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Ald. Debra Silverstein Chicago Congregation B’nei Ruven.

Hate crimes keep increasing. Here's what Chicago is doing about it.

Last year, Black and Brown residents, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and others were targeted in hate crimes more than 300 times. Smart new policies, zero tolerance, cooperation and unity can defeat hate.

By Debra Silverstein

Quarterback Caleb Williams, wearing a T-shirt with SC and 13 printed on it, raises his arm, football in hand, preparing to throw.

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NFL draft day: How teams legally collude to restrict draftees' rights and choices

Sports leagues benefit from two technical points that allow collusion.

By Eldon Ham

Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III Rev. Jesse Jackson

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The hard truth about Rainbow PUSH and why the Rev. Frederick Haynes III quit after 3 months

PUSH is in a financial shambles, and Haynes was in place to succeed a man, Jesse Jackson, whom many don’t want succeeded, academic and author Michael Eric Dyson writes.

By Michael Eric Dyson

Mónica Álvarez habla en una conferencia de prensa el miércoles en el centro sobre la legislación en Springfield que eliminaría las armas en casos de violencia doméstica. Su prima, Karina González, fue asesinada a tiros el año pasado junto con su hija en La Villita.

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Cook County sheriff: I support Karina's Bill to help police protect domestic violence survivors

Right now, even when a survivor can prove to a judge they are in danger, the law leaves it up to their abuser to decide to turn in guns. This is ludicrous. Karina’s Bill would remedy that with common sense: Give police more power to remove those firearms.

By Thomas J. Dart

Boys and men dance during a pre-Passover parade.

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Passover is a celebration of Jewish resilience in the face of adversity

The rising tide of antisemitic incidents in Chicago’s neighborhoods has shaken our community to its core. The best response is to strengthen our Jewish pride and practice, an approach that mirrors the essence of Passover.

By Rabbi Meir Moscowitz

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Better health care for Black moms, babies takes commitment and compassion

Not that many decades ago, it was common for a midwife and close female family members to come together in the home to provide support for Black women during childbirth. We need that same partnership today, the director of West Side United writes.

By Ayesha Jaco

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25 years after my dad was killed, his murder is unsolved. Two bills could spur action on cold cases like his.

Send a message to criminals: Your actions will have consequences — no matter how much time passes. We can’t legislate all our problems away, but these bills now pending in the Illinois Legislature could pave the way for bringing closure to grieving families.

By Alicia Schemel

Flowers, photos, balloons and words of condolence adorn a black iron-like fence.

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Pass Karina's Bill to seize guns from the most dangerous domestic abusers

My dad shot and killed my sister and mom and left me with a gunshot wound. Law enforcement hadn’t removed a gun from his possession, even though his FOID card had been suspended.

By Jesus Emmanuel “Manny” Alvarez

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Many Chicago Public Schools students struggle with illiteracy. The consequences are devastating.

When a child is reeling from stress, trauma or hardship, the thinking part of their brain shuts down. Our money should be spent on high-dosage tutoring and other individualized approaches that are effective against illiteracy.

By Taal Hasak-Lowy

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Investing in Black maternal health is the right move for Illinois

From 2018 to 2020, Black women in Illinois were three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than white women. This initiative aims to make improvements.

By Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton

U.S. Capitol Police officers stand at an intersection near the U.S. Capitol and a Library of Congress building in Washington on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, as law enforcement investigate a report of a possible explosive device in a pickup truck.

Democracy Solutions Project

Violent threats against politicians are a risk to democracy

Threats and harassment are more common against officeholders who are people of color, a University of Illinois Chicago professor writes.

By Alexandra Filindra

A server tends to a table of customers at Athena Restaurant in February 2022.

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Getting rid of tipped wages in Illinois would be the final blow to many restaurants

Any increase in restaurant costs can mean the difference between keeping the doors open or closing for good. And many tipped workers already make far more than minimum wage.

By George D. Alpogianis

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stand together near a sign that says "Let Immigrants Work!"

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To jump-start the economy and provide workers, Biden should OK work permits for all undocumented immigrants

Two nonprofit leaders from Chicago make a case for the president to issue work permits to 10.5 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., including 500,000 in Illinois.

By Raul Raymundo and Sylvia Puente

Kayakers manuever to avoid Chicago River tour boats. An explosion of river traffic in recent summers is causing safety concerns. | Mark Brown/Sun-Times

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Chicago's waterways will be cleaner under a little-noticed new permit system

It’s a major development in a decades-long process to improve water quality in our Chicago River system and have a positive impact for people and wildlife.

By Margaret Frisbie

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Local school council elections are coming. Be sure to cast your vote.

LSC elections on April 10 and April 11 are a chance to shape the direction of our schools and communities. Chicago should be proud that its schools are governed locally, by principals and community members who know our families and students best, an education leader writes.

By Patricia Mota

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Look for Chicago's pension mess to become worse. That's a bad sign for taxpayers.

The city took in big tax revenues from federal COVID-19 bailouts, but Chicago’s pension shortfall still grew by $10 billion over the last five years. The warnings about a pension crisis will get worse as the COVID money runs dry.

By Ted Dabrowski, Joshua Bandoch, and 2 more

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Illinoisans get bigger tax refunds than folks in most other states. This year, try to save it.

As of March 1, the national average refund amount was up 4.3% from last year at $3,213. A tax refund can be an effective way to prioritize saving money or simply to begin saving.

By Arijit Roy

A tipped prescription bottle with pills coming out of it.

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Prescription drug affordability boards do more harm than good

If Illinois follows through with legislation to create such a board, some medications could get pulled from pharmacies. People without means to travel out of state or pay cash would be left out.

By Jen Laws

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How Illinois school districts can train more bilingual educators

The state has more than 271,000 English learners in public schools, but there aren’t enough bilingual teachers.

By Erika Méndez and Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro

Two men wearing hard-hats, safety goggles and tool belts inspect a metal rafter.

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Illinois could lower unemployment with more apprenticeship programs

The state needs to fix its “skills gap” problem, in part by prioritizing skills-based training and apprentice programs that don’t require a college degree.

By Joshua Bandoch