Columnists

Then-Chicago mayoral candidates Willie Wilson, center, and Brandon Johnson chat at a mayoral forum at Steinmetz College Prep, Jan. 31, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s reelection campaign will be in trouble if Willie Wilson runs again

By Laura Washington

March 25, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

If Willie Wilson gets in the mayoral race, Black votes will come out of Mayor...

Riders gallop along a beach as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, on March 11, 2026. (Altaf Qadri/AP)

Daniel DePetris: The Gulf states are between Iran and a hard place

By Daniel DePetris

March 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

For the Gulf Arab states, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is a tragedy. Nothing good...

Two GIs with the U.S. 25th Division read the Stars and Stripes newspaper at Cu Chi, South Vietnam, on Sept. 10, 1969. (Mark Godfrey/AP)

Clarence Page: Pentagon’s press panic threatens august Stars and Stripes

By Clarence Page

March 23, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell asserted that going forward, Stars and Stripes would be "by...

James Talarico, a state representative running for the Democratic nomination for Senate, speaks during a campaign stop in Round Rock, Texas, on March 3, 2026. (Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times)

Laura Washington: In 2026, voters are deciding with their heads rather than their hearts

By Laura Washington

March 11, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

James Talarico plodded down the middle to appeal to centrist Democrats and independents. That positioning...

A woman watches plumes of smoke rise from an oil storage facility after overnight strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces in Tehran on March 8, 2026. Apocalyptic scenes of bombardment have contributed to many Iranians' gloominess about their nation's future. (Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times)

Daniel DePetris: Militarily, the Iran war is a success. But what are the US goals?

By Daniel DePetris

March 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

All the military successes don’t add up to much if the Iran campaign itself is...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, front left, listens as three U.S. citizens who had been detained by ICE stand, from back left, Javier Ramirez, of California, Leonardo "Leo" Garcia Venegas, of Alabama, and Marimar Martinez, of Chicago, as they are introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., during an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Clarence Page: ‘ICE Barbie’ is gone, but will immigration policy improve?

By Clarence Page

March 8, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Department of Homeland Security agents under Kristi Noem's authority would go on to conduct brutal...

Dopamine, author Michaeleen Doucleff learned, sends us on the chase for pleasure. And dopamine magnets (her term for ultraprocessed foods and screens) pull us — often subconsciously — toward them. (Dreamstime)

Heidi Stevens: ‘Dopamine Kids’ is a fascinating read — even if you don’t want a yard full of chickens

By Heidi Stevens

March 6, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Michaeleen Doucleff's book is about understanding the forces that shape our habits, our days and...

An aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, on Oct 31, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

Elizabeth Shackelford: The Pentagon’s fight with Anthropic is about unchecked power

By Elizabeth Shackelford

March 6, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Since AI is largely unregulated, we are left with only the protection that the conscience...

President Donald Trump prepares to board Marine One on March 1, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty)

Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump’s pitiful case for going to war with Iran

By Daniel DePetris

March 3, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Sure, Iran’s missiles pose a threat. But it’s not like this is a new development.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks at the kickoff for the Black Expo on Aug. 25, 1971, at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago. With Jackson are Gary Mayor Richard Hatcher, left, Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, second from right, and John Johnson, founder of Ebony, right. The five-day expo by Black and minority businesses opened at the International Amphitheatre that September. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Clarence Page: The ripple effects of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s vision of Black economic power

By Clarence Page

March 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Black Expo was, for many, a breakthrough for the hopes that Black Americans could build...

After the Fire Department’s fire prevention parade, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, center, led a group of people down State Street demanding jobs for low-income residents on Oct. 7, 1974, in Chicago. The group had a brief confrontation with the police. (William Kelly/Chicago Tribune)

David Greising: The Rev. Jesse Jackson shaped Chicago in innumerable ways

By David Greising

February 26, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The battles Jesse Jackson fought in Chicago and mostly won built a record that earned...

Team USA's Grace Zumwinkle, left, and Taylor Heise celebrate after winning the women's ice hockey gold medal game against Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Heidi Stevens: Dissenting Americans keep making lemonade out of Trump’s lemons — including his hockey call

By Heidi Stevens

February 25, 2026 at 3:55 p.m.

Trump has made a big deal about championing women’s sports. But his call to the...

A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026, following the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho." (Armando Solis/AP)

Daniel DePetris: How El Mencho’s death in Mexico could make drug cartel violence worse

By Daniel DePetris

February 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The death of the leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel was eclipsed by the group's...