Good morning. 

The forecast thankfully is much better today for the scheduled Obama Center festivities.

The editorial board turns its eyes to downtown Chicago, where plans to build the first new office building in six years are afoot. One of the city's biggest law firms, Sidley Austin, is headed to the West Loop from the Central Loop. The board is pleased there's likely to be a new crane in the sky, but a bit worried about the vacant space Sidley will leave behind.

I've been watching plenty of World Cup action, and if anything, the action and excitement have been better than anticipated. All the more reason to regret Chicago not hosting any matches. The board rues the fateful decision not to bid eight years ago.

Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, has been under fire of late. But he has a defender in J.R. Davis, chairman of the Chicago Crime Commission. Check out his argument.

And Willie Wilson, a regular contributor to our pages, says it's no mystery why Chicago ranks so low on lists of the best-run American cities.

Back to the Obama Center, we've got an extra helping of reader letters on the topic for the second straight day. Enjoy those, and we'll be back here tomorrow.

— Steve Daniels, editorial board member

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