Good morning.

Sunday, the Tribune Editorial Board examined the future of the Republican Party as we see it and already our mailboxes are filling up. This at-length analysis compounds what we said a week ago about the reforms and self-introspection we'd like to see from the Democrats. We'd recommend reading them both together.

We've now finished our Chicago 2050 series of Opinion articles imagining the future of the city and we've compiled a link for you where you can read this entire series in one place. Sunday, we heard from Broadway in Chicago CEO Lou Raizin who long has been arguing that Chicago needs to better support its cultural sector. But we gave our last spot, aptly enough, to Mayor Brandon Johnson who wrote for us about how he sees the future of his city; he doesn't say if he plans to run for a second term as mayor but, if you believe that to be the likely outcome, what he has to say here offers some clues into what hasn't changed in his belief system and governing priorities.

Today, the editorial board looks askance at a prominent eyesore (of the architectural variety) in Springfield and explores both the history and the likely future of a hollowed-out hotel.  We're also writing about why your electric bills are spiking. And we're not talking about just two or three percent. We make an effort to explain why.

Along with all that to read, we've also got Nicole Ruiz writing about why Chicago needs a garment district like New York (an interesting idea, to my mind) and our architecture columnist Edward Keegan on why Frank Lloyd Wright buildings are always worth revisiting.

Just like Tribune Opinion is always worth reading.

Have a great week.

— Chris Jones, editorial page editor

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