Chicago Sun Times

Moon Alert Caution! Be careful. Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions all day today. The moon is in Virgo.Aries (March 21-April 19) An average day Although you might be focused on work today, your best bet is to relax as much as possible and focus on artistic, creative projects. After all, you are the artisan of the zodiac. (You can do anything with your hands.) This entire day is a moon alert, which is excellent for creativity and schmoozing.Taurus (April 20-May 20) A positive day This is the perfect day to entertain at home. It’s also a good day to explore fun activities with kids, sports events, the arts, romantic dates and a pleasant stroll outside, especially if you check out other people’s gardens. This entire day is a moon alert. Restrict spending to food and gas.Gemini (May 21-June 20) An average day Despite a restless feeling that you might need to get out and do something, because of today’s placement of the moon, you will also enjoy relaxing at home and taking it easy. Romance might be very promising today. (One can always hope.)Cancer (June 21-July 22) A positive day Seek out siblings, relatives and neighbors because you’re eager to share your thoughts. A short trip might appeal. Be aware there’s a moon alert all day, so restrict your spending to food and gas. Avoid important decisions. Don’t volunteer for anything.Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) An average day Be careful today! With the sun, Mercury, and Jupiter in your sign, you’re ready to set out doing exactly what you want. However, all day today is a moon alert! Furthermore, the moon is in your money house. (Gulp.) Definitely restrict spending to food and gas. Make no important decisions.Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A positive day Today the moon is in your sign, and for this entire day, there’s a moon alert. Be aware of this! Don’t volunteer for anything. Don’t agree to anything important. Avoid important decisions. Restrict spending to food and gas. However, have fun! Be creative! Socialize!Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) An average day You’re popular! And because there’s a moon alert all day, it’s a wonderful day to schmooze and socialize with everyone. Just remember not to agree to anything important or make big decisions. And don’t shop, except for food and gas.Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) A positive day Travel appeals. Your ability to talk to authority figures is strong now. However, because there’s a moon alert all day today, keep things light. Get information but make no decisions. Restrict spending to food and gas. Get your info and wait until tomorrow to act.Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) An average day You’re high-viz today. People notice you. This is fine, but don’t stick your neck out by making important declarations. Avoid big decisions. Don’t volunteer for anything because there’s a moon alert all day. Don’t shop (except for food and gas).Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A positive day You make a lovely impression on everyone. Someone might ask for your advice about how to make something more attractive. However, today is a poor day to answer important questions because there’s a moon alert all day. Restrict spending. Enjoy socializing and learning from others.Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) An average day A friendship or a romantic interest might begin with someone “different” because romance is favored right now. However, you have the energy to work hard today even if you face shortages and delays because there’s a moon alert all day.Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) An average day Today it’s in your best interest to be cooperative and accommodating with someone else. It’s important to know there’s a moon alert in effect all day, which means don’t spend money and avoid important decisions. But you can carry on as usual with your work.If today is your birthdayActor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician Steve Martin (1945) shares your birthday today. You’re observant and love to express yourself. You are incisive, strong-willed and outgoing. Exciting changes will give you increased personal freedom this year. Let go of whatever has been holding you back. Seek new opportunities and be ready to act fast. Trust your intuition. Expect to travel.

