Twelve people were shot Nov. 8, 2021, in Chicago. | File photo

Twelve people were shot in Chicago on Monday.

About 11:35 p.m., a 20-year-old man was in a car in the 1300 block of North Ritchie Court when he was shot in the head, Chicago police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition.
Less than an hour earlier, a man was critically wounded in a shooting in East Garfield Park on the West Side. The 32-year-old was found on the sidewalk in the 600 block of North St. Louis Avenue about 11 p.m., police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

Ten others were wounded across the city.

Ten people were killed and 42 others were wounded in shootings over the weekend in Chicago.

Read More

The Chicago Bears are not a very good football team. Their head coach and general manager have caused this disaster and it may be a while before it completely turns around. They are not a terrible team and they are not a good team either. There is a lot of things that need to go […] Chicago Bears: Justin Fields shines in controversial loss – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Read More

Buddy (Jude Hill) is playing when a Protestant mob forces him to flee in “Belfast.” | Focus Features

Set during the Protestant-Catholic conflicts of the late 1960s, the film is both specific and universal, grand and intimate, sweetly romantic and shockingly violent.

We are at the movies.

A mom and a dad and their two young boys, and the boys’ grandmother, gaze up in wonder at the silver screen and marvel at the wonders of the fantasy musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — and when the titular car driven by Dick Van Dyke careens off a cliff and soars through the skies, the family pitches forward in their seats, awestruck by this amazing feat, lost in the movie, forgetting for this moment about the Troubles lurking outside the theater.

This is just one of a myriad of slightly fantastical, almost dreamlike, perfectly rendered set pieces in Kenneth Branagh’s wondrous and beautiful and masterful “Belfast,” which is set in the Northern Ireland of the late 1960s and is inspired by Branagh’s own childhood. (We think of Branagh as the consummate British actor-filmmaker and that he is, but he was born in Belfast and lived there with his family until he was 9 years old, when they moved to England.) “Belfast” is a cinematic memoir on the order of John Boorman’s “Hope and Glory” and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” with a tale both specific and universal, grand and intimate, sweetly romantic and shockingly violent. I found myself swept up in the story just as that extended family was immersed in the amazing (for its time) spectacle of the fantasy they were watching on the big screen.

Filmed in stunningly gorgeous tones of black and white (with a few exceptions, including color images of movies seen by the family), “Belfast” is set primarily on one block in a working-class neighborhood in Belfast in 1969 and is told through the eyes of 9-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill), whose carefree childhood is given a mighty jolt one day when a violent mob of anti-nationalist Protestants comes roaring around the corner to set fire to the Catholic houses in the neighborhood. Buddy had been out playing, pretending to be a great medieval warrior — but now he has to use his trash can lid shield as an actual shield as he scrambles his way home.

The Troubles of Northern Ireland have landed squarely on Buddy’s family’s doorstep. Writer-director Branagh ladles out the history lessons in digestible spoonfuls, as we see the conflict isn’t really about religion but about the Protestants wanting to remain part of the United Kingdom while the Catholics were in favor of joining a united Ireland. (Still, the religious differences are highlighted as well; Buddy — whose family is Protestant — thinks being Catholic would be a pretty good deal, as all you have to do is confess your sins and you get a clean slate!)

Even with conflicts escalating all around, Buddy’s family has more personal, pressing issues. Jamie Dornan plays Buddy’s Pa, a charming if not always responsible man who is away in England for great chunks of time, doing work as a skilled laborer. Meanwhile, Ma (Caitriona Balfe, bearing a striking resemblance to Cate Blanchett) is at home and tasked with caring for her sons, and also dealing with the devastating news that Pa’s sometimes dubious business dealings have plunged the family further into debt with Inland Revenue. When Pa is home, he’s spouting grand ideas about the family moving to Vancouver or Sydney, but Ma argues this is madness, as this neighborhood and this life is all she’s ever known.

