The Chicago-based American Medical Association is warning that the doctor shortage in the U.S. could get worse with Congress' new megabill.

Why it matters: Even before the legislation passed, the AMA was predicting the U.S. would have a shortage of more than 85,000 doctors by 2036.

The latest: The spending bill signed by President Trump this month will cap medical school loans at a total of $200,000, but the average med school debt is more than $210,000, according to the AMA.

• The cost of a public, in-state medical school was as high as $286,000 in 2024 and more than $390,000 for private institutions.

What they're saying: AMA president Bobby Mukkamala called the legislation "disappointing, maddening, and unacceptable."

Threat level: One in five physicians hope to leave their practice in the next two years, one in three want to reduce hours and 40% of medical students may not want to enter clinical practice, according to the AMA.

Zoom out: The association has also been vocal in its opposition to Medicaid cuts in the spending bill for the damage it will do to patient care and the medical profession, they argue.

• "The cuts to federal health care programs ... will shift costs to the states and specifically to physicians and hospitals to provide uncompensated care at a time when rural hospitals and physician practices are struggling to keep their doors open," the AMA said in a statement.

The other side: Trump and Republicans, many of whom still see Medicaid coverage as an "entitlement program," maintain the cuts will save the government $1 trillion over the next decade, though the Congressional Budget Office expects the bill will add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years.

What we're watching

The deadline for Chicago Tribune newsroom journalists to apply for a buyout has come and gone.

The intrigue: According to the union, no one applied.

• Caveat: Longtime reporter Ray Long did take the buyout deal, but he was already planning on retiring.

The big picture: Tribune owner Alden Capital had offered buyouts, hoping newsroom union workers would take them to avoid layoffs.

• It's unclear how much money Alden is trying to save with this move.

What they're saying: "The company's offer didn't respect the many years of hard work our journalists have put in," reporter and guild leader Jake Sheridan tells Axios.

• "Our owners should have done more to avert layoffs."

Zoom in: The offers were reportedly more like regular severance packages than incentives to voluntarily leave the job early.

By the numbers: There are 75 union newsroom employees at Chicago's preeminent newspaper.

Reality check: Now, the union is bracing for what could be swift cuts as early as next week from the investment firm that has a reputation for slashing costs at local papers.

The other side: Alden and Chicago Tribune management did not respond to Axios' requests for comment.

Go deeper

The hottest homes on the market aren't the showiest — they're the ones buyers can still afford, Realtor.com finds.

Why it matters: In today's expensive market, fierce competition for cheaper homes is driving up their prices.

By the numbers: Median asking prices for colonial and traditional homes, some of the most affordable styles, jumped 5.6% in May from a year earlier.

• That's the biggest increase of any architectural style researchers analyzed.

The other side: Sprawling Mediterranean-style homes, common in costly areas like Los Angeles and Miami, saw prices flatten.

Read the full story

🔥 The alleged arsonist of a West Side fire that killed four people has been detained by Cook County prosecutors. (Tribune)

🥫 Kraft Heinz is reportedly planning to break off some of its products into a new entity, a decade after the merger of the food giants has been less profitable than planned. (WSJ)

🎓 A CPS student who stepped up to teach classes during a teacher shortage will attend Northwestern. (Block Club)

💙 1 fun thing: Meet fellow readers who support our local newsroom as members.

• Consider joining them today.

👋 Hey, it's Monica.

I recently binged season 4 of "The Bear" and found myself shouting questions that only Chicagoans would ask.

Who says J-O? Sure, we like to throw around the word jagoff, but I've never heard anyone refer to it as "J-O" the way Uncle Jimmy does when talking to his kid this season.

Which Trib reviewer? The Bear team obsesses over a tepid review by a Chicago Tribune dining critic who I assumed must be based on real critics Louisa Chu or Phil Vettel. That is, until a character called the critic a "millennial jagoff."

• Those two are neither.

Did cheesy beef start south? When Sydney's South Side hairdresser friend complains about North Side Italian beefs lacking cheese, it bolstered my hunch that cheesy beefs, like many great culinary inventions, started south.

For more Bear questions

👋 Hi, Monica again. Happy Bastille Day!

After being impressed by La Grande Boucherie during its February 2024 opening, I'd heard horror stories about food and service going straight downhill.

• What a shame in one of River North's prettiest dining rooms.

What happened: Veteran Chicago chef Michael Taus took over Boucherie last fall, and, based on a recent terrific $25 prix fixe lunch there, he seems to have righted the ship.

🥖 The bites: Lunch started with a warm, crusty baguette, followed by creamy vichyssoise soup and a beautifully executed Lyonnaise salad.

• Entrees included a tender chicken breast in a tarragon mustard sauce and melting eggplant gateau in a ratatouille ragout.

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