Good afternoon! I had a hard time sleeping last night because my dog Sassy slept on my legs and became radioactively warm. How can something so tiny get so hot? Here’s what you need to know today.

1. A majority of the City Council wants to delay a vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

Twenty-eight members of the City Council want to postpone a vote next Wednesday on the resolution, my colleague Fran Spielman reports.

The council members cite two reasons for delaying the vote: the proximity to International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, and the fact that the council already will consider another resolution Wednesday marking 79 years since Auschwitz was liberated.

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, a co-sponsor of the cease-fire resolution, said in a text message that she is “taking their request very seriously.”

The council in October passed a controversial resolution condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel during a tense, chaotic session that forced Mayor Brandon Johnson to clear the chambers after supporters of Palestinians and Israel shouted over each other.

That resolution passed overwhelmingly by voice vote nearly two hours into the meeting. The only “no” came from Rodriguez-Sanchez. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Migrants find jobs in Chicago as they wait for work permits

Many asylum-seekers in the city could qualify for work permits, but the application process can be complicated, my colleague Adriana Cardona-Maguigad reports.

“Despite the challenges, migrants are getting creative to earn a living,” Cardona-Maguigad writes. “They do manicures, cut hair, cook food, clean houses and work construction as part of an underground economy that for years has been fueled by undocumented immigrants mostly from Mexico and Central America.”

Some labor experts say the migrant crisis is a chance to boost the local economy and strengthen the workforce.

“We have a huge opportunity,” said Jaime di Paulo, president and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “Texas is going to feel so sorry they’ve shipped out the actual workforce to other states. In 10 years, Chicago and New York are going to have a very, very strong labor force because of that.” [WBEZ]

3. Fundraising heats up in the Cook County state’s attorney race

And Clayton Harris III, the candidate endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party, is falling behind as scores of Chicago-area attorneys back Eileen O’Neill Burke, my colleague Chip Mitchell reports.

O’Neill Burke’s campaign began this year with $246,743 on hand compared to Harris’s $154,824.

About two-thirds of O’Neill Burke’s donors are attorneys, Mitchell reports. Less than half of Harris’s contributors are lawyers.

“O’Neill Burke also accepted $1,000 from Lawrence Hyman, a former supervisor in the state’s attorney’s office who took confessions from two accused cop killers in 1982 after their alleged torture by Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge,” Mitchell writes. [WBEZ]

4. South Loop residents are mostly optimistic about the idea of the White Sox moving in

It’s not every day that you wake up and learn that a major sports team wants to move into your neighborhood.

But that’s what happened to South Loop residents this week when the Chicago Sun-Times reported the White Sox are thinking of building a new stadium in the area.

“I think it’s a great idea because it would be closer for me,” said Janie Urbanic, a White Sox season ticket holder who hopes a new stadium will have a retractable roof.

“If we had a stadium [where] we’d be protected from cold or rain or any weather, I would be more likely to spend more time there,” she said.

But some residents said they were concerned about increased congestion in the area.

“People will be drunk and wander in here and don’t know how to get out,” said Sarah McIntosh, who’s lived in the area for six years. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Lightfoot is back in politics, sort of

Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot is returning to Chicago politics, though this time it’s on the nonprofit side, my colleague Violet Miller reports.

Lightfoot this week announced the launch of the Chicago Vibrant Neighborhoods Collective, which will aim to provide “tools, resources and opportunities for collaboration” for community-based organizations.

“All hours of the night and day citizens of the city have needs that must be met,” Lightfoot said, adding that “homegrown, social-impact” organizations “are key.”

Lightfoot, a co-founder of the group, has been working to put it together since May, her last month in office.

During her time as mayor, Lightfoot worked with community groups to stop the spread of COVID-19 and bankrolled community clinics and nonprofits to expand mental health access in the city. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• U.S. diplomats are trying to avert a war between Israel and Lebanon, the latest sign of how quickly conflicts in the Middle East are spreading. [Washington Post]

• The families of children and teachers killed in the Uvalde school shooting are renewing their calls for criminal charges. [AP]

• Japan landed a transforming robot on the moon. [NPR]

• Receipts, proof, timelines and screenshots: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is having a moment. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

This year so far has gotten off to a great start for movies, writes my colleague Richard Roeper, who had the difficult task of narrowing down the 12 films he is most anticipating.

Among them is the Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, which hits theaters next month. And there’s Civil War, which stars Kirsten Dunst and follows a group of journalists making their way across the U.S. amid escalating conflicts.

And last but not least is Nosferatu, the latest horror film from the talented Robert Eggers (The Witch and The Lighthouse). [Chicago Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

After a warmer than usual December, winter is definitely here. Do you have any big plans this season? Any projects or hobbies to work on while we’re stuck indoors?

JT Malloy writes:

“After a decade plus of living in warmer climes (DC, where it definitely gets cold but not Chicago cold), I am leaning into being a Chicagoan and looking forward to skating on some of outdoor ice rinks the city/suburbs put up in their parks, and actually went so far as helping a neighbor build one of his own!”

Deb writes:

“I started creating pinatas for my grandkids during the COVID lockdown. This has evolved into an annual event for each birthday. The kids get to pick a theme or idea, and I then create something that reflects what they have shared. Some are pretty intricate.

“I’m working on one currently that will look like a game controller for Xbox as requested by my soon-to-be 10-year-old grandchild. A good cold weather project.

“The kids often decide they don’t want to smash them once they are built. I now design them with trap doors that allow for emptying without smashing if so desired!”

And Alden Snyder writes:

“I am working on converting my mom’s baby grand piano, on which all my daughters learned to play, into a bookshelf and finding the greatest obstacle is that it is shaped like a baby grand piano. I may need a long winter.”

Thanks for all the emails this week. It was nice hearing from you!