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...

Children cool off at Crown Fountain in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago during a heat wave on June 29, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Elizabeth Shackelford: Climate change’s heat is baking us to death. We must act.

By Elizabeth Shackelford

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

It isn’t just the U.S. Heat waves have rocked Europe, but these inconveniences to most...

Ukrainian firefighters evacuate an elderly woman from the scene of an attack as Russian missiles and drones strike Kyiv on July 6, 2026, killing at least 10 people and heavily damaging apartment buildings. The large-scale attack happened a few days after the deadliest assault on the capital city this year. (Paula Bronstein/Getty)

Daniel DePetris: Ukraine is front of mind ahead of the NATO summit spectacle

By Daniel DePetris

July 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin all want the war in Ukraine to end,...

Panels that were part of an exhibit on slavery at the President's House Site in Philadelphia are put back on Feb. 19, 2026. (Joe Lamberti/AP)

Clarence Page: Donald Trump should take a lesson from Frederick Douglass

By Clarence Page

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

By altering history to make the ruling party look great, leaders can more easily justify...

A statue of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable along North Michigan Avenue in 2009. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai/TNS)

Heidi Stevens: Megyn Kelly doesn’t speak for me in her unhinged rant about immigrants

By Heidi Stevens

July 3, 2026 at 10:07 a.m.

That’s a whole lot of we-ing and us-ing for someone who surrendered the moral and...

Portraits of President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are displayed in the Department of Agriculture exhibit on the fourth day of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on June 28, 2026, in Washington. (Al Drago/Getty)

Steve Chapman: On its 250th birthday, the promise of America has darkened

By Steve Chapman

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

The contrast between Gerald Ford's bicentennial comments and Donald Trump's sentiments for the 250th anniversary...

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley talks with supporters after announcing his candidacy for Chicago mayor at the Uptown Theatre on June 27, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Laura Washington: Should Chicago mayoral candidates be allowed to run for two offices at the same time?

By Laura Washington

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

Some Illinois politicians are so enamored with getting elected that they accept their party’s nominations...

A U.S. aircraft flies over an area struck by earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 28, 2026. (Pedro Mattey/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The powers that be in Venezuela are exploiting a tragedy as its people suffer

By Daniel DePetris

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

The three most important people in Venezuelan politics today are hoping to use the earthquakes...

The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, talks to journalists as she arrives for the EU summit in Brussels on June 18, 2026. (Marius Burgelman/AP)

John T. Shaw: EU’s new ‘Iron Lady’ offers moral clarity in her unflinching support of Ukraine

By John T. Shaw

June 29, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

If some Europeans are focused on placating the Trump administration, Kaja Kallas is more than...

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, center, walks after attending several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's annual defense and security forum in Singapore on May 29, 2026. (Achmad Ibrahim/AP)

Clarence Page: We all stand to lose in Pete Hegseth’s war on diversity

By Clarence Page

June 29, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The Pentagon's recent track record on promotions is in keeping with efforts by President Donald...

A model of City Hyde Park shows bird collision avoidance glass on the balconies displayed as visitors tour "Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem," a show by Studio Gang, on June 9, 2026, during a preview of two new exhibits on wildlife conservation initiatives opening at the Chicago Architecture Center. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Edward Keegan: ‘Flyway City’ explores how Chicago can create a safer urban center for birds

By Edward Keegan

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

A new exhibit at the Chicago Architecture Center focuses on the birds that traverse our...

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