–33 (12th in East)
We’re nine games under .500, and the play-in race is basically over. The season’s slipping away, and at this point we’re playing to finish above .400 and not completely embarrass ourselves.
What’s Working:
We’re 3rd in the East in three-point shooting (14.6 made per game)
Ball movement is solid (29.1 assists per game)
DeMar DeRozan is still automatic from mid-range
What’s Not Working:
Defense is terrible (120.4 points allowed per game, worst in the league)
Rebounding is a problem (42.1 per game vs Portland’s 44.5)
Consistency—we’ll look competent one night, fall apart the next
DeMar DeRozan, Anfernee Simons, and Collin Sexton can all get buckets. But if we’re giving up 120 points every night, it doesn’t matter how much we score.
Against Portland’s bad defense (118.9 points allowed), we should put up numbers. The question is whether we can actually get stops when it matters.
The Portland Trail Blazers: Young, Scrappy, and Still Losing
Record: 19–37 (13th in West)
Portland is bad, but they’re interesting-bad. Scoot Henderson is a dynamic young point guard with speed and athleticism. Shaedon Sharpe can score in bunches. Deandre Ayton provides rim protection and rebounding when he’s engaged.
Key Players:
Scoot Henderson (PG): Fast, aggressive playmaker who can get to the rim
Shaedon Sharpe (SG): Athletic scorer with three-level offensive game
Deandre Ayton (C): Rim-running center who blocks shots and finishes lobs
The Blazers play fast, rely on transition offense, and live or die by Henderson’s ability to create. When he’s rolling, they’re dangerous. When he’s off, they get blown out.
Sound familiar? That’s basically us with DeMar.
Breaking Down the Matchup
Category
Bulls
Blazers
Points Per Game
114.8
110.6
Points Allowed
120.4
118.9
Assists Per Game
29.1
25.7
3-Pointers Made
14.6
12.4
Rebounding
42.1
44.5
We score more. We pass better. We shoot more threes. They rebound better and defend slightly less terribly. But both teams are bad defensively, so this is going to be a shootout.
The rebounding gap is concerning. Deandre Ayton could dominate the glass if we’re not physical. We can’t let him get easy putbacks and second-chance points.
What the Bulls Need to Do to Win
DeMar DeRozan Controls the Tempo This is a game DeMar should dominate. Portland doesn’t have anyone who can consistently stop his mid-range game. He needs 25+ points on efficient shooting, and he needs to control the game when things get chaotic.
Hit Threes Early and Often We shoot 14.6 threes per game compared to their 12.4. That’s our advantage. If Simons, Sexton, and our shooters can knock down 15+ threes, we pull away. If we go cold, Portland can steal this.
Limit Scoot Henderson’s Playmaking Henderson’s going to be fast and aggressive. He’ll get to the rim, throw ridiculous passes, and make you shake your head. But if we can force him into tough shots and limit his assists, we control the game. Make someone else beat us.
Anfernee Simons Needs to Show Up Simons has the talent to drop 30 on any given night. Against Portland’s weak perimeter defense, this is his chance to have another big game at home. Get hot early and force Portland to adjust.
Win the Rebounding Battle Deandre Ayton is a problem on the glass. If he’s getting offensive rebounds and extending possessions, we’re in trouble. Box out, crash the boards, and don’t let them get easy second-chance points.
What Portland Will Bring
Scoot Henderson will be fast, aggressive, and making highlight plays. Shaedon Sharpe will get his shots and probably hit a couple tough ones. Deandre Ayton will finish lobs and protect the rim.
But the Blazers are 19–37 for a reason. They’re young, inconsistent, and prone to defensive breakdowns. If we execute and take care of the ball, we should win comfortably.
The question is whether we’ll actually do that.
The Betting Lines (We’re Actually Favored Again)
Spread: Bulls -5.5
Over/Under: 236.0
Moneyline: Bulls -200, Blazers +170
We’re 5.5-point favorites at home, which feels right. Portland’s worse than us, but they’re scrappy and Henderson can take over games. The over/under at 236.0 is basically Vegas saying “both defenses are terrible, expect a track meet.”
We’ve covered in 3 of our last 5 games. Portland is 2–8 in their last 10. This is a game we should win, which makes it even more frustrating if we don’t.
