Column

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster shares some local gift ideas for Father's Day.

Ultimately both sets, whether macro or micro, require substantial dot connecting to yield policy recommendations.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

The methods we’ve selected have some noticeable shortcomings, and if the process impedes progress, then it might be time to reevaluate the rules of engagement.

Human beings tend to wait until the last minute to do things. But the leaders need to start enforcing earlier deadlines for giant issues like this energy proposal so they can deal with other time-sensitive things (the budget and revenues, for instance) at the end.

DeWalt: A few years ago, I tried a recipe for “smashed” roasted potatoes. After smashing, the potatoes get drizzled with oil or butter, seasoned, then they go into the oven to roast. The result is a crispy disc of deliciousness.

One hundred and thirty years ago, in 1895, the first United States Open golf tournament was played. Illinois has a longer history with the event than most. 

We have entered the month of June. Oh goodness, I am actually getting nervous with the wedding of my daughter Verena and Daniel Ray being in 18 days.

A multi-sport complex at Proviso West High School in Hillside may be a great community investment. But it’s not more important than life safety issues elsewhere, and the GOP won’t let House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch shirk the spotlight.

"A candidate’s past margin of victory says nothing about the relative weight of mail-in ballots received after Election Day – and thus the strategic importance of extended poll-watching operations."

The Bears have changed course more than they’ve changed quarterbacks, Marc Silverman writes

Perhaps if the Virginia Burgesses knew they could profit from gambling, sports books wouldn’t have operated under the table for hundreds of years.

Every word you speak shapes the path ahead. So talk like someone who’s going somewhere.

For quite a while now, most folks in politics have assumed that Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Comptroller Susana Mendoza will probably run for mayor of Chicago in 2027.

Under the Senate’s plan, the Regional Transportation Authority would become the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, a better name than before provided you can get past all the territory in the northern part of the state that would still be on the outside looking in.

Forty-five years ago this spring, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in southwestern Washington captured the attention of the nation and dominated the airwaves for weeks.  

Happy 54th birthday, Mom. I wanted to thank you for all you have taught me.

There’s no way to fully satisfy either camp, underscoring the importance of making sure government functions adequately for enough voters to strike a balance.

"We get caught up in the story and the characters but I also remind myself that a human being, a real character, created the story with people we become attached to and relate to and remember," writes Lonny Cain, the retired managing editor of The Times, in his weekly column.

Cleary: "This year being the 25th Reagan Run, I look forward to witnessing the community support that comes along with the event."

It is time for Illinois legislators to act and bring our public defense system into the 21st century. Access to justice cannot depend on wealth or geography. 

Opinion: Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital has donated $7,500 to Kishwaukee United Way, bolstering the expansion of their remarkable 211 program, writes United Way's Michele Vaughn.

As the Illinois General Assembly approaches the critical May 31 deadline to secure funding for its public transit system, let’s be clear that this is not a light switch that can be turned off and on with ease.

Public voting from mid-January to Valentine’s Day revealed an overwhelming preference for the status quo, with about 43% of almost 385,000 votes opting against any change whatsoever. The current flag fared better than the combined total of the next five choices.

Ben Johnson's leadership is transforming the Bears' culture for success, Marc Silverman writes

Bringing lawmakers back to Springfield at what might otherwise be a dormant stretch isn’t – or at least shouldn’t be – much cause for concern.

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster talks about deciding to slow down upon entering a new age. 

Somewhere between effort and faith, the road rises to meet us.

The U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee released its recommendations for budget reconciliation. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office projected that, if implemented, at least 8.6 million Americans would lose Medicaid coverage during the coming decade.

It has been seven decades since the Korean conflict began in 1950, and finally ended three years later with an armistice between the United States, North Korea and China. The war came on the heels of World War II and involved 24 nations, with a cost of 2.2 million casualties.

Mom, we children decided to each write a birthday message to you for your 54th birthday, May 22.

But to hear Harper tell it, the issue isn’t so much inability to reach compromise as unwillingness to negotiate.

Wick Warren brought a love for baseball and a southern accent when he arrived to join the Princeton High School baseball staff in 2015. Ten years later he leaves grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Tigers head coach the past nine seasons.

"These milestones are a testament to the dedication and commitment of CMS, which has embraced efficiency, innovation and collaboration to improve past hiring challenges."

Marc Silverman reflects on the Bears' quarterback history and the need for change this time around with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams working together

Opinion: Rural communities are an essential part of DeKalb County’s economic strength and cultural identity, writes Melissa Amedeo of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation.

Have you ever had a season where it felt like everything was turning against you – at work, at home, even in your head? One minute, you’re moving toward a goal; the next, you spin your wheels in frustration.

The current party line is no pursuit of state funding for stadium construction, but even if the Bears don’t directly request money to deal with infrastructure, a development at the proposed scale would force the hands of many government entities.

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster writes about how journaling for fun is cathartic. 

Needless to say, replacing an appropriations committee chair with barely two weeks to go in the spring session and tough budget votes ahead is not exactly commonplace. I’ve never seen such a thing in 35 years of doing this.

It’d take the rest of the month to tell superintendents’ stories: falling ceilings, boilers repurposed from World War II ships, infested walls from schools built when Al Capone was still an elementary student in Brooklyn.

The haunting pictures of the deadly riot at Kent State University in 1970 are among the most famous news photographs in American history.

I am sharing a diary of a day of my activities from start to finish. Time goes by so quickly, and there is always something that needs my attention or needs to be done.

Most baseball fans don’t care how someone earns HOF induction. Many taxpayers aren’t attuned to the intricacies of which government gets their money.

Weeklong camps take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with campers primarily meeting at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center for drop-off and pickup.

House Bill 1085 attempts to tackle some of those challenges by amending the Illinois Insurance Code to impose new obligations on private policies subject to state regulation.

The schedule is set. The Bears have had a great offseason. But it doesn’t mean they’re not making a mistake at left tackle, Marc Silverman writes

A sheet pan supper is a meal that requires minimal prep time and is basically hands off once the pan is in the oven, so you can do other things until dinner is ready.

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster bids farewell to her boss-turned-friend. 

Article IV, Section 8, of the Illinois Constitution stipulates: 'A bill shall be read by title on three different days in each house. A bill and each amendment thereto shall be reproduced and placed on the desk of each member before final passage.'