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...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a news conference to mark his first 30 days in office at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea. (Kim Min-Hee/Getty)

Daniel DePetris: South Korea’s new president tries to shake up the Korean Peninsula

By Daniel DePetris

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

Bringing stability back to the Korean Peninsula is a necessity for South Korea's president, but...

Michelle Morales attends a Chicago Board of Education meeting at Austin College and Career Academy High School on Sept. 28, 2023. Morales is also president of Woods Fund Chicago, a private foundation that supports community organizing for racial and economic justice and public policy advocacy. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

John T. Shaw: Philanthropy leader fights fear and envisions a better world

By John T. Shaw

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

Michelle Morales of Woods Fund Chicago has shown statesmanship by expanding her organization's philanthropic commitment.

A rendering of the planned Neutral Edison building along the east bank of the Milwaukee River in downtown. When completed in 2027, the 361-foot-tall and 31-story building is expected to be the second tallest timber structure in the world. (Neutral)

Edward Keegan: Milwaukee is building contemporary timber towers. What about Chicago?

By Edward Keegan

July 27, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Since 2022, Chicago's neighbor to the north has been home to the tallest timber tower...

Players take the field for their first home game as the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland on April 15, 2022. The Guardians and Washington Commanders had seemingly resolved the name matter by selecting new names. Now, thanks to the president of the United States, the issue is back on the table. (Dustin Franz/The New York Times)

Clarence Page: Donald Trump’s naming game is a pitch to his restive base

By Clarence Page

July 28, 2025 at 8:18 a.m.

President Donald Trump has called on two sports teams to revert to their former names...

Flood waters left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. (Eric Vryn/Getty)

Heidi Stevens: As our land literally burns, we don’t owe the president quiet subservience

By Heidi Stevens

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

A country that doesn't allow citizens to criticize their leaders is not a democracy. It's...

State Department employees applaud as their colleagues walk outside State Department headquarters following layoffs July 11, 2025, in Washington. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Burning down America’s best tool for peace and prosperity

By Elizabeth Shackelford

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

As a former U.S. diplomat, I know that these cuts at the State Department will...

Susana Mendoza drops off her nominating petitions for Chicago mayor at the Cook County Administration Building on Nov. 26, 2018. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: Chicago mayoral wannabes are already edging to the gate

By Laura Washington

July 23, 2025 at 2:03 p.m.

The potential Chicago mayoral race competition is getting itchy. My wild card: Lisa Madigan who...

President Donald Trump looks at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a dinner at the White House in Washington, July 7, 2025. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu don’t have the same goals

By Daniel DePetris

July 22, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Donald Trump wants the war in Gaza solved, but the possibility of a ceasefire deal...

Nancy Keenan, left, and her daughter, Nora Tonn, pose for a photograph with a portrait of Tonn's son Brooks on Jan. 29, 2020, in Hinsdale, Illinois. Brooks died of cancer in 2017 at age 10. Nora and her husband, Rob, created a foundation in memory of their son. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Heidi Stevens: Years after his death, Hinsdale boy’s legacy of kindness leads the way

By Heidi Stevens

July 18, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Nora and Rob Tonn launched Brooks Strong, a nonprofit to fund pediatric cancer research and to...

Residents gather in the rubble of their neighborhood after a Russian drone strike next to a military recruitment center in the background in Odesa, Ukraine, on July 11, 2025. (David Guttenfelder/The New York Times)

Daniel DePetris: Vladimir Putin’s conduct causes Donald Trump to have a change of heart on Ukraine

By Daniel DePetris

July 15, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Vladimir Putin’s conduct has prompted Donald Trump’s shift as Russia's war effort in Ukraine has...

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