Hey there! Shout out to everyone who had to go outside today. We couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s what you need to know.

1. The fabled four-day workweek gains momentum

Every time the four-day workweek pops up in the news, it sounds more like wishful thinking than something grounded in reality.

But a huge pilot program in the U.K. found very serious benefits to shortening the workweek, with workers saying their sleep, personal lives and mental health improved, reports NPR.

“We feel really encouraged by the results, which showed the many ways companies were turning the four-day week from a dream into a realistic policy, with multiple benefits,” said David Frayne, a research associate at University of Cambridge who worked on the recent trial.

Forty-six percent of employees said they were less fatigued. And 3 out of 5 said they had an easier time balancing work and their personal lives.

Many of the companies that participated in the program say they will now stick with a four-day workweek. [NPR]

2. The Chicago Teachers Union may have violated a state election law

The CTU’s finances are coming under scrutiny after the Chicago Tribune this week reported the union loaned $415,000 from its operating fund to its political action committee funds.

“CTU said its executive committee decided to transfer the money to its PACs as a loan, to ensure its favored candidates are competitive in the Feb. 28 mayoral and City Council election and the expected runoff on April 4,” the Tribune reported.

That loan may have violated contribution limits, a spokesman for the Illinois Board of Elections told Capitol Fax.

The spokesman, Matt Dietrich, said “it appears to be a potential violation, but we won’t know for sure until we notify the committee and give them 30 days to take corrective action. Then, if they don’t do that, we will assess them and see what kind of defense they offer if/when they appeal.” [Capitol Fax]

3. A victory for West Side residents frustrated by big summer music festivals

The dance music festival known as Heatwave announced it will not return to Douglass Park, where a heated debate erupted last summer over the use of public parks for private events.

Instead, Heatwave will take place this year at Northerly Island, reports Block Club Chicago.

The Chicago Park District has long faced criticism for essentially renting out parks to private music festivals, with critics saying it goes against the fundamental principle of public parks.

But the situation grew more contentious at Douglass Park, where residents said three big festivals left much of the park closed for weeks. As a result, the board for the Park District overhauled its permit process, giving neighbors more of a say. [Block Club Chicago]

4. It’s gross outside for large parts of the nation

At least 75 million Americans are under some sort of weather alert as a huge winter storm moves across the nation, reports The Washington Post.

“Even the Los Angeles County mountains are included in a rare blizzard warning — the first issued by the National Weather Service office there since 1989,” the newspaper reports. [Washington Post]

Parts of the Chicago area are under an ice warning, with power outages and tree damage possible, according to the National Weather Service, which also urges motorists to be extra careful on slick roads.

Tomorrow could see a slight chance of rain, mixing with snow after 9 a.m. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 flights have been canceled due to the storm, with Minneapolis International Airport scrapping more than half of its arrivals. [NPR]

5. ‘Hamilton’ the musical will return to Chicago this fall

Broadway in Chicago today announced Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton will return to the city, with shows beginning Sept. 13 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, reports my colleague Miriam Di Nunzio at the Chicago Sun-Times.

The musical’s return comes three years after the original Chicago run, which was the first sit-down production staged outside of New York.

“Hamilton brought more than $250 million to the city every year over the course of its run, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on closing night of the production in 2020,” Di Nunzio reports.

Group tickets are available, but single tickets aren’t currently being sold. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• This Friday marks a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which continues to have ripple effects around the world. [NPR]
• NPR announced it will lay off 10% of its workforce, which comes out to at least 100 people. [NPR]
• Chicago officials want to make left turns safer via “traffic calming” speed bumps and bollards. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• United Airlines said parents will no longer have to pay extra to sit with their children. [USA Today]

Oh, and one more thing …

A movie called Cocaine Bear comes out this week. And as you can guess, it’s about a bear that goes on a murder spree after ingesting cocaine.

But it’s loosely based on a true story, reports The New York Times.

In 1985, a 175-pound black bear was found dead among “40 opened plastic containers with traces of cocaine,” according to a United Press International report at the time.

So where did the coke come from? Convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton apparently dropped massive amounts of the drug from a plane he was piloting.

Thornton himself parachuted out of the plane, but died because he was carrying too much stuff to land safely.

But that’s not the end of this bizarre story.

“Today, the very same bear is said to be on display in Lexington, Ky., at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall,” the Times reports. [NYT]

Tell me something good …

What’s something new that you want to try out?

Renuka write:

“I am eager to try the delicious vegan restaurants on the South Side!”

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