Buddy seeks solace from the tension in his household by spending time with his grandparents (Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench), who are always ribbing one another and cracking wise but are obviously and eternally in love. (A scene in which Grandpa cajoles Grandma into a little dance in the living room is about as romantic as anything you’ll ever see.) “Belfast” even finds room for a romance in Buddy’s life, as he is hopelessly smitten with a classmate named Catherine (Olive Tennant) and studying hard to improve his test scores because seating arrangements are based on achievement, and he wants to move up so he can sit next to Catherine. (Not that Buddy is a total innocent; he gets involved in some mischief, including nicking some candy from a local store and getting caught up in the looting during one riot. Suffice to say Ma is a more powerful force to be reckoned with than any local thugs.)

Focus Features
Jamie Dornan (left) stars as Buddy’s father in “Belfast,” alongside Ciaran Hinds, Jude Hill and Judi Dench.

“Belfast” is unabashedly sentimental, from the plethora of Van Morrison songs on the soundtrack to the parallels drawn to Westerns such as “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and (particularly) “High Noon.” Amidst all the turmoil, there’s a steady stream of pop culture moments, whether the family is seeing the aforementioned “Chitty Chitty …” or “One Million Years B.C.,” or “Star Trek” is on the telly, or there’s a family trip to see a stage production of “A Christmas Carol.” Buddy and his Ma would love to stay in Belfast and ride out the storm, but it becomes increasingly apparent this family will most likely have to leave the only life they’ve ever known in order to survive. Cue the heartstrings and bring out the tissues.

“Belfast” is deserving of double-digit Oscar nominations, from the picture itself to Branagh’s directing and writing to the editing and cinematography to any number of the performances, with Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench near locks in the supporting categories. This is the best movie I’ve seen so far in 2021.

Read More

Read More

Bears quarterback Justin Fields walks off the field after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Monday night. | Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

That was a wild — and disappointing — Monday night for the Bears.

Patrick Finley and Jason Lieser break down a wild Monday Night Football game that saw Bears quarterback Justin Fields take another step — and Cassius Marsh load up another kick.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Read More

Bears coach Matt Nagy has done very little the past 2 1/2 seasons to prove he deserves to remain employed by the team. | Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images

There’s no point in keeping a failing coach around for the rest of the season in the name of continuity.

I’ve often wondered how an NFL owner who secretly plans to fire his coach after the season interacts with a man who’s on the employment version of death row. Does he pretend that everything’s OK? Does he offer his coach regular pats on the back? Reminders that they’re in this struggle together? Tender looks that say, “I hurt for you in ways you can’t begin to understand”?

Or does he avoid eye contact? Does he act as if he has an incoming call whenever the coach is walking toward him? Does the coach show up for work one day and find that the coffeemaker that was in his office is now in the offensive coordinator’s office?

How all of this applies to the Bears is a massive question mark because this isn’t a franchise that plays by the book, the book being “Common Sense” (by Thomas Paine, a former Patriot). In most other organizations, coach Matt Nagy would have worn out his welcome by now. There has been too much uninspired football and too little progress by too many players. Also, his offense stinks. And his team is disorganized and undisciplined. It had 12 penalties, several of the truly boneheaded variety, in a 29-27 loss to the Steelers on Monday night.

But these are the Bears, and for all anyone knows, Nagy was studying the club’s contract-extension proposal to him on the flight home from Pittsburgh.

But if the McCaskeys have finally had the epiphany that almost everyone in Chicago has had – hey, this Nagy guy, he doesn’t really know what he’s doing! – why not get it over with now? What’s the point of keeping him around for the rest of the season? Continuity? Continuing to take the same approach with the same people seems like a really dumb idea. So does 115 penalty yards, which Nagy’s players amassed Monday.

“We’ve got to be smart,” he said.

The 3-6 Bears have lost four straight games. It’s time.

Getting rid of Nagy (and general manager Ryan Pace) now would give ownership more time to find new people to research whom to hire next. There’s a benefit to being in position to jump on a No. 1 candidate immediately after the season ends. That doesn’t remove the distinct possibility that the McCaskeys would pick the wrong coach again, but it would in theory increase the odds of a good outcome.

