Chicago Tribune Opinion Friday, August 14, 2026 | | |
| | | | | Happy Friday, Chicago. July taught us to fear lettuce, and now August gives us reason to shun guacamole and salsa during peak patio season. The editorial board hopes September ushers in a season free from produce-phobia. Our lead editorial finds a cautionary tale for Mayor Brandon Johnson in Capital One’s takeover of Discover. While nearly 1,300 Illinois jobs have disappeared, the company has largely spared Discover’s workforce in Chicago — including its 1,000-job Chatham call center. Johnson’s beloved head tax would thank Capital One for keeping those South Side jobs by charging it nearly $400,000 a year. Columnist David Greising offers his thoughts on how to fix Illinois’ ethics problems in the wake of the Harry Benton scandal that looms over House leadership. Our letters are full of feedback on the Wisconsin primary, as well as wide-ranging views on everything from school choice and religious freedom to the Democrats’ new rallying cry of “Medicare for All.” Today, we have thoughtful pieces from two professors representing two of our city’s fine universities. First, Illinois Institute of Technology professor Francisco Ruiz writes to dispel the myth of the overpaid professor. Next, University of Chicago professor Harold Pollack observes Julius Rosenwald’s 164th birthday as an occasion to argue that he was perhaps “the greatest Chicagoan” because he combined extraordinary business success at Sears with unusually ambitious, practical philanthropy. — Hilary Gowins, editorial board member Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | | | | How odd to find yourself afraid of your salad; frightened of guacamole; nervous around salsa. | | | | | Illinois is once again facing scandal because elected leaders, when handed the opportunity to clean up government, have mostly just taken a pass. | | | | | Oh, the irony of a possible head tax on the 1,000 Discover Financial call-center jobs in Chatham. | | | | | For generations, higher education offered an implicit bargain. Faculty accepted lower earnings in exchange for independence and tenure. | | | | | Chicagoan Julius Rosenwald understood that people with great resources also have a responsibility to use these resources to help others. | | | | | My son’s career path was set by his mother. She’s always been on the front lines of tending to our family’s broken bones and illnesses. | | | | | Reasonable-thinking Democrats know that socialism has no place in the party. | | | |
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