Stories by Tribune News Service

COMMENTARY: How we treat children a good index of our character Few commentators give South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott much hope of overtaking Donald Trump in the race for the Republican nomination for president -- or of even polling above single digits.They're p... June 1, 2023

COMMENTARY: Future of civic education in peril Disastrous. There's no other word to describe the state of civic education in the U.S. In the wake of the latest test results released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress it would b... June 1, 2023

COMMENTARY: Virginia exiting partnership to improve voter roll accuracy. For more than a decade, the Electronic Registration Information Center has helped Virginia and other member states maintain accurate voter rolls and facilitate registration of new voters. It has impro... June 1, 2023

COMMENTARY: America can resolve conundrum of electoral politics There is a conundrum at the center of American politics that is unresolvable on its face: according to Gallup, 40 percent of registered voters do not regard themselves as Democrats or Republicans, but... June 1, 2023

Mushroom chili is a quick, smokey veggie dinner Savor this light, "meaty" mushroom chili made without any meat. It's a quick vegetarian dinner. I added smoked paprika to mushrooms, pinto beans and crushed tomatoes to create a smokey flavor. For eas... May 31, 2023

COMMENTARY: Radio daze messaging in video age This was the week when Americans were astonished to discover that the most famous Democratic elder statesman and Republican rookie in our national politics have something very basic in common. And it ... May 31, 2023

COMMENTARY: Republicans need to dump Trump if they want to win Two functional political parties shouldn't be too much to ask of American democracy. At the moment, though, one of them is toying with outright disaster.By any sane calculation, Donald Trump shoul... May 31, 2023

3 ingredients can make breakfast more nutritious Eating breakfast is an essential part of starting the day right. "It replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients requir... May 31, 2023

Here’s your new favorite best asparagus recipe For a long time, cooking asparagus any way other than the very simplest seemed like gilding the spear to me. Blanching it in boiling water for just a few minutes until just tender and bright green lik... May 31, 2023

COMMENTARY: Student loan repayment plan needs fixing Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently confirmed that student loan repayments would begin again later in 2023, delivering what is likely to be a severe financial shock to borrowers who have no... May 31, 2023

COMMENTARY: DeSantis faces sobering lesson on ambition, hubris, big talk When you're the governor of a state, you're a big, important deal.Your whims can assume the force of law. The stroke of a pen can open or close schools, help or harm major industries and, in c... May 31, 2023

COMMENTARY: Kremlin offers a Trump-Putin ticket for 2024 The bizarre and unsavory strongman bromance between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump continues. If you're a MAGA Republican and not having second thoughts by now, something's wrong with you.The... May 30, 2023

Mayo Clinic Minute: Innovative technology to treat head and neck cancers In the U.S., HPV is linked to about 70 percent of throat and mouth cancers. And more than 70 percent of those cancers are diagnosed in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.... May 30, 2023

COMMENTARY: Rude interruptions too prevalent among caps, gowns Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had a message for students when he delivered a commencement address at Boston University Sunday: "Show up," he said.Alas, a number of students at the ... May 30, 2023

COMMENTARY: Even Republicans balk as McCarthy’s spending cuts spelled out Whether you're for the demand by House Republicans for deep spending cuts as a condition for raising the nation's debt ceiling or you're against it, there are some things you should know i... May 30, 2023

COMMMENTARY: Immigration reform is not perfect, but it’s a start As the debt ceiling showdown moves toward the critical stages, a bipartisan House group has offered a path forward on another controversial issue: immigration.Last week, a handful of Democrats and Rep... May 30, 2023

COMMENTARY: New York must find way to keep everyone safe on sidewalks, streets Citi Bike turns 10 years old this week, and we will celebrate the birthday. What's far more tenuous is the overall status of two-wheelers in the five boroughs. While it's perfectly fine that t... May 30, 2023

Aspiring for a better diet? Try asparagus Asparagus is a perennial flowering plant brought from Europe to North America hundreds of years ago. However, its history dates back to ancient Egypt, where images of it can be found on the walls of t... May 30, 2023

Martin Scorsese reportedly meets with Pope Francis, has film about Jesus in the works NEW YORK CITY (TNS) -- Martin Scorsese has another film about Jesus in the works, he reportedly revealed during a visit to the Vatican.The director met with Pope Francis on Saturday before going to th... May 30, 2023

New leader is overhauling child welfare in Missouri; it’s personal Darrell Missey is standing in a room of social workers who toil in Missouri's beleaguered child welfare system, telling the story of a young boy.The 7-year-old lived in a loving home with his pare... May 28, 2023

COMMENTARY: Whose version of religion rules if public schools teach Bible classes? Missouri legislators have adopted yet another solution in search of a problem. They've passed a bill -- and sent it to Gov. Mike Parson to sign (he shouldn't) -- that would allow public school... May 28, 2023

COMMENTARY: Red-state attacks on transgender Americans A year after the murder of 19 students and two teachers at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School, the Texas legislature could be trying to curb the state's easy access to deadly firearms.As thousand... May 28, 2023

COMMENTARY: Can Scott break GOP’S Trump fever? Here we go again. A qualified, conservative, likable Republican gets into the GOP presidential primary against Donald Trump. And then so does another one, and another and another until eventually, the... May 28, 2023

COMMENTARY: Spike in child mortality won’t go away on its own For Americans under 20, an epidemic much deadlier than COVID-19 has raged over the last three years. Deaths among those aged 1-19 surged 20 percent -- driven by an increase in car crashes, suicide, ho... May 28, 2023

Air conditioner not working? Here’s what to do when your HVAC breaks The summer heat is just around the corner, and that means HVAC troubles might not be far behind. Here are some quick tips on what you should do when your AC unit stops working during a heat wave. Iden... May 28, 2023

