Back-to-school season has arrived: Target looks like a war zone, kitchen calendars suddenly resemble air traffic control boards, and children have developed mysterious illnesses with symptoms that cause deathly allergic reactions to mornings, math, and anything that involves leaving the hous…
Dear Candid Candace: Quick question on elevator etiquette—and I realize this is not exactly a critically important topic but would still be interested in your take. I live in a large condo building (and of course this could be true in an office or public building as well) and often ride the …
As our beloved Chicago Bears get ready to embark on yet another football season, we have created a new motto for this year’s team, a creation, it should be noted, solely adopted and solely contemplated by exactly a party of one—that being this particular columnist.
If you haven’t yet been introduced to the latest craze in sports and entertainment, allow me to peel back the curtain: it’s called Banana Ball.
This is not supposed to happen to a man in his late 60s, and I even wince a bit as I type these words, but somehow, I got hooked on the early 2000s TV show ‘“The Gilmore Girls.”
Dear Candid Candace: This one came up recently and I needed some " Candid Candace" expert advice. We were at a dinner party at someone's house. There are three couples. One of the couples we have known for a long time and are good friends. The others we just met that night. At the end of the…
The “horse race” has begun. The potential candidates have just broken out of the gates, and the long stampede to the Democratic presidential nominationhas unofficially started.
Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from the Journal & Topics Newspapers
The students are not back in school yet, but the football players sure are! They, the staff and coaches, have been hard at work all summer preparing for the upcoming season, and it won’t be long until all that hard work comes to fruition.
Dear Candid Candace: I was just “defriended” on Facebook by a longtime friend. I can’t see their feed anymore and miss it and them. Facebook was basically the only way we kept in touch. Our friendship, made up of likes, pokes and emojis, was satisfying. Although I haven’t seen this person in…
Yes, there have been some rumblings coming out of Chicago Bears training camp that our “quarterback of the future,” Caleb Williams, has been struggling a bit.
To go vegan or not go vegan?” That is the question (with apologies to my guy William Shakespeare for that slight adjustment to his famous line)
Driving around these days, you see all kinds of bumper stickers on cars. Sometimes the bumper stickers are not on cars, but on walls or street signs, in bathrooms or in buildings, but almost always they are there to amuse us.
Dear Candid Candace:
Dear Candid Candace: With baseball season approaching, I always like to take my kids to at least a couple games a year. When we go, I like to breathe in the full ambiance of the game by getting there extra early, walking around the stadium outside, watching the people, soaking up the pre-gam…
From the beginning, “Squid Game” was a story about what it means to survive a ruthless system with your soul intact. But now, with its massive success, does it risk becoming entertainment shaped by that same system: a marketable, profitable, polished franchise built for bingeing, stripped of…
Dear Candid Candace: I recently learned that a friend of mine in her mid-40s has Stage 3 breast cancer and will undergo a double mastectomy and radiation. Today I learned that a colleague of mine, also younger than myself, is a blood cancer survivor, yet unsure as to the longevity of his li…
The plot follows mercenary Zora Bennett, played by Scarlett Johansson, and her team on a mission to acquire dinosaur DNA, a task that leads them to a dangerous and isolated island. The intention is to extract a cure for heart disease from the creatures' extraordinary size.
This year, the Illinois State Fair will take place Aug. 7-17 in Springfield, Ill. There will be live entertainment (Jake Owen with Jo Dee Messina, The Black Crowes, Megan Morony, Sheryl Crow and more!); food vendors galore; competitions (marching bands, float builders, baton twirlers, fiddle…
Dear Candid Candace: How do I get my husband off his phone or iPad? I’ve tried everything! I think he has an addiction. Every time we are watching a movie or even enjoying coffee he’s got his iPad or phone on so I’m seeing the top of his head not his face. He says it’s work or an important n…
If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway and a short road trip from Chicago, then St. Louis may be the perfect travel destination for you.
Online communities can be a great way to expand your social circle and connect to people from all over the world. It’s especially useful for those who travel a lot and struggle to keep up in a local community since they’re gone half the time. It’s also great for those with niche interests th…
Jon Cohn discusses the NBA Finals contestants, the Indiana Pacers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
To some, New Buffalo, Mich., a quiet escape an hour east of Chicago, could be labeled as quaint. But quaint doesn’t quite do the town justice. Not when you factor all the wonderful lodging and dining experiences that await you in this peaceful lakeshore town.
