Commentary
The opinions in and around Chicago that inform, analyze, hold power accountable and entertain.
Tens of thousands of Illinoisans now wait almost a year for a decision on their disability applications, and Social Security Administration’s new chief says case backlogs and other delays show why SSA needs additional funding in 2025.
Black and Latino youth and young adults ending their lives at younger ages points to the need for early intervention in schools and community-based clinics, two University of Chicago researchers write.
Instead of using it for a new stadium complex, how about we give that lakefront land to citizens to enjoy?
We’re sighing at the news that, once again, public servants are accused of defrauding honest taxpayers. But we’re not surprised, given the dozens of previous allegations of PPP fraud in Chicago and Cook County.
Author Rachel Carson’s book about the threat posed by the pesticide DDT ultimately led to the creation of the EPA and other environmental milestones.
The Illinois Legislature should save the 340B program, which is holding on by a thread. In some counties, patients are being forced to travel far out of their way to get vital medications.
Rest easy, Gene Lyons says. The Trump Show is about to be canceled. He has zero chance of winning the popular vote. None.
There is untapped talent our city has to offer, and it is critical to push for more permanent resources like the ones being built for the convention.
The number of people who consider climate change a very serious problem should be 100%, but now it’s less than half. Meanwhile, most scientists believe global warming is accelerating quickly toward the point of irreversible ecological damage.
Carbon capture and sequestration technology is vital to help meet decarbonization goals.
For those who followed Boo Buie’s remarkable career with the Wildcats, it might be a bit surprising to see him on the NBA’s pay-no-mind list so soon after it ended — and in his own backyard, no less.
How good is he? Good enough that he might be bad coach–proof.
Ready or not, trillions of the five-eyed beasties are about to descend — or rather, emerge — upon Illinois.
Two researchers explain how gift-giving can be a way to show love and approval and strengthen relationships. But sometimes, those gifts send subtle cues, or come with strings attached.
The investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability into excessive force complaints tied to arrests of pro-Palestinian demonstrators should be an educational tool to gauge what methods are most effective in deescalating potential hairy situations.
A documentary series on Black Chicagoans’ struggles to gain equal access to good jobs could help to push back against those who say there are jobs that no Americans want — forgetting about a pool of Black workers that remains underutilized.
Elected officials could take a cue from Ellis Island to establish a fair and orderly immigration process, a former Chicago City Council member writes.
The Chicago Teachers Union is set for its own lobby day to ask for money for Chicago schools. But coming to town with two weeks left can mean settling for leftovers, and if the budget is as tight as the governor says, there may not be any leftovers for CPS.
Now that I am 80 years old and climbing an actuarial table, Mom’s memory blossoms in my garden of her favorite pale pink roses, creeping into the quiet of my living room at dusk. I’m flooded with memories of her boundless affection, strict but quiet parenting, and some of the questions I had failed to ask.
Too many injuries and too much interference from the refs hurt what should be the highlight of basketball season — the playoffs.
The Guardians have no business being 10 games over .500 and leading a surprisingly decent-looking American League Central, but here they are. Boy, the White Sox could learn a thing or two.
Businesses and neighborhood associations in River North and nearby want the city to end the dining program because of traffic congestion, delays to first responders and other headaches caused by closing off a major street artery, a local restaurant executive writes.