If they’re worried that firing Nagy now would be viewed as a sign of surrender, it certainly wouldn’t be viewed that way by the fan base. It would be viewed in much the same way a sudden inheritance from an uncle you didn’t know you had would be viewed.

Whatever happened on the field Monday night in Pittsburgh was going to have no positive effect on Nagy’s body of work, a flabby, pasty thing. The McCaskeys’ instinct is to point to the coach’s 31-26 record and two playoff appearances in 3 1/2 seasons as a shield against the naysayers’ naying. But that defense is a big lie, and anyone with an ounce of football knowledge knows it.

Here are some Bears rankings (out of 32 teams) under Nagy, hired for his offensive expertise:

Total offense: 29th (2019), 26th (2020) and 32nd (2021).

Points: 29th (2019), 22nd (2020) and 31st (2021).

Passing yards: 25th (2019), 22nd (2020) and 32nd (2021).

Passing touchdowns: 25th (2019), 18th (2020) and 32nd (2021).

Nothing about those numbers says, “Retain this football genius!” Those numbers say, “And he’s still the head coach?” Some of you will think it unfair to exclude the 2018 season, when Nagy won NFL Coach of the Year honors for helping the Bears to a 12-4 record. That season is so far removed from the past three years of mediocrity that carbon dating is necessary to establish its age. And even during that “special” season, Nagy’s first as a head coach, the Bears finished 21st in total offense.

So what are the McCaskeys holding on to, exactly? The chance for a miracle turnaround in 2021, led by rookie quarterback Justin Fields? The first half of the season seemed to prove that whatever success Fields was going to have the second half of the season was going to be because of him and in spite of Nagy. The coach hasn’t put the kid in the best position to succeed. He has been slow to react to defenses during games. When Nagy sat out last week’s game because of COVID-19, Fields had his best game as a pro, rushing for 103 yards and a spectacular touchdown on 10 carries. Imagine that – a fast, athletic quarterback being allowed to take advantage of being fast and athletic.

The McCaskeys simply don’t make in-season changes, you say? So forget about it? Their history doesn’t make their inaction less a sin.

It’s obvious that they find firing people distasteful. Here’s something more distasteful: one Super Bowl appearance (a loss) since the 1985 Bears’ title and a list of failed head coaches that makes it appear as if ownership randomly opens up a phonebook and, eyes closed, jabs a finger at a name every three or four years.

What the McCaskeys deem the best route too often is the one that comes with the least pain for them. They usually like the people they hire. That’s nice, but friendship should never get in the way of doing what’s right for the franchise. This isn’t a book club or a play date.

It’s the NFL, where sooner or later, everyone gets hurt. Why not make it sooner and get it over with?

Read More

Robinson (left) had a season-high 68 yards receiving and Mooney scored two touchdowns. | Getty

A look at wide receiver Allen Robinson, the pass rush and a choppy night for tight end Jimmy Graham.

PITTSBURGH — The Bears suffered an exasperating loss Monday after taking a late lead against the Steelers before falling 29-27 on Chris Boswell’s 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left.

The Bears’ focus will be on rookie quarterback Justin Fields’ touchdown pass to receiver Darnell Mooney that put them ahead 27-26 with 1:46 left and the ensuing defensive failure that cost them the game, but there were other details worth examining:

Pass-rush resurgence

While it wasn’t quite the performance they needed to win, the Bears’ defense looked much better against the Steelers than it had the previous few games. After failing to get a single hit on Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo, the defense sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times.

Graham returns

Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham returned after missing two games and had an up-and-down night. He caught a 28-yard pass to start the fourth quarter and set up a touchdown in which running back David Montgomery handed the ball to Mooney from the wildcat formation, but he was unable to finish a would-be touchdown catch against good coverage by Joe Haden and had another nullified by penalty.

Robinson’s best

The lack of chemistry between Fields and star receiver Allen Robinson had been an issue, but they seemed to click Monday. Robinson caught four of the six passes Fields threw him and put up a season-high 68 yards.

