| Happy Friday, Chicago. Sales taxes go up tomorrow across much of the Chicago area, with the tax in Chicago hitting a whopping 10.5%, among the very highest in the country. As you can imagine, the editorial board — and most other folks — are not thrilled. Plenty of Chicago area families have sent their kids — or gone themselves — to the idyllic campus of Interlochen Center for the Arts, an elite arts institution on the shores of Lake Michigan near Traverse City. The editorial board weighs in on a disturbing new report detailing decades of abuse at Interlochen, in which none other than infamous abuser Jeffrey Epstein, himself an Interlochen alum, played a part. Two doctors argue that we need clearer statewide guidance for outdoor activities during periods of poor air quality. Illinois Policy Institute’s Joe Tabor writes about what it will really take to strengthen Illinois ethics rules after yet another corruption indictment, this time state Rep. Carol Ammons. As Tabor points out, Illinois has recorded more than 2,100 public corruption convictions since 1983. Clearly, more needs to be done. Retired Chicago Police Department officer Louis Martinez writes that advanced policing technologies such as geofencing — which allows investigators to obtain data from devices within a defined geographic area — require strict safeguards set by legislators so technology protects both public safety and civil liberties. Don’t forget to check out reader letters on the “end of reading” and pushback against a teachers’ unions lawsuit against the Cook County treasurer over late property tax bills. I’m out next week but will be back in your inbox Aug. 14. Until then, thanks for reading. — Hilary Gowins, editorial board member Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | 