Bulls Fan Prediction: We Win, But It’s Closer Than It Should Be
Final Score: Bulls 118, Blazers 111
DeMar DeRozan controls the game with 27 points on efficient mid-range shooting. Anfernee Simons gets hot in the second quarter and drops 24. Collin Sexton provides 16 off the bench with smart playmaking.
Scoot Henderson goes off for 28 with crazy assists and drives to the rim, but we hit our shots and stay ahead. Shaedon Sharpe keeps Portland close with some tough buckets, but our offensive firepower is too much.
It’s not pretty. Both teams will give up 110+. But we execute down the stretch, knock down free throws, and protect home court against another team we’re supposed to beat.
Seven-point win feels right. Close enough to keep it interesting, comfortable enough that we’re never really in danger.
Why This Game Actually Matters
We’re 12th in the East. The play-in is basically gone. The season’s essentially over in terms of realistic playoff hopes.
So why does tonight matter?
Because we need to beat teams we’re supposed to beat. We just handled Charlotte at home. Now we need to do it again against Portland. If we can’t protect home court against bad teams, what’s the point?
The Blazers are 19–37. They’re rebuilding. They’re young and inconsistent. If we lose to them at the United Center, it’s embarrassing. And for a fanbase that’s endured so much mediocrity, another embarrassing home loss would be brutal.
Plus, Scoot Henderson is fun to watch. Even if we win, he’s going to do something ridiculous that makes you go “damn, this kid’s got it.” But we need to make sure his highlights don’t come in a Blazers victory.
February 26, 2026 | Camelback Ranch, Glendale, AZ | 2:05 PM CT | MLB Network, NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago White Sox (63–99 last year) face the Los Angeles Dodgers (94–68, NL West champs) today, and this is going to be brutal. They have Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Walker Buehler. We have Luis Robert Jr. when he’s healthy, Colson Montgomery hoping to become a star, and Drew Thorpe trying to prove he belongs.
The Dodgers won 94 games and made a deep playoff run. We lost 99 games and were historically terrible. They’re built to win the World Series. We’re built to tank and stockpile prospects.
This is the kind of spring training game that shows you exactly how far you have to go. And for White Sox fans who suffered through last season, it’s a harsh reminder that we’re years away from competing with teams like Los Angeles.
But you know what? Our young guys still need to compete. Colson Montgomery still needs at-bats against elite pitching. Drew Thorpe still needs to test himself against a championship-caliber lineup. And Luis Robert Jr. still needs to stay healthy.
Let’s see what we’ve got.
Where the White Sox Stand (Still at Rock Bottom)
2025 Record: 63–99
We lost 99 games last year. The pitching was a disaster. The defense was embarrassing. And offensively, we couldn’t score consistently to save our lives.
The front office tore it all down—traded veterans, stockpiled prospects, and committed to a full rebuild. It’s painful watching losing baseball, but if Montgomery, Thorpe, and the rest of our young core develop into stars, it’ll be worth it.
Key Players:
Luis Robert Jr. (CF): Elite talent when healthy—30-homer power, Gold Glove defense, elite speed. “When healthy” is the problem.
Colson Montgomery (SS): Our top prospect, the franchise cornerstone we’re banking on.
Erick Fedde (SP): Veteran arm who mentors young pitchers.
Top Prospects:
Bryan Ramos (3B): Power bat trying to prove he’s ready
Drew Thorpe (RHP): Gets the start today against a championship lineup
Edgar Quero (C): Young catcher with offensive upside
Drew Thorpe vs Walker Buehler and the Dodgers’ lineup is a massive test. Can Thorpe compete with Betts, Freeman, and company? Or will they expose him as not ready?
The Los Angeles Dodgers: What a Real Contender Looks Like
2025 Record: 94–68 (NL West Champions)
The Dodgers are everything we’re not—elite talent, organizational depth, championship culture, and a front office that actually knows what they’re doing.