Read More

Fields made his seventh career start in the Steelers game. | AP Photos

The Bears lost for the fourth consecutive game and fell to 3-6.

PITTSBURGH — From the moment the Bears drafted Justin Fields, they hoped he was good enough to offset everything they did wrong.

He almost pulled that off Monday.

Fields rallied the Bears from a two-touchdown deficit for a late one-point lead in the final minutes, but the defense faltered and allowed the Steelers to escape with a 29-27 victory on a 40-yard field goal with 25 seconds left.

After spending most of the night trying to step around the Bears’ many messes, particularly up front, he hit wide receiver Allen Robinson with a perfect pass down the right sideline for 39 yards with two minutes left, then fired a fastball to Darnell Mooney for the game-winner on the next play to put the Bears ahead 27-26 with 1:46 remaining.

Fields has the ability to overcome many of the Bears’ shortfalls, but he can’t do it all. It’s a lot to ask of a rookie quarterback to learn how to beat NFL defenses and his own team’s ineptitude. And instead of him delivering the first signature win of his young career, he left Heinz Field with his fourth consecutive loss.

The Steelers’ final push was problematic from the start, and they were in field-goal range at the Bears’ 32-yard line in just four plays. The Bears stopped quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on third-and-two run at the 24, but the Steelers were already in good position for Chris Boswell to win it.

Fields forced the issue again at the end and got the Bears to the Steelers’ 47-yard line with two seconds left, but Cairo Santos’ 65-yard field-goal try fell far short.

It was a maddening finish to Fields’ frustrating night.

While he completed 17 of 29 passes for a career-high 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception, he was frequently forced to compensate for the Bears’ errors. They had nearly as many penalty yards (115) as rushing yards (136).

A snapshot of the challenge he faced came into focus midway through the first quarter and gave him a rough idea of what to expect the rest of the night — and perhaps the rest of his Bears tenure.

Step 1 of this particular snafu was Jakeem Grant taking the kickoff from deep in his own end zone to the Bears’ 11-yard line rather than taking it at the 25. Left tackle Jason Peters compounded that problem with a false start on first down, which was a disheartening lapse from the most experienced player on the team.

What Fields did next, on first-and-15 from his own 6, was subtle but exactly the kind of course correction the Bears regularly need. As his protection faltered, he scrambled right for eight yards to make the situation manageable again at second-and-seven.

Then coach Matt Nagy burned one of his signature first-quarter timeouts, the Bears came out of that break in an illegal formation to lose another five yards and in the end they were punting from their own 15.

It was far from the only time the pieces around Fields let him down.

He propelled them back into the game with a 50-yard heave to Marquise Goodwin down the right sideline early in the third quarter for a rare red zone trip, then fired a fastball to tight end Jimmy Graham for a touchdown a few plays later. That score was nullified by right guard James Daniels getting flagged for a low block.

Imagine the incredible frustration Fields endures to finally get the Bears’ wayward offense moving and reach the end zone, only to see seven points wiped out by penalty and suddenly he’s lining up for a second-and-16. Predictably, the Bears settled for a field goal.

When they go against the better defenses in the NFL — the Steelers have allowed the seventh-fewest points, whereas the 49ers are 25th — the self-sabotage is more frequent and more flagrant.

And until the Bears fix those problems, ranging from Nagy’s mismanagement to general manager Ryan Pace’s misguided moves, the conversation around Fields is going to stay stuck in potential rather than moving on to actual production. There will be flashes, but nothing sustained.

They made the right call drafting Fields, but their nonstop dysfunction continues to undermine him.

Read More

Finding the perfect Christmas tree for your home is an essential part of the holiday season. However, whether you’re the first on your street to set up a tree, a last-minute decorator, or somewhere in between, tracking down a Christmas tree in Chicago isn’t always easy. From front door delivery to u-cut trees, we’ve got you covered with the 10 best places to buy Christmas trees in Chicago.  

