Other Views
Views from outside contributors on issues relevant to Sun-Times readers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The state has more than 271,000 English learners in public schools, but there aren’t enough bilingual teachers.
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.
First, this is physician-assisted suicide. Second, a poll that showed a majority of people are in favor of it was conducted in a one-sided manner.
Many people don’t know the origins of the name, or about other non-Christian traditions associated with the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, a religious scholar explains.
At the Museum of Science and Industry, there is an opportunity and responsibility to partner with schools and communities to burst open the school doors and allow the wonder of our exhibits and programs to offer new possibilities for learning and growth.
Women make up just 10% of those in careers such as green infrastructure and clean and renewable energy, a leader from Openlands writes.
The way inflation is measured masks certain costs that add to the prices that consumers pay every day. Not surprisingly, higher costs mean lower consumer confidence, no matter what Americans are told about an improving economy.
The gun industry’s attitude is: Our products are legal, so deal with it. That is unacceptable. Gun manufacturers must be held accountable and ensure the weapons they make are as safe as possible and aren’t misused.
Reactions to tattoo ink are rare, but a team of researchers found some of the dozens of inks they tested contained chemicals or pigments that could cause allergic or other health-related reactions. Make sure to work with a trained artist who follows good hygiene, a chemistry expert cautions.
DCASE produces festivals such as Taste of Chicago. It also supports your neighborhood cultural treasures, whether they’re a local dance organization or your favorite down-the-block singer-songwriter.
Here in Cicero, right next to Chicago, workers can take a job for higher, more stable wages a few miles away. A statewide, full minimum wage with tips added on will strengthen our workforce, our businesses and our overall economy.
Illinoisans should have the option to decide for themselves when they have suffered enough at the end of life so they can die peacefully, at home.
Venezuela, where most of the migrants come from, used to have relatively high vaccination rates but, due to instability there, rates have plummeted and measles cases have increased.
This is not some dry, academic question, writes Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service. It’s an issue in the upcoming presidential election, with profound consequences for the capability of our government to solve critical problems.
Fewer folks are voting and, in no small part, it’s due to the disincentives elected officials have put in place.
Gaza needs to be inundated with shipments of food, water, medicine and fuel to begin the lengthy road to recovery, writes a doctor from Oak Lawn who recently worked in Gaza.
Illinois has the most operating nuclear reactors among all the states, but it’s been crickets from public officials on the potential weakening of nuclear oversight.
Creating more permanent supportive housing is a question of resources and political will.
Super-conferences, player marketing deals and lawsuits are forcing the NCAA to loosen its grip on college sports and amateurism rules.
You may not know the names Rosemary Mulligan and Penny Pullen, but their 1990 race for a seat in the Illinois Legislature foreshadowed the role of abortion in politics today. Down-ballot races like this highlight the important work of state legislators on issues that affect people most.
Self-financing would be a win-win for taxpayers and fans, even if it’s unpopular with owners and investors in sports franchises with big appetites for public subsidies.
Artists like Matisyahu should not have concerts cancelled or endure threats or abuse because of antisemitic hatred, a leader of the American Jewish Committee writes.
We have the potential to address homelessness and extend housing support services to families who are doubling and tripling up.