Good morning, Chicago.

The federal government’s decision to dramatically reduce the number of vaccines it recommends for children, including the flu shot, will have “no bearing” on Illinois’ vaccine recommendations, said the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health yesterday — the same day that Illinois announced that the state had moved to “very high” levels of flu activity.

The head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday formally moved to remake the childhood vaccination schedule to recommend children be vaccinated against 10 illnesses, whereas it previously recommended 17 immunizations for all children.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Lisa Schencker.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including what Illinois Democrats are saying about the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela, the mysterious cannabis syndrome becoming more common and a look at the most intriguing shows opening in Chicago this winter.

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Passengers wait at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico, on Jan. 3, 2026, as all flights were canceled following U.S. military action in Venezuela. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty-AFP)

Caribbean travel resumes after disruptions from US military operation in Venezuela

Key airlines announced Caribbean air travel has returned to normal after hundreds of flights were disrupted this weekend by the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, from left, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton discuss issues relevant to their race for the open U.S. Senate seat on Nov. 13, 2025, in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois Democrats criticize Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela and look to block further engagement

On the same day that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug charges in a Manhattan courtroom, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said he planned to introduce legislation in Washington that would block federal funds from being used for U.S. military occupation in the South American nation.

Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says ‘I was captured’ as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges

A person rolls a joint during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver on April 20, 2022. (Patrick T. Fallon/Getty-AFP)

Screaming + vomiting: ‘Scromiting’ is the mysterious cannabis syndrome becoming more common

The condition is rare and the mechanism of its cause unexplained, prompting some cannabis advocates to refuse to believe it. But a new study of hospital emergency departments nationwide by the University of Illinois Chicago found the number of diagnosed cases of CHS jumped sevenfold from 2016 to 2022.

After a City Council meeting at City Hall on Dec. 10, 2025, Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th, speaks on behalf of aldermen opposed to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget. The group was successful in getting their own budget passed.(Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Aldermen’s historic Chicago budget now reality, but may not be finished product

The projections aldermen made for their policy changes are often bold, but not necessarily implausible, civic analysts told the Tribune. And while the winning counterproposal makes some key changes favorable to credit rating agencies, it also clings to entrenched practices that continue to make Chicago appear a risky investment, they said.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez addresses the crowd as the Gary Police Department hosted the National Night Out for residents at RailCats Stadium on Aug. 8, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune)

Indiana auditors: Lake Sheriff improperly used nearly $300K for donations, golf, travel costs

A state audit released yesterday accused Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. of improperly using nearly $300,000 for charity or church donations, golf outings and travel costs.

Bob Pulford speaks at a news conference after taking over as general manager and head coach of the Blackhawks on Dec. 2, 1999. (Charles Cherney/Chicago Tribune)

Bob Pulford, who ran the Chicago Blackhawks front office for 30 years and had 4 coaching stints, dies at 89

Bob Pulford ran the Hawks front office as general manager or senior vice president of hockey operations from 1977-2007, going behind the bench to coach four times during that span. He also had four separate stints as GM.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walks on the field as players prepare for a game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 4, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Column: Ben Johnson crafting an offensive plan to clean up errors and face the Green Bay Packers a 3rd time

Ben Johnson’s greatest frustration Sunday night stemmed from another uneven and at times wobbly offensive effort that forced the Bears to play catch-up most of the game.

The 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions in the regular-season finale was concerning, with the Green Bay Packers up next Saturday at Soldier Field in the wild-card round.

Hopeful Bears will have 2 practices to see if CB Kyler Gordon is ready to return for playoffs
Are the Bears playoff-ready? ‘We’re not far away.’

Dwayne Johnson, left, shares a laugh with Kevin Hart at the Golden Globes first-time nominee celebration on Dec. 17, 2025, at The Maybourne Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The Golden Globes are this week. Here’s what to know about the first major show of awards season

The Golden Globes return Sunday. The boozy, bubbly kickoff to Hollywood’s awards season will feature nominees including Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Emma Stone.

The 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Central at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, and will be televised live on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+.

Sous chef Ian Miller prepares a roasted garlic Caesar salad at Buttercup in the South Loop on Dec. 30, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Restaurant reviews: Buttercup, Kanin and Nadu in Chicago

To kick off 2026, the Tribune food team takes a look at three notable restaurants that opened last year in these unstarred reviews: Buttercup in the South Loop, Kanin in Ravenswood and Nadu in Lincoln Park.

Artistic director Robert Falls at the Goodman Theater on Sept. 13, 2021. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Theater for winter 2026: ‘Hamnet,’ a local ‘Evan Hansen’ and Robert Falls returns to the Goodman

A new year has dawned and Chicago’s energetic new theater season will keep your winter chill away. Here’s a quick look at 10 of the most intriguing shows opening between now and the end of March.

Tickets on sale this week for 2026 Chicago Theatre Week
Museums for winter 2026: ‘Oz,’ owls and ‘Costumes of Paul Tazewell’
Art exhibitions for winter 2026: Don’t miss these 10 at the MCA, Art Institute and in Elmhurst
Movies for winter 2026: Post-apocalyptic thrillers, crime stories and gothic romance
TV for winter 2026: A new ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff, ‘Bridgerton’ returns and Nicole Kidman leads a new series

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/daywatch-flu-surges-in-illinois/ 

Which gaming mouse is best?

The components in your computer are hugely important. For example, if you are a video game player, you’ll need a powerful graphics card, a central processing unit that can handle the load, and enough RAM for fast processing.

