Columns

Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin departs July 22, 2026, at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., after a mock graduation event to commemorate Durbin’s long advocacy for the Dream Act, a path to citizenship for undocumented people brought to the U.S. as children. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

John T. Shaw: Sen. Dick Durbin is not giving up on immigration reform

By John T. Shaw

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

Sen. Dick Durbin has a strategy on immigration reform that draws from others' earlier struggles...

A rendering of a planned 160-key hotel that is part of the Woodlawn Central development on Chicago’s South Side at 6320 S. Dorchester Ave. near Jackson Park and the Obama Presidential Center. (Gensler)

Edward Keegan: Planned high-rise apartments show new tendencies in the Chicago tall building

By Edward Keegan

November 1, 2026 at 8:43 a.m.

Until recently, it was quite unusual to find a tall building outside of the Loop....

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,...

Megan Herrmanns, left, and Carolyn Gergits sit and chat while Herrmanns’ dog Indigo sits nearby on the dog-friendly patio at Paradise Park in Wicker Park on Sept. 22, 2025. “Pet lovers feel guilty leaving their dogs at home,” Josh Iachelli, who co-owns several Chicago restaurants including Paradise Park, told the Tribune. “If you have a pet, you want to be able to have those guys with you more hours of the day.” (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: Dogs belong outside, not under my feet at a restaurant.

By Laura Washington

October 1, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Dogs already have the reign of our streets and parks, and now some people want...

People watch as federal agents stand near the Newberry Library in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2025, after walking through downtown as part of a show of force. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Steve Chapman: Donald Trump wants Americans to be terrified of his wrath

By Steve Chapman

October 1, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

President Donald Trump wants to instill panic in anyone who might possibly stand in his...

Two women walk past a huge banner showing the late commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard expeditionary Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020, and two late Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah, center, and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes in 2024, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square, in Tehran on Sept. 27, 2025. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The stare down between the US and Iran continues

By Daniel DePetris

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

Any hope of diplomacy regarding Iranian sanctions has been extinguished. Iranian exports and imports will...

U.S. Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference on immigration outside the U.S. Capitol on May 23, 2023, in Washington. During the bipartisan news conference, lawmakers introduced the Dignity Act, which lawmakers expect will improve the application process for U.S. citizenship as well as increase security on both the northern and southern borders. Lawmakers in attendance included Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., left, Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, second from right, and Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

John T. Shaw: Congresswomen unite for immigration reform and show us the statesmanship that’s possible

By John T. Shaw

September 29, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The Dignity Act of 2025 seeks to strengthen border security and provide immigrants with an...

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at a news conference following the fatal shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 12, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty)

Clarence Page: The conflict entrepreneurs behind our broken politics

By Clarence Page

September 28, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Amateur social media "influencers" are free to lie and manipulate reality if they find the...

David Greising: Many of the ideas for closing Chicago’s budget gap won’t make a dent

By David Greising

September 26, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

About half the task force's ideas won't make much difference. Some are not politically likely...

Kim MacNeill, mother of Ross MacNeill who died from brain cancer at age 11, sits in her orange Jeep outside her home in Wheaton in 2017. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Heidi Stevens: 20 years into motherhood, I’m finding that we are the safety nets we all need in this fragile world

By Heidi Stevens

September 29, 2025 at 10:26 a.m.

My column lets me go in search of people who care about each other, and...

A screen displays Palestinian and Israeli flags and a dove on the Eiffel Tower on Sept. 21, 2025, in Paris, as France prepares to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly. (Christophe Ena/AP)

Daniel DePetris: European nations recognize Palestinian statehood. It won’t help end the war.

By Daniel DePetris

September 23, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Countries can formally recognize Palestine, but nothing happening in Israel gives confidence that the war...

People protest outside the El Capitan Theatre, home of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2025. (David Pashaee/Getty-AFP)

Clarence Page: Free speech is under fire again because we need it

By Clarence Page

September 21, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

For now, the endless debates over free speech and hate speech are necessary to protect...

The Supreme Court in Washington on Sept. 9, 2025. The Trump administration has asked Congress to approve $58 million in emergency funding to bolster security for the Supreme Court, citing a surge in threats against public officials after the killing of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Why we need dissent

By Elizabeth Shackelford

September 19, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Officials of the Donald Trump administration made direct threats against free speech this week.

Columnists