COMMENTARY: If TikTok, SnapChat aren’t harming kids, they should prove it The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has issued a warning that social media could be harming our kids. His social media advisory is a welcome road map for what everyone -- policymakers, tech companie... May 28, 2023

Can ChatGPT plan your summer vacation? Not quite yet Who doesn't love a good deal? Coupons, discounts and all the perks, I'm on board. So when my editor mentioned an article in The Street about finding the best deals on airfare by using the viral bot cr... May 28, 2023

Style at Home: Take a peek inside this preppy home Nell Hill's designer Anne and her family have lived in their Prairie Village, Kansas, home for almost four years. When the Epsteins purchased their nearly century-old home in the suburbs of Kansas, th... May 28, 2023

These Coca-Cola hacks could change your life Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company 's world-famous soda has had quite the history since its introduction in 1886. Atlanta pharmacist John S. Pemberton originally touted the drink as a tonic, one containi... May 28, 2023

US airports renovate and expand to freshen their look, improve traveler satisfaction Several years ago, former U.S. President Donald Trump compared the airports in the New York City area to third-world countries. While Trump took some criticism, he wasn't that far off, as many America... May 28, 2023

‘Last On His Feet’ captures Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century The first Black boxing champion was a man named Jack Johnson, and a few years before he died in 1946, he told a young reporter, "Just remember, whatever you write about me, that I was a man." You will... May 28, 2023

Ask Angi: How much does it cost to remove radon gas? If you've come across radon, it's probably as part of a home inspection that turned closing into a big hassle for everyone. But radon is no small matter. Take this threat seriously if it shows up in y... May 28, 2023

On Gardening: Silver Falls dichondra is the crème de la crème for your designs There is nothing like a virtual visit to the falls to check the pulse rate of the gardening public -- I can tell you it has reached a wonderful stage of artistic maturity. I can imagine the puzzled lo... May 28, 2023

COUNTERPOINT: Republicans falling into same 2016 Trump trap A large field of qualified candidates is setting up the Republican primaries for a repeat of 2016.No one expected political neophyte Donald Trump to suck up all of the oxygen in the 2016 Republican pr... May 28, 2023

POINT: 2024 is not a 2016 rerun — Trump is a one-trick pony Those afraid that the 2024 GOP presidential contest will become a repeat of 2016 need not worry. The race is radically different this year; it will not play out the same.First, former President Donald... May 28, 2023

COMMENTARY: Jobs may be one answer to migration crisis The Biden administration's sensible new policy for asylum seekers -- requiring them to submit applications in Latin American countries before arriving -- seems to have pre-empted a wave of migration t... May 27, 2023

COMMENTARY: Trump compelled to spout off; courts won’t abide it Like the scorpion in the fable that causes its own drowning, Donald Trump cannot stop himself from attacking and insulting and belittling. It's been his nature for his nearly 77 years and helped prope... May 27, 2023

COMMENTARY: Ending masking requirements in hospitals, clinics a step backward Recently, many of the hospitals and clinics in and around Chicago, including my own, have elected to discontinue universal masking requirements, noting the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the last three y... May 27, 2023

COMMENTARY: Ventilators, learning curve of COVID-19 treatment An axiom in medicine is that good judgment depends on experience, and experience depends on bad judgment. Basically, one way doctors refine their care is through a learning curve resulting from inexpe... May 27, 2023

COMMENTARY: How to solve America’s drug shortage problem Drug shortages in the U.S. are forcing physicians and the public to scramble for access to vital medicines. While the problem isn't new, the number of products in scarce supply is nearing an all-time ... May 26, 2023

COMMENTARY: Where the boys aren’t — college graduations I attended two graduation ceremonies earlier this month, including the University of Georgia gala replete with fireworks at Sanford Stadium. At both events, I was struck with how many more women than ... May 26, 2023

COMMENTARY: Bad news just keeps coming for FBI Politicians and activists reacted with dismay last week upon the news that the FBI illegally tapped into foreign intelligence data looking for dirt on U.S. citizens. But given this news emerged just d... May 26, 2023

COMMENTARY: Processing of immigrants can improve after Title 42 expires Title 42 was implemented as a public health measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the health emergency ending, the rule has now expired. This means that those coming to the borders seeking asylum... May 26, 2023

COMMENTARY: Spanish-language skills gaining value on hiring lists The recent spike in border crossings and the expiration of the emergency policy Title 42 have once again sparked discussions about immigration. These talks often center on political, economic and huma... May 26, 2023

COMMENTARY: Please don’t hide Trump’s faults Journalism used to be about getting the truth out there, but recently we were told it shouldn't happen if Americans could be swayed the wrong way by seeing and hearing it. Bunches of journalists t... May 25, 2023

COMMENTARY: Democrats have a deeper bench than you think The focus is fixed on Republicans when it comes to 2024 presidential primary politics: Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly will announce their bids for the party&... May 25, 2023

COMMENTARY: ‘Vetting’ of migrants shouldn’t make you feel safe Amid all the confusion at our border, at least one question with national security and public safety implications has gone almost entirely unexamined: We're told that those who enter our country i... May 25, 2023

COMMENTARY: IRS wants to branch out All the new funding that congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden showered on the IRS has the tax agency thinking big. That should worry taxpayers.The Wall Street Journal reported this week tha... May 25, 2023

COMMENTARY: Supreme Court’s social media ruling is a temporary reprieve Did Big Tech just win big at the U.S. Supreme Court? That seems to be the view of most commentators in the wake of Thursday's unanimous decision in two cases that had the potential to challenge th... May 25, 2023

COMMENTARY: To address gun violence, we first have to agree something is wrong The statistics are damning. There is no version of the numbers that reflects well on our country. There's no way to spin them in any direction that doesn't point to collective shame at the tra... May 25, 2023