Good morning, Chicago.

The winds seem favorable for Democrats to take back the House and maybe even the Senate this fall. Even so, Laura Washington reports, the candidates seem to be “wringing their hands” — despite the fact that prices are up in many sectors and Trump’s approval ratings are down. Washington suggests one area the Dems can steal wind from Republicans on the campaign trail — corruption.  

The midterms are also on the mind of the editorial board as it begins the process of endorsing candidates in several contested races. GOP and Democratic candidates have skipped out on the chance to face their challengers in debates and editorial board interviews. “When a candidate is only willing to speak into the echo chamber, that’s a bad sign,” the board writes. 

Chris Jones recently spoke with Ari Emanuel, Rahm’s older Hollywood-agent brother and gives us a portion of their conversation in Commentary today: It covers dyslexia, the rise of AI and the entertainment industry. 

Former jazz journalist Steven D. Reske writes beautifully about John Coltrane on what would be his 100th birthday. Plus, don’t miss the editorial board on a certain sports fan’s problematic reaction to Caleb Williams’ injury. 

Thanks for reading. 

— Grace Miserocchi, opinion editor

Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter