Columns

Former Indiana U,S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, who was co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, in his office at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington on Nov. 24, 2006. (Pete Souza/baiduhai)

John T. Shaw: We need Congress to ponder the long term with a new future-focused group

By John T. Shaw

October 14, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Half a century ago, many lawmakers viewed their responsibilities differently and created a forum to...

This image from CCTV video released by Saudi Arabia's Media Ministry shows passengers taking cover as flames and smoke fill part of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during what authorities described as a strike at the airport on Oct. 10, 2026. (Saudi Media Ministry via AP)

Daniel DePetris: Resumption of war between Houthis and Saudis is bad timing for Donald Trump

By Daniel DePetris

October 12, 2026 at 1:27 p.m.

The attacks in Saudi Arabia come when Donald Trump is in a standoff over the...

Attorneys for Christa Pike hold a news conference after a judge ruled the Tennessee Department of Corrections must preserve all evidence related to the failed execution of Pike, on Oct. 7, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. (George Walker IV/AP)

Clarence Page: A botched execution shakes our death penalty presumptions

By Clarence Page

October 12, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The botched execution of Christa Pike offers a gross illustration of the cruelty that capital...

Ample sleep is linked to lower rates of depression, lower blood sugar, lower risk of stroke and heart disease and a stronger immune system.

Column: Enough with the glorified exhaustion. It’s time to reclaim our rest.

By Heidi Stevens

June 7, 2024 at 11:51 a.m.

One year ago this month, I found out I had COVID-19. I spent a few...

Column: ‘Squid Game’? ‘Parasite’? Here’s why they find a global audience

By Clarence Page

October 15, 2021 at 3:37 p.m.

Since pop culture tells us a lot about our national state of mind, I have...

Chicago police officers arrive at the Fraternal Order of Police building on Oct. 13, 2021, before a meeting to address Mayor Lori Lightfoot's policy that officers provide their COVID-19 vaccination status by Friday.

Column: Chicago police who defy city vaccine mandate are taking a bold stand against the scourge of ‘evidence’

By Rex W. Huppke

October 15, 2021 at 4:24 p.m.

Chicago's police union is pushing its members to defy the city's COVID-19 mandate, and let...

A sign marks Divvy e-bike parking on June 16, 2021, in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood.

Column: Chicago is about to become an e-scooter paradise. Now if we could just get rid of all those cars …

By Rex W. Huppke

October 13, 2021 at 4:21 p.m.

I have great news for adults who like looking slightly ridiculous: Chicago may be on...

Christina Darling plays with her sons Kayden, 10, left, and Brennan, 4, at home in Nashua, N.H., in July 2021. Darling and her family have qualified for the expanded child tax credit, part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. "Every step closer we get to a livable wage is beneficial. That is money that gets turned around and spent on the betterment of my kids and myself," said Darling, a housing resource coordinator who had been supplementing her $35,000-a-year salary with monthly visits to the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter's food pantry.

Column: The new child credit is good for kids and everyone else

By Steve Chapman

October 13, 2021 at 2:29 p.m.

The United States is one of the richest societies on earth — but one with...

Column: Dave Chappelle’s pushback against cancel culture chills the joke

By Clarence Page

October 12, 2021 at 3:56 p.m.

Dave Chappelle is in hot water again, testing the boundaries of public sensibilities so you...

Column: ‘Go back in time and die 5 years ago’ — lovingly curated hate mail to a ‘sanctimonious’ leftist (expletive)

By Rex W. Huppke

October 12, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

I recently spent a week with my antifa platoon, passing out copies of U.S. Rep....

Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Kathy Hart at WTMX in November 2009.

Column: Allegations against Eric Ferguson of The Mix radio fit into long, sordid history of women being treated like props and foils in the workplace

By Heidi Stevens

June 7, 2024 at 11:51 a.m.

Eric Ferguson, longtime host at WTMX, rode to the top of Chicago morning show ratings...

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appears at Georgetown University in Washington in 2019 for a 'Conversation on Free Expression."

Column: Crime in the tweets. Can social networks make gangs even more angry?

By Clarence Page

October 8, 2021 at 3:30 p.m.

It was a terrible week for Facebook. First, an investigative series by The Wall Street...

Runners start the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Columbus Drive in 2019.

Column: I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon — in my mind. Care to join me?

By Rex W. Huppke

October 8, 2021 at 11:06 a.m.

Greetings, fellow Chicago athletes. I hope you're all as excited as I am to (mentally)...

Columnists