Key Players:
Mookie Betts (OF): MVP-caliber superstar, does everything at an elite level
Walker Buehler (RHP): Ace when healthy, getting the start today
Top Prospects:
Dalton Rushing (C): Catching prospect with upside
Diego Cartaya (C): Another catching prospect in a loaded system
Gavin Stone (RHP): Pitching depth piece
The Dodgers have been to the World Series multiple times in the last decade. They develop talent, they sign stars, and they compete every single year. That’s the model we need to follow, but we’re nowhere close.
The Talent Gap Is Massive
Position
White Sox
Dodgers
Center Field
Luis Robert Jr.
Mookie Betts
Shortstop
Colson Montgomery
Gavin Lux
Starting Pitcher
Drew Thorpe
Walker Buehler
Luis Robert Jr. vs Mookie Betts in Center When healthy, Robert has the talent to compete with anyone. But Betts is a proven MVP who plays 150+ games a year. That consistency and durability is the difference between a star and a “what if” guy.
Colson Montgomery vs Gavin Lux at Shortstop Montgomery is our top prospect trying to prove he’s ready. Lux is an established major leaguer on a championship team. Montgomery has higher upside, but Lux is the safer, more proven player right now.
Drew Thorpe vs Walker Buehler on the Mound Buehler is a proven ace with postseason experience and elite stuff. Thorpe is a prospect hoping to earn a rotation spot. The gap is massive, and Thorpe’s about to find out what facing real competition feels like.
What the White Sox Need to See Today
Drew Thorpe Competes (Even If He Gets Hit) The Dodgers’ lineup is loaded with elite hitters. Thorpe’s going to give up runs—that’s expected. What matters is whether he competes, executes his pitches, and shows he belongs at this level. Three or four innings with some strikeouts and competitive at-bats would be progress.
Colson Montgomery Handles Elite Pitching Walker Buehler is going to challenge Montgomery with high-90s fastballs and elite breaking stuff. Can Montgomery lay off tough pitches? Can he make hard contact when he gets something to hit? This is the kind of at-bat that shows whether he’s ready for the majors.
Luis Robert Jr. Stays Healthy I’m a broken record, but staying healthy is all that matters with Robert. Just get through the game without tweaking something. If he can give us a full season, he’s a game-changer. If not, we’re stuck hoping someone else becomes our best player.
Bryan Ramos Shows He Belongs Ramos has power, but can he handle velocity and spin from Dodgers pitching? Show bat-to-ball skills, take smart at-bats, and prove you’re not just organizational depth.
Don’t Get Embarrassed The Dodgers are going to win. We know that. But if Betts, Freeman, and company go a combined 10-for-15 with five homers, that’s a problem. Make them work for everything and don’t beat ourselves with errors.
What the Dodgers Will Bring (And Why We’re Getting Destroyed)
Walker Buehler will probably dominate for 4-5 innings. Mookie Betts will do something incredible—a homer, a stolen base, a diving catch. Freddie Freeman will get his hits and work professional at-bats.
The Dodgers’ depth—both pitching and hitting—will overwhelm us. They’re a playoff team with championship experience. We’re a 63-win team hoping our prospects develop.
This is the gap we’re trying to close. And it’s not happening in 2026.
White Sox Fan Prediction: We Get Handled
Final Score: Dodgers 7, White Sox 3
Walker Buehler throws five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, making our hitters look completely overmatched. Mookie Betts goes 3-for-4 with a homer and a stolen base. Freddie Freeman adds two more RBIs with professional at-bats.
Drew Thorpe battles but gives up four runs in four innings—not terrible against that lineup, but not competitive. Colson Montgomery goes 1-for-3 with a single and looks overmatched at times. Luis Robert Jr. crushes a solo homer because that’s what he does, then exits early as a precaution (of course).
The Dodgers’ depth takes over in the late innings, and they cruise. We show flashes—maybe Bryan Ramos drives one deep, maybe Edgar Quero throws out a runner—but it’s painfully clear they’re on a different level.
And that’s reality. They’re competing for championships. We’re competing to not lose 100 games again.
Why This Game Matters (Even Though We’re Probably Losing)
The scoreboard doesn’t matter. But seeing our young guys compete against championship-caliber talent does.
Can Drew Thorpe hold his own against a Dodgers lineup that made the playoffs? Will Colson Montgomery show he can handle Walker Buehler’s stuff? Can Luis Robert Jr. stay on the field?
