Columns

A young woman reacts as she looks at her damaged home after Russia's night missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 14, 2026. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Trump’s abhorrent Russian diesel deal defies US laws and won’t lower gas prices

By Elizabeth Shackelford

October 16, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Donald Trump has illegally undone sanctions efforts against Russia. For all of this, Americans won’t...

Saturday Night Live Host Shane Gillis during the monologue on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (Will Heath/NBC/TNS)

Heidi Stevens: Shane Gillis ‘SNL’ opener misses the mark — and the moment

By Heidi Stevens

October 16, 2026 at 4:00 a.m.

The most disappointing thing about Shane Gillis’ shopworn, hackneyed, tone-deaf, retrograde, unfunny “Saturday Night Live”...

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...

Trump supporters outside the Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

Column: Smile, you’re on an FBI tip list! US Capitol rioters couldn’t resist taking selfies

By Clarence Page

January 19, 2021 at 3:44 p.m.

Even now, deep into the age of Twitter and YouTube, I am bemused by the...

A sign reading "Love" is placed on a barrier outside the U.S. Capitol as National Guard troops stand guard ahead of the inauguration ceremonies for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Jan. 18, 2021, in Washington.

Column: You can write a love letter to Washington on the eve of an Inauguration Day like no other

By Heidi Stevens

January 19, 2021 at 12:35 p.m.

Stacey Price owns a small chain of boutiques in Washington called Shop Made in DC,...

President Donald Trump departs after speaking at a vaccine summit in Dec. 2020 in Washington, DC. Since Ronald Reagan, outgoing presidents have traditionally written their successors a letter on their ways out of the White House.

Column: If Trump wrote a letter to Biden … using Donald’s own words

By Christopher Borrelli

January 19, 2021 at 3:09 p.m.

A peaceful transition of power. What a nice set of words to describe what was...

Landscaping is removed at the Aon Center plaza on Jan. 14, 2021, in Chicago. The overhaul of the plaza is designed to eliminate the fortresslike edge of the plaza along Randolph Street, just north of Millennium Park, and create more usable space

Aon Center plaza getting $6.5 million renovation, as workers expected to seek outdoor spaces after COVID-19

By Ryan Ori

January 19, 2021 at 2:26 p.m.

The owner of one of Chicago's biggest office towers is investing $6.5 million to demolish...

(FILES) In this file photo taken on January 12, 2021 US President Donald Trump walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,DC before his departure to Alamo, Texas. - When Donald Trump looks down for the last time from his helicopter over the White House lawn on January 20, 2021, the wreckage of his presidency will be inescapable. The showman with the dyed blond hair, fake tan and a knack for connecting with crowds took office four years ago, making the startling promise in his inaugural speech that he would end "American carnage." (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **

Column: Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day letter to Joe Biden: An exclusive (very real) draft

By Rex W. Huppke

January 19, 2021 at 10:55 a.m.

As outgoing President Donald Trump refuses to attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration this week, becoming...

People protest against the upcoming closure of the High Ridge YMCA during a rally at the corner of Touhy and Western avenues in Chicago on Jan. 17, 2021.

Column: West Rogers Park residents, leaders fight closure of High Ridge YMCA: ‘A lot of us don’t want to take this sitting down.’

By Heidi Stevens

January 18, 2021 at 9:36 a.m.

Constance Hamedani joined the High Ridge YMCA in 2010, seeking a space to regain the...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., left, inspects an apartment at 1321 S. Homan Ave. with his wife, Coretta, right, on Feb. 10, 1966, in Chicago.

Column: After the US Capitol attack, a renewed look at Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of nonviolent protest

By Dahleen Glanton

January 18, 2021 at 12:17 p.m.

On his last birthday in 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had breakfast with...

People gather to protest against the upcoming closure of the High Ridge YMCA.

Rogers Park residents, leaders fight closure of High Ridge YMCA

By Contributed Content

January 18, 2021 at 10:17 a.m.

People gather to protest against the upcoming closure of the High Ridge YMCA during a...

Trump supporters participate in a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C.

Column: Words matter: Let’s call it a coup

By Ron Grossman

January 17, 2021 at 6:00 a.m.

If a future coup is to be avoided, it is imperative that we type the...

The Rev. Bill Corcoran at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Orland Hills on Jan 14, 2021. Last weekend, the Catholic priest spoke out about President Donald Trump and the violence in Washington, and several parishioners walked out.

Column: A Catholic pastor speaks out about Trump. Some parishioners walk out.

By Mary Schmich

January 16, 2021 at 10:02 a.m.

On the Sunday morning after the deadly riot at the United States Capitol, Father William...

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