Happy Friday, Chicago.

Today, the editorial board honors consummate newspaperman Bruce Dold, whose leadership shaped the editorial page for many years. He described our mission this way: “We should have a sense of civic commitment, but shouldn’t assume government has all the answers. I believe the newspaper is one of the few places that has the independence and the influence to demand that government be accountable to the governed.” We are proud to carry on his work.

The Trump administration leads the rest of our coverage. New parents can now claim a $1,000 Trump Account deposit — but as Trump, Vice President JD Vance and their allies are pushing to address the country’s declining birth rates, this new program won’t touch the affordability crisis squeezing families now, despite its long-term benefits for kids.

On our opinion page, Dan Tully, a major in the Army Reserve and a judge advocate, writes with alarm that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s contempt for military rules of engagement are on display in the Caribbean. And examining Trump’s proposed peace plan for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, former Tribune reporter and historian Ron Grossman draws a pointed parallel to the 1938 Munich Agreement, warning that conceding Ukrainian territory to Vladimir Putin echoes the same naïveté that emboldened Hitler.

Closing out our lineup, columnist David Greising says Mayor Brandon Johnson’s “moral document” of a budget falls short. With aldermen offering a competing plan and a year-end deadline approaching, he urges city leaders to drop the rhetoric, find real efficiencies and reach a deal that stabilizes Chicago’s finances.

Don’t forget to check out our reader letters (and keep ‘em coming).

— Hilary Gowins, editorial board member

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