Hey there! Chicago is on, like, Day 100 of living in a post-sun world. I seriously need one of those sun lamps. Or a bunch of sun lamps to create a suit of armor, kinda like Iron Man. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. An Arctic blast could hit Chicago next week

A little piece of my soul died when I read this story. An Arctic blast is expected to send temperatures plunging next week.

And Tuesday “could be the last day for Chicagoans to safely spend time outside before rain and the cold hits,” reports Block Club Chicago, citing the National Weather Service.

Temperatures are expected to dip into the 20s and 30s next week, with even colder weather hitting around Christmas, according to the weather service.

“The agency’s temperature outlook for Dec. 20-26 says there is at least an 80 percent chance Chicago and much of the Midwest will see below-average temperatures,” Block Club reports. [Block Club Chicago]

2. The long-promised plan to extend the CTA to the Far South Side took a major step to becoming a reality

For those keeping track at home, the year is 2022 and there are still large areas of Chicago not connected to the Chicago Transit Authority’s rail system.

Today, city lawmakers took what critics say is a long overdue move to rectify mistakes of the past. The City Council approved a plan to raise $959 million to help extend the CTA’s Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street. [WBEZ]

“This was a promise to our community 50 years ago. I remember as a kid growing up talking about the extension. That was a buzz throughout the community. People were saying, ‘When will we get ours?’ ” said Ald. Anthony Beale, whose 9th Ward on the Far South Side would benefit the most.

The money generated by a new tax-increment financing district, and it will amount to about 26% of the project’s $3.6 billion cost. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. A wave of armed robberies may be the work of a single crew in Chicago

About 20 armed robberies a day could be the work of a masked crew that appears to have little problem finding new recruits after members are taken into custody, with one law enforcement source describing the group as a “multiple-headed monster,” reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Armed robberies are up 15% this year compared to last year. And between Wednesday and Saturday of last week, 50 were reported in areas that include Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village, Lake View and Edgewater, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Ivette Otero said she is afraid to go to work at La Sandwichera Cafe, located just blocks away from a recent armed robbery in Humboldt Park.

“Especially me as a female, I don’t feel safe,” said Otero, 59. “I have to park in a secluded area, a street with hardly no lights and make myself make it here.”

The 25th Police District on the Northwest Side has seen the largest spike in robberies. More than 370 have been reported this year, a 34% increase from the same time in 2021, the Sun-Times reports. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. U.S. Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García faces attacks over his crypto ties

A political action committee heavily funded by Samuel Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, provided more than $151,000 in support to U.S. Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García during the midterm elections, reports my colleague Fran Spielman at the Chicago Sun-Times.

García’s rivals in Chicago’s mayoral race are now pouncing, saying that financial support undermines García’s image as a progressive reformer. As a congressman, García sits on a House committee that oversees the crypto industry.

“Unfortunately, it seems that Chuy Garcia will bring back the old way of doing Chicago-style politics,” said State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat from Chicago and ally to Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

García’s campaign dismissed the attacks as “misleading and desperate” and coming from “floundering campaigns.” Gisel Aceves, Garcia’s campaign manager, said a $2,900 contribution given directly by Bankman-Fried was donated to charity. [Chicago Sun-Times]

García is not the only lawmaker who accepted political donations tied to Bankman-Fried, who was charged with multiple crimes yesterday, including fraud and campaign finance violations. [Washington Post]

5. A Chicago casino has one last bureaucratic hoop to jump through

The City Council today approved zoning changes for Bally’s $1.74 billion casino complex in River West, paving the way for a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater and event center and a riverwalk.

One of the five dissenting votes came from downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins.

“We’re hitching our wagon to an inexperienced team. … That could come back to haunt us,” Hopkins told his colleagues on the floor of the council.

With the zoning changes in the bag, Bally’s has one final hurdle to clear — approval from the Illinois Gaming Board.

If the board signs off, Bally’s plans to open a temporary casino at the Medinah Temple in downtown Chicago next year. Officials hope to open the permanent location in 2026. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• A decade after Sandy Hook, a family finds bits of joy amid shards of pain. [NPR]
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds an early lead as the GOP nominee for president over former President Donald Trump, according to a poll from The Wall Street Journal. [WSJ]
• The cost of building a controversial new high school on Chicago’s Near South Side jumped by $30 million. [WBEZ]
• Here are some tips for staying safe from the tripledemic during the holidays. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

My colleague Greta Johnsen reads a lot of books when she’s not hosting WBEZ’s Nerdette. Just this year alone, she has gone through about 90 books. (Don’t ask me how many I’ve read that were not comic books.)

So it makes sense that Greta would be our resident expert on the best books of the year. Among them is one novel many Rundown readers have said they enjoyed: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

“An incredible story set in the world of video game design,” Greta says. “BUT, if you’re not a gamer, don’t let the conceit get you down! This is a book about art and friendship. Read if you like ’90s nostalgia, conversations around creativity and ambition, and narrative experimentation.” [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

It feels like the holidays are speeding toward us. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Jane Barker writes:

“A beloved holiday tradition passed down from generation to generation was the Santa Wire.

“My dad worked for Illinois Bell Telephone back in the day and every December he would drag out the ladder, string a wire from one end of the kitchen to the other. He’d go outside and tinker around with something, come back in and announce that the Santa Wire was now live.

“The big guy could hear everything we did or said. Know who’s naughty or nice. Listen to our wishes. And we bought it, hook, line and sinker. Waaaaay easier than moving an elf all over the house every night!”

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