Hey there! It’s Friday, and it’s about time. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. The Biden administration released a plan to keep kids in schools as the nation braces for omicron

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled a “test to stay” strategy today that allows unvaccinated children to remain in school even if exposed to the coronavirus.

Students are typically sent home to self quarantine if they are deemed a close contact to someone who tested positive. The CDC’s new strategy says students can stay in school so long as they are regularly tested.

The CDC pointed to two studies showing “test to stay” can be effective. The studies were conducted in Lake County, Illinois, and Los Angeles County. [NPR]

The news comes as the U.S. braces for the impact of the fast-spreading omicron variant. Early evidence from South Africa suggests omicron may not be as severe as previous variants, however the milder effects may be due to vaccines and natural immunity from past infections, the country’s health minister said today. [WaPo]

Omicron could pose a significant risk in areas of the U.S. with low vaccination rates. [New York Times]

2. Russia lays out demands as troops gather on the border with Ukraine

Moscow today spelled out its demands to the U.S. and its allies as concerns grow Russia is planning an invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. officials and the intelligence community have warned the Kremlin may be planning an offensive campaign early next year involving as many as 175,000 troops. President Joe Biden and officials with the European Union say Russia would face tough new sanctions if it invades Ukraine.

Among Moscow’s demands are a halt to all NATO military activity in Central and Eastern Europe and the organization’s expansion into other ex-Soviet republics, as well as a withdrawal of its membership offer to Ukraine and Georgia.

NATO officials immediately rejected the list of demands. [AP]

3. A judge rejects a Fox News request to dismiss Dominion Voting’s defamation lawsuit

A judge in Delaware this week rejected a request from Fox News to dismiss a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems.

In a 52-page ruling, the judge wrote “Fox possessed countervailing evidence of election fraud from the Department of Justice, election experts, and Dominion at the time it had been making its statements. The fact that, despite this evidence, Fox continued to publish its allegations against Dominion, suggests Fox knew the allegations were probably false.”

Dominion sued Fox News earlier this year, accusing the network of amplifying baseless claims that hurt the company’s reputation and business. [AP]

No evidence has been uncovered of widespread voting fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election. An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states found fewer than 475. [AP]

4. There’s “a sense of no plan” in tackling Chicago’s crime, business leader says

The head of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is warning the city is “at a crossroads” and officials need to find immediate solutions to a rise in crime.

Jack Lavin, the president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, says the business community needs more assurances because right now, “there’s a sense of no plan.”

“Our businesses — and it’s not just retail as you hear on the Mag Mile. It’s restaurants, offices returning to work, banks. They want to know how are we gonna solve the violence and the public safety problem this week. This weekend. Tomorrow,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Lavin said business leaders specifically want a “strategy for the short and medium term for how we’re gonna reduce retail theft, carjackings, shootings and who is prosecuted.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. ComEd is offering customers a refund for its lobbying misconduct

Commonwealth Edison is proposing a one-time $21 million refund to its ratepayers for lobbying misconduct associated with the company’s long-running efforts to woo former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and advance its Springfield agenda, reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney.

But it would only deliver barely noticeable savings to its 4.1 million customers. State utility regulators will need to sign off on the proposal.

“It’s a very small amount when you consider the millions of extra profits that ComEd has won through its bribery scheme and the fact that they’ll soon be making a billion dollars of guaranteed profits annually,” said Abe Scarr, director of Illinois PIRG. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Intrigue builds over how Illinois’ wealthiest man will make a play in the next gubernatorial race. [Chicago Tribune]
• A police officer in suburban Aurora remains on the force despite having at least 33 sustained complaints made against him. [Injustice Watch]
• A dead mobster got tax breaks for six years in Cook County. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• New York City turns to Oreos in its fight against rats. [NYT]

Oh, and one more thing …

Are you traveling in the next couple of days or still looking for a holiday gift? Or just need something to read?

This week’s Nerdette looks at the best books of 2021, and one title caught my eye — A Psalm for the Wild-Built, which takes place in a world where robots went on strike to forge their own lives.

“It explores what humans want and what it even means to be human with such sweetness and compassion that I was just so grateful for it,” says Nerdette host Greta Johnsen. “It’s short and sweet. I just want to give it to everyone because it’s such a lovely reminder to revel in goodness, which I think we could all use more of this year.” [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

The end of the year is quickly approaching. What’s going to be your resolution for 2022?

Art writes:

“Keep trying to encourage people to get vaccinated. Trying not to hate people who don’t wear masks in stores with signs that say ‘Masks required’, or to get really angry at the staff who don’t enforce the mask requirement. Anger doesn’t help. Social pressure does.”

Thanks for all the responses this week. I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from you.