Good morning, Chicago.

I grew up in the suburbs visiting your typical flat shopping mall. When I first visited Chicago as a kid, Water Tower Place left me in awe. It was so neat to ride between floors on the glass elevators; each one offered something new. Sadly, this iconic mall is not what it once was. Even American Girl Place has lost its luster.

Something must be done to attract people again, not just to Water Tower Place, but to the northern end of Michigan Avenue, the editorial board writes in its first piece today.

In commentary, Steve Chapman is back today calling out Congress and the Supreme Court for not doing more to check and balance the executive branch’s power. Last week’s decision regarding birthright citizenship is the latest example of the court capitulating to Trump, Chapman says.

No student or teacher wants to think about school during the summer, but today we have an educator and administrator in our section who are concerned about the impact AI will have on the classroom come fall.

Evanston English teacher, Liz Shulman writes about the increasing pressure on teachers to use AI in the classroom despite complaints that students aren’t learning to think critically. South suburban school administrator Jerald McNair wonders if as many students are using AI chatbots as we think and what the technology’s increasing popularity means for the future of homework.

The city of Chicago ended its fiscal year $161 million in the hole. City Hall seems to view this as an unfortunate event that no one can control, but the board sees it differently. Read the take here.

Thanks for reading us during your short holiday week. We will be back in your inboxes tomorrow.

— Grace Miserocchi, opinion editor

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