Columns
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A letter of apology to the Founding Fathers.Feb 16, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Javeed Akhter: Dear Founding Fathers: You don’t know me, but I know you all through your writings and many books written about you. I know you the most through the constitution that you crafted.
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A process for helping you vote better, whatever your choiceFeb 12, 2026 4:00 am - This Sunday, the Daily Herald will begin another cycle in an activity that has long been a staple of the newspaper’s election efforts, endorsements in contested elections...
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License readers and public safety in the suburbsFeb 05, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Paula McCombie: License plate readers give law enforcement officers a critical tool to identify vehicles linked to criminal activity, collaborate with neighboring agencies, and respond more quickly when serious crimes occur.
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Let video interviews help you make primary election decisionsFeb 05, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: One of the unintended consequences of the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns was a material change in the way our Editorial Board conducts interviews with candidates and - for the better, as it turns out - the way you can follow these interviews.
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Addressing Illinois’ budget problems requires fixing flawed policyJan 30, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Ralph Martire: As Gov. Pritzker prepares to make the FY 2027 General Fund budget proposal next month, his office forecasts that revenue will fall some $2.2 billion short of what’s needed to continue funding the same level of services provided this year, plus cover the growth in the state’s debt service. That’s troubling for four reasons.
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The shared goal of identifying what constitutes ‘enough’Jan 29, 2026 4:00 am - I would like today to write about the Oxford comma. Or maybe the curiosity of watching candidates of similar politics begin to beat each other up to gain purchase on thei...
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Profane ‘salutes’ and a confusion of public standardsJan 15, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: In September 1976, then-Vice President Nelson Rockefeller was pictured prominently in newspapers across the country playfully and prominently aiming his middle finger toward a group of hecklers during a campaign event. Today, I’m intrigued by a confusion of incongruities the incident exposes
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Getting fired up for a Bears experience just starting to bubbleJan 08, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: Whether you’re an avid Bears fan or an occasional follower who just starts waking up at NFL playoffs time, you likely identify closely with the lead on our Mike McGraw’s column on the front of Tuesday’s Sports section.
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Geneva must again deny demolition of former Mill Race InnJan 08, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Kendra Parzen: The reignited debate in Geneva about the future of the former Mill Race Inn at 4 E. State Street begs the question: What’s changed since the Shodeen Group’s previous demolition requests?
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The Fed cuts rates again — so what?Jan 05, 2026 4:00 am - President Harry Truman once quipped he would really like to find an economist with only one hand. He went on to elaborate: “Give me a one-handed economist. All my economi...