Hey there! It’s Friday, and here’s Handy Hunter Tip No. 424: It’s never too early to start thinking of reasons why you’ll be late to work on Monday. 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. Business community looks for candidates to run against Lightfoot

Crain’s Chicago Business reports that some “high-profile execs” are beginning to search for alternative candidates to support in the 2023 mayoral election. It’s a ways off, for sure, but the timing of the news suggests some corners of the business community have deep resentments toward Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Discussions of fielding a challenger are “mostly concentrated in the real-estate development and restaurant industries,” according to Crain’s.

Among the names mentioned are businessman Michael Sacks, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, and Alds. Gilbert Villegas, 36th Ward, and Brian Hopkins, 2nd. All told Crain’s they are not running.

In recent months, Lightfoot has tried positioning herself as an ally to businesses by siding with restaurants and bars against Gov. JB Pritzker’s restrictions on indoor dining.

With the information now out in the open that some business leaders are so unhappy that they’re looking for challengers, it’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, Lightfoot does to try and gain their support. [Crain’s]

2. Chicago Teachers Union says “final” offer from Chicago Public Schools isn’t good enough

Mayor Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson today gave their “last, best and final offer” in negotiations for reopening schools, but the Chicago Teachers Union said the proposal still falls short on “critical safety issues.”

Among the major sticking points are accommodations for staff with medically compromised relatives, as well as deciding what public health metrics would be used to determine when schools will go back to remote-only learning.

Both sides have blamed each other for failing to quickly reach a deal on reopening schools, and Lightfoot has repeatedly delivered ultimatums and deadlines to the union that have come and gone.

As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, CPS wants pre-kindergarten and special education cluster programs to return to schools on Monday. The district also wants K-5 teachers to return to schools on Feb. 15, with those students back on Feb. 22. Students in 6th through 8th grade would return on March 1. [Sun-Times]

3. Biden says weak jobs report shows the need to act quickly on stimulus relief

The U.S. only added 49,000 jobs last month, suggesting the economic recovery is running on fumes. Looking at the big picture, the economy is down more than 9 million jobs since before the pandemic. The unemployment rate, however, did drop last month to 6.3% from 6.7%.

President Joe Biden cited today’s weak jobs report to make the case that the nation needs large-scale economic relief instead of a smaller, more targeted plan pushed by Republican lawmakers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today said she is aiming to approve Biden’s proposal by the end of the month.

Congressional Democrats are moving along with a process that provides them with a path to approve Biden’s plan without Republican votes. But the Senate late last night dropped Biden’s proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour due to concerns of its impact on small businesses during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are taking a second look at Biden’s plan to provide $1,400 stimulus payments to Americans making less than $75,000 a year and couples earning $150,000.

According to The New York Times, there are discussions about lowering the threshold to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples. Anyone making more than that would see smaller checks. [New York Times]

4. AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine offers protection against coronavirus variant, study finds

A vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is 74.6% effective against a more contagious strain of the coronavirus that emerged in the U.K. in December, according to Oxford researchers. The vaccine is 84% effective against other lineages of the virus.

Today’s findings have not yet been peer-reviewed, but they offer some good news as scientists race to understand variants that have popped up in Britain, South Africa and Brazil. [Al Jazeera]

Researchers also say the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine may reduce transmission of the virus, and a single dose can offer three-months-worth of protection. That’s a big deal because, if the preliminary findings hold up, it could change the timeline of how vaccines are rolled out. Health officials currently recommend getting a second shot four weeks after the first. [AP]

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration says it is preparing a plan for action against virus variants.

“If variants emerge that are not prevented, that the vaccines have poor efficacy against, then we will need to rapidly change,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, the FDA’s acting director. [Reuters]

5. Cook County Jail detainees begin receiving vaccines

County health workers this week have begun the massive task of vaccinating the more than 5,300 detainees at the jail, reports WBEZ’s Patrick Smith.

The jail has been a huge virus hot spot in the Chicago area, as social distancing is practically impossible within the jail’s close quarters. Ten jail detainees and four correctional officers have died after testing positive for the virus. As of Tuesday, 125 detainees tested positive for COVID-19, according to a lawyer representing people locked up at the jail in a class-action lawsuit.

Many scientists and health experts say inmates and guards should be prioritized for vaccines. But the Illinois Republican Party has criticized Gov. JB Pritzker for putting inmates at near the top of the list. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, the state’s slow vaccination rollout appears to be improving. Officials today announced a new daily record of 74,965 vaccinations. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• Russia expelled diplomats from Germany, Sweden and Poland for joining protests in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. [BBC]
• Protests are growing in Myanmar after the military overthrew the nation’s democracy. [AP]
• Here’s a look at how diverse Biden’s cabinet is compared to those of his predecessors. [NPR]
• Curious City takes a look at what happens to the Mag Mile’s colorful plants during the winter. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

Do you want to score extra points from your significant other by having WBEZ’s Melba Lara wish them a happy Valentine’s Day? Because you’re running out of time.

The deadline is tonight for signing up for WBEZ’s “Love Grams,” a virtual Valentine’s card that will be posted on Instagram. All you have to do is fill out a short form online and then choose a WBEZ or Vocalo host to record a message.

Sorry, I’m not available because, while I have a face for radio, my voice has been exiled to this newsletter. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

If you could date any fictional character, who would it be?

Carol writes:

“Heathcliff … a fictional character in Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. Owing to the novel’s enduring fame and popularity, he is often regarded as an archetype of the tortured antihero whose all-consuming rage, jealousy and anger destroy both him and those around him.”

And Christine Scudder writes:

“If I were to date any fictional character, it would definitely be Byron Sully from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He’s the whole package. A mountain man who can build you a house AND has a heart of gold? That hair?!? Yes.”

Y’all had some great responses this week! I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from you.

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