Chicago Tribune Opinion Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | | |
| | | | | Good morning, Chicago. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently pitched a mandatory retirement age of 75 for people in U.S. government. But several senior public officials, including Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Danny Davis and Sen. Dick Durbin, have all chosen to retire and hand off Democratic leadership to the next generation. So is a mandate really necessary? The Tribune Editorial Board says no. Laura Washington also has her eye on the upcoming election, specifically the race for Davis’ seat, Illinois’ 7th Congressional District. Nearly all 13 of the Democrats running are Black. However, new boundaries have changed the demographics of the district, and one candidate, Jason Friedman, could change the racial equation, Washington writes. Also today, a law professor writes about the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and the complex debate it has sparked around the entanglement of First and Second Amendment rights. Plus two leaders of the Illinois Holocaust Museum remind us of the living lessons of Auschwitz. Lastly, the board is not so sure about THC drinks being sold at the United Center. Thanks for reading. We will be back tomorrow. — Grace Miserocchi, opinion editor Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | | | | Rahm Emanuel recently called for a mandatory retirement age of 75 for government officials in Washington. Our ‘gerontocracy’ is proving we don’t need such a blunt instrument. | | | | | With redistricting shifts, Illinois’ 7th Congressional district has evolved from a predominantly Black domain to a sprawling territory. | | | | | Alex Pretti’s killing has renewed a debate about whether protesters should carry weapons during demonstrations. | | | | | On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember that the conditions that made Auschwitz possible did not vanish with the camp’s liberation. | | | | | A trip to the United Center often means a chance to see world-class athletes — the 1990s Bulls, the 2010s Chicago Blackhawks. | | | | | Had federal agents cared about human life or been trained properly, they could have made non-deadly choices. | | | | | Scott Stantis | |