But that’s not all. Most gamers will look at an expensive keyboard to enhance their play style but often overlook the mouse. For any serious player, this can be a huge mistake. So, why not complete your gaming setup with the Razer DeathAdder V3 Gaming Mouse?

What to know before you buy a gaming mouse

Your play style

There are several genres of video games, and different devices can enhance your experience in them. While any mouse can be used for all video games, your play style might dictate a specific mouse, such as one with more side buttons for real-time strategy. If you prefer to enable shortcuts and macros on your keyboard, you might not need a mouse with many buttons or switches.

Wireless vs. wired

There is still a debate over which mouse connection is the best for gaming. Consider whether you prefer a device that connects to your computer through a USB cable or a mouse that connects wirelessly through Bluetooth. There are advantages to both, and your play style should be factored in as well. A wired mouse doesn’t need a battery and can have a faster response time. With a wireless mouse, on the other hand, there is no tugging or pulling on cables. They are also more portable, as you simply slip them into your bag without battling any escaping wires. However, wireless devices tend to be more expensive and are often seen as slower than a wired mouse. They also need to be recharged frequently.

Decide on the type of sensor

Depending on the type of games you will be playing, you’ll need to decide between optical or laser sensors. The latter can be more sensitive to movement and are best suited for shiny surfaces such as glass tables. Optical sensors use LED technology to be more accurate with lower sensitivity. Whichever sensor you choose, it’s a good idea to have a robust gaming mouse pad. That way, you know that your mouse’s sensor will accurately track your movements.

What to look for in a quality gaming mouse

Programmable buttons for customized settings

Gaming peripherals have come a long way since having only two buttons and a scroll wheel. Depending on the game you are playing, you might want to map some actions to the mouse instead of using the keyboard. A good-quality gaming mouse has several additional buttons you can program to create a series of customized settings and functions. While not used often by gamers, a good mouse will also have tilt click scroll. That is when you can click on either side of the wheel to scroll horizontally on the screen.

The dots per inch determines the speed

One of the most critical factors for a gaming mouse is the dots per inch or counts per inch. This is a measure of how many pixels the mouse cursor can move across the screen. It is directly related to sensitivity, and a good-quality mouse will have variable settings for DPI depending on the title you are playing or the size of your screen.

Weights for better handling

More common in professional gaming devices, weights can sometimes be added to a mouse to change its handling. Most input devices are relatively lightweight and this, combined with high sensitivity, can make them jerky. By adding weights to a good-quality gaming mouse, you can increase your precision and accuracy.

How much you can expect to spend on a gaming mouse

The average price of a gaming mouse depends on its manufacturer and capabilities. An entry-level mouse can retail for $20-$30, while a professional mouse with customizable buttons can sell for $70-$100.

Gaming mouse FAQ

Can you get an ambidextrous mouse?

A. Yes. Most gaming devices are designed for right-handed players, but several mouse models are made to be ambidextrous. Not all manufacturers have them, though, and they can be difficult to find.

Why does a mouse have onboard memory?

A. A gaming mouse with programmable buttons, customizable DPI and RGB lighting needs to store that data somewhere. Instead of keeping the information on your computer, it is stored inside the mouse, so its settings remain the same even when used with a different computer.

What’s the best gaming mouse to buy?

Top gaming mouse

Razer DeathAdder V3 Gaming Mouse

What you need to know: One of the best gaming devices available, this packs a mammoth 26,000 DPI.

What you’ll love: It’s one of the most popular gaming devices, as the optical sensor automatically calibrates depending on the surface or mouse pad. The high DPI makes it incredibly sensitive and the optical button switches register much faster than a traditional mouse. It has eight customizable buttons, the ability to change the RGB lighting, and its drag-free cable mimics the movements of a wireless mouse.

What you should consider: It doesn’t have a tilt click scroll wheel.

Top gaming mouse for the money

Logitech G203 Wired Gaming Mouse

What you need to know: This affordable gaming mouse is perfectly suited for many games and different play styles.

What you’ll love: This optical gaming mouse has a DPI of 8,000, which is perfect for fast and precise movements. Through the included software, you can also cycle among five DPI settings. In addition to the standard two buttons and scroll wheel, it has two more buttons on the left side. You can change the color of the Logitech logo and the trim through the Lightsync RGB function.

What you should consider: The wheel on some devices can be customized to scroll either smoothly, without resistance, or in a staggered pattern where you’ll feel resistance or hear a click. This mouse isn’t capable of switching between the two modes.

Worth checking out

SteelSeries Rival 600 Gaming Mouse

What you need to know: This is the perfect gaming mouse for players who want to compete in esports tournaments.

What you’ll love: One of the few gaming devices made specifically for esports, it has a CPI of 12,000 and a 350 IPS optical esports sensor capable of true 1:1 tracking. It comes with several weights that allow for 256 different center-of-gravity tuning configurations, and a 6.5-foot cable. The Rival 600 has a powerful 32-bit ARM processor built in, used to store your mouse settings and provide low-latency movement.

What you should consider: While it is packed with features, it is also expensive.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/best-gaming-mouse-for-serious-pc-gamers/ 

Congress Is Back: What To Watch

Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/06/2026 – 07:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/congress-back-what-watch 

CANTON, Ohio — There’s a reason why North Central College has had such a sustained run of success, and it goes beyond the on-field product.

North Central has turned into an NCAA Division III juggernaut over the past six seasons, reaching the Stagg Bowl, the Division III national championship game, in each season.

