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...

Heidi Stevens: It’s never been easier to unearth family secrets. A new book explores what happens after the reveal.

By Heidi Stevens

September 4, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Kate Jackson is writing a memoir, but she also felt compelled to produce a collection...

Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr attends the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner on July 24, 2026, in Washington. Carr has accused broadcasters of “running hoaxes and news distortion” and ordered them to “correct course before license renewals come up.” (Eric Lee/Getty Images)

Steve Chapman: Donald Trump’s war on NBC, ABC and freedom of the press

By Steve Chapman

September 2, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

A threat made against an NBC correspondent is confirmation that Trump’s oath to uphold the...

Children play at a beach as commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Aug. 26, 2026. (Amir Biazar/Iranian Students' News Agency)

Daniel DePetris: 6 months of war with Iran, and what exactly have we achieved?

By Daniel DePetris

September 1, 2026 at 5:32 p.m.

In its quest to get the Strait of Hormuz open, the Trump administration has spent...

Niloo Tabatabai drops flowers near a mural of Dolly Parton in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood on Aug. 26, 2026, after she died peacefully the previous day in Nashville, Tennessee. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Clarence Page: Thank you, Dolly Parton, for your music, good humor and public service

By Clarence Page

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

Dolly Parton was the salt of the earth. This quality shone in her songwriting and...

New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt relaxes by the fireside at his home on Nov. 6, 1932, following the end of several arduous months of campaigning as the Democratic presidential candidate. Roosevelt would go on to give fireside chats to the nation after becoming president. (AP)

John T. Shaw: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower were models of statesmanship

By John T. Shaw

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

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower each represented the best of his party’s governing...

A person reaches down to place flowers on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star of late US singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Aug. 25, 2026. Dolly Parton, the American country music singer who rose from poverty in Tennessee to become a US cultural giant with hits like "Jolene" and "9 to 5," has died at 80, her family said on Aug. 25. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

Heidi Stevens: Dolly Parton narrated our lives and unlocked our humanity. We were lucky to live in her world.

By Heidi Stevens

August 28, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Dolly Parton dared us to imagine. She dared us to care. She led us by...

The EdgeConneX CHI03 data center on July 22, 2026, in Elk Grove Village. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

David Greising: Gov. JB Pritzker’s pause on data centers isn’t a long-term plan

By David Greising

August 28, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

There are costs with data centers, and there are benefits. There are potential windfalls and...

Mayor Brandon Johnson walks through Chicago City Hall on June 16, 2026, before a media briefing. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: Will he run again? Mayor Brandon Johnson has the luxury of waiting to decide.

By Laura Washington

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

What does Mayor Brandon Johnson hope to accomplish by dragging his feet?

A truck passes over the Peace Bridge between Canada and the United States in Fort Erie, Ontario, on Aug. 18, 2026. (Cole Burston/Getty-AFP)

Daniel DePetris: What the US must learn from Canada’s ‘elbows up’ response to tariffs

By Daniel DePetris

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

Resisting U.S. bullying, is not only a political winner for Prime Minister Carney, but an...

President Donald Trump steps off the Marine One helicopter with aide Natalie Harp after landing near the White House on Aug. 16, 2026, in Washington. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty)

Clarence Page: Who is Natalie Harp? Americans have a right to know.

By Clarence Page

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

We have little idea who Natalie Harp is. And the more we learn about President...

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