Good morning!

It's axiomatic that an end to gun violence and poverty are linked. But in a fascinating Sunday Opinion piece, Jens Ludwig and Katie Hill of the University of Chicago argue that the causal link is not exactly as you might expect. "Ending poverty is neither necessary nor sufficient for solving the problem of gun violence in Chicago, " they write. "And there are other root causes that are much easier to solve that are at least as important."

So what are they? Given that most of us think gun violence is Chicago's single biggest problem, that should be enough to tell you that this courageous piece is a must-read.

And not the only one this weekend. Cory Franklin, always a compelling thinker, has an interesting take on assisted suicide, a perennial issue for us and for the state of Illinois. Jamie Kalven, one of our most distinguished regular contributors, writes about the fine line between democracy and fascism, arguing that if we spend all our time worrying about which is which, "we will drift — disoriented, unmoored, bewildered — into the iron cage of tyranny."

It's a fantastic piece.

Meanwhile, the editorial board has been busy. We've written this weekend about the longevity of Sister Jean (who was far more rare than you likely think), a judge's ruling against Donald Trump's declaration of a crisis to serve his own political ends, Mayor Brandon Johnson saying the quiet ("socialist") part out loud and, for a change of pace, the current state of play of electric vehicles, post-subsidy.

Take a look below and see what you find of interest. We appreciate your support of our vibrant Opinion section. My team works hard every day to bring it to you.

— Chris Jones, editorial page editor

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