The Dodgers represent what we’re trying to build toward—elite talent, organizational depth, sustainable success. They develop prospects into stars. They sign impact players. They compete every year.
We need to do the same. If we can’t, we’re stuck in perpetual rebuild mode while teams like Los Angeles win championships.
The Harsh Reality of Where We Are
We lost 99 games last year. The Dodgers won 94 and made a deep playoff run. That 31-game gap is enormous.
But spring training shows whether we’re moving in the right direction. Are our prospects developing? Is our pitching improving? Can we compete—even for a few innings—with elite teams?
If the answer is yes, then maybe we’re competitive in 2027 or 2028. If not, we’re looking at another lost decade.
For now, we’re watching Colson Montgomery audition to be our franchise cornerstone. We’re hoping Drew Thorpe becomes a frontline starter. We’re praying Luis Robert Jr. stays healthy.
Because without those guys developing into stars, we’re not closing the gap on teams like the Dodgers.
Go Sox!!! Survive the rebuild (it’s gonna be a while).
Several people are under arrest after a mass shooting that left four men injured, including one critically, in Woodlawn on the South Side Wednesday evening, authorities said.
Paramedics responded just after 7 p.m. to several locations to treat people wounded in a shooting that happened in the 6600 block of South Stony Island Avenue, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Merritt.
Three people drove themselves to a firehouse on East 67th Street just blocks away and were then taken to hospitals, Merritt said. Another person was transported from East Marquette Drive and South Stony Island Avenue, and another from the 1500 block of East 69th Place.
A man was shot in the head and was in critical condition, police said. An 18-year-old was man was shot in the back and left leg and was in fair condition.
A 19-year-old man was shot in the left leg and was also in fair condition and a second 18-year-old man was grazed in the back, officials said.
Multiple weapons were recovered, police said.
Four individuals were arrested, including one who was shot, and were being questioned.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA moved its grounded Artemis moon rocket from the launch pad back to its hangar Wednesday for more repairs.
The slow-motion trek at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center was expected to take all day. The 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket had spent a month at the pad ready for potential liftoff, but encountered a series of problems serious enough to require a return to the Vehicle Assembly Building, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away.
Managers ordered the rollback over the weekend after the rocket’s helium pressurization system malfunctioned. Already delayed a month by hydrogen fuel leaks, the launch team had been targeting March for astronauts’ first trip to the moon in decades. But now the Artemis II lunar fly-around by a U.S.-Canadian crew is off until at least April.
All four astronauts were at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as invited guests, since the flight delay means they no longer need to quarantine.
It’s a classroom built on compassion, confidence and community. Brother Rice teacher Mary Erdmann has built a one-of-a-kind inclusion program on the southside and it’s bringing students together in powerful ways. Her classroom at Brother Rice High School is one of a kind on Chicago’s South Side – a parochial special education inclusion program call […]
INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time in modern history, the Bears are preparing to double down on a quarterback they drafted. As general manager Ryan Poles manages his roster, he’s factoring in the likelihood of a major contract extension for Caleb Williams.
He brought it up unprompted at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, and it’s by far the most certain the Bears have sounded about the position in more than a decade since they were all-in on Jay Cutler.
When asked about navigating the tightest salary-cap crunch of his tenure this offseason, Poles mentioned the potential champagne problem of soon having to work around a highly paid quarterback like the league’s best teams usually do.
“I hope eventually to have a quarterback situation, too, where we’ve got to pay a young quarterback,” he said. “We’re getting closer and closer to clarity on that side of things.”
He stopped short of a definitive statement and had plenty to say about areas in which Williams must progress, but that was absolutely stunning to hear from someone running the Bears.
Neither of their last two first-round picks at quarterback, Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky, got anywhere near this conversation.
The fact that the Bears are even calculating the cost of signing Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, to an extension is a landmark for the organization as it bets on coach Ben Johnson accelerating his development.
It’s far from a foregone conclusion, of course, and Poles was quick to tap the brakes when pressed on how confident he is in committing to Williams.
For all the thrills of the past season, there were a lot of ups and downs and some key boxes remained unchecked. Williams has high-end capability, but needs to master the basics and become more efficient. He isn’t eligible for an extension until this time next year and has quite a bit to prove before then.
