Columns
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Insurance legislation provides consumer protections, accountabilityApr 13, 2026 4:00 am - Everyone knows auto insurance premiums have skyrocketed in recent years, making car ownership less affordable and, for many families, completely out of reach. One major r...
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Beyond ho-hum: Finding excitement in today’s space advancesApr 09, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: I don’t like to constantly revisit “the olden days” of my youth as if they were some halcyon time of simpler pleasures and more meaningful excitements. But there are times when comparisons just can’t be avoided.
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Prescription Drug Affordability Board threatens development of rare-disease drugs in IllinoisApr 09, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Laura Bonnell: Families grappling with the challenges of a loved one diagnosed with incurable diseases have more than enough to handle in their daily lives begging the question – why would Illinois lawmakers knowingly make their lives worse?
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Illinois Hospitals Are Cashing In on a Program Meant to Help PatientsApr 06, 2026 4:00 am - A federal drug discount program designed to help patients has quietly become a lucrative revenue stream for many hospitals in Illinois. Now state lawmakers are considerin...
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What grows when zealousness and tolerance coexistApr 01, 2026 4:00 am - Editor’s Note: Columnist Jim Slusher is taking some time off. Today’s column is a reprise of his comments on Feb. 20, 2014. A democratic society thrives on tolerance...
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The tragic lesson on the gun lobby from MinneapolisMar 30, 2026 4:00 am - Even though national attention has shifted away from Minneapolis in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s so-called “Operation Metro Surge”, the community there is ...
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Nature doesn’t understand borders; Conservation requires global partnersMar 29, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnists Michael Adkesson, Bridget Coughlin and Jill Koski: Species recovery is built on science, long-term planning, and cross-border collaborations. That's why the federal government’s decision to withdraw U.S. support from 66 international bodies, many focused on nature and conservation, matters deeply.
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Pandora, Chicken Little and messages for today’s worldMar 27, 2026 4:00 am - Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias conducted a press conference Wednesday that is frightening enough on its own. Its broader implications are an even greater c...
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A time of ‘inner mindfulness’ that’s good for all of usMar 22, 2026 8:21 pm - Guest columnist Javeed Akhter: I started Ramadan this year with the sense of anticipation and excitement, but then it all fell apart.
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Exploring the ‘realm of nearly’ on the road to NovemberMar 19, 2026 12:50 pm - Columnist Jim Slusher: I hope you will reflect on what the primary elections have shown us about the role of political messaging and the means of its delivery in the selection of candidates. On that theme, I have some preliminary observations.