The Cardinals have won the title in half of those appearances, but even with Sunday’s 24-14 loss to Wisconsin-River Falls still fresh in their minds, they immediately turned to the philosophy that got the program to this point.

“Our program is about going much further than a football game result,” NCC coach Brad Spencer said. “It’s about creating All-American husbands, fathers and teammates.

“That’s what our program is all about.”

Listening to some of the seniors, whose football careers ended Sunday at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, it becomes clear that the culture and environment cultivated by Spencer and his staff, and by John Thorne and Jeff Thorne before him, has made a lasting impression.

North Central players line up during the national anthem before the start of the Stagg Bowl championship game at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026, in Canton, Ohio. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

“If there is one thing I can take away about North Central, it’s not just about the football,” defensive lineman John Sullivan said. “It’s about the people. After (Sunday), these relationships are going to last me my whole life.”

That was not lost on Sullivan during his senior season. Not only did he turn into the best Division III defensive player in the nation, but he also made sure he did his part off the field, as well.

“I would say my time here has been kind of cool,” Sullivan said. “Being a part of such great teams and such great people, it changed something about me. I want to be like that guy. I hope I did that in some sort of capacity. I hope I was that guy to the younger guys on my team.”

That’s exactly the mentality Spencer expects from his seniors year in and year out. The way each season’s crop of seniors continues to uphold that standard is a big reason why the Cardinals are experiencing the sustained success that they have been of late.

Spencer pointed back to last January and something that backup quarterback Calvin Lavery said.

“It just struck me,” Spencer said. “If you’re a senior in this program, you have a responsibility to be a leader. It’s not an option. I thought that represents Cardinal football to a T. Everybody has to own their piece of the puzzle. We use that symbolism all the time, puzzle pieces.

“We like to think we use football as a vehicle and I think that’s going to benefit these guys going forward.”

That philosophy is a big reason why Thomas Skokna became a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, this season.

Skokna didn’t even dress for games as a freshman. He barely played special teams as a sophomore. He started to emerge as a receiver as a junior before exploding for a career year this season.

“I think everything that coach Spencer and the rest of the coaching staff taught us and put us through, I think it set me up for life,” Skokna said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for him and this program and North Central College for everything they did for me.”

North Central wide receiver Jack Rummell runs with the ball in the first quarter against Wisconsin-River Falls in the Stagg Bowl at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026, in Canton, Ohio. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

At the higher levels of college football, stories like Skokna’s are becoming more and more rare. With the advent of NIL and the rampant use of the transfer portal, Spencer feels like part of the essence of college football is being lost in the process.

“We’ve been blessed to be in the position that we’re in to tell the world about North Central College and these young men,” Spencer said. “And I hope to showcase Division III football in a great way, because college football needs it. The levels above us, we all know, are going in the wrong direction. I think if you look at this, this is what college football should be.”

Spencer said he doesn’t fault the players for chasing the big money that is suddenly available to them. That’s just the system they’ve been thrust into. However, the things that have made North Central successful are rare at the higher levels these days.

“It should be young men loving their teammates, committed to their teammates, staying for four years and playing for the love of the game, not playing for a car or millions of dollars,” Spencer said.

“These guys are what college football should be about.”

Players who arrive at North Central College may not fully understand what Spencer is trying to preach. By the time they leave, however, it’s clear that they have embraced the philosophy.

“Every single moment I’ve had in this program has been an absolute blessing,” linebacker Danny Nuccio said. “I’ve made life-long friends. I’ve learned how to be a man, a father and a husband and I’m just so blessed.

“I wouldn’t want to trade it for the world.”

Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Chicago Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/north-central-college-football-national-championship-game-seniors/ 

Location, location, location: Greenland’s key position above the Arctic Circle make the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy in the High North. But for whom?

Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls this mineral-rich country that guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America.

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. Greenland’s own government also opposes U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future.

The island, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people who until now have been largely ignored by the rest of the world.

Here’s why Greenland is strategically important to Arctic security:

Greenland’s Arctic location is key

Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defense of North America since World War II, when the U.S. occupied Greenland to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of Nazi Germany and to protect crucial North Atlantic shipping lanes.

Following the Cold War, the Arctic was largely an area of international cooperation. But climate change is thinning the Arctic ice, promising to create a northwest passage for international trade and reigniting competition with Russia, China and other countries over access to the region’s mineral resources.

Rare earth minerals

Greenland is also a rich source of the so-called rare earth minerals that are a key component of mobile phones, computers, batteries and other hi-tech gadgets that are expected to power the world’s economy in the coming decades.

That has attracted the interest of the U.S. and other Western powers as they try to ease China’s dominance of the market for these critical minerals.

Development of Greenland’s mineral resources is challenging because of the island’s harsh climate, while strict environmental controls have proved an additional hurdle for potential investors.

U.S. military presence in Greenland

The U.S. Department of Defense operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which was built after the U.S. and Denmark signed the Defense of Greenland Treaty in 1951. It supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.

Greenland also guards part of what is known as the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom) Gap, where NATO monitors Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic.

Danish armed forces in Greenland

Denmark is moving to strengthen its military presence around Greenland and in the wider North Atlantic. Last year, the government announced a roughly 14.6 billion-kroner ($2.3 billion) agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another self-governing territory of Denmark, to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”

The plan includes three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.

Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command is headquartered in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and tasked with the “surveillance, assertion of sovereignty and military defense of Greenland and the Faroe Islands,” according to its website. It has smaller satellite stations across the island.

