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...

Chicago police investigate the scene of a shooting in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood on Sept. 17, 2021.

Column: Chicago’s mayor, a prosecutor, 2 aldermen and a rich guy — all useless when it comes to city’s violence

By Rex W. Huppke

October 6, 2021 at 12:47 p.m.

If I didn't know better, I'd say Mayor Lori Lightfoot's primary violence-prevention plan is to...

An 1871 transcript kept by Peggy Knight of the testimony of her great, great grandmother Catherine O'Leary about the origins of the Great Chicago Fire.

Column: Still we ask, what caused the Great Chicago Fire? Not a cow.

By Clarence Page

October 5, 2021 at 4:45 p.m.

Congratulations, Chicago. The city is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, although...

A Facebook employee walks by a sign displaying the "like" sign at Facebook's corporate headquarters campus in Menlo Park, California, in 2019. The whistleblower who shared a trove of Facebook documents alleging the social media giant knew its products were fueling hate and harming children's mental health revealed her identity, Oct. 3, 2021, in a televised interview, and accused the company of choosing "profit over safety."

Column: Facebook whistleblower tells us what we knew: The company is profiting off anger and division

By Rex W. Huppke

October 4, 2021 at 5:24 p.m.

A Facebook whistleblower has confirmed what many have long suspected: The social media giant is...

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp during a news conference in Marietta, Georgia on Aug. 26, 2021.

Column: For Joe Biden and Donald Trump, an autumn of discontents

By Clarence Page

October 1, 2021 at 4:20 p.m.

For all of his talk about the "fake," "biased," "dishonest," "corrupt," and "left-wing" media, I...

For now, some students are eating lunch outside as a measure to protect students and teachers from catching COVID-19.

Column: ‘In case they come shoot up the school.’ We’re doing a number on our kids’ hearts, America.

By Heidi Stevens

June 7, 2024 at 11:52 a.m.

When my kids returned to full-time, in-person learning at their giant Chicago Public Schools, the...

President Donald Trump views wildfire damage with then-California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 17, 2018. Later as governor Newsom said, "So when you ask, 'are we going to rely on the federal government, or are we gonna rely on ourselves,' we're going to rely disproportionately on ourselves."

Column: Federalism is good for conservative states — and for liberal ones

By Steve Chapman

September 29, 2021 at 3:22 p.m.

Donald Trump's presidency was the era when liberals learned to love federalism. From California to...

Attorney Gloria Allred, left, escorts Faith Rogers after a news conference about R&B singer R. Kelly in New York on Jan. 14, 2019.

Column: The R. Kelly verdict: Yes, Black girls’ lives matter too

By Clarence Page

September 28, 2021 at 5:17 p.m.

At last, Black girls' lives matter too. That was my response to the news that...

Construction workers Cruz Pantoja, left, and Daniel Buendiia, right, work on the 10th floor of the Ascent building on Aug. 2, 2021, in Milwaukee. When completed, Ascent will be a 25-story tower and the world's tallest hybrid timber building, a mix of concrete and timber.

Mass timber construction is becoming more widely used throughout the US. When will it arrive at the home of the Great Chicago Fire?

By Ryan Ori

September 28, 2021 at 9:16 a.m.

The inspiration to build the world's tallest mass timber building in Milwaukee was an eye-catching...

John Pavlovitz, pastor and author of "If God Is Love, Don' t Be a Jerk: Finding a Faith That Makes Us Better Humans." (John Pavlovitz/TNS)

Column: John Pavlovitz, the lovable, lefty pastor, is facing brain tumor surgery the same week his new book launches

By Heidi Stevens

June 7, 2024 at 11:52 a.m.

John Pavlovitz jokes that he has a brain tumor and a book coming out the...

Evidence markers and a backpack remain at a crime scene in a strip mall at 83rd Street and Holland Road in Chicago after a teen was shot and fatally wounded there on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021.

Column: New Chicago tourism slogan: ‘Please excuse our violence. We certainly do!’ At least it would be honest.

By Rex W. Huppke

September 24, 2021 at 4:12 p.m.

I have a great new tourism slogan for Chicago: "This is really sad and nobody...

Columnists