Columns
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‘Any bit helps’: Why volunteers will save the worldApr 23, 2026 9:02 am - I started today’s column thinking about Earth Day — or, if you prefer, Earth Month, as April is known. I considered collecting some of the most prominent among numerous e...
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Illinois must protect the wetlands that protect usApr 22, 2026 11:58 am - During this month dedicated to environmental awareness, sustainability and action, I am reminded that protecting our environment is not an abstract ideal. Rather, it is a...
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Hungary election reconfirms democracyApr 20, 2026 4:00 am - The just-completed parliamentary elections in Hungary have resulted in decisive defeat for high-profile controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Hungarian Civic ...
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Community plays important role in preparing our youngest for successApr 20, 2026 4:00 am - Early in my role as a coordinator of The Basics of Greater Elgin, I met a mom at a mobile food pantry who had her baby in a car seat in the backseat of her car. I asked i...
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Illinois’ nuclear momentApr 17, 2026 4:00 am - Illinois is entering a new era of rising electricity demand. Electrification of home heating, electric vehicles, manufacturing growth, and new AI data centers are all dri...
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Illinois is closer than ever to expanding access to bachelor’s degrees. Now we must finish the job.Apr 14, 2026 4:00 pm - Just one year ago, we made the case for why Illinois should embrace community college baccalaureate degrees. At the time, it was a long-overdue step — one grounded in stu...
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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...