The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, is also stationed in Greenland.

Security threats to the Arctic

In 2018, China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an effort to gain more influence in the region. China has also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, which has created economic links with countries around the world.

Then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected China’s move, saying: “Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims?”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening its military capability in the polar region. European leaders’ concerns were heightened following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/trump-us-greenland-arctic-security/ 

The matchup is set. The Chicago Bears will play the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card playoff game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Soldier Field. These historic rivals have met 212 times, but this will be just the third playoff game between them.

The Bears lost 19-16 to the Detroit Lions in Week 18. The Packers rested many of their starters and lost 16-3 to the Minnesota Vikings in a largely meaningless finale. Now they will meet for the third time this season after splitting their two regular-season games.

Tribune Bears reporters Brad Biggs, Sean Hammond and Phil Thompson tackle this week’s pressing questions ahead of the playoffs.

Want the latest Bears news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and sign up for our free Bears Insider newsletter.

1. The Bears face a Packers team that rested its starters in Week 18. With a Saturday game and a short week of preparation, is that an advantage for Green Bay?

Biggs: The Packers pulled quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs, among others, early in the 2024 season finale against the Bears with an eye toward health in the playoffs, and they fell flat in the wild-card round in Philadelphia. That same Eagles team rested key players in Week 18 and then marched to a Super Bowl title. The Packers have been hit so hard by injuries — it extends way beyond the loss of Micah Parsons to a torn ACL in Week 15 — that they made an incredible 23 roster moves just last week. Whether some time off for key players provides recovery time for a defense that was battered in Week 17 by the Baltimore Ravens remains to be seen. If time off in Week 18 was a clear-cut edge, Ben Johnson would have had a lot of guys in ballcaps watching Sunday’s game against the Lions.

Hammond: I’d put this down as a minimal advantage for Green Bay, but it probably won’t be a deciding factor. Despite playing their starters, the Bears escaped without any major injuries in Week 18, aside from nickel cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s concussion. They have plenty of time between now and Saturday night to rest their bodies. Many NFL teams keep their practices relatively light this time of year. Getting Rome Odunze and Ozzy Trapilo back healthy would be key.

Thompson: This old conundrum. On the one hand, the Packers players are rested. On the other hand, by missing a week, their players could be out of rhythm. In six previous seasons under Matt LaFleur, they’ve been to the playoffs six times, so they have a lot of institutional postseason experience. The bigger priority for them is health, so, yes, it’s an advantage for Green Bay.

2. Rome Odunze hasn’t played since Nov. 28. What can Bears fans realistically expect if he returns this week?

Injured Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze hangs out on the field as players warm up for a game against the Lions on Jan. 4, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Given the amount of time Odunze has missed, it seems like a long shot he would be on the field for close to 90% of the snaps, as he was earlier in the season before the foot injury popped up. Provided he feels good, and depending on how Johnson wants to use his personnel and tight ends, 30 to 40 snaps seems like a good target. The Bears need to dial up some specific plays for him as the primary read when he’s on the field. The foot injury really plagued Odunze after the Oct. 26 game in Baltimore. He averaged 6.8 targets, 2.6 catches and 37.6 yards in the five games before he was shut down.

Hammond: Odunze has been trying to stay off his injured foot for the past month, so it’s fair to assume his conditioning will be a question. Even if he’s back at practice this week, I wouldn’t expect him to see the playing time he was before the injury. But this is also the playoffs. If the Bears need Odunze, they’ll find ways to get him on the field in the biggest moments.

Thompson: Situational targets. Odunze has said his foot injury is about managing pain. Based on that, it seems prudent that the Bears would use him sparingly and mostly in high-leverage situations — those gotta-have-it downs. I doubt anyone expects him to resume a full workload, even in a win-or-go-home game against the Packers. But if Odunze can participate fully in practice this week, perhaps that thinking changes.

3. Fill in the blank: If the Bears beat the Packers, it will be because of __________?

Bears running back D’Andre Swift runs the ball against the Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: The running game pounding the Green Bay front and the Bears controlling tempo to protect their vulnerable defense. The Bears had 150 rushing yards in the Week 16 meeting at Soldier Field, and then the Ravens went into Lambeau Field and steamrolled the Packers for 307 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a Week 17 stunners. If the Bears can get momentum with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, that would open play-action passing for Caleb Williams and keep the Packers offense on the sideline.

Hammond: A fast start. In two games against the Packers, the Bears scored a grand total of three points in the first half. As Ben Johnson said after Sunday’s loss to the Lions, the Bears can’t afford to dig themselves into a hole. The offense needs to come out firing and lean on the running game that it has relied on so much this season. Don’t get me wrong, this game probably will come down to the final possession, but a team can dig itself out of only so many holes before it runs out of steam.

Thompson: An effective running game. The Bears are at their best when they’re eating up clock, and the running game is their best hope of achieving that. When that part of the offense is working, it puts less pressure on Williams’ arm and aids a defense that needs all the help it can get to stay off the field.

4. Alternatively, if the Packers beat the Bears, it will be because of __________?

Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs celebrates beside kneeling Bears nickel back C.J. Gardner-Johnson after Doubs scored a touchdown in the third quarter Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Another slow offensive start by the Bears, which plagued them in both regular-season meetings with the Packers, and an inability to mount a pass rush against Love. If the Packers quarterback has time to sit in the pocket, he can be deadly accurate. For all the talk of Odunze potentially returning, the possibility of nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon making his second return from injured reserve could be a bigger deal as the defense was picked apart in the middle of the field the last two weeks by Jared Goff and Brock Purdy.

