Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and apparently I have to return to the office next year. And now I have to search for the “work clothes” I haven’t touched in two years. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Lightfoot steps up fundraising with an eye toward a second term

Mayor Lori Lightfoot raised eyebrows earlier this year when she hinted in a New York Times interview that she may not run for a second term. But those doubts appear to have evaporated.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports the mayor is traveling to California this week for fundraisers in Los Angeles and San Francisco, followed by a Chicago event with donors next week featuring San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

A source told the newspaper that Lightfoot is prepared to raise and spend “whatever it takes” to win a second term. But the Sun-Times adds that recent polls have shown Lightfoot’s approval rating dipping well below 50%, largely because of rising crime. [Sun-Times]

2. A “very significant” increase in COVID-19 cases in Chicago

City officials are reporting a seven-day average of 828 cases per day as of Monday, a 50% increase compared to the previous week.

Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s top public health official, said today the surge in cases is “very significant,” and she expects the new omicron variant will be detected in the city or state in the next day or two.

Chicago’s positivity rate has climbed to 4.1% from the previous week’s 3.2%. The hospitalization rate is down, but deaths are rising. There was an average of nearly five deaths per day, up from three. [COVID-19 Dashboard]

Meanwhile, early evidence indicates omicron may be less severe than the delta variant. Here’s a look at what scientists currently know about omicron. [New York Times]

3. Advocates push Chicago to speed up the removal of lead pipes with federal funds

Illinois is slated to receive $288 million in federal infrastructure funds to replace toxic lead pipes, among other things. And the infusion of money comes as Chicago has slowly tackled a problem that results in brain-damaging lead in tap water.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports the city has nearly 400,000 lead-service lines for drinking water, and so far this year it has only completed 20 replacements.

While billions of dollars will be needed to solve the problem once and for all, the federal funds should speed up efforts to replace lead pipes, advocates tell the newspaper.

“This is really a once in a lifetime opportunity for a problem that has been plaguing Chicago for decades,” said Erik Olson, a senior strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington. “Now that there’s money, there really isn’t an excuse not to do this.” [Sun-Times]

4. Biden and Putin discuss Ukraine in hopes of averting a crisis

President Joe Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for two hours today and warned Moscow could face enormous financial sanctions if it invades Ukraine.

The meeting comes amid a game of chicken over Ukraine, as tens of thousands of Russian troops gather along its neighbor’s border.

Putin views Ukraine as a security risk to Russia, and he wants Biden to guarantee that the NATO military alliance will stay out of the country. But the U.S. and its allies have said that is a non-starter.

Before his video call with Putin, Biden spoke to the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany and Italy to coordinate possible sanctions aimed at significantly hurting Russia’s economy. [AP]

5. Mark Meadows stops cooperating with the Jan. 6 committee

Meadows, who served as White House chief of staff for then-President Donald Trump, is no longer cooperating with a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, his attorney said today.

Last week, the committee and Meadows’s attorney announced they had reached an agreement, making Meadows the highest-profile member of Trump’s inner circle known to be cooperating with the House investigation.

But today’s news comes as Meadows appears to have fallen out of favor with Trump.

A new book from Meadows claims Trump tested positive for COVID-19 shortly before the first presidential debate with Joe Biden, though a second test came back negative. Meadows also writes that Trump was far sicker than the White House revealed, with a blood oxygen level dangerously low for someone his age. [AP]

Meanwhile, the new cover story for The Atlantic looks at how Jan. 6 could be a test run for a broader effort to subvert the next presidential election. [Atlantic]

Here’s what else is happening

• On the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, NPR’s Renee Montagne reflects on how the surprise attack affected her father. [NPR]
• A federal investigation into the murder of Emmett Till ended this week with no charges. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Gen Z is the most stressed out about the pandemic, according to a new survey. [Washington Post]
• Chicago drivers lost 104 hours of their lives sitting in traffic this year. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

A woman recently got stuck at O’Hare airport for 12 hours, and instead of complaining about the ordeal, she made the most of the experience in a thread on Twitter that has since gone viral.

Allison Robicelli, a writer for The Takeout and The Washington Post, was flying from Palm Springs to her home in Baltimore when she missed her connecting flight at O’Hare on Saturday. So she explored the airport, discovering “secret” nooks and crannies, playing arcade games and laying on the floor for 10 minutes to marvel at the beauty of the Rotunda Building in Terminal 3.

“This is like Home Alone but without the child abuse,” she told Block Club Chicago. [BCC]

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Is there a place in Chicago you always hit up? Do you and your family or friends do anything fun together?

Jim Jolley writes:

“My husband and I have a tradition. On one day during the holiday season, we go to the Museum of Science and Industry for the Christmas trees and for our favorite exhibits. Then we drive up to the Christkindlmarket for brats, beer and potato pancakes and walk among the stalls. Then we head to Petterino’s for a cosmo and chocolate martini and complain to the bartender about how exhausted we are. Ah … Christmas in Chicago!”

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah, and your responses might be shared here this week.

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