Chicago Tribune Opinion Friday, December 12, 2025 | | |
| | | | | Happy Friday, Chicago. Just as the first big batch of snow has melted ever so slightly, another dusting is on the horizon, along with breathtaking cold. It’s the perfect time to settle in with some good Tribune opinion content. Today, the editorial board supports a new teen curfew concept aimed at preventing mobs of young people from wreaking havoc — and, too often, deadly violence — in Chicago. We also weigh in on Cook County’s disastrous electronic monitoring program, the failures of which contributed to the horrific Blue Line attack that forever altered the life of 26-year-old Bethany MaGee. Columnist Liz Shackelford shines a light on an underreported story coming out of the war in Ukraine — the mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children. Will Johnson, former CEO of The Harris Poll, parses new findings that reveal the big loser in Chicago’s prolonged budget battle: Mayor Brandon Johnson. Finally, Michael Peregrine reflects on former Bears great Gale Sayers and the greatest performance in Chicago sports history. Don’t forget to check out our reader letters. — Hilary Gowins, editorial board member Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | | | | Ald. Brian Hopkins, whose 2nd ward includes much of downtown, deserves thanks for not giving up on a means to stop teen “takeovers” downtown. | | | | | Cook County needs to stop releasing people on electronic monitoring when they pose a risk to the public, particularly in cases involving prior violent convictions or serious pending charges. | | | | | Three quarters of respondents to a new poll say they’ll hold the Chicago mayor responsible if he vetoes the City Council’s alternative budget. | | | | | Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and taken to Russia. | | | | | Dec. 12, 1965, was a day when everything went right for the Bears rookie running back Gale Sayers. | | | | | Dick Van Dyke, the happiest export Danville, Illinois, ever had, turns 100 on Saturday. | | | |
