Good morning, Chicago.

Have you gone to the Art Institute lately? Laura Washington’s column today convinced me to make a visit to the iconic museum a priority. The Art Institute is finally back after a slow pandemic recovery and is giving the Loop the summer boost it needs, Laura writes. It is open six days a week, and the restaurant and members-only spaces have been revamped.

The Art Institute shows Chicago’s good side, but over the weekend, sad truths about continued gun violence in Chicago became apparent. Last Wednesday, 18 people were shot, four fatally, in a drive-by shooting in River North. The Tribune Editorial Board and some anti-violence advocates write about one of the worst shootings in Chicago’s history in our section today.

The board says in its piece today that although crime is down this year in Chicago, the city still has a lot of work to do. “We don’t believe many Chicagoans feel any safer now than they did a year ago when statistics told a different story. Statistics offer no solace to victims of crime. They offer cold comfort to those who regularly hear gunfire from their homes,” the board writes.

Three local doctors and Arne Duncan call out gun manufacturers saying that Illinois taxpayers will bear the burden of mass shootings like the one in River North — the state pays an estimated $18.6 billion a year toward firearm injury and death — and the firearm industry will share none of these costs. They want to see that changed.

Also, don’t miss a piece by Senate President Don Harmon about why he disagrees with the Illinois State Board of Education about accusations that his campaign violated fundraising rules.

— Grace Miserocchi, opinion editor

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