He set the Bears’ single-season record with 3,942 yards passing, was sixth in the NFL with 27 touchdown passes, threw just seven interceptions, pulled off a dazzling string of comebacks and delivered the Bears’ first playoff win in 15 years. He also finished 22nd in passer rating at 90.1 and last in completion percentage at 58.1.
“I want to be clear: Anyone that’s watched the league long enough knows that for quarterback play, it’s consistency,” Poles said. “Can you stack years on top of each other? We still have steps to go. I don’t want to make it like he’s already [there]. He knows he’s got work to do.
“But if all of that falls into place, we have to understand how that changes our formula as we move forward. That’s a great thing to be on that path. I feel like we have a long-term quarterback solution. It makes me excited.”
If he’s right, it means the clock is winding down on the precious opportunity of Williams’ rookie-contract window.
Since the NFL began pre-slotting rookie deals, teams have tried to take advantage of what could be an incredible discount at the most expensive position. Williams will make just $10.8 million this season and $12.6 million in 2027, whereas 16 quarterbacks have an average salary of $40 million or higher.
If the Bears get elite play from Williams over those two seasons for a bargain price, they can spend big elsewhere to build a championship-caliber roster. In the last eight seasons, the Rams (Jared Goff), Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes), Bengals (Joe Burrow), Eagles (Jalen Hurts) and Patriots (Drake Maye) all made the Super Bowl during their quarterback’s rookie contract, and the Chiefs won one.
Poles downplayed whether there’s “pressure” to make that kind of run this season or next, but acknowledged, “Financially, you can field the best team when that quarterback isn’t taking up a massive piece of the cap.”
Once it’s time to pay the quarterback, the math changes dramatically. Those teams are forced to cut corners and offload expensive players — it’s partly why Chiefs left guard Joe Thuney was available to the Bears last year — and hope their star quarterback is good enough to overcome it.
It’s a much better problem to have than going back to the draft every few years still searching for a quarterback.
The last wave of quarterback contract extensions was two years ago, when the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence and the Packers’ Jordan Love got $55 million per year. ESPN projected Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud to get something close to that this offseason despite choppy play the last two seasons.
Those numbers only go up. Williams, or any other extension-eligible quarterback like Maye, the Broncos’ Bo Nix or the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, doesn’t necessarily have to outplay the top quarterbacks to out-earn them. If the salary cap goes up around 8% next season, the next round of quarterback deals probably will as well.
That makes the upcoming season pivotal in so many ways. For Williams, this is the time to prove he’s the guy. For the Bears, it’s imperative that they establish themselves as legitimate contenders. If both happen, it’ll truly be a new era.
Dashcam video released by Connecticut State Police on Wednesday shows the multi-vehicle crash on the Merritt Parkway that landed former WWE CEO Vince McMahon with a misdemeanor summons for alleged reckless driving.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates issued an apology for his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a townhall for the Gates Foundation, during which he also confessed to having two affairs while married to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, according to reports.
Speaking to foundation staffers on Tuesday, Gates admitted to traveling on Epstein’s private jet as well spending time with the disgraced financier at home and abroad, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a recording of the town hall meeting. He also denied any wrongdoing, going as far as to say that he did not witness anything “illicit” while spending time with late billionaire.
“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” Gates said. “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”
He added: “To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him.”
Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011, a couple years after the late financier was convicted in Florida of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute in 2008. Gates said Tuesday that he’d been aware of some “18-month thing” that had limited Epstein’s travel, but did not look into the matter further. He also credited his former wife, Melinda, “who was always kind of skeptical” of Epstein.
Gates wanted to take “responsibility for his actions,” a foundation spokesperson told the WSJ, explaining that he chose to do so during the townhall, one of two held each year. It comes after the United States Justice Department dumped a round of evidence related to its investigation into Epstein. The documents included an unsent email accusing Gates of having sexual relations with two “Russian girls” and getting sexually transmitted infection.
“I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,” Gates said on Tuesday.
Gates also told his staff that the last time he had contact with Epstein was in 2014. “After that, he continued to email me,” he added.
“I never went to the island, I never met any women,” the tech giant said. “And so, the more that comes out, the more clear it’ll be that, although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”
