Columns
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The meat of newspaper week is in what happens every dayOct 09, 2025 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: It’s difficult, if not impossible, to summarize why National Newspaper Week is important. That answer comes from the work local journalists do every day.
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How far we haven’t comeOct 06, 2025 4:00 am - Guest columnist Tom Montgomery Fate:
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Word to lawmakers: Slow down, consider impact of energy legislationOct 05, 2025 4:00 am - Illinois stands at a critical crossroads when it comes to our energy future. Businesses across the state are eager to see policies that support a reliable, affordable, an...
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An opportunity to make connections was overwhelmed by divisionsOct 02, 2025 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: Sadly, a system of communication in which we once had high hopes online became overwhelmed by participants who “debate” by personal insult, bullying and name calling and believe that “free speech” means the right to state any outrage in whatever offensive language one chooses.
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Why Illinois needs to reform its tax policySep 27, 2025 2:00 pm - Gov. Pritzker just issued an executive order that, among other things, requires state agencies to identify cuts totaling 4% of their current year appropriations. Pritzker...
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A link between trust, skepticism that can combat ‘fake news’Sep 25, 2025 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: Addressing the rise of "fake news," an expert explains the importance of news literacy - teaching discernment in evaluating information from various media sources.
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Memory, meaning and the pursuit of magicSep 11, 2025 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: The number 24 may not be special in itself, but on this anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we are reminded that what matters is not simply that we remember. It is how we carry the memories forward in our daily lives
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The importance of holding, and hosting, G20Sep 11, 2025 4:00 am - Guest columnist Arthur I. Cyr: President Donald Trump has announced the United States will host the next meeting of the G20 in 2026 at his Doral Resort in Florida. This is major, and encouraging, news.
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When fingering a scar helps define, strengthen our resilienceSep 04, 2025 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: Our two-part retrospective on the Joe Gliniewicz case, where a beloved cop tried to hide financial crimes through his suicide, examines the trauma a community felt and the lessons and character that were revealed.
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Lack of kratom regulation causing health risks in IllinoisAug 29, 2025 4:00 am - Guest columnist Heidi Sykora: The lack of regulation in Illinois threatens access to safe, quality natural kratom leaf.