The Illinois High School Association has suspended Mount Carmel football coach Jordan Lynch for two practices and put the school’s football program on probation for the rest of the season. The sanctions were levied after the team practiced in full pads earlier than state rules allow. On Aug. 8, a local reporter posted a photo on X of Mount Carmel’s football practice. The photograph appeared to show the Caravan players in full pads. The post was eventually deleted. Antioch assistant football coach Thor Patrick Swanson later shared a screenshot of the post on his X account. IHSA rules don’t allow full protective equipment and full contact until the sixth day of practice. High school football practices began on Aug. 5.Lynch, a 2009 graduate of Mount Carmel and a Heisman Trophy finalist at NIU in 2013, declined to comment on the matter. He will sit out practices on Aug. 17 and 18.According to the IHSA, Mount Carmel self-reported the violation on August 12 and “provided a corrective action plan and self-imposed sanctions.” The IHSA accepted the sanctions. Antioch assistant coach Thor Patrick Swanson posted a screenshot of a Mount Carmel football practice on his X account. “This policy exists to protect high school football athletes across Illinois while ensuring a competitive playing field for all of our teams,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said. “To their credit, the Mt. Carmel coaches and administration recognized the violation, took responsibility, and acted quickly to address it. The sanctions imposed are consistent with the consequences applied in previous instances involving violations of this policy.”Lynch, who is 89-12 in eight years as Mount Carmel’s head coach, has led the Caravan to four consecutive state titles. Mount Carmel is an overwhelming favorite to win Class 8A again this season and become the first team in state history to win five consecutive titles. Mount Carmel is the top-ranked team in the Sun-Times’ preseason Super 25 rankings and opens the season on Aug. 22 against highly-regarded East St. Louis at ISU’s Hancock Stadium. The Caravan hosts St. Joseph, NJ in Week 2. That game will be televised live on ESPN.The IHSA’s “football acclimatization chart” is available on the organization’s website: The IHSA’s football acclimatization chart outlines when teams are allowed to begin practicing in full pads.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and more than 20 officials from other states sued the Trump administration Thursday over its demand for access to state databases used by states to grant commercial drivers licenses known as CDLs.The Trump administration has threatened to cut more than $10 million in federal funding to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators for not handing over the last five years of data from the Commercial Driver’s License Information System.The database was created in the late 1980s to help states determine driver eligibility for CDLs across state lines.The lawsuits claim the Trump administration is violating both state and federal law by creating its own version of the database without guardrails for the handling of sensitive information, such as social security numbers. The lawsuits claim the administration “has no legitimate need to take over this database of state records, and it failed to consult the states before making this drastic change.”The U.S. Department of Transportation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.The database includes drivers’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and the name of states that provided the record, and is owned by the states that create them, according to the lawsuit. More than 17 million drivers’ information would be shared with the Trump administration if the court rules in favor of the feds.Additionally, Illinois and California state law require written permission from each state for the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to share information it has collected from the states, according to the lawsuit.Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose department is in charge of maintaining data privacy compliance for Illinois records shared to the database, said the federal government was demanding an “unprecedented amount of state-owned, sensitive personal information” without “adequate legal justification.”

The National Weather Service has confirmed six tornadoes hit the Chicago area in Tuesday’s storms, raising the state total to a record-breaking 206 twisters this year. The tornadoes touched down in Homewood, Oswego, Wilmington, Mokena to Tinley Park, Orland Park to Munster, Indiana, and Monee to St. John, Indiana.The weather service Thursday evening confirmed an EF1 tornado in Homewood, with winds between 86 and 110 mph. The twister began near Halsted Street, between 183rd and 187th streets, damaging a strip mall and several apartment buildings. It ended east of Illinois Route 394 south of Thornton-Lansing Road.The worst of the tornadoes hit Monee and St. John, with wind speeds peaking around 115 mph, according to the weather service. That twister was an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which rates the strength and related damage for tornadoes. Of the remaining five, four were classified as EF1 and one was EF0, officials said. An EF5 is the highest rating.More than eight months into 2026, Illinois has already broken the record for most tornadoes recorded in a single year, shattering the previous record of 142 in 2024. The total may climb with more severe weather forecast for central Illinois. A severe thunderstorm watch with conditions that may spawn a couple of tornadoes was in effect for Kankakee, Bloomington and Champaign among other areas, according to the weather service.

A 12th person has died from heat-related causes tied to this summer’s extreme heat, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.Jesus Rodriguez, 33, died July 17 due to hyperthermia and environmental heat exposure, in addition to cocaine toxicity, according to the medical examiner’s office. He’s the youngest of the dozen deaths tied to the heat this year.Cook County has had more deaths related to the heat in 2026 than any other year in the last decade, according to a WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times analysis of medical examiner data. Nine of the 12 have been Chicago residents, and almost all have been on the South Side. All but one of the deaths happened in July. The first heat-related death this year was recorded July 1.The county has seen previous years with several heat-related deaths. Cook County recorded six deaths each in 2019 and 2022. The next most recent heat death happened Tuesday, when Otto Kedzior died of cardiovascular disease complications and heat stress in the 1000 block of South Wood Street, authorities said. He was 64.But most of the deaths occurred during July’s several bouts of extreme heat. Related Greater Grand Crossing woman’s death caused by heat stroke, medical examiner’s office rules Oak Lawn man’s death tied to mid-July heat wave Claramont Little, of the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, died early in the morning of July 2 in the same block where she lived, authorities. The medical examiner recently determined her death was caused by a heat stroke.Others whose deaths have at least in part been attributed to the heat this year include Joseph Huff, 65; Robert Feldon, 77; Stephanie Rodriguez, 45; David Gonzalez, 44; Barbara Whigham, 71; Mike Rodriguez, 57; Daniel Machnikowski, 69; Victor Ferguson, 48; and David P. Sopys, 46.