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Chicago Tribune Opinion

Monday, April 6, 2026

 
 

Good morning. We hope you had an enjoyable Easter that was not spoiled by President Donald Trump's profanity-laden message. As you perhaps read yesterday on our pages, we looked at the meaning of the season quite differently. 

Today, the editorial board takes a look at the new regulations surrounding so-called accessory dwelling units, sometimes called coach houses or granny flats. We are glad to see the loosening of the rules surrounding their construction, but we'd like to see fewer rules governing how they can be used.

We also took a look at the flap over at the Chicago Housing Authority, where Mayor Brandon Johnson has not been able to install his preferred candidate to run the operation, affecting the dwellings of thousands of Chicagoans. We see this as a good thing, frankly. Given the perennial chaos at City Hall, we think the so-called sister agencies (such as the CHA, the CTA and the Chicago Park District) have to become far more independent if they are to serve their constituents. 

Taxes are coming due. So you might be especially interested in our editorial on the size of your potential tax refund!

Let me also highlight what I think are some "must-reads" in our Tribune Opinion section for you this morning, starting with the latest piece from Pegah Banihashemi who has become something of a regular contributor for us, giving our readers her exclusive insights into the Iran war from the perspectives of the Iranian people. 

This weekend also saw the second installment of our Chicago 2050 series with a piece imagining the future of our transportation system and also a contribution from Daniel Holz, a professor of physics at the University of Chicago who studies black holes, at least when he is not writing for us about progress and avoiding doomsday scenarios. 

Also our architecture columnist Edward Keegan writes about the new computer science building at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a creation he calls "willfully eccentric."

He means that in a good way. Check out what he has to say and the rest of our offerings below. And, as always, we have lots of your letters to share.

— Chris Jones, editorial page editor

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Editorial: Amid war and uncertainty, Easter’s message holds

In a time when the news changes by the hour and chaos abounds, the message of Easter does not.

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Editorial: More coach houses are now legal, but with too much social engineering in the way

More granny flats are great. But then the city should get out of the way.

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Editorial: City Hall is chaotic. So Chicago’s ‘sister agencies’ like CHA are learning to stand on their own.

The Chicago Housing Authority board takes a principled stand against mayoral interference with CEO hire.

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Editorial: It’s tax time, and today’s juicy refunds could spell sorrow tomorrow

As the April 15 tax deadline approaches, refunds are going out now. And for many American taxpayers, they are indeed more generous this year.

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Pegah Banihashemi: Iranians, facing war, repression and ruin, are not defined by their leaders

This is the reality for millions of Iranians: a state that built underground fortresses for missiles but not safe refuge for its people.

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Chicago 2050: IDOT’s secretary writes about the future of transportation in ‘The City that Works’

Any bold idea for the future of Chicago and its transportation system should question the primacy of personal vehicles.