2407 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

In business for over 90 years, Chicago Christmas Tree Lots operates four lots on the north side of Chicago in Bucktown, West Lakeview, Old Town, and Andersonville. All of their trees are grown in northern Wisconsin, and they carry a wide array of tree types, including Fraser fir, Balsam fir, Canaan fir, Concolor fir, and spruce. Also available at each lot are all kinds of wreaths, garland, and tree stands to purchase.

1531 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

City Tree Delivery offers a comprehensive delivery option for Chicago. Their standard contactless delivery option means they’ll drop off the tree outside your home, while their standard delivery service provides delivery inside your home. For an additional fee, City Tree Delivery will even set up your tree for you, which includes putting the tree in the stand, watering it, removing the netting, and vacuuming up any fallen needles. Check their delivery map to see if they deliver to your area.

1117 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302

Sandhill Christmas Trees has been providing trees to the Oak Park area since 1987. A family-owned and operated Christmas tree farm in central Wisconsin, Sandhill sets up shop each year at 1117 Chicago Avenue. Offering mainly Fraser fir and Balsam fir Christmas trees for purchase, Sandhill also delivers to Chicago and adjacent suburbs for a fee.

1013 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60657

Based in the Lakeview neighborhood, Ivy’s Christmas Trees has been supplying trees to the Chicago area for 30 years. Their Fraser firs are grown in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and are transported to Chicago each year. Ivy’s also offers an online ordering option with pick-up or delivery. Stands, garlands, and wreaths are available at Ivy’s to top off your Christmas tree purchase.

2855 Hart Rd, Aurora, IL 60502

If you’re looking for more of a full-scale Christmas tree experience, head out to the suburbs to cut down one of your own. Located in Batavia, Abbey Farms offers u-cut and pre-cut Christmas trees in Scotch pine, white pine, and spruce varieties.

After you pick out your tree, grab some apple cider donuts and hot chocolate to warm up. If there’s snow on the ground, Abbey Farms provides sleds to explore the property, and who knows, Santa may even make an appearance! Keep in mind that reservations are required to enjoy this experience.

5739 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60660

Located on the border of Andersonville and Edgewater, Gethsemane Garden Center is a sprawling one-stop destination for plants, garden decor, and outdoor furniture. Starting mid-November, they stock fresh Christmas trees grown in Michigan and North Carolina, typically cut within 48 hours of shipping. Gethsemane also offers a pre-order service for pick-up and delivery.

4042 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

Another place to buy Christmas trees in Chicago and get them delivered is TreeSanta. Their services cover 57 zip codes across the Chicagoland area. You can order your Fraser fir tree online and add on additional packages where TreeSanta sets up the tree for you. One set-up package includes light installation and tree removal on tree recycle day.

1260 E Chicago Ave, Naperville, IL 60540

With seven lot locations through the suburbs of Chicago, L&M Tree and Wreath runs one of the most widespread operations on this list. The family-owned farm is located in Medford, Wisconsin, and produces Balsam fir and Fraser fir trees each year. Their trees range in size from tabletop to 16 feet tall, and as their name suggests, they have a wide variety of Christmas wreaths and other decorations available to purchase. 

4309 N Honore St, Chicago, IL 60613

Supplying freshly cut Fraser fir and Balsam fir Christmas trees, Christmas Trees Chicago provides free delivery within a 10-mile radius of their Ravenswood lot. Orders can be placed online or over the phone with sizes ranging from three to ten feet. Also, you can add to your order hand-made wreaths, garland, lights, poinsettias, and even firewood. 

10919 W Wilmington Rd, Peotone, IL 60468

Bengston’s Christmas Trees, located in a rural area south of Chicago, is another great stop for those looking for a more venturesome Christmas tree experience.

Choose from eight varieties to chop down and take home, including Canaan fir, white spruce, Black Hill spruce, Colorado spruce, white pine, Scotch pine, and Douglas fir. Meanwhile, as you wait for your tree to be dragged from the field, warm up beside a wood-burning stove and enjoy hot chocolate and apple cider donuts.

Read More