Columns
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Illinois Affordable Housing tax credit expands housing opportunity across IllinoisMay 22, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Rob Anthony: Addressing Illinois’ housing challenge will require a wide range of solutions, but one of the state’s most effective and proven tools is already making a meaningful difference: the Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit (IAHTC).
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I, rebel: When the urge to break the rules can’t be resistedMay 21, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: To many of you, I apologize in advance for the following column. Some of you, I bet, will feel my pain.
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What if AI stood for Actual Intelligence?May 18, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Tom Montgomery Fate: I’m a 60-something writer and teacher who sometimes uses Chat GPT and other AI apps. But, in the tradition of Thoreau and Mary Oliver and others, I also still like to walk through the woods with a pencil and journal, observing and taking notes..
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‘News you can use’ can appear in unexpected waysMay 14, 2026 4:00 am - “News you can use” is something of a marketing cliche related to newspapers, but the phrase, like most cliches, has some basis in fact. In addition to stories about polit...
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Little treats, big impact: How Illinois can retain teachers without breaking the budgetMay 11, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Yameira Church: When we build micro-moments of celebration, we teach children what community looks like. We show them how to see each other. Adults need the same.
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The example of Pope Leo offers hope of return to sanityMay 10, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Javeed Akhter:
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Why Illinois should support Taiwan’s participation in the WHOMay 07, 2026 4:00 am - Health is a fundamental human right and a universal value. Stronger health systems lead to greater community well‑being, economic stability and global security. For a sta...
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Ted Turner and the cost of all that immediacy has wroughtMay 07, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: With broadcast media, Ted Turner demonstrated the appeal of programming that could latch onto news stories as they broke. But it’s also hard to avoid seeing how the concept has been somewhat turned on its head - or perhaps “dropped” is a more apt description - by time and by the internet and social media.
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Historical context of War Powers ActMay 06, 2026 4:00 am - In a May 1 letter to Congress citing the current ceasefire, the Trump administration has declared hostilities with Iran terminated. Under the War Powers Resolution, which...
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How a coin-convention press release led to a riveting whodunitApr 30, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: When writers manage to blend all the main styles of writing into a single story, it can be especially gratifying. Riveting even.