Hammond: Love taking care of the football. The Bears defense has relied so much on turnovers. The Bears are 2-6 in games in which they recorded one or zero takeaways. They’re 9-0 when they record two or more. If the Packers protect the football, they will win this game. Love threw only six interceptions in the regular season. The Bears need to find ways to disrupt him in the pocket.

Thompson: Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. The Bears defense is having trouble right now with field stretchers and good route runners, as we just saw with Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown. It’s unreasonable to expect the secondary to stick to receiving threats if the defensive line can’t get home. The Bears can downplay the numbers, but they finished with the slowest time to pressure (2.90 seconds) and the sixth-worst quarterback pressure rate (31.6%), according to NFL Pro’s Next Gen Stats.

5. How far will the Bears go in the playoffs? And while we’re at it, give us your prediction for the Super Bowl matchup.

A young Bears fan holds up a “good, better, best” sign while watching players warm up for a game between the Bears and the Lions at Soldier Field on Jan. 4, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Saturday’s wild-card showdown — just the third playoff meeting between the teams — looks like a toss-up to me. The Bears are 2-13 against Green Bay in the last 15 meetings at Soldier Field, with one of those wins coming three weeks ago. Given the way the season has ended against better competition, the Bears look like a long shot to escape the divisional round, but you never know. Anything can happen in the playoffs, especially if the Bears defense can reignite its penchant for collecting takeaways. For the Super Bowl, how about a pair of No. 5 seeds — the Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans — meeting Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.

Hammond: Based on the way the Bears ended the regular season, I also have a hard time seeing this team advance beyond the divisional round. They can beat the Packers, but it’s no sure thing. I don’t see them winning more than one playoff game. Despite a poor ending to the regular season, I’ll stick with my pick and take the Rams to win the NFC. On the other side, I’ll go with the team that has home-field advantage and the NFL’s best pass rush: the Denver Broncos.

Thompson: Despite what we saw Sunday, I still believe the Bears will edge the Packers on Saturday. Perhaps the regular-season finale will be a sobering reminder that some magical game-turning play won’t always rescue them. They probably won’t be able to catch the defending champion Eagles off guard a second time, especially if Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts gash the Bears on the ground. As for the Super Bowl, I see the Broncos facing the Seattle Seahawks, as chalk as that sounds. I can’t believe I’m saying this about a Sam Darnold-led team, but I’m picking the Seahawks.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/chicago-bears-pressing-questions-wild-card/ 

The Grant Park Music Festival on Tuesday announced its summer schedule, running from June 10 to August 15.

The free, Millennium Park-based festival’s programming skews toward contemporary and American music, a commitment redoubled by new artistic director and principal conductor Giancarlo Guerrero. It ups that emphasis this summer, with programming tied to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“When you look at this season, I think it’s a celebration and observation of what has made America,” Guerrero says.

The festival commissions American composers Clarice Assad and Jasmine Barnes to write works for the festival’s string and vocal fellows (at offsite parks concerts, dates to be announced). The season closes with the local premiere of Julia Wolfe’s “Liberty Bell,” co-commissioned by the festival (Aug. 14-15).

While not premieres, two other works are no less ambitious undertakings. Written in 2017, Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Conquest Requiem” brings together a full chorus, orchestra and two vocal soloists for a 40-minute, multilingual epic (June 12-13). Later that month, the orchestra, guest conductor Kalena Bovell and Lookingglass Theatre Company actors team up for Peter Boyer’s “Ellis Island: The Dream of America,” a musical-theatrical piece written in 2002 (June 24).

While curating this season, Guerrero says he was interested not only in exploring American music, but how the founding of the United States affected global history and thought. For example, he conducts John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1, a tribute to AIDS victims, alongside Mozart’s Requiem, which Mozart left unfinished the same month as the ratification of the Bill of Rights (Aug. 7-8). He also pairs Wolfe’s “Liberty Bell” with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, whose promise that “All men will be brothers” resonates with the American experiment.

To hit the point home, every Grant Park program this summer features either an American-born or -based composer. Guerrero consciously took an expansive view of the latter.

“There is, I would say, a big underlying discussion happening now about what it is to be American. I mean, I’m from Nicaragua and grew up in Costa Rica, but I have an American passport. So, why don’t they call me an American conductor?” Guerrero says. “Rachmaninoff had a U.S. passport, but we’ve never called Rachmaninoff an American composer. … I wanted to make the case for Rachmaninoff; I wanted to make the case for Stravinsky. I wanted to make the case for people that either came to America or made a huge part of their careers in America.”

Summer 2026 also marks chorus director Christopher Bell’s 25th season with the organization. In addition to his usual Independence Day concert (July 4), Bell leads a concert headlined by Fauré’s Requiem (July 17-18) as well as a program of “American Choral Classics” at Holy Name Cathedral and the South Shore Cultural Center (June 23 and July 2, respectively).

Conductor Christopher Bell takes the stage dressed in patriotic attire to lead the Grant Park Orchestra in a performance at Jay Pritzker Pavilion on July 5, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

The excellence of the Grant Park chorus — which recently released a holiday album — is itself a tribute to Bell. Guerrero recalls meeting with the choir to rehearse Jennifer Higdon’s “The Singing Rooms” last year.

“I came with a list of things to work on in this two-and-a-half-hour rehearsal, and after 20 minutes, I remember (turning to) Chris. I mean, I was afraid to touch it; it was so incredible,” he says. “He wants nothing but what’s best for the music.”

