Good morning, Chicago. There’s a troubled patch of pavement next to the Target near my home that has seen a lot of hot patch in my six years on the Northwest Side. I thought about the cost of those futile fixes as I read Yunus Emre Tozal’s op-ed today about where the city goes wrong in its repair of potholes. Tozal, a civil engineer, diagnoses the problem and offers advice for the City Council as its 2027 budgetmaking session approaches, and it’s an examination that’s well worth reading.

Two clergymen also have advice for elected officials — specifically Gov. JB Pritzker and his Pennsylvania counterpart Josh Shapiro. They believe one of the best things the two state leaders can do for children of color is to be facilitators of school choice. Rounding out our commentary section is foreign affairs columnist Daniel DePetris’ exploration of the NATO-like agreement that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have struck for mutual defense.

Over on the editorial page, the Tribune Editorial Board argues that Democratic candidates for Illinois House must disclose where they stand on Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch after his actions over the Harry Benton misconduct allegations were found deficient. And the board celebrates Gen Z’s embrace of the moviegoing experience.

Amen. Watching a film on streaming will never really compare to sitting in a darkened theater and vibing with the crowd as you get lost in the story flashing on the big screen.

The kids are all right.

— Colleen Kujawa, opinion editor

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