Columns

Supporters of candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva react to the vote count news on general election day on Oct. 25, 2026, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Alexandre Schneider/Getty)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Elections in Brazil and Serbia show us that democracy can be surprising

By Elizabeth Shackelford

October 30, 2026 at 10:48 a.m.

Brazil and Serbia proved to the world that, even on an uneven electoral playing field,...

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...

Protesters including children gather on May 24, 2025, in London to demand the return of the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. According to the Ukrainian government, more than 19,500 children have been forcibly taken by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To date, only 1,307 of these children have been safely returned to areas under Ukrainian government control. (Alishia Abodunde/Getty)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Normalizing Russia normalizes the mass abduction of Ukrainian children

By Elizabeth Shackelford

December 12, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have...

Samantha Wilcek decorated her Christmas tree in Hot Wheels this year, in honor of her car-loving son, Chris, who died in July at age 21. (Courtesy of Samantha Wilcek/TNS)

Heidi Stevens: Wrapped in love — and cars — a Christmas tree honors a mom’s promise to her late son

By Heidi Stevens

December 12, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

For Samantha Wilcek, who lost her 21-year-old, a Christmas tree, so often a place to...

A Lego portrait of President Donald Trump decorates the Green Room of the White House during a press preview of the Christmas decorations Dec. 1, 2025, in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

Daniel DePetris: The good and the bad in Donald Trump’s national security strategy

By Daniel DePetris

December 11, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The White House preaches the value of noninterventionism, but this is hard to square with...

People relax on the lawn while attending the opening night of the Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Aug. 31, 2023. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

Edward Keegan: Frank Gehry’s generous and democratic architecture

By Edward Keegan

December 10, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

While his forms could seem casual and arbitrary, Frank Gehry was an amazing planner who...

Demonstrators rally outside a Target store on Dec. 4, 2025, in Minneapolis. Local activists accuse Target of allowing ICE officers to stage in their parking lots as the Trump administration has targeted the Somali immigrant community and increased operations in Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty)

Clarence Page: President Donald Trump’s obsession with Somali immigrants takes a sinister turn

By Clarence Page

December 8, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Even for President Donald Trump, the malevolence and vulgarity of his anti-Somali outbursts was stunning.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s gavel on the rostrum after his budget address to the City Council on Oct. 16, 2025, at Chicago City Hall. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

David Greising: The problem with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s community safety fund plan

By David Greising

December 5, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t putting big new money toward public safety programs; he just doesn't...

Gia Dolfi, Josie Genders and Lucy Hill, all members of Alpha Phi sorority at Miami University in Ohio, create holiday cards to send to members of the LGBTQ+ community who may not otherwise receive any. (Peri Keenan)

Heidi Stevens: In these fraught times, a growing holiday card campaign perhaps means a little bit more

By Heidi Stevens

December 5, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The Pinta Pride Project raises awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community despite the cruelty and...

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Steve Chapman: Why is Donald Trump courting war with Venezuela?

By Steve Chapman

December 3, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Venezuela hasn’t attacked U.S. targets, and a war against Nicolas Maduro has several possible outcomes,...

Displaced Palestinians stand by a fire beside their tent amid the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza City on Nov. 28, 2025. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza is on life support

By Daniel DePetris

December 2, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The lack of progress on setting up an international police force in Palestine suggests that...

The exhibit "Frank Lloyd Wright: Modern Chair Design" remains on view through Jan. 25, 2026, at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, Wisconsin. (Zak Gruber/Courtesy of the Museum of Wisconsin Art)

Edward Keegan: Frank Lloyd Wright’s chairs get a thoughtful presentation in Wisconsin

By Edward Keegan

November 30, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The exhibit on Frank Lloyd Wright’s chairs is a unique opportunity to view tangible objects...

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