Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and I’m counting down the days until I’m off for the holidays and get to see my nephews. The 5-year-old recently sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” as “Rudolph the rudest reindeer.” Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

(By the way, if you’d like this emailed to your inbox, you can sign up here.)

1. Omicron could cause a surge as soon as next month, CDC warns

Health experts are urging Americans to get all of their COVID-19 shots as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines two possible scenarios for omicron’s impact on the U.S.

Early studies show booster shots offer a significant level of protection against omicron. But the CDC says that out of the 200 million Americans who are fully vaccinated, just more than 50 million have received their booster shots.

The new variant is rapidly spreading throughout the nation, and health officials say omicron and delta could create a significant wave as soon as next month as the flu season hits its peak.

This worst-case scenario could overwhelm hospitals, particularly ones located in areas with low vaccination rates.

The other scenario details a smaller surge of omicron taking place in the spring. [Washington Post]

Almost 2.5 million booster shots have been administered in Illinois, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. That’s far below the nearly 5.6 million residents who completed their initial round of vaccinations. And it’s just a fraction of the state’s 12.7 million population. [IDPH]

Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools will hand out about 150,000 take-home COVID-19 test kits for students to use during winter break. [Chicago Tribune]

2. A $2.9 settlement for Anjanette Young was approved by Chicago’s City Council

Anjanette Young, who was forced to stand naked in front of a dozen male officers after they wrongfully raided her home in 2019, will collect a $2.9 million settlement after the City Council today unanimously approved the deal.

The settlement comes nearly a year after CBS-2 aired video of the botched raid and created a public uproar. Mayor Lori Lightfoot initially said she knew nothing of the raid, but she later admitted an aide brought it up in an email in November of 2019. [WBEZ]

A big question now is whether the Police Department can avoid repeating the same mistake. In an interview with the Sun-Times, Ald. Jeanette Taylor said the mayor’s allies on the council have refused to hold a hearing on a plan that would usher in more search warrant reforms than what Lightfoot has proposed.

“A lot of this, she’s inherited. But when it comes to reform, she has the ability and the duty to do something different and I just don’t see it. So, I don’t know how this heals her political career,” Taylor said of Lightfoot. [Sun-Times]

3. A right-wing group unsuccessfully tried opening a chapter at a Chicago high school

Administrators at Taft High School rejected an effort by Turning Point USA to form a chapter on its campus, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The news comes as far-right groups have become increasingly active in school boards across the nation and have targeted teenagers with disinformation campaigns.

Turning Point USA was founded by prominent Trump supporter Charlie Kirk, who has said critical race theory and the concept of white privilege amounts to racism against white people.

The political arm of the group, Turning Point Action, paid teenagers to spread misinformation about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, according to The Washington Post.

Taft’s principal said Turning Point USA does not promote diversity and goes against the high school’s mission statement. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. Derek Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd’s rights

Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin will likely serve more time in prison after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating George Floyd’s constitutional rights.

Federal prosecutors are asking for a 25 year sentence on the civil rights charges. That would run concurrently with a state sentence of 22 and a half years in prison after a jury last spring found Chauvin guilty on murder and manslaughter charges.

Three other former officers — Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao — have also been charged with violating Floyd’s rights and are expected to go to trial in January.

The Associated Press reports that, as part of his plea deal, Chauvin also admitted to violating the rights of a 14-year-old boy during a 2017 arrest “in which he held the boy by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee on the boy’s neck and upper back while he was prone, handcuffed and not resisting.” [AP]

5. Wind gusts of more than 60 mph could hit the Chicago area tonight

The National Weather Service and meteorologists are warning the Chicago area could see powerful wind gusts after 6 p.m. and reaching a peak between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m.

The Chicago Tribune reports tonight’s weather could knock down tree limbs and cause power outages. And residents, especially those living above Interstate 80, are “encouraged to bring any outdoor furniture indoors, along with any free-standing decorations,” according to the newspaper.

Other advice includes staying away from windows and, if you’re walking, steering clear of trees and other objects that could fall, such as “unsecured holiday decorations.” [Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• Chicago’s Thompson Center will not be demolished under a plan unveiled today by Gov. JB Pritzker. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Low-income students may be further squeezed out of Chicago’s elite public schools because of weak pandemic grades. [WBEZ]
• More information into how Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office handled the Jussie Smollett case could be released. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Mexican cultural icon Vicente Fernández had a special connection to Chicago. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

When I’m not writing the newsletter, I’m the president of the Edgewater chapter of the John Wick Fan Club, a source of annoyance to my husband who prefers period pieces with Maggie Smith.

So I was happy to see the Wickian Nobody was included in the A.V. Club’s “best movie scenes of 2021.” Nobody stars Bob Odenkirk and is written by Derek Kolstad, the creator of the John Wick franchise.

Seriously, if you love action movies, you can’t go wrong with Nobody. I won’t spoil anything because I went into the movie knowing nothing and loved it.

Other movies with noteworthy scenes include No Time To Die, The Harder They Fall and Licorice Pizza. [AVC]

Tell me something good …

The end of the year is quickly approaching. What’s going to be your resolution for 2022?

Rachel Hayes writes:

“I have your resolution of reading more books next year. There’s just so much good content out there!

“I also resolve to be more open minded while meeting people on the road as we continue our journey exploring the southwest.”

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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