Chicago, IL Letters: Cops aren’t alone in mental strugglesChicago TribuneSuicide rates are higher today than at any time in the past 50 years, regardless of profession. The most alarming increase in suicides worldwide is among police officers; this crisis strikes very close
Column: The grief and relief when summer endsChicago Tribune - Mary SchmichIt’s been said that the only thing worse than dying would be living forever. Something similar could be said of summer: The only thing worse than summer’s end would be a summer that never ended. So let’s
Trains Editorial: Crime’s up on CTA trains, ridership’s down. Fix one to help fix the other.Chicago Tribune - The Editorial BoardThe CTA’s ridership woes aren’t diminishing. Ride-share’s growing popularity among Chicagoans plays a big role in that trend. What threatens to make it worse? The rising rate of serious crime on CTA trains.
Kim Foxx Column: Kim Foxx releases records in Jussie Smollett case, but Chicago cab driver’s family doesn’t get same tChicago Tribune - John KassHe wasn’t a celebrity like Jussie Smollett. He didn’t have important friends in politics or in Hollywood. Anis Tungekar was a just a hard-working Chicago cab driver, a Pakistani immigrant and proud American
Catholicism Commentary: The Catholic sex abuse crisis fills me with despair. But this church is still an oasis.Chicago Tribune - Michael RyanWhat’s the difference between a house of worship and a house of horrors? Can it be something as simple and capricious as blind luck? If so, I guess I’m one of countless lucky ones — a veteran of a Kansas
Chicago Politics Editorial: This is Chicago, where the City Council ... is feisty? Really?Chicago Tribune - By The Editorial BoardIn the Chicago City Council of recent vintage, meetings were generally calm and predictable. The mayor lightly banged the gavel to keep decorum. Aldermen played their roles, mostly shifting in their seats.
Osama Bin Laden Editorial: No, the war on terror isn’t over: In 1 week, 3 evocations of 9/11Chicago Tribune - The Editorial BoardThis month’s nods to the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, had barely faded from the news when three fresh developments jarred those among us who no longer have the possibility of terror attacks top of mind.
Illinois Editorial: Felony murder charges were dropped against five teens in Lake County. Illinois should still tightenChicago Tribune - The Editorial BoardProsecutors in Lake County dropped felony murder charges against five teens whose friend was shot to death by a homeowner during an alleged burglary. Prosecutors made the right decision, but Illinois still
Guns Column: Beto O’Rourke’s boneheaded call for confiscating gunsChicago Tribune - By Steve ChapmanIn an IQ contest with Beto O’Rourke, I would guess, Donald Trump would finish a distant second. But in tweeting Wednesday that, when it comes to gun legislation, “Dummy Beto made it much harder to make
Worms Column: Jumping worms invaded my compost. Have you checked your garden yet?Chicago Tribune - By Eric ZornMy attack on the dreaded invasive jumping worm began suddenly and in a bit of a panic. Not long ago I went to turn the compost bin next to our Northwest Side home and found, to my horror and dismay, a
Abortion Column: Abortion has dropped to record lows — so who gets the credit?Chicago Tribune - Clarence PageWith the 2020 presidential contest stirring up abortion rights battles, it is illuminating to note a new report that shows how significantly the numbers of reported abortions have plunged. This comes a
Nursing Letters: Itasca deserves answers to questions about drug treatment clinicChicago TribuneI’m the mayor of Itasca.All my fellow residents and I want are the facts pertaining to how the Haymarket Center’s plans would affect our 8,700-person village. Everyone around us, including columnist Kristen
Chicago, IL Editorial: What the Old Post Office says about ChicagoChicago Tribune - The Editorial BoardYou could be forgiven if you ever gave up on prospects for the old main post office, which closed in 1997. Chicago is known for soaring skyscrapers. The post office, that hulk straddling the Eisenhower
Pierre Trudeau Commentary: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should not resign over blackface revelationsChicago Tribune - David MartinWe Canadians are kind of like the younger siblings who are always looking for attention. We often look to the United States for recognition. Well, as they say, be careful what you wish for. In the space
Justin Trudeau Column: Justin Trudeau’s apology for wearing blackface is worth a moment of your time, whether you forgive himChicago Tribune - Heidi StevensAs far as apologies for wearing blackface go (a category of apologies that’s growing maddeningly robust), Justin Trudeau’s is better than average. A month before he’s hoping to be re-elected as Canada’s
