Columns
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Legalized gambling is great investment for Illinois, for nowFeb 26, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Sheldon H. Jacobson: Illinois is gaining in the short term from gambing, but the extent of future societal costs remains to be seen.
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On auspicious anniversary, an uneasy closeness to Ukraine warFeb 23, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist Dan Franch: Today marks the fourth year of the war in Ukraine, a conflict that might feel distant for many, but for me, feels much closer.
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Remembrances of Jesse Jackson’s life, ministryFeb 23, 2026 4:00 am - Guest columnist John A. Boryk : I am thankful for the life, ministry and leadership of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson who demonstrated what justice work looks like.
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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