Good evening! The snow caused nearly 150 flight cancellations in Chicago, and passengers should expect smooth roads during the evening rush hour. Here's what else you need to know.
1. Illinois small businesses are preparing for a possible TikTok ban
The Supreme Court heard arguments today and appears likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the United States starting Jan. 19 unless the social media platform's China-based parent company agrees to a sale, the Associated Press reported.
The justices appear convinced by arguments that the national security threat posed by the company's connections to China trumps concerns about restricting freedom of expression for TikTok's 170 million US users (AP)
The ban will affect millions of small businesses that use the short-form video social media app to help them grow, including several businesses in Illinois, my colleague Amy Yee reported for the Chicago Sun-Times.
TikTok was “pivotal to running our business early on,” said Shane Kelly, owner of vintage clothing stores Heyday in Evanston and Prison City Vintage in Joliet. Prison City Vintage had only five to 10 customers a week when the store opened in 2021, but saw an increase in traffic after a TikTok post went viral, Kelly said.
TikTok has been around since 2016, and small business owners have used the platform in a variety of ways, from growing customer bases to advertising and marketing. (Chicago Sun-Times)
2. Relatives of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot are among the 180,000 displaced by the raging Los Angeles fires.
A few years ago, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot found a family photo taken at her aunt and uncle's wedding. She decided to make a photocopy, and it is now all that remains of the Altadena house where the couple spent the past 60 years, my colleagues Violet Miller and Emanuel Camarillo write.
Early Wednesday, William and Minnie Washington fled the house after it became one of thousands of buildings destroyed by wildfires sweeping the Los Angeles area. Their wedding album and other “irreplaceable” items were left behind, Lightfoot said.
“For those of us who weren't physically there, we're still trying to come to grips with the fact that this actually happened,” Lightfoot said. “It's incredibly surreal.”
Rebecca Soto, a 29-year-old artist from Chicago, also lost her home. The Columbia College graduate moved to Pasadena in 2022, then to Altadena four months ago. She tried to return to her home on Wednesday, but downed power lines and small fires stopped her. Her roommate managed to log in later in the afternoon and sent the group chat a single text message: “It's all gone.”
Five people died, and evacuation orders were issued for about 180,000 others due to the fires that consumed about 50 square miles and spread quickly due to strong winds. (Chicago Sun-Times)
3. Egg prices are rising all over Chicago
My colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times visited 14 stores in neighborhoods from Big Oaks to Edgewater, Morgan Park to Midway, Bucktown and Austin to find out what consumers are paying for eggs. Only two retailers sold eggs for less than the national average of $3.65 per dozen — Food 4 Less and Trader Joe's.
The lowest price was at Food 4 Less in Austin, 4821 W. North Ave., which was selling large, premium eggs for $2.99 a dozen. Trader Joe's was among the stores offering a lower price, with a dozen eggs costing from $3.49 to $4.99. “Save Big” at South Shore, 7240 S. Stony Island Ave., had 12 eggs for $4.09.
The highest price was $8.99 for organic and/or pasture-raised eggs at Joel-Osco, 1220 S. Ashland Ave., near the Medical District.
Experts said the prices are largely due to bird flu, but increased labor and business costs are also a factor. Overall egg prices have risen 39.6% since last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. (Chicago Sun-Times)
4. Illinois has joined the Justice Department's lawsuit against RealPage and the major landlords
The civil antitrust complaint filed this week alleges that the companies coordinated to keep rents high by using an algorithm to help set rents and sharing particularly sensitive information to boost profits, Amy Yee reported for the Chicago Sun-Times.
The listed owners are Chicago-based LivCor. Cushman & Wakefield, the Chicago-based firm whose residential property management business previously operated independently as Pinnacle; Camden Property Trust; Gray Star; Willow Bridge