Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and my dog will not let me write the newsletter. Every time I put my hands on my keyboard, she knocks them off with her head because she wants attention. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is indicted on federal charges

Some bombshell breaking news. Former Illinois House Speaker and ex-Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan was indicted today in federal court with racketeering, allegedly for taking part in bribery schemes for his own personal gain, according to the indictment.

In unsealing the long-anticipated case, federal prosecutors targeted a Chicago titan who rose from the Southwest Side’s Democratic ward politics to become the most influential figure at the Illinois Capitol for decades.

More information about the indictment is expected to be given at a 4:30 p.m. press conference by Chicago’s U.S. Atty. John Lausch and other federal officials. [WBEZ]

2. The race for mayor of Chicago is now wide open for challengers

That’s due to the surprise announcement this week that former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan won’t run against incumbent Lori Lightfoot in next year’s election.

“Anytime someone with a lot of name recognition — positive name recognition — leaves, there’s a hole. I’m sure there are a number of people today who are saying, ‘There’s more room for me,’ ” veteran political strategist David Axelrod told Chicago Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman.

Duncan’s exit now leaves the business leaders searching for another candidate.

“They might even get behind someone totally new like former Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson, or a familiar face, like two-time mayoral challenger Gery Chico,” Spielman reports.

It’s also not clear whom the Chicago Teachers Union will support. Political observers are watching to see if CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates enters the race or if the union will endorse an ally, like Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.

Other names mentioned as possible candidates include Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (who says he is “strongly considering” a run), U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, Ald. Roderick Sawyer (the son of former Mayor Eugene Sawyer) and Ald. Brian Hopkins. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Mask mandate battle arrives at Chicago Public Schools

A downstate attorney who challenged Illinois’ school mask mandate is now asking a state judge to halt masking requirements at Chicago’s public schools.

The attorney, Tom DeVore, last month successfully argued for a temporary restraining order against Gov. JB Pritzker’s mask mandate, saying the governor overstepped his authority.

But the judge said collective bargaining agreements are still enforceable. That may make a difference in this new legal challenge, because the Chicago Teachers Union points to safety agreements hashed out earlier this year that require universal masking.

Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow, the same judge who issued the temporary restraining order, has set a hearing for March 10.

She still hasn’t made a ruling on the central question of whether the governor has the authority to issue executive orders mandating masking, the testing of unvaccinated teachers and quarantine requirements. [WBEZ]

4. The U.N. votes overwhelmingly to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

In an emergency session, the United Nations General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine and demanding that it end its war with the country. The vote was 141 to 5 with 35 abstentions.

In Ukraine, Russian missile strikes continued to hit cities, with 21 people reportedly killed in Kharkiv, reports NPR. But on the seventh day of the war, Ukrainian forces are still denying Moscow the easy win it had envisioned.

In its first acknowledgement of substantial casualties in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry today announced 498 Russian troops have been killed and 1,597 injured.

An estimated 650,000 people have fled from war-torn Ukraine, but many are returning to help the resistance. Sviataslav Vovk told NPR he was heading to Ukraine to visit his parents and “defend them.”

“I saw that people that came from Ukraine, I was helping them, and I saw that terrible situation in the eyes of the people,” Vovk said.

“And I understand that my parents feel the same so I can’t just leave them.” [NPR]

5. White House unveils new COVID strategy aimed at the “new normal”

The White House today announced a new plan for tackling the pandemic, a 96-page report that includes four main pillars: protect against and treat COVID-19; preparing for new variants; avoiding shutdowns and helping vaccinate the rest of the world.

“We are no longer going to let COVID-19 dictate how we live,” the White House said in the report.

The plan comes after prominent health experts in the U.S. urged the Biden administration to update its pandemic response now that vaccines and treatments are more widely available.

Included in the new strategy is a “test to treat” program, where Americans can get tested at pharmacies or community health centers and, if they are positive, receive antivirals on the spot. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• The Chicago Cubs and White Sox will lose games due to the labor dispute between Major League Baseball owners and players. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• The Illinois Senate could pick up a bill later this month that would allow principals at Chicago Public Schools to unionize. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Neighbors say they overwhelmingly oppose a proposed casino at Chicago’s 78 megadevelopment. [WBEZ]
• Mayor Lightfoot reported making $383,005 in total income for 2020. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

Space junk traveling 5,800 mph is expected to slam into the moon and create a crater large enough to fit several semi trucks, reports The Associated Press.

An asteroid tracker says the space junk is likely from a Chinese rocket launched nearly a decade ago, but Beijing disputes that claim.

Regardless, the space junk clocks in at 3 tons and could create a hole between 33 feet to 66 feet across the moon, sending moon dust flying hundreds of miles. [AP]

And now I can’t stop thinking about that hilarious time when fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi declared “the moon is such a planet” during a debate over whether it is a star. (It’s a natural satellite.)

Tell me something good …

What is a funny, weird or great experience you’ve had with an animal?

Dreiske Arnold writes:

“When I was young, I told my family that I saw a live kangaroo jump past our dining room windows. Mind you, we lived in suburban Deerfield at the time. So the authenticity of my story was dubious, although I remember swearing vehemently that I did not make it up.

“My family made fun of the ‘Dreiske and her kangaroo sighting’ story for years. Then, about five years ago, I stumbled upon a reference to ‘phantom kangaroo sightings.’ I googled it and, low and behold, in 1974, when I was 4, there was a rash of kangaroo sightings in Chicagoland!

“Did I see an actual kangaroo heading west down Osterman Avenue in Deerfield in 1974? Who knows? But at least my family has stopped making fun of me!”

And Rachel Hayes writes:

“I once was walking from the off-campus parking lot during my junior year and was joined by a doe (a female deer lol) all the way to the door of my high school. She was very determined to get something from a human but she was a great walking companion.”

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