Former Grant Park batons also return this season. Conductor laureate Carlos Kalmar leads two programs with soloists Olga Kern (in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, July 1 and 3) and Third Coast Percussion (playing Christopher Theofanidis’ “Drum Circles,” July 8). The following week, Leonard Slatkin conducts a program that includes his own orchestral fantasy, “Schubertiade” (July 10-11).

Other concerts of note: a solo appearance by cellist Oliver Herbert, the son of Chicago Symphony timpanist David Herbert (June 17); a Pride month program at Harris Theater, featuring pianist Sara Davis Buechner and conductor Edwin Outwater (June 26-27); the return of pianist Michelle Cann in Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G (July 15); a pops spectacle with aerialists from Troupe Vertigo (July 22); a one-night-only collaboration with singer-songwriter Ben Folds (July 29); new CSO hire and former Grant Park fellow Gabriela Lara in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s violin concerto (July 31-Aug. 1); and Anne Akiko Meyers in Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 1, a work she recently recorded with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Aug. 12).

For a complete season lineup, visit gpmf.org.

And a farewell

When the Grant Park Music Festival opens this summer, one person won’t be onstage, making his usual seasonal address: Paul Winberg, president and CEO of the festival since 2011. Winberg, 63, steps down this spring, as announced in October.

In an interview with the Tribune, Winberg said he’d waited to step down until concluding a $15 million endowment campaign, which ended last year, and securing new artistic leadership, as it did with Guerrero last season.

“I love what I do, but I felt like I had come to a place where I had been able to check off everything on my list of what I wanted to accomplish,” he says. “There’s an exciting generation of young people out there… full of energy and ideas and what they think classical music needs to look like.”

Winberg first caught the musical bug as a talented pianist and violinist growing up in the Twin Cities. At 17, he won a youth concerto competition hosted by the Minnesota Orchestra, soloing with the ensemble in Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2. He enrolled at the University of Michigan as a piano major but left as a musical theater major.

“(College) allowed me a certain freedom to explore my curiosity, which is probably how I would describe the throughline of my entire working life — just following my bliss,” he says.

Winberg arrived in Chicago with a goal of working in the arts. But with the AIDS crisis beginning to bludgeon the city, Winberg redirected. He started working for a home health agency, which offered crucial support to the infected.

“At that time, people were throwing their roommates out of apartments, and hospitals didn’t want them,” he says.

There, Winberg first learned the ins and outs of nonprofit work — experience he leaned on after returning to the performing arts years later. After getting a master’s in public administration from the University of Illinois Chicago, he applied for an internship in the field — in fact, at the Grant Park Music Festival. He spent the summer of 1997 as a production and operations intern for the organization, then was hired back between 1999 and 2001 as the festival’s artistic administrator and orchestra manager. That opened the door to stints at the Elgin Symphony and Eugene Symphony in Oregon, the latter as executive director.

Through those experiences, Winberg worked closely with both Kalmar and Guerrero, the former and current Grant Park artistic directors. Guerrero’s first American appointment was with the Eugene Symphony, overlapping with Winberg from 2004 to 2009.

Guerrero credits Winberg as “a huge part of my growth as a conductor and as a musician.”

“One of the reasons why I took the (Grant Park) position is because of Paul,” he says. “You could see that he had created an incredible environment that nurtured that creative spark. As a music director, it made my job incredibly easy.”

Giancarlo Guerrero conducts the Grant Park Orchestra at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on June 20, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Most crucially, Winberg oversaw the Grant Park Music Festival’s transition from being a program of the Park District to becoming an independent entity. In 2004, the Grant Park Music Festival’s move from Grant Park proper to Millennium Park became a sticking point in the organization’s agreement with the district, since Millennium Park is operated by the city and not the Park District. Foreseeing challenges ahead, the influential former Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events commissioner Lois Weisberg established the Grant Park Orchestral Association as a 501(c)3.

In the early years of his tenure, Winberg oversaw bringing the festival’s operations and payroll under the association’s umbrella, completing that transition in 2016. In exchange, the Park District agreed to pay $2.9 million over the next decade to help support personnel salaries.

Winberg says the festival’s partnerships with both the City of Chicago and Park District make it unique among summer classical music festivals. For example, the festival is hoping that ongoing conversations with the Park District will result in a renewal of that 10-year funding agreement when it lapses after this season.

Unlike the first agreement, that $2.9 million is now “about 30%” of the festival’s operating budget, rather than half. That change is in keeping with Winberg’s tenure-long goal to “reduce reliance on municipal support, because things can change so quickly at the city and Park District level.”

“I’ve maintained that if we’re going to continue to be a free festival, we’ll always need municipal support,” Winberg says. “But if it ever did go away, it would not damage our ability to produce the festival going forward.”

That shift has also allowed the festival to build its reputation as a haven for contemporary music. Winberg’s fundraising strategy has opened the door for the orchestra to commission in earnest — a marked change from when he arrived in 2011.

It has also attracted donors interested in supporting specific projects, like the festival’s string and vocal fellowship program, inaugurated during Winberg’s tenure. Designed for applicants from demographics historically underrepresented in classical music, the fellowship was originally a collaboration with the Chicago Sinfonietta but has become an independent program of the festival. According to a press release, 76 alumni have passed through the fellowship to date, with two — violinist Gabriela Lara and mezzo-soprano Imara Miles — soloing on 2026 programs.