Corey Lewandowski Column: Whistleblower silenced as Trump tweets on, Lewandowski needs some handcuffs: The Week in ReviewChicago Tribune - Rex HuppkeI had to unhinge my jaws just to take a bite of this week’s gargantuan news-burger. It was greasy and gross and left me once again asking: “What the (BLEEP) just happened?” President Donald Trump, never
Avant-garde Flashback: Visionary Mies van der Rohe reshaped architecture and Chicago by stripping them downChicago Tribune - By Ron GrossmanWith war brewing in Europe in 1939, a Glencoe businesswoman reported to the FBI that she’d discovered a Nazi plot at a Midwestern summer resort. “I’ve just returned from Pine Lake Lodge, Wisconsin and
Dallas, TX Column: Joe Mansueto brings hope to his Chicago Fire and their fansChicago Tribune - John KassIf there’s one species of human even more cynical than your average Chicagoan, it’s your average Chicago Fire fan. We’ve been broken and beaten for years, and so we’ve all gone just a little bit mad. been
Chicago, IL Editorial: Recreational marijuana is coming to Chicago. Downtown pot shops should be part of the change.Chicago Tribune - The Editorial BoardChicago neighborhoods have their corner groceries, dry cleaners and taprooms. Coming soon to select locations: the local weed shop, or more technically, a dispensary that sells recreational marijuana.
NCAA Editorial: Pay college athletes? As the NCAA dawdles, lawmakers act.Chicago Tribune - The Editorial BoardBig-time college sports is knee-deep in money. Last year, the two schools in the national title football game, Clemson and Alabama, had more than $57 million in ticket revenue. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney
Creative Writing Column: It’s Write That Note Day. So just write that note you’ve been putting off.Chicago Tribune - Mary SchmichGrab that pen and notecard. Set aside the excuses. It’s the third annual National Write That Note Day. Write That Note Day isn’t really annual and the only calendar it exists on is mine, but twice before
Sean Spicer Letters: Protest of Sean Spicer at NEIU was not about suppressing speechChicago TribuneA recent Tribune editorial (“Spicer spoke at Northeastern Illinois. Some students protested. Perfect.,” Sept. 14) not only grossly mischaracterized the protests at Northeastern Illinois University around
Casinos Commentary: The casino saga: A tale of shaky bets and ... cannibalsChicago Tribune - David GreisingI’ve just pored through two dark summer dramas that should be must reads. They’re filled with tales of cannibalization, regional strife and conflict, horses, riverboats — and despair about the future.
Millennium Park Column: Keep The Bean forever open, clear and free of preachers and protestersChicago Tribune - By Eric ZornOh, how I wish that those suing for the right to preach and leaflet wherever they want in Chicago’s Millennium Park were hate-spewing members of the Westboro Baptist Church instead of a quartet of earnest
Chicago, IL Architects challenge police account of Chicago barber’s shooting death using computer modeling and a second-byChicago Tribune - Blair KaminOne of the most heavily promoted exhibits at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, which opened Thursday, involves a collaboration between Forensic Architecture, a London-based research agency founded by
Crime Column: Dropping unjust first-degree murder charges against five teenagers in Lake County doesn’t entirely undChicago Tribune - Dahleen GlantonIn Illinois, a terrible injustice was righted on Thursday. Five teenagers who made the mistake of trying to steal a car are no longer facing the possibility of life in prison for murder. Instead, they
Chicago, IL The new Chicago Architecture Biennial opens, and wants to upset the way you see the city. That’s why you should see it.Chicago Tribune - By Blair KaminThe little bombs go off as soon as you enter the Chicago Cultural Center. One snippet of wall text tells us that Chicago’s city seal — which is right there on the floor, all weathered and gold — glosses
Mass Shootings Column: I resented the Sandy Hook Promise school shooting ad at first. Then I woke up to my own short-sightednChicago Tribune - Heidi StevensThe Sandy Hook Promise spot that launched Wednesday shook me awake. Not to the horrors and frequency of gun violence in our schools, which I’ve been awake over (mostly in the middle of the night) for It
Parrots Column: Ten parrots and no tip: Why bad tippers must be shamedChicago Tribune - John KassParrots are exceedingly bright birds, so smart they’re borderline evil. But they’re also notoriously bad tippers, almost as bad, according to some guy (me), as lawyers, psychiatrists and people with those
