Good morning, Chicago. We all have reason to grumble about the cost of groceries. But who among us has to take out the equivalent of a loan to afford their food?

It turns out many Americans are using “buy now, pay later” loans to buy milk and other household staples, the Tribune Editorial Board informs readers today. Interest rates can go as high as 34.99% if you don’t pay off the loan in time. “This kind of financial behavior shows desperation and risk, and policymakers need to acknowledge this trend and respond accordingly,” the board writes.

In its other piece, the board believes Gov. JB Pritzker is using his clout to clear the field for his lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, to emerge as the chief Democratic candidate for replacing retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Elbowing out other highly qualified hopefuls does a disservice to Illinoisans, the board says.

In Tribune Opinion, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and two suburban mayors make their case for why state lawmakers should create a circuit breaker to help Cook County homeowners who have gotten socked by property tax hikes. In a compelling piece, a suburban teacher tells us that, no, the kids are not all right. Going to school is harder for them than it was for older generations, the eighth grade educator writes. And foreign affairs columnist Daniel DePetris looks at President Donald Trump’s itinerary for his upcoming Middle East trip and considers whether Trump will achieve anything of note.

In our letters to the editor, a small business owner in Chicago lays out in sobering terms how the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration may shut down her business and cause harm to the many people and companies she does business with. It’s a letter not to be missed.

We’ll be back tomorrow.

— Colleen Kujawa, opinion editor

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