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...

Listen to hear and learn, not to jump in and fix. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Column: Is good dating advice also good parenting advice? If it nudges us to shut up and listen, it is.

By Heidi Stevens

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

My friend and podcast partner John Duffy, a family therapist, likes to tell parents they...

People flee the scene near New York's World Trade Center after terrorists crashed two planes into the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

Column: What have we learned about ourselves since 9/11? Not enough.

By Clarence Page

September 10, 2021 at 3:54 p.m.

As I recall the horrors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, I want to express...

Chicago Bears players warm up during training camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Aug. 10, 2021.

Column: Predicting the Chicago Bears NFL season: Real bears will be utilized, and all losses will be RIGGED!

By Rex W. Huppke

September 12, 2021 at 9:38 a.m.

After careful consideration, hours of reflective meditation and a detailed consultation with my primary care...

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, speaks during a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC., on July 27, 2021.

Column: Jim Jordan says ‘Real America’ is over COVID? Time to Make Stupidity Embarrassing Again.

By Rex W. Huppke

September 9, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

Great news, folks. I have it on good authority that "Real America" is done with...

A group of military families and veterans in Long Beach, California, watch President Joe Biden's speech announcing that all troops are out of Afghanistan on Aug. 31, 2021.

Column: After Afghanistan, veterans face another hidden enemy. Suicide.

By Clarence Page

September 7, 2021 at 4:05 p.m.

As much as they try, soldiers returning home from combat don't always manage to leave...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference in San Antonio on March 16, 2020. The Texas law, allowed to stand in a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, typically around six weeks.

Column: No, Texas’ abortion law isn’t a Taliban idea, even if the alliteration works

By Clarence Page

September 3, 2021 at 4:31 p.m.

It didn't take much longer than a nanosecond after the Supreme Court allowed a radical...

People with appointments wait in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a walk-up public health vaccination site on Jan. 26, 2021, in Los Angeles.

Column: With COVID-19 boosters on the horizon for Americans, what can we do to help countries still awaiting their first dose?

By Heidi Stevens

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

While America struggles to entice the hesitant toward a COVID-19 vaccine, millions of people around...

Column: Texas abortion law overlooks our greatest threat: Witches who try to control other people’s bodies

By Rex W. Huppke

September 2, 2021 at 4:35 p.m.

While many are focused on the new abortion law in Texas, which includes a $10,000...

People rally at 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard after the jury's guilty verdict was delivered on Oct. 5, 2018, in Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke's trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

Column: Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan? Is this a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit?

By Rex W. Huppke

September 4, 2021 at 9:39 a.m.

Former Chicago mayor and noted profanity enthusiast Rahm Emanuel has been nominated by President Joe...

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., flanked by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., left, and Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., right, speaks with fellow Republicans, some who are military veterans, as he criticizes President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the Afghanistan evacuation, at the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 30, 2021.

Column: Do disenchanted Republicans + discouraged Democrats = a ‘vital center’?

By Ron Grossman

September 1, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

Such a foul mood envelops me, politically, that I should be reconsidering my affiliation as...

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