1+ hour ago (666+ words) Fenwick's Heaven Lee (1) struggles to control the ball against Loyola. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times For as much attention as its offense has garnered over the past three years, Loyola's defense has been its constant. The Ramblers thrive when they can create indecision in opposing ballhandlers, leading to turnovers and upending their opponents' game plan. On Monday, the Ramblers led by just three points after the first quarter against Fenwick. Shots weren't falling, and they had a couple of turnovers as they settled into the game. But they remained in control of the game because they disrupted the Friars' rhythm offensively by constantly swarming ballhandlers and playing in the passing lanes. Loyola beat Fenwick 52-24 on Monday because of a tenacious defensive effort, which has been its calling card to start the season. "That's where we get all our energy," said…...

1+ hour, 5+ min ago (496+ words) The Bulls had very little answers for the rebounding and physicality of New Orleans on Monday night, and it cost them in the 143-130 loss. NEW ORLEANS " It was Nikola Vucevic's viral moment. Not exactly what the Bulls big man had in mind when he first began the post-game interview with CHSN's Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson on Saturday. "For three quarters we were very soft, no resistance," a visibly ticked off Vucevic said after the one-point escape over the one-win Wizards. Adding to Vucevic's frustration was teammate Jalen Smith attempting to be funny in the background and crowd Vucevic while he was talking. "Move, man," Vucevic insisted to Smith, not in a joking mood at all. But was the message heard? Obviously not. Visiting a two-win Pelicans team just two nights later, the Bulls were at it again, playing without urgency, making…...

2+ hour, 13+ min ago (298+ words) The Wells family. Mercedes Wells holds her newborn daughter, Alena Wells. Leon Wells, Mercedes" husband and Alena"s father, stands behind them. A Dolton woman is back in the hospital days after she gave birth in a truck on the side of the road after being told by staff at a northwest Indiana hospital to leave, according to her family. Mercedes Wells is hospitalized for post-birth issues at Community Hospital in Munster after she was told to leave Franciscan Health Crown Point, her brother-in-law Lance Thompson said. Wells gave birth to her fourth daughter, Alena, in a pickup on the side of the road just eight minutes after staff discharged her while she was in active labor, her family wrote on social media last week. A nurse told them that she wasn"t far enough along to stay at the…...

2+ hour, 35+ min ago (511+ words) As the holiday season approaches, artificial intelligence-powered smart toys pose hidden risks to children that should prompt precautions, according to a new report from a consumer advocacy group. These toys use AI models, like the popular ChatGPT, to have conversations with children, which could include inappropriate content and addictive tactics for the young users, said Ellen Hengesbach of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. "AI toys are here. They are brand new, and they are basically unregulated," Hengesbach said at a news conference at Lurie Children's Hospital on Monday to announce the release of the group's 40th annual "Trouble in Toyland" report. "They can be entertaining, but parents may want to think carefully before bringing one home." The AI toys are a main focus of this year's report. The group tested three AI toys currently on the market and…...

2+ hour, 35+ min ago (511+ words) As the holiday season approaches, artificial intelligence-powered smart toys pose hidden risks to children that should prompt precautions, according to a new report from a consumer advocacy group. These toys use AI models, like the popular ChatGPT, to have conversations with children, which could include inappropriate content and addictive tactics for the young users, said Ellen Hengesbach of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. "AI toys are here. They are brand new, and they are basically unregulated," Hengesbach said at a news conference at Lurie Children's Hospital on Monday to announce the release of the group's 40th annual "Trouble in Toyland" report. "They can be entertaining, but parents may want to think carefully before bringing one home." The AI toys are a main focus of this year's report. The group tested three AI toys currently on the market and…...

2+ hour, 39+ min ago (510+ words) Glenbard East's Michael Nee (4) enjoys hitting a shot against Glenbard North. The first week of high school basketball often is filled with excuses. Sloppy play, with new teams trying to jell after only two weeks of practice and key players just returning from football, is common. No. 16 Glenbard East and Glenbard North didn't need excuses Monday at the District 87 Thanksgiving Tournament in Glen Ellyn. Both teams were crisp and clean, look to be in midseason form. East knocked off North 67-63 behind 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists from senior Michael Nee, a South Dakota recruit. Nee, a 6-2 guard, was more surgical than stylish, making quick decisions with the ball. "I've been on varsity for four years," Nee said. "The game gets slower and slower every year, and you are able to process things quicker. This offseason, my main thing was working…...

2+ hour, 54+ min ago (376+ words) Former Maryland standout Derik Queen was on the Bulls" radar leading up to the June draft. So much so coach Billy Donovan spent time with him during a visit to the Advocate Center. NEW ORLEANS " The Bulls just didn"t have rookie Derik Queen on their draft board; they had him in the building. Before New Orleans traded up to grab the Maryland big man at No. 13 back in June, Queen visited the Bulls in Chicago and spent time with Billy Donovan. Not only did the coach meet with Queen but did his homework on him. "He was one of the guys that the front office asked me to watch," Donovan admitted on Monday. "I actually spent time with him on his visit (to Chicago). His head coach at Maryland, Kevin Willard and I are very close. Kevin worked for…...

2+ hour, 54+ min ago (376+ words) Former Maryland standout Derik Queen was on the Bulls" radar leading up to the June draft. So much so coach Billy Donovan spent time with him during a visit to the Advocate Center. NEW ORLEANS " The Bulls just didn"t have rookie Derik Queen on their draft board; they had him in the building. Before New Orleans traded up to grab the Maryland big man at No. 13 back in June, Queen visited the Bulls in Chicago and spent time with Billy Donovan. Not only did the coach meet with Queen but did his homework on him. "He was one of the guys that the front office asked me to watch," Donovan admitted on Monday. "I actually spent time with him on his visit (to Chicago). His head coach at Maryland, Kevin Willard and I are very close. Kevin worked for…...

3+ hour, 5+ min ago (192+ words) Operation PUSH founder and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson was receiving treatment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological condition. Last week he was visited by Bill and Hillary Clinton. The Rev. Jesse Jackson was released from the hospital Monday after 12 days receiving treatment for a neurological condition, his family said. Jackson, 84, was hospitalized Nov. 12 and underwent treatment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for progressive supranuclear palsy, a condition that affects balance, walking and body movements. He was in the intensive care unit before recovering enough to be moved out of ICU. Last week, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Jackson in the hospital. In 2000, Bill Clinton awarded Jackson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Jackson worked with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and has become a symbol of civil rights…...

4+ hour, 30+ min ago (604+ words) Morgan Geyser appears in a Waukesha County, Wisconsin, courtroom on Jan. 9, 2025. Geyser is expected to appear in court in Cook County on Tuesday morning for a hearing on extradition to Wisconsin. MADISON, Wis. " The search for a missing Wisconsin woman who almost killed her sixth-grade classmate more than a decade ago to please horror character Slender Man ended Sunday night when police discovered her sleeping outside an Illinois truck stop. Morgan Geyser, 23, was found at a truck stop in suburban Posen, police said early Monday. Posen is about 170 miles south of Madison. The Madison Police Department said Sunday that Geyser had cut off her electronic monitoring device and left her group home on the capital city's west side. She was last seen around 8 p.m. Saturday with an adult acquaintance, the department said. Geyser was found with a 42-year-old man who was…...