Hey there! I really hope y’all stay safe out there, because the weather is expected to take a turn this week as holiday traveling kicks into high gear. Here’s what you need to know.

1. A major winter storm is expected to hit Chicago on Thursday, sending temperatures plunging through the weekend

If you’re like me and planning on traveling Thursday, you might want to come up with a back-up plan because it could be “difficult to impossible to travel” from late Thursday to Friday afternoon, warns the National Weather Service.

The weather service says “heavy snow, strong winds and bitterly cold temperatures” are expected to hit the Chicago area from Thursday through Saturday.

“The worst conditions will develop Thursday evening and continue into Friday evening, with a full-fledged blizzard possibly accompanied by dangerously cold temperatures,” the weather service said. “The bitterly cold temperatures will continue through the weekend.”

A mix of snow and rain could develop Thursday afternoon and turn into just snow later into the night, when the low is anticipated to be 4 degrees. Then, on Friday, the area could see “dangerous” and “life-threatening cold,” according to the weather service.

“Wind chills as low as 30 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes,” the service warned. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. There’s a nationwide push to overhaul how reading is taught. Chicago is one place to watch.

A major concern among parents and educators throughout the nation right now is reading.

“A mounting body of scientific research shows there are specific ways students should be taught to read. But many popular reading lessons in American schools, including those used in Illinois, aren’t aligned yet with that science,” reports my colleague Cassie Walker Burke.

In Illinois, only 1 in 3 third graders were reading at grade level, even before the pandemic, according to state records.

Through her reporting, Cassie found that Chicago may prove to be an important city to watch.

Earlier this year, Chicago Public Schools announced a shift in how it will teach reading. Before, the district focused on “balanced literacy,” a broad approach that included phonics but largely focused on fostering a love of reading.

But now, the district is looking at “structured” literacy, which involves a strict series of steps to help children learn to decode words. [WBEZ]

3. Major pharmacies are limiting sales of children’s medicine due to the ‘tripledemic’

CVS and Walgreens announced this week they will begin limiting how many children’s medications can be purchased amid a rise in demand and constrained supplies, reports NBC News.

CVS is limiting the number of children’s pain-relief medications to two. At Walgreens, customers can buy six over-the-counter medications. These caps also apply to online orders, NBC reports.

Respiratory viruses have been particularly bad for young children this year, as many stayed home during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving their immune systems vulnerable, according to health experts. [NBC News]

NPR earlier this month looked at what options parents have if they are struggling to find medications for their sick children. [NPR]

4. Chicago-area hospitals turn to robots amid staffing shortages

The robots are called Moxi, and you can find them at Elmhurst Hospital, Edward Hospital in Naperville and MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The Moxi robots are being charged up as the nation faces a shortage of nurses and other medical workers.

“The robot is roughly human-shaped, stands about 5 feet tall and, perhaps most strikingly, has big blue eyes, reminiscent of circles on a Lite Brite screen, that occasionally blink,” the Tribune reports.

They will be utilized to do nonclinical, repetitive tasks that can bog down nurses and doctors, such as delivering medicine and supplies across the facilities, according to the newspaper. [Chicago Tribune]

5. Jesse White and the end of an era in Illinois

Jesse White’s signature has been featured on driver’s licenses in Illinois for decades.

But next month, White is leaving office as Illinois’ longest-serving and first African American secretary of state.

WBEZ’s Dave McKinney looks at White’s life and career, and how he overcame racism to become one of Illinois’ most popular statewide politicians.

“White’s legacy extends well beyond his government and political exploits. He’s in his 63rd year heading the tumbling team that bears his name, and he came within an eyelash of being a Chicago Cub,” reports McKinney. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Lawyers for a man charged in the 2011 murder of a Chicago police officer are requesting sanctions against prosecutors, saying they hid evidence. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• The Chicago Teachers Union is calling for blood tests after lead was found in a Bridgeport elementary school. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Here are some wild and wonderful stories you may have missed this year. [NPR]
• Lizzo’s SNL tribute to a Chicago-raised artist was “awe-inspiring,” the family says. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

Looking for a new calendar for 2023?

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has one out “showcasing 12 months of the elected official’s unique collection of jackets,” reports Block Club Chicago.

“I’m at a point in life where I don’t care what other people think,” Pappas told the website. “I’m a 74-year-old gray-haired grandmother, and I’m going to have a good time. I’m not asking you to take my calendar. You’re asking me for it.”

Pappas said she owns at least 60 unique jackets.

“Look at these tigers and skulls and hearts and pearls and lace,” Pappas said of her jackets. “Someone on a plane recently asked me if I was a rock star. So we got them some calendars.” [Block Club Chicago]

Tell me something good …

The new year is barreling toward us. I’d like to know what brought you joy in 2022. It’s an open-ended question and could be anything.

Roseanne Segovia writes:

“I started volunteering with One Tail at a Time, and it has brought me tremendous joy. Spending time with all kinds of dogs, seeing them get adopted, seeing the happiness in their new families — it gives me the warm and fuzzies. And the people who give their time and generosity have made me regain some hope that there is good out there.”

And Jessica Katz writes:

“I’m the founder and executive director of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue (CLEAR), and the other week we rescued our 100th and 101st animals — parakeets named Betty and Blanche, after Betty White and The Golden Girls. We are Chicago’s only licensed exotic animal rescue, and we’ve been in operation for about a year and a half — it’s been a busy time, but a good one!”

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