Hey there! Breaking nerd alert: It looks like we’ll be getting new Lord of the Rings movies. And here’s what else you need to know today.

1. How the four frontrunners in Chicago’s mayoral race plan to make it into the April runoff election

We are just days away from the city’s Feb. 28 election. And with nine candidates running in the mayoral race, it’s unlikely any of them will get more than 50% of the votes to win outright.

So that means an April runoff election between the two top vote getters. My colleague Fran Spielman takes a look at the strategies each of the four frontrunners have deployed in the hopes of making it to the second round of voting.

Getting down to the nuts and bolts of election night, look for candidates who get more than 20% of the votes. As Spielman points out, that could be the benchmark for which two candidates advance to the runoff if voter turnout is about the same as the last city election in 2019. [Chicago Sun-Times]

In other election news, veteran political strategist David Axelrod said the runoff could come down to Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson, setting up a battle between the “candidate of the Fraternal Order of Police” and the “candidate of the Chicago Teachers Union.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, WBEZ examines a question that pops up in every city election: Does Chicago need a Black consensus candidate? [WBEZ]

2. The rising toll of methamphetamine in Cook County

“He was a 41-year-old, college-educated mortgage broker,” report my colleagues Frank Main and Tom Schuba.

“But his station in life didn’t prevent the man, who lived in a Rogers Park condo, from becoming a regular user of methamphetamine, a stimulant that causes euphoria but also dental problems, memory loss and worse.”

Main and Schuba took a deeper look at the troubling uptick in fatal overdoses tied to meth in Cook County — from about 40 in 2019 to more than twice that number each of the next three years.

“To me, methamphetamine is now beginning to sound a lot like how fentanyl was,” says Taylor Wood, a drug testing technician for the Chicago Recovery Alliance who examines drugs taken from the streets. “I imagine we’re going to see more and more methamphetamine.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. The train wreck in East Palestine, Ohio, may have created long-term health risks

Researchers from Texas A&M University analyzed federal data and “found nine air pollutants at levels that could raise long-term health concerns in and around East Palestine,” reports The Washington Post.

That appears to contradict comments from state and federal officials who have insisted the air is safe, even as some residents complain about sudden health problems.

“Examining EPA data, the researchers found elevated levels of chemicals known to trigger eye and lung irritation, headaches and other symptoms, as well as some known or suspected to cause cancer,” the newspaper reports. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, could a similar accident happen in Chicago? That’s what South Side residents living in areas with a high amount of freight traffic are wondering. [Block Club Chicago]

4. Illinois restaurant workers are taking on the ‘other NRA’

That would be the National Restaurant Association, which has come under criticism from service industry workers for using mandatory training programs to help fund efforts against raising minimum wages.

“The National Restaurant Association operates and administers a food and beverage safety training program by the name of ServSafe,” reports my colleague Samantha Callender.

“In Illinois, anyone who works in a restaurant or kitchen must complete certification from a program like ServSafe. Costs range from $15 to upwards of $1,000 for those seeking managerial certifications.”

Now, service industry workers in Illinois are pushing lawmakers to include them under the state’s minimum wage law. Servers and other staffers who work for tips tend to be covered by subminimum wage laws, which set a lower threshold. [WBEZ]

5. A new health center on Chicago’s South Side aims to end ‘period poverty’

A local nonprofit organization called Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. Foundation recently opened a center to help girls and women access menstrual hygiene products they might not be able to afford.

It’s an issue that has gained increasing attention in recent years. A month’s supply of products can cost around $7 to $10, reports my colleague Araceli Gomez-Aldana. And an estimated 22 million women in the U.S. can’t afford pads or tampons, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

“I know girls are missing days of school because of their period, or they use newspaper or paper towels and then they have an accident at school,” said Chez Smith, the founder of Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. Foundation. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Mayor Lori Lightfoot averted the threat of a pre-election strike by more than 3,000 city workers. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Little Village residents demand answers after a secret report on a botched implosion was leaked. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Gov. JB Pritzker unveiled a roadmap for a “transformed” youth mental health care system. [WBEZ]
• HBO’s Succession will end with its upcoming fourth season. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

The weekend is finally here and I have a ton of errands to do. I’ve got the kids coming over to play Dungeons & Dragons, and my husband will have friends over to watch The Last of Us on Sunday.

So I’ve got a queue of podcasts lined up as I’m cleaning the apartment. The first one on the list is a new show from WBEZ — When Magic Happens.

It’s hosted by three Black women — Cheryle, Jennifer and Taylor — who are also from three generations, giving a mix of insights on large issues affecting their communities. [WBEZ]

Then my colleague Erin Allen over at The Rundown podcast talked to a group of filmmakers and artists who noticed most TV shows don’t accurately depict the Chicago they know and love. So they created their own. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s something new that you want to try out?

Mary writes:

“I would like to find an archery class or tutor. I took archery in high school in the ’60s and am ready to refine my ‘skills.’ ”

And Meghan Sullivan writes from Spain:

“Got the idea from a friend tonight to go on one of those budget airline sites like Vueling or Ryanair and pick one of the spotlighted (and very on sale) destinations to fly to. So just randomly buy a cheap ticket to a similarly random country.

“Talk about traveling outside of your comfort zone! This may be very Europe-specific but, hey, there are cheap airlines in the U.S. too (looking at you, Spirit)! So yes, I’m very excited to try this idea out but *not* so excited to attempt to pack just a backpack because obviously such a cheap ticket isn’t coming with overhead storage space. But packing light is just another exciting new challenge, right?”

Thanks for all the responses this week. It was great hearing from y’all!