From the moment I met Sister Rosemary Connelly, it was clear she was someone extraordinary. Her presence radiated warmth and compassion, and her smile made everyone feel seen and loved. As a longtime friend and supporter of Misericordia, I was welcomed with open arms by the then-executive di…
Uncover the role of stablecoins in modern finance, their market potential, and how regulatory measures are shaping their future.
Waiting for the corn stands to open, anticipating friend-filled picnics in the American Legion Park and visiting with former classmates at my No-Class Reunion are just a few of the many activities I look forward to every summer in my little hometown of Dupo, Illinois, nestled near the banks …
Dear Candid Candace—I wanted your thoughts, as we are now parents of young children starting to go to their friends’ birthday parties. They have been invited to pirate-themed parties, magic shows, treasure hunts, princess parties, face painting parties, and even spa parties and laser tag par…
Is there anything that says summer quite like a farmstand? I sure don’t think so. Just this past the weekend, my family- husband Chuck and Penny the pup- took a drive to Westmont to visit one of our favorite markets, The Farm.
Here is your article edited for grammar, punctuation, and AP style, with nothing else changed:
I recently attended a dance recital and was instantly reminded of the years spent watching my sister’s annual performance from a dark auditorium. The seat cushions were so worn, the springs jabbed me in places I’d rather not mention.
With the penny on its way out, here are other outdated habits, objects, and ideas we should consider retiring next.
Avoid wasting screen time—here’s a list of TV shows not worth watching, with honest reviews and what to stream instead.
Dear Candid Candace: I just wanted to see what advice you had on this. My wife and I are on the opposite ends of the “keep things vs. throw things away” spectrum. The wife always likes to save things “ just in case” and says “ well the kids may want this someday down the road.” I am of t…
Caitlin Clark opens the 2025 WNBA season with record stats, triple-doubles, and unmatched passing for the Indiana Fever.
Explore the quirky side of art school graduation, from costumes to career confusion, and the eccentric world of degree holders.
I had the pleasure of participating in a Mother’s Day podcast yesterday produced by my longtime friend, John St. Augustine. He interviewed a few of his other friends about memories of their moms and I was included. I’ve written a lot about my mom, but as always, John drew things out of me th…
Gov. JB Pritzker moves up the top ten list for the 2028 presidential run.
Chicago’s weather this week is a wild ride—think 80 degrees, sudden thunderstorms, and unpredictable mood swings. From sunshine to downpours, here’s why the Windy City’s forecast feels like a reality show you can’t escape.
Ideas for choosing the next pope from people in sports world
Sometimes it is hard to repeat greatness. Usually, you’re lucky enough to capture the magic once, but to do it again, even for a third time, and make it even more special? That’s not so easy.
A brand new idea to improve Masters Golf Tournament
Being the dedicated and loyal reporter for The Chicago Star that I occasionally pretend to be, I meandered over to the “Hands Off” protest held at Daley Plaza on Saturday, April 5.
Dear Candid Candace: Need your advice on a career question. Not for me, but for a friend whose son quit a good paying corporate job, at the tender age of 29, in a kind of early mid-life crisis— “ I want to find a job with more meaning” type revelation.
Normally, change is hard to come by. As a sort of natural human reaction, we tend to resist change, especially when it comes to any of our grand traditions that have been with us for so long.
Sixty-eight teams started the March Madness college basketball tournament, and now just four remain.
“Titanique,” a campy, irreverent musical comedy opened in previews on March 25, and has already been extended to July 13! We didn’t know what to expect when we attended the 100-minute (no intermission) production at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, but let’s just say it is a one-…
First weekend of March Madness basketball was good, except for too many whistles from officials
World champion boxer and successful businessman George Foreman has passed away at age 76.
I want to begin with a confession. While I was a sports mom, college basketball was entirely outside my realm. My oldest son played hockey, and my other son was registered for baseball and football, but his favorite positions were snack mom and after-practice ice cream coordinator.
Yes, the games of March Madness are about to begin, and a big part of the fun is trying to figure out who exactly will be those surprise teams—the teams that pull off unlikely upsets and make an improbable run to the Elite Eight, or maybe even the Final Four!
