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...

President Jimmy Carter speaks against a backdrop of solar panels at the White House on June 21, 1979, in Washington. (Harvey Georges/AP)

Elizabeth Shackelford: The global oil crisis set off by the Iran war makes the case for renewable energy

By Elizabeth Shackelford

March 20, 2026 at 3:45 p.m.

If the U.S. had followed Jimmy Carter's renewable energy strategy, our economy would not be...

Books are little empathy gardens, feeding and growing the stuff that makes us feel, makes us care, makes us human, writes Heidi Stevens. (Tero Vesalainen/Dreamstime)

Heidi Stevens: We need empathy more than ever. This would be a terrible time to say goodbye to books

By Heidi Stevens

March 19, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

AI taking over reading homework feels like the result of a problem, not the cause...

President Donald Trump on his way to the White House after his arrival on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on March 11, 2026. (Luis M. Alvarez/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The war in Iran is beginning to grate on Donald Trump

By Daniel DePetris

March 17, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

President Donald Trump now has his back against the wall as gas prices rise and...

A truck with an image of President Donald Trump and rising gas prices drives past a rally for Al Quds Day on March 13, 2026, in New York City. People gathered around the world for Al Quds Day, also known as Jerusalem Day, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel and Iran. (Adam Gray/Getty)

Clarence Page: Donald Trump’s Iran war not likely the jaunt he’s trying to sell

By Clarence Page

March 16, 2026 at 5:44 a.m.

The growing war concerns caused me to flash back to an earlier era, when an...

Lake Street Self Park at 60 E. Lake St. in Chicago on March 11, 2026. It's by architect Stanley Tigerman. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Edward Keegan: Stanley Tigerman’s last book preserves traces of the architect, but his legacy is in peril

By Edward Keegan

March 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Despite architect Stanley Tigerman's fame and enduring influence, none of his buildings enjoy landmark protection.

The Indiana Toll Road crosses Wolf Lake in the general area of the Chicago Bears' proposed stadium location in Hammond on Feb. 25, 2026. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

David Greising: Chicago is going to lose the Bears. It didn’t need to happen.

By David Greising

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

The Bears have publicly made their dalliance with Indiana known since at least December, and...

James Talarico, a state representative running for the Democratic nomination for Senate, speaks during a campaign stop in Round Rock, Texas, on March 3, 2026. (Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times)

Laura Washington: In 2026, voters are deciding with their heads rather than their hearts

By Laura Washington

March 11, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

James Talarico plodded down the middle to appeal to centrist Democrats and independents. That positioning...

A woman watches plumes of smoke rise from an oil storage facility after overnight strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces in Tehran on March 8, 2026. Apocalyptic scenes of bombardment have contributed to many Iranians' gloominess about their nation's future. (Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times)

Daniel DePetris: Militarily, the Iran war is a success. But what are the US goals?

By Daniel DePetris

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

All the military successes don’t add up to much if the Iran campaign itself is...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, front left, listens as three U.S. citizens who had been detained by ICE stand, from back left, Javier Ramirez, of California, Leonardo "Leo" Garcia Venegas, of Alabama, and Marimar Martinez, of Chicago, as they are introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., during an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Clarence Page: ‘ICE Barbie’ is gone, but will immigration policy improve?

By Clarence Page

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

Department of Homeland Security agents under Kristi Noem's authority would go on to conduct brutal...

Dopamine, author Michaeleen Doucleff learned, sends us on the chase for pleasure. And dopamine magnets (her term for ultraprocessed foods and screens) pull us — often subconsciously — toward them. (Dreamstime)

Heidi Stevens: ‘Dopamine Kids’ is a fascinating read — even if you don’t want a yard full of chickens

By Heidi Stevens

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

Michaeleen Doucleff's book is about understanding the forces that shape our habits, our days and...

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