Chicago Tribune Opinion Thursday, June 4, 2026 | | |
| | | | | Good morning, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza's formal entry into next year's Chicago mayoral election has the editorial board raising the curtain on a momentous year to come in the city's politics. Buckle up. Speaking of the city, the board looks at an underappreciated aspect of the Tolstoy-length saga over the Chicago Bears stadium. Did Mayor Brandon Johnson out-and-out betray the team in his zeal to kill the Arlington Heights plan? Not all unions are the same in terms of their effectiveness and worthiness, and a Chicago writer with extensive experience in unions writes engagingly about his experiences. Willie Wilson, who writes regularly for us, assesses the fiscal 2027
"maintenance" budget just passed in Springfield and whether it keeps the faith with Illinoisans. And a Northwestern University professor offers his views on autonomous AI and whether it's a boon (or not) to science. Check out our readers' letters as well. Many of them have some thoughts on how the Democratic Party can improve. See you tomorrow. — Steve Daniels, editorial board member Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | | | | If you thought the primary season was madness in March, be warned: That brief reprieve you enjoyed from election ads and campaign mailers will soon come to an end. | | | | | Here’s yet another wrinkle in the chaotic Bears stadium saga. | | | | | Unions can either be effective or ineffective, and that depends entirely on their members. | | | | | The state constitution mandates that Illinois leaders pass policies that provide opportunities for the fullest development of the individual. | | | | | Using autonomous AI could increase the distance between knowledge production and human understanding. | | | | | All the scandals involving Democrats does not bode well for the party’s hopes in the November elections. | | | |
