Other Views
Views from outside contributors on issues relevant to Sun-Times readers.
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.
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.
Threats and harassment are more common against officeholders who are people of color, a University of Illinois Chicago professor writes.
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.