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...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth takes questions during a press briefing at the Pentagon on March 31, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. The U.S. and Israel have continued their joint attack on Iran that began on Feb. 28. (Win McNamee/Getty)

Steve Chapman: The Iran war showcases Pete Hegseth’s belligerent incompetence

By Steve Chapman

April 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Before he played a major role in war with Iran, Pete Hegseth was a serious...

President Donald Trump arrives at the White House on, March 23, 2026, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump’s gut instincts on Iran have failed since his first term

By Daniel DePetris

March 31, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The United States is in the position it’s in today in Iran because Donald Trump's...

Television host and comedian Bill Maher attends the second half of an NBA basketball game March 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Caroline Brehman/AP)

Clarence Page: Bill Maher, Mark Twain Prize winner, proves that free speech isn’t just for laughs

By Clarence Page

March 30, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

In this age of rampant left-or-right coding by humorists of all types, Bill Maher refuses...

Steve Kerr, center, is greeted during the Chicago Bulls inaugural Ring of Honor gala red carpet event at the United Center on Jan. 11, 2024, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

John T. Shaw: Former Bulls star Steve Kerr’s statesmanship as a coach nurtures a culture of excellence

By John T. Shaw

March 30, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The Warriors coach's work to create a culture of excellence has had an impact that...

An app for Polymarket, an online prediction market site. Online prediction market platforms allow people to place bets on wide-ranging subjects such as sports, finance, politics and currents events. (Scott Olson/Getty)

David Greising: Prediction markets have caught states by surprise. Illinois has its work cut out for it.

By David Greising

March 27, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The stakes are high for the states as the conflicts and uncertainty over prediction markets...

Visitors stop to see Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day painting, March 4, 2026, at the Art Institute of Chicago. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Heidi Stevens: In a city where culture sets our pulse, one school’s struggle shows how arts education is at risk

By Heidi Stevens

March 27, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Arts education benefits the people within it and outside it equally, writes Heidi Stevens.

Then-Chicago mayoral candidates Willie Wilson, center, and Brandon Johnson chat at a mayoral forum at Steinmetz College Prep, Jan. 31, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s reelection campaign will be in trouble if Willie Wilson runs again

By Laura Washington

March 25, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

If Willie Wilson gets in the mayoral race, Black votes will come out of Mayor...

Riders gallop along a beach as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, on March 11, 2026. (Altaf Qadri/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The Gulf states are between Iran and a hard place

By Daniel DePetris

March 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

For the Gulf Arab states, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is a tragedy. Nothing good...

Two GIs with the U.S. 25th Division read the Stars and Stripes newspaper at Cu Chi, South Vietnam, on Sept. 10, 1969. (Mark Godfrey/AP)

Clarence Page: Pentagon’s press panic threatens august Stars and Stripes

By Clarence Page

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

Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell asserted that going forward, Stars and Stripes would be "by...

As seen from the Washington Monument, construction of the White House ballroom continues on March 10, 2026, where the East Wing once stood. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Edward Keegan: Donald Trump embraces a bastardized classical architecture for America’s 250th

By Edward Keegan

March 22, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

In a city where architectural bombast has often been favored over quality, the White House...

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