Good afternoon! Be careful out there with the fog. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Mayor Johnson calls for a cease-fire in Gaza

Mayor Brandon Johnson this week became what appears to be the biggest city mayor now calling for a cease-fire, my colleague Mariah Woelfel reports.

“I condemn the actions of Hamas, but at this point now I believe we’re looking at 25,000 Palestinians that have been killed during this war and the killing has to stop. So yes, we need a cease-fire,” Johnson said at a news conference yesterday at City Hall.

The mayor’s comments come as the City Council is expected to consider a resolution next week pushing for a cease-fire, humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages.

If approved, the resolution would be sent to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Illinois’ congressional delegation. [WBEZ]

2. Northwestern’s handling of alleged antisemitism is under investigation

The U.S. Department of Education this week opened an investigation into Northwestern University’s handling of alleged antisemitic incidents, my colleague Cindy Hernandez reports.

Universities across the U.S. have struggled to handle on–campus tensions since the start of the war in Gaza, which has sparked a wave of student activism.

The investigation comes after Zachary Marschall, the editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, a conservative website, filed a complaint alleging Northwestern “discriminated against students on the basis of national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) by failing to respond appropriately to incidents of harassment.”

The university said in a statement that it is “committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment for everyone in our community.” In November, Northwestern announced the formation of an Advisory Committee Against Antisemitism and Hate. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. City Hall insiders gave campaign money to a mayoral aide’s mother

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas, came to Chicago last summer and raised more than $80,000 for what turned out to be a losing campaign for mayor of Houston.

Some of the money she collected in Chicago came from people with contracts or connections with City Hall, where her son Jason Lee is a senior adviser to Mayor Brandon Johnson, my colleagues Tim Novak and Robert Herguth report.

Jason Lee said he attended his mother’s fundraiser but had nothing to do with organizing the event or soliciting people to give.

“She’s my mom,” Lee said. “She asked me to be there. She wanted to see me.”

Johnson and his political mentor, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, were also at the fundraiser. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. A Chicago Police officer got three months home detention for participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection

The officer, Karol Chwiesiuk, and his sister are among more than 40 Illinois residents to face federal criminal charges in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol, my colleague Jon Seidel reports.

A jury last summer convicted the siblings, who spent roughly 10 minutes inside the Capitol during the insurrection. But the feds say they ignored the damage and violence outside as they made their way in.

Photos purportedly taken on Jan. 6, 2021, show Karol Chwiesiuk wearing a Chicago Police Department hoodie.

When criminal charges were first filed against Karol Chwiesiuk in 2021, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the allegations a “total disgrace.”

“This isn’t about one police officer charged with a heinous assault on our democracy,” she insisted. Rather, Lightfoot said it was about sending a “clear and unequivocal message” that “we will have no tolerance for hate. Period.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Mayor Johnson signals support for a new White Sox stadium

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he had a “very positive” conversation with White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf about a plan to build a new stadium on vacant South Loop land known as The 78, my colleague Fran Spielman reports.

“My conversation with Jerry was very positive,” the mayor said in a news conference yesterday at City Hall.

“One of the things I did appreciate in our conversation is that what they’re considering, it’s the way new stadiums should and could look. That they have community benefit.”

My colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times reported last week the Sox are in “serious negotiations” with Related Midwest, which owns the 62-acre site at Roosevelt and Clark.

It’s the largest parcel in the downtown core, but somehow has eluded development for decades. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• President Biden plans to dispatch CIA Director William J. Burns to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas. [Washington Post]

• Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, according to a study from Harvard University. [NPR]

• Religious “nones” are now the largest single group in the U.S. [NPR]

• Here’s an inside look into secret plans to bring Jon Stewart back to The Daily Show. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

Imagine this: The bar is packed, music is playing and the cocktail shakers are getting a workout.

But folks aren’t having a party — they’re here to read.

It’s called the Silent Book Club, and it takes place in the Ukrainian Village basement bar known as Dorothy on the second Sunday of each month, my colleagues Greta Johnsen and Anna Bauman report.

“I like people,” said Charlie Schumann, the bar’s Silent Book Club curator.

“But sometimes I’m, like, I don’t really have anything to say to you. I just want to read my little book. But you want to read your little book, too. So now we can just do it next to each other.” [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

It’s Restaurant Week in Chicago! What are your favorite restaurants and what do you recommend ordering?

Elizabeth writes:

“Amitabul on Milwaukee Avenue is a great restaurant! The menu is varied and everything they serve tastes delicious!”

And Michael Gorman writes:

“Club Lago at Orleans and Superior. This third-generation family-run restaurant and bar is a palace of Italian-American food with much of its 70+ year ambience but a far better wine list that suits today’s tastes. Presided over by the welcoming Nardini brothers and with an attentive, friendly, efficient staff in the front and the kitchen. Great bar for a drink and conversation and music that ranges far beyond the Tony Bennett/Dino/Sinatra playbook. Authentic old Chicago in its gentrified area.”

Feel free to email me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.