| Good morning. Sunday, the editorial took a hard and painful look at Chicago's profligate borrowing at ever-higher rates. We tried to explain the often byzantine world of municipal bonds in easy-to-understand terms. Simply put, the city has to start living within its means, we argue. Take a look at the details below and talk to your alderman. We also took a look at Chicago's plans for America's 250th and saw a lot of discomfort at City Hall with the whole idea of celebrating this nation's birthday. What nonsense! Whatever your politics, America is distinct from President Donald Trump and the one can be celebrated without the other. Today, we honored a big JB Pritzker win. And, no, it was not in the election. See below. Sunday, we also kicked off our Chicago 2050 series, a new collection of articles wherein distinguished local writers express their aspirations for this city in 2050. For our first two pieces in this series, we tapped Mary Schmich, the former Tribune columnist, and also Tonika Lewis Johnson, who talks of inequality in the city. "If Chicago is willing to confront how its geography was shaped," Johnson writes,
"it may finally begin to build the city it was always capable of becoming." Elsewhere in our big Opinion section, we bring you Edward Keegan on Donald Trump's new White House ballroom, Storer H. Rowley on how one former hostage feels about the war in Iran, Col Jennifer Pritzker on America's 250th, Jane Saks on why art matters and Paul Vallas on why we are failing the men and women of the TSA. So much to read. Enjoy your morning. — Chris Jones, editorial page editor Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | 
