Columns

Chicago school board president candidates Jessica Biggs, Hilario Dominguez and Victor Henderson participate in a forum at the Copernicus Center on Sept. 29, 2026. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

David Greising: The race for Chicago school board president is about ideas — and character

By David Greising

October 9, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

It will take savvy strategic thinking, backed by the character needed for leadership, to make...

Heidi Stevens: I wish we modeled better care for the young people who are making sense of the world right now

By Heidi Stevens

October 9, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

I hope that when we’re all writing our stories, the ones that are still being...

Far-right activist Jake Lang stands on the back of a truck displaying anti-Muslim messages during a demonstration outside the annual Palestine Fest at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Oct. 4, 2026. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Steve Chapman: Republicans are fanning baseless fears about American Muslims

By Steve Chapman

October 8, 2026 at 10:10 a.m.

You might expect that as the memory of the 9/11 attacks and the global war...

Pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activists wave flags during dueling protests near Prime Minter Benjamin Netanyahu's hotel at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, 2025, in New York. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty)

Daniel DePetris: Two years later, the war in Gaza has been catastrophic for all sides

By Daniel DePetris

October 7, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Oct. 7 sparked the most violent war between Israel and Hamas in history and dealt...

Part of a piece called “Fragments of Disability Fictions, by Ignacio G. Galán, David Gissen and Architensions (Alessandro Orsini, Nick Roseboro) in the exhibit "SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change" at the Chicago Architecture Biennial in the Chicago Cultural Center is installed Sept. 16, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Edward Keegan: It is unclear what the Chicago Architecture Biennial is shifting to

By Edward Keegan

October 6, 2025 at 12:41 p.m.

It’s hardly clear what the Chicago Architecture Biennial is offering in this time of radical...

Hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals from around the globe listen as President Donald Trump talks at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 30, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Clarence Page: Donald Trump faces his generals

By Clarence Page

October 5, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Was an address by the president and defense secretary to military leaders a green light...

Protesters take selfies and celebrate on Sept. 9, 2025, at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government ministries and offices, after it was set on fire during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Niranjan Shrestha/AP)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Gen Z-led protests are spreading rapidly across the globe

By Elizabeth Shackelford

October 3, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The globe is seeing the most significant spike in dissent since the Arab Spring all...

Gregory Bovino, a U.S. Border Patrol official, stands with other federal agents near the Newberry Library in Chicago’s Gold Coast on Sept. 28, 2025, after walking through downtown as part of an immigration blitz show of force. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Heidi Stevens: ‘We’re going to throw our humanity out?’ Immigration crackdown taking us down a cruel path

By Heidi Stevens

October 2, 2025 at 8:17 a.m.

It's hard to believe that this blitz has anything to do with public safety or...

Megan Herrmanns, left, and Carolyn Gergits sit and chat while Herrmanns’ dog Indigo sits nearby on the dog-friendly patio at Paradise Park in Wicker Park on Sept. 22, 2025. “Pet lovers feel guilty leaving their dogs at home,” Josh Iachelli, who co-owns several Chicago restaurants including Paradise Park, told the Tribune. “If you have a pet, you want to be able to have those guys with you more hours of the day.” (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: Dogs belong outside, not under my feet at a restaurant.

By Laura Washington

October 1, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Dogs already have the reign of our streets and parks, and now some people want...

People watch as federal agents stand near the Newberry Library in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2025, after walking through downtown as part of a show of force. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Steve Chapman: Donald Trump wants Americans to be terrified of his wrath

By Steve Chapman

October 1, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

President Donald Trump wants to instill panic in anyone who might possibly stand in his...

Two women walk past a huge banner showing the late commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard expeditionary Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020, and two late Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah, center, and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes in 2024, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square, in Tehran on Sept. 27, 2025. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The stare down between the US and Iran continues

By Daniel DePetris

September 30, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Any hope of diplomacy regarding Iranian sanctions has been extinguished. Iranian exports and imports will...

U.S. Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference on immigration outside the U.S. Capitol on May 23, 2023, in Washington. During the bipartisan news conference, lawmakers introduced the Dignity Act, which lawmakers expect will improve the application process for U.S. citizenship as well as increase security on both the northern and southern borders. Lawmakers in attendance included Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., left, Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, second from right, and Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

John T. Shaw: Congresswomen unite for immigration reform and show us the statesmanship that’s possible

By John T. Shaw

September 29, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The Dignity Act of 2025 seeks to strengthen border security and provide immigrants with an...

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at a news conference following the fatal shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 12, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty)

Clarence Page: The conflict entrepreneurs behind our broken politics

By Clarence Page

September 28, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Amateur social media "influencers" are free to lie and manipulate reality if they find the...

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