Happy Friday! There’s a new holiday movie set in the Chicago area for those looking for something festive to stream this weekend. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Brandon Johnson’s campaign fund has taken millions from unions with City Hall contracts

More than 80% of the $13.6 million that the mayor’s campaign fund has raised since late 2022 came from organized labor and affiliated organizations, my colleagues Robert Herguth and Tim Novak report for the Chicago Sun-Times.

That includes more than $2.3 million from the Chicago Teachers Union. State and national teachers unions have given him another $3.3 million, according to campaign filings.

And Johnson’s campaign fund got a total of $5.7 million from other unions and labor groups. Most of that came from more than a dozen unions that negotiate with City Hall and its governmental sister agencies on behalf of public employees, Herguth and Novak write.

When the Sun-Times asked about the money from city labor unions, Johnson campaign adviser Bill Neidhardt told my colleagues, “To echo Mayor Johnson, it’s a pretty cool thing to be supported by working people.”

Past mayors and mayoral candidates have also taken money from unions, including Paul Vallas, Lori Lightfoot, Rahm Emanuel and Richard M. Daley. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. In the global moral panic over drill rap, we’re ignoring the message behind the art

The moralizing about drill rap’s glorification of violence obscures the stories of loss and frustration from the artists behind the music, digital innovation professor Reginold Royston and South Side youth educator Nile Lansana write for WBEZ.

Drill music is known for its swelling horror-soundtracks and rough-hewn testimonials on street life. The songs are often criticized for lyrics and videos with gang disses and references to alleged crimes.

Some of these lyrics and videos are now centerstage in two prominent U.S. trials: one in Chicago, related to the killing of rapper FBG Duck, and another in an Atlanta case surrounding Young Thug.

“As scholars and youth educators, we recognize the fervor over links between violence and the music,” Royston and Lansana write. “But that fervor obscures the message of loss and frustration from the young artists and the audiences responding to it. Drill’s critics are often not hearing the pain seething beneath the sound.” [WBEZ]

3. The Thompson Center is worth more than double last year’s sale price

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office valued the Loop building at $222.8 million as of the beginning of 2023, Crain’s Chicago Business reports. (Heads up, there’s a paywall.)

This is the first time the Thompson Center has been assessed since a joint venture of Chicago real estate firms purchased it from the state of Illinois for just $105 million. The venture is about to begin a major renovation for Google before the tech giant buys the building.

The value given by the assessor’s office determines the building’s property tax bill, and up until now the building was tax-exempt because it was owned by the state.

Commercial landlords have criticized Kaegi’s office for valuing properties so high — and potentially scaring investors away from the city.

As Crain’s reports: “The assessor’s statement said its estimated market value of the Thompson Center ‘is in line with the recent sale prices of similar properties and equates to $236 per square foot.’ ” [Crain’s Chicago Business]

4. Little Village residents are installing air sensors to monitor neighborhood pollution

The Southwest Side neighborhood is one of the most polluted in Chicago because of nonstop truck traffic and a large industrial corridor, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco reports for WBEZ.

Residents say public officials aren’t doing enough to protect them so they are taking matters into their own hands — monitoring air quality themselves with sensors that cost nearly $200.

Five are already in operation, and the goal is to install 10 throughout the neighborhood. Data collected could be used to understand the severity of pollution and inform environmental policy.

“Some of those pollutants can actually not only impact the respiratory system, but can impact the other organs in the body as well,” said Serap Erdal, a professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago who is helping LVEJO with the project. [WBEZ]

5. Love nature emojis? They may help real-world biodiversity efforts.

A team of conservation biologists from Italy says our emojis could have a real impact on the way people communicate about conservation.

There may be several cat and dog options to choose from, but the fungi category, for example, is limited to just one.

Humans tend to have more empathy for creatures they see regularly.

“Communication is the first step. If people are aware that organisms exist, they start to appreciate them. And it’s much easier to communicate the importance of conserving them,” said Francesco Ficetola, a professor in environmental science and policy at the University of Milan. [CNN]

Here’s what else is happening

• Prince Harry won his phone hacking lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers. [AP]

• The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses. [NPR]

• Regulators pulled the plug on ComEd’s request to hike electricity rates. [Chicago Sun-Times]

• State’s attorney hopefuls back an effort to require lawyers for kids in police interrogations. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

2023 was another great year for books, with compelling options for all sorts of readers.

Nerdette’s Greta Johnsen invited Miwa Messer, host of Barnes & Noble’s book podcast Poured Over, and Andrew Limbong, host of NPR’s Book of the Day podcast, to discuss their favorite books of 2023.

Their top picks for the year range from historical fiction and nonfiction to a graphic novel. [Nerdette]

Tell me something good …

With the holidays nearing, what treats or dishes are you looking forward to this season?

Tim writes:

“My wife and daughters have come up with a shortbread pinwheel cookie recipe that’s reminiscent of Maurice Lennel’s. Brings back some cherished childhood memories. (I appreciate there’s a small business trying to keep the ML spirit alive, but they don’t do pinwheels.)”

And Renuka writes:

“Looking forward to that hot, hot sweet drink whether it’s the gluhwein at Chriskindle or Glogg at Simon’s or apple cider at my auntie’s home or homemade hot cocoa from my sweet sister-in-law also known as #greatestchicagocakemaker. All, enjoy the holiday season!”

Thanks for all your messages this week! We couldn’t include them all, but it was great hearing from everyone.