(Extremely Chicago accent) Pope Bob
We’re trying something a little different in this week’s edition of The Last Ward. Instead of an article on a single topic, you’ll find a potpourri of Chicago highlights and my takes.
I’ll be experimenting with different formats week-to-week based on what’s happening in our city and your feedback.
Let’s get into it. Starting with Chicago news you should know.
Da pope
Robert Prevost’s papal election is the biggest Chicago news story since 1871.
Here’s how the Dolton-born, White Sox loving, Portillo’s chocolate cake eating, Aurelio’s Pizza patronizing pope reportedly chose the name Leo XIV:
During the meal, Cardinal Chomali asked the new pope why he had chosen the name Leo XIV.
"He told me he is very concerned about the cultural shifts we are living through, a Copernican revolution really - artificial intelligence, robotics, human relationships," the prelate said. "He was inspired by Leo XIII, who in the midst of the Industrial Revolution wrote Rerum Novarum, launching an important dialogue between the church and the modern world."
The new pope believes the church has a vital role to play in today's moment of "perplexity," Cardinal Chomalí added. "There is a revolution happening, and it must be addressed seriously. The church can contribute through its moral authority and also its academic strength."
For more on that Copernican revolution I highly recommend Tyler Cowen’s recent interview with Anthropic Co-founder Jack Clark.
Magna charter
In 1215, English barons forced King John to accept the Magna Carta. It was the first time a king of England was compelled by his subjects to formally acknowledge limits on his power in a negotiated legal document.
Pope Innocent III was outraged. He issued a papal bull declaring the Magna Carta “null, void, and forever invalid,” arguing it violated the king’s authority and the pope’s role as overlord of England.
To Innocent, this charter was more than a political inconvenience. It was a direct threat to the divinely ordained hierarchy of power.
Since 1929, Vatican City has operated under its own written legal framework known as the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, which lays out the city-state’s governance structure and reaffirms the Pope’s absolute authority over legislative, executive, and judicial functions. It was revised in 2000 and again in 2023.
And yet in 2025, Chicago—the third-largest city in America—still has no such foundational document. It remains the only major U.S. city without a city charter. There is no written constitution.
Thanks to Chip Mulaney for coining the pro-city charter tagline Magna Charter (pronounced in a Boston accent, “Magna Chaa-tah”) at a recent event where I was invited to speak on the merits of creating a voter-approved city charter for Chicago. You can learn more about the charter initiative here and here.
CEO CPZ
Prevost’s papacy wasn’t the only piece Chicago leadership news worth highlighting last week.
A months-long rumor about the future head of Chicago Public Schools finally made headlines: Mayor Brandon Johnson is attempting to install his chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. And that vote could happen as soon as this month. The Chicago Tribune editorial board capably ran down the reasons why picking Pacione-Zayas is a bad idea.
The controversy here stems in part from a resolution requiring the next head of CPS to hold a superintendent’s license. Johnson’s hand-picked school board members all voted for that resolution. But he is now pressuring the board to repeal it, because Pacione-Zayas doesn’t have that license.
The mayor’s about-face outraged school board member Che “Rhymefest” Smith, who told the Tribune: “There’s almost no difference and no daylight between at — this point — Elon Musk as the CEO, Trump as the CEO and Mayor Johnson saying that we don’t need criteria and qualifications. I feel like it’s an attack on the school board being an independent body. It’s an attack on democracy.”
Easy listening
I joined two longform podcasts last week to discuss city governance and Illinois politics.
First I joined Eric Zorn on Not Even Mad, a podcast hosted by Mike Pesca—former Slate journalist and longtime host of the popular daily news show The Gist. We discussed the timing and structure of municipal elections in Chicago and New York, the record of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and much more. Mike’s a great host.
Zorn and I then teamed up again with John Williams and Marj Halperin for an episode of The Mincing Rascals on WGN Radio, where we discussed the U.S. Senate race in Illinois, tariffs on movies, and the legacy of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan.
Green light
A recurring Mincing Rascals segment that I’ll be borrowing for The Last Ward is each panelist’s “green light,” which is one recommendation from what we’re listening to, reading, watching, etc. My green light this week comes from the indispensable Belgian record label Planet Ilunga, run by Bart Caettert. Bart is an evangelist of Congolese jazz, and his latest release is in collaboration with the estates of the two undisputed kings of Congolese music, Franco Luambo and Joseph Kabasele. You can stream “African Jazz invites O.K. Jazz (1961-1970)” on Bandcamp here.