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...

President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro says goodbye after a news conference at Hotel Melia Caracas on Sept. 1, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela. Maduro stated that his government is targeted by eight military ships and 1,200 missiles, what he called the largest threat on Venezuela in the last 100 years. (Jesus Vargas/Getty)

Daniel DePetris: Boat attack shows that Donald Trump doesn’t know what he wants in Venezuela

By Daniel DePetris

September 9, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Destroying a boat that was allegedly transporting narcotics to the United States is the latest...

People cheer as they listen to Sonora Santanera’s performance on the main stage at El Grito Chicago, a two-day festival in celebration of Mexican Independence Day, at Grant Park on Sept. 14, 2024. Organizers have announced that the 2025 event will be postponed as the city braces for increased immigration enforcement from the federal government. (Tess Crowley/baiduhai)

Clarence Page: When the immigration debate becomes war by another name

By Clarence Page

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

However Americans may feel about immigration broadly speaking, most of us don't like when immigrants...

A rendering of a proposed 24-unit project in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood. (City of Chicago)

Edward Keegan: Chicago’s Missing Middle housing initiative aims too low

By Edward Keegan

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

Chicago’s Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative is intended as an urban repair project. But the...

A visitor looks at art at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art on March 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reshape and remove content that “portrays American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive” and promote "American greatness" at the Smithsonian Institute, and its collection of 21 museums, 14 education centers and the National Zoo. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty)

Heidi Stevens: Forgetting — or erasing — our past is a sure path to repeating it. Now more than ever

By Heidi Stevens

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

The Smithsonian museums are in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump, who believes they’re too “woke.”

Chinese troops march in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025, during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II. (Pedro Pardo/Getty-AFP)

Elizabeth Shackelford: China is making autocracy great again

By Elizabeth Shackelford

September 5, 2025 at 5:38 p.m.

With most U.S. adversaries present at China's military parade, this was a show of unity...

President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after Huang delivered remarks in the Cross Hall of the White House during an event on "Investing in America" on April 30, 2025, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty)

Steve Chapman: Donald Trump pioneers a strange policy: Republican socialism

By Steve Chapman

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

Socialism used to be the antithesis of Republican principles. But Donald Trump has begun a...

Gov. JB Pritzker talks near Trump Tower in Chicago on Aug. 25, 2025, about President Donald Trump's possible plan to deploy National Guard troops. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Heidi Stevens: Chicago is filled with people whose hearts and lives are devoted to solving its violence. Donald Trump has no such devotion

By Heidi Stevens

August 29, 2025 at 9:03 a.m.

What often gets lost in the dialogue about Chicago is the tremendous work that takes...

Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling attends the funeral for Officer Krystal Rivera on June 25, 2025, at Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

David Greising: With the National Guard in the offing, what is the status of Chicago’s crime problem?

By David Greising

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

Donald Trump may have lawless intent. But that hardly means Chicagoans should accept the level...

A billboard shows a portrait of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa next to a defaced portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump on July 9, 2025, in Damascus. (Louai Beshara/Getty-AFP)

Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump tries to make history in Syria and Lebanon

By Daniel DePetris

August 26, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

There are two countries in the Middle East where transformative change might be on the...

Illinois state Sen. Dale Fowler receives a hug from Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, as he and others arrive from the inaugural flight on Contour Airlines between the Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois in Marion and O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2023. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

John T. Shaw: State Sen. Dale Fowler prioritizes the public good over partisan concerns

By John T. Shaw

August 25, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Downstate Illinois Sen. Dale Fowler's leadership is rooted in a commitment to service and an...

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