Hey there! It’s Friday, and my husband made breakfast sausages this morning and thought he had two eggs but actually had just one because he forgot about an egg that disappeared last week in the kitchen. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Cook County assessor miscalculated tax relief, resulting in poor areas of Chicago paying more

In the early days of the pandemic, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi decided to give homeowners a break by taking the unusual step of estimating job losses and using those calculations to lower property assessments, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

But that plan backfired.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home in the trendy Logan Square neighborhood saw an 11% decrease in its property tax bill after Kaegi slashed its assessment, the Sun-Times reports.

But in Grand Crossing, one of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods, homeowners saw small increases because Kaegi’s office estimated it would face the same level of unemployment from the pandemic as the wealthy suburb of Winnetka.

“They took a gamble, and the gamble didn’t turn out as they expected,” said Laurence Msall, the president of the Civic Federation, which monitors government finances and tax policy. [Sun-Times]

2. China’s ambassador warns of “military conflict” with the U.S. over Taiwan

In an interview with NPR, China’s ambassador to the U.S. warned that “if the Taiwanese authorities, emboldened by the United States, keep going down the road for independence, it most likely will involve China and the United States, the two big countries, in a military conflict.”

It was a rare and unusually blunt message from China, which typically speaks in more general terms. But the ambassador, Qin Gang, was unequivocal, saying the U.S. is “playing with fire.” [NPR]

The news comes as the U.S. and its allies in Europe are trying to deter Russia from invading Ukraine. And it still remains unclear if Russian President Vladimir Putin will blink and accept limited diplomatic victories or send troops into Ukraine.

Russia’s foreign minister today suggested diplomatic talks could continue, at least on some issues. At the same time, during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin reaffirmed his demands of “lasting, legally binding security guarantees” from the U.S and NATO, the Kremlin said. [Washington Post]

3. Embattled COVID-19 testing company is shutting down

Amid federal and state investigations, the Center for COVID Control will shut down, reports Block Club Chicago.

The Rolling Meadows-based company, which was recently raided by the feds, has been accused of numerous violations that jeopardized public health, officials say.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the lab used by the company made mistakes that resulted in tens of thousands of tests being wasted, among other problems.

The lab, Doctors Clinical Laboratory, received more than $124 million in federal pandemic funds. [Block Club Chicago]

4. Italian Americans say Chicago violated a deal when it removed a Columbus statue

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans alleges Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Park District violated a 1973 deal to keep a statue of Christopher Columbus on display “in perpetuity,” reports the Chicago Tribune, citing a recently filed complaint.

Amid a public uproar, Lightfoot removed Columbus statues in Grant Park and Little Italy in 2020 and ordered the creation of a commission to evaluate controversial monuments in the city. (As the Trib points out, the commission still hasn’t issued its recommendations.)

The lawsuit from the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans says the park district was paid $10,000 in 1973 to keep up the Columbus statue in Little Italy, and the group wants the monument back on display. [Chicago Tribune]

This isn’t the first time a Columbus statue has caused a stir in Chicago. In the 1890s, the city removed a statue because it was so ugly, reports Curious City. City officials later melted the statue. [WBEZ]

5. Obama Presidential Center will honor Hadiya Pendleton

Hadiya Pendleton will be honored with a public space at the Obama Presidential Library, former first lady Michelle Obama announced today. The space will be known as the “Hadiya Pendleton Winter Garden.”

Hadiya, a 15-year-old from Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, performed in President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. Days later, she was fatally shot when someone fired shots into a crowd at a South Side park.

As the Chicago Tribune reports, today’s news comes just a day before the ninth anniversary of Hadiya’s death.

“The way her story ended, I think, was abrupt,” Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, Hadiya’s mother, told the Trib. “It was 15 years. I never saw that coming. So for her name to keep being spoken, she continues to live on and she continues to be a beacon of light.”

The Obama Center is expected to open in 2025. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• Africa may have hit the endemic stage of the pandemic. [NPR]
• Celebrity chef Rick Bayless says federal aid is needed to support Chicago’s restaurant industry. [Chicago Tribune]
• On the anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, WBEZ revisits an interview with Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first teacher in space. [WBEZ]
• “Tiger King” Joe Exotic was re-sentenced today from 22 years to 21. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

I had no idea there were trailer homes in Chicago until I saw this week’s episode of Curious City. The city’s lone trailer park, Harbor Point Estates, is home to hundreds of families on the far southeast corner of Chicago.

And beyond the city’s borders, there are 18,000 mobile homes in the seven-county metro area, according to estimates by regional planners.

Curious City got a question about trailer parks from a listener interested in affordable homeownership. “What is life like in Chicagoland trailer parks?” the listener wanted to know.

So they traveled to communities in Chicago, Blue Island and Des Plaines to ask residents that question, and they got a range of experiences. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

This week is a cold one. So I’d like to know what tips you have for staying warm when Chicago becomes frigid.

Kirsten writes:

“I am lucky to be able to walk my infant to his daycare, but the snowstorm on Monday morning left the sidewalks impassable for a stroller, so I tried my trusty ring sling.

“It worked pretty well, despite the fact that we were both wearing slippery snowsuits. I put him in wool socks and a full body fleece suit. He has no boots, so we pulled his dad’s heavy mittens onto his lower legs before adding his normal mittens and hat and stuffing him into the snowsuit.

“With the ring sling, that was a total of 10 functional pieces of clothing, all of which he resisted putting on. So we start out by working up a sweat. Luckily he likes being in the sling once we are walking, and we keep each other warm.”

And Suzanne Hlotke writes:

“My daughter and I love face masks when we are outside in the winter. We breathe easier and don’t get chapped lips. Also, they are not bulky like wool scarves.”

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