“The whole audition process is done behind a screen, even the finals. So, it’s always kind of amazing to me that we end up with a group of people that we’re still trying to help support and elevate,” Winberg says.

As announced along with his departure in the fall, the search for Winberg’s successor has already begun. In the meantime, he says he’ll be on hand to offer guidance, including in a formal capacity as a consultant through the end of the year.

One person already knows he’ll be keeping Winberg on speed dial.

“I’m going to be reaching out to him and seeking his advice,” Guerrero says.

Hannah Edgar is a freelance critic.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/grant-park-music-festival-2026/ 

In this week’s Chicago Basketball Report, the Chicago Bulls don’t love the timing of the Bears playoff game — and the Illini women just missed the Associated Press Top 25 after their upset of Maryland.

Every Tuesday, Tribune writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Bulls, Sky and local college basketball teams. Want more? Sign up for our Tribune sports newsletter.

Bulls bemoan Bears playoff timing

Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren hugs Chicago Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu before the Bears play the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Few Bears fans are more upset over the scheduled kickoff for Saturday’s NFL wild-card game than Bulls guard and Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu.

The Bears are set to kick off against the Green Bay Packers at 7 p.m. Barely six miles away, the Bulls will simultaneously tip off at the United Center for a regular-season game against the Dallas Mavericks. This ill-fated timing left Dosunmu — a lifelong Bears fan — looking for solutions.

“They gotta change the schedule,” Dosunmu said. “They’ve got to do it.”

The Bulls roster contains a large volume of local players, including second-year forward Matas Buzelis and backup guard Jevon Carter. The group is resigned to the fact that they won’t be able to watch Saturday’s game live, outside of catching the final quarter from the locker room after their own game.

For Dosunmu, this weekend offers a rare opportunity to celebrate his hometown team. The Bears have only made the playoffs six times in Dosunmu’s lifetime. The guard was only 10 the last time the team won a wild-card game. As a result, he admits that he doesn’t have a favorite playoff memory from the Bears growing up.

“Let’s build one this weekend,” Dosunmu said.

Illini women just miss Top 25

Illinois’ Aaliyah Guyton and Maryland’s Kyndal Walker reach for the loose ball during the second half at State Farm Center on Jan. 1, 2026, in Champaign, Ill. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Illinois women pulled off their first victory over a top 10 team in the Shauna Green era when they took down then-No. 7 Maryland at home 73-70 last week. That extended their winning streak to 11 games before No. 15 Michigan State ended it Sunday with an 81-75 win in East Lansing.

The Illini’s upset of Maryland wasn’t enough to get them into the Associated Press Top 25, however.

Illinois (13-2) was the first team out, behind No. 25 Nebraska, though it did receive more votes than Notre Dame, which dropped out of the top 25 after back-to-back losses to unranked Georgia Tech and Duke.

Green credited the Illini’s second-half defense with coming up with the needed stops to knock off Maryland.

“They’re big-time players,” Green said at her postgame news conference. “They believe in their game, and they’ve worked so hard on their game. When you put all the work and preparation in, then you’re a pretty confident basketball player. There’s no special sprinkle dust I put on them and they’re confident. That’s them. I have to give our players a ton of the credit. They listen. They’re coachable. They have been so bought in and locked in on our preparation.”

The Illini have another chance to make an impression on AP voters Wednesday when they host No. 19 Ohio State at State Farm Center.

WNBA nears CBA deadline

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a news conference before the All-Star Game on July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Michael Conroy/AP)

The latest extension on collective bargaining agreement talks between the WNBA and the players’ union is set to close on Friday — and according to a report from ESPN, the sides are still far from a new deal.

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported that revenue sharing remains a key barrier separating the two parties, with the union and the league disagreeing over fundamentals such as whether to base sharing on gross or net revenue. The league is arguing that meeting a proposed 30% revenue share for the players would make the WNBA unprofitable as a whole, while the players’ union believes this is untrue based on their own financial modeling.

Although the league and the union have agreed to several extensions since the original deal’s expiration date in October, this upcoming deadline might be the last. However, the passing of the deadline does not mean an immediate work stoppage. Both parties will operate under a status quo agreement that is standard across many industries, allowing business to continue as usual while labor negotiations proceed. For a work stoppage to begin, either the players will need to call a strike or the owner will need to trigger a lockout.

The WNBA season normally begins in May with month-long training camps in April. The league also needs to execute several key mechanisms before a season can begin, including an expansion draft for the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo and the NCAA draft, which typically takes place in early April.

Number of the week: 30

Bulls coach Billy Donovan answers questions as executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas sits nearby at a news conference during media day at the United Center on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

There are 30 days left until the NBA trade deadline, which will close at 2 p.m. on Feb. 5.

The Bulls will be on the road in Toronto on deadline day, with a 6:30 p.m. game scheduled against the Raptors. This leaves only 15 games (and seven home games) before the deadline, which is expected to be one of the more active windows in recent history for the Bulls.

New Year, New Chicago Bulls? 4 questions ahead of February’s NBA trade deadline.

Of course, all of that is just speculation at this time. With nearly half the roster on expiring contracts, the Bulls should be in a strong position to make moves, but the Bulls front office has made only one midseason trade — moving Zach LaVine last February — in the last four years. Injuries are muddying the market for players like Coby White, who has played fewer than half of the total games this season due to recurring calf injuries.

With less than a month left until the deadline, the Bulls are officially on the clock.

