Ted Slowik

Carita Wise, student coordinator for the Cook County clerk's office, talks to students about potentially working as election judges during a Monday visit to Oak Forest High School.

Column: Cook County Clerk’s office recruiting high school students to fill 7,155 election judge positions for June 28 primary

March 17, 2022 at 2:43 p.m.

A dire lack of election judges is the latest sign that the old Cook County Democratic Party machine is gasping for breath, if not already dead. Back in the days...

Pianist Tim Placher, from left, bassist Tom Maslowski, vocalist Brian Motyll and Aly Flood, and mandolin player Steve Haberichter rehearse Sunday at Elder Brewing Co., Joliet.

Column: World-class local talent to celebrate Irish music Friday at Rialto Square Theatre

March 16, 2022 at 1:50 p.m.

With a population of about 5 million people, Ireland sure seems to punch above its weight class when it comes to popular music and other cultural influences. I mentioned this...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, carrying thousands of petitions, arrives with Lt. Goov. Juliana Stratton at the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield March 7, 2022, to file their campaign petitions.

Column: Crowded fields for suburban congressional, legislative races as filing deadline passes

March 16, 2022 at 12:17 p.m.

A crowded field of 21 candidates hoping to win 1st District Rep. Bobby Rush's seat in Congress tops a list of Southland races to watch in the June 28 primary...

This booking photo provided by the Cook County sheriff's office after Jussie Smollett was taken into custody Thursday, having been sentenced to 150 days in jail.

Column: Jussie Smollett sentence shows justice system still believes in personal responsibility

March 11, 2022 at 11:59 a.m.

Depending on your view, actor Jussie Smollett's 150-day jail sentence was either fair, a slap on the wrist or a tremendous miscarriage of justice. That is to say, no two...

A screen shot shows University Park Trustee Theo Brooks during a public meeting held remotely Tuesday via videoconference.

Column: Pritzker must end orders that let mayors deny citizens role in public meetings

March 9, 2022 at 3:18 p.m.

After two years of a pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker needs to stop allowing units of government to sideline citizen participation by holding public meetings remotely. Most "normal" operations have resumed...

Screen shots show separate meetings being held simultaneously Monday. One was a legal public meeting held by a quorum of Dolton village trustees, the other an informal town hall by Mayor Tiffany Henyard.

Column: New township supervisor Henyard faces turmoil in dual role as Dolton mayor

March 8, 2022 at 2:50 p.m.

Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard's first full week as Thornton Township supervisor got off to a rocky start. Henyard plans to keep her job as mayor while also collecting about $250,000...

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., speaks with reporters about the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act during a Capitol Hill news conference Feb. 9, 2022.

Column: Robin Kelly reflects on first year leading Illinois Democrats after Madigan’s resignation: ‘I’m not trying to fill his shoes’

March 4, 2022 at 1:10 p.m.

Democrats need to do a better job on messaging and turning out voters, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson said during a wide-ranging interview about her first year as chair...

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