Columns

A poster depicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot, his main rival and leader of the Yashar ("Straight") party, along a pedestrian path on Oct. 26, 2026, in Tel Aviv, Israel, ahead of the country's general election. (David Goldman/AP)

Daniel DePetris: If Israel gets a new prime minister, will anything change?

By Daniel DePetris

October 26, 2026 at 12:42 p.m.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger in Israel's elections, Gadi Eisenkot, are more alike than...

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Amy Acton visits with supporters during a campaign event along the Ohio River in Marietta, Ohio, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Clarence Page: Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad in Ohio governor’s race backfires

By Clarence Page

October 26, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The fracas over a campaign ad from governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy could blow back on...

Mayor Brandon Johnson delivers his budget address Oct. 21, 2026, at Chicago City Hall. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

David Greising: The fight over Chicago’s budget is healthy. Now the city needs a charter.

By David Greising

October 23, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

If an independent City Council becomes an expected feature of the budget process, we really...

Vice President JD Vance arrives for a meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Pakistan, for talks about Iran on April 11, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The global ripple effects of the United States’ diplomacy with Iran

By Daniel DePetris

April 14, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

U.S. negotiations with Iran are not occurring in a vacuum. Other U.S. adversaries are evaluating...

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth takes questions during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on April 8, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/Getty-AFP)

Clarence Page: Pete Hegseth’s holy war

By Clarence Page

April 13, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Some are comparing the war in Iran to Vietnam, and watching Pete Hegseth reminds me...

Kevin Johnson, left, of Working Family Solidarity, speaks outside the Chicago Housing Authority offices on April 7, 2026, to announce that they are filing an Open Meetings Act lawsuit against the CHA. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

David Greising: Mayor Brandon Johnson pins his hopes on Open Meetings Act to oust CHA chief

By David Greising

April 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The Open Meetings Act is Mayor Brandon Johnson's key tool in his effort to nullify...

President Donald Trump pretends to aim a sniper gun while speaking with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Heidi Stevens: As Trump threatens to end a civilization, it’s clear we never should’ve gotten to this point

By Heidi Stevens

April 8, 2026 at 4:37 p.m.

The president of the United States shouldn’t conduct foreign policy via a racist, profanity-laden Easter...

Edgar Reyes, from the taqueria Tacombi, places an order in a delivery robot nearby on West Randolph Street on Feb. 6, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: What’s the fuss over delivery robots?

By Laura Washington

April 8, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Chicago's delivery robots join services like Uber and Lyft in helping us through mundane tasks...

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2026. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Daniel DePetris: Our NATO allies are unwilling to play Donald Trump’s game this time around

By Daniel DePetris

April 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

None of our NATO allies believe a waging war of choice against Iran is a...

A courtroom sketch depicts the Republican administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General D. John Sauer, standing center, making arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on April 1, 2026, in Washington. President Donald Trump is seated right. (Dana Verkouteren/AP)

Clarence Page: Birthright citizenship debate puts America’s melting pot on trial again

By Clarence Page

April 6, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The U.S. is hardly an outlier in allowing birthright citizenship. It is the law in...

People walk through different levels inside the Computer Design, Research, and Learning Center on April 2, 2026, at the University of Illinois Chicago. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Edward Keegan: UIC’s new computer science building is willfully eccentric

By Edward Keegan

April 5, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

UIC’s newest addition — the Computer Design, Research, and Learning Center — is the most...

The Russian-flagged oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, right, docks at an oil terminal in Matanzas, Cuba, on March 31, 2026. (Ramon Espinosa/AP)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Russia racks up the wins thanks to the United States

By Elizabeth Shackelford

April 3, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

While Donald Trump derides our allies for not helping him fight Iran, he has refused...

Little moments can start taking on that beautiful, terrifying weight of anticipation: How many more of these do I get? (Dreamstime)

Heidi Stevens: When an empty nest looms in the near distance, even little parenting chores feel like a privilege

By Heidi Stevens

April 3, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Little moments have started taking on a beautiful, terrifying weight of anticipation, writes Heidi Stevens:...

Columnists