Week ahead: Bulls

Wednesday: at Pistons, 6 p.m., CHSN
Thursday: Heat, 7 p.m., CHSN
Saturday: Mavericks, 7 p.m., CHSN

The Bulls should begin to exit their latest round of injury absences this week as White nears a return from a calf injury. Zach Collins will be re-evaluated for his right toe sprain later this week, which could return two key players to the lineup. However, Josh Giddey is still sidelined for another week in addition to Jalen Smith, who is in concussion protocol.

Week ahead: Best college basketball games

Wednesday: Illinois women vs. No. 19 Ohio State, 6 p.m., Big Ten Plus.
Thursday: Northwestern men at No. 12 Michigan State, 5:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Saturday: DePaul men at No. 4 Connecticut, 11:30 a.m., TNT
Sunday: No. 16 Illinois men at No. 19 Iowa, 11 a.m., FOX
Sunday: No. 22 North Carolina women at Notre Dame, 1 p.m., ESPN

The Illini men and women each have games against ranked teams in the week ahead, while the Northwestern men face a stiff test at Michigan State.

DePaul, which got its first Big East win against Xavier on Saturday, takes on the UConn men for the second time since Dec. 21. The Huskies won 72-54 in the first meeting.

What we’re reading

Can Matas Buzelis take the reins as the primary playmaker for the injury-depleted Bulls?
No. 18 Notre Dame women drop their 2nd straight ACC game, falling 82-68 at Duke
Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry apologizes for chasing ref after controversial call late in loss to Cal
New Year, New Bulls? 4 questions ahead of February’s NBA trade deadline.
David Mirković and Kylan Boswell help No. 20 Illinois beat Penn State 73-65 at Philly’s Palestra
Tre Jones provides a much-needed creative spark for injury-depleted Bulls: ‘That’s our recipe to win’
Nick Martinelli scores 26, but Northwestern fades late and falls to 0-3 in Big Ten with 84-78 loss to Minnesota
No. 13 Nebraska remains unbeaten with 58-56 win over No. 9 Michigan State, extending streak to 18 games
Bulls believe depth is their greatest strength. But is this roster even that deep?

Quote of the week

Illinois center Tomislav Ivišić, top, tries to get the ball away from Penn State forward Mason Blackwood on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

“He had a tough night tonight because they doubled him every trip. … No one trusts Tomi more than me. It’s a night where they rotated really hard to him shooting it. It’s one of the beauties of this team. Two (games) ago against Missouri, our bigs got loose. And now it’s our guards. It’s one of the things we can bank on every night. It will be whatever the defense throws at us, we’ve got some answers.” — Illinois coach Brad Underwood on Tomislav Ivišić, who had no points, two rebounds and four fouls in a 73-65 win over Penn State

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/chicago-basketball-report-bulls-bears-playoffs/ 

Now that the holiday season is over, congressional candidates in Illinois are trying to turn voters’ attention to the March 17 primary election — and one candidate is debuting online ads to kick her campaign into high gear.

Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean plans to launch an advertising blitz emphasizing her past vote for Obamacare, just as the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have cut tax subsidies for the federal low-income health care plan. Bean said the message is timely because many voters are facing significantly higher insurance premiums.

“I lost an election because I helped millions of Americans get health care through Obamacare,” she says in the campaign ad. “And I would do it again. But now as Trump and Republicans rip away health care, drive up costs and attack Social Security and Medicare without any solutions, I can’t be silent.”

She also calls on Democrats in the campaign commercial to “stop whining and start winning again with common sense problem-solving.”

The commercial will run for 10 weeks on streaming platforms, including YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, and Hulu. It is not scheduled to air on broadcast television stations.

Bean is competing with seven other candidates in the Democratic primary: Junaid Ahmed, Yasmeen Bankole, Sanjyot Dunung, Neil Khot, Kevin Morrison, Dan Tully and Ryan Vetticad.
The 8th Congressional District Democratic candidates Sanjyot Dunung, from left, Yasmeen Bankole, Ryan Vetticad, Junaid Ahmed, Kevin Morrison, Neil Khot, Melissa Bean and Dan Tully gather for a group picture after a candidate forum at Elgin Community College on Nov. 13, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune)

Kevin Ake, Jennifer Davis, Herbert Hebein and Mark Rice are running in the Republican primary. The winners will face off in the Nov. 3 general election.

The incumbent, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, is leaving the office at the end of his term as he runs to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Ahmed, a self-described progressive who received 30% of the vote against incumbent Krishnamoorthi two years ago, had the most cash on hand as of the Sept. 30, the most recent report by federal election officials, with $659,000. He said he doesn’t accept money from corporate political action committees.

“National progressive groups and local leaders have endorsed him because they know Junaid is a fighter who will stand up to Donald Trump, work to pass Medicare for all, and ensure the wealthy pay their fair share,” his spokeswoman said in a statement.

Bean held the 8th District office from 2005 to 2011. The man who defeated her, Joe Walsh, has endorsed Morrison, who has political experience as a member of the Cook County Board.

The 8th District, which covers northwest suburbs including Schaumburg, was strongly Republican until Bean defeated longtime Rep. Phil Crane in 2004, and is now considered solidly Democratic.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/former-us-rep-melissa-bean-launches-streaming-ad-buy-in-race-for-8th-congressional-district/ 

Trump DOJ Admits Venezuela’s ‘Cartel De Los Soles’ Isn’t An Actual Organization

Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/06/2026 – 06:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-doj-admits-venezuelas-cartel-de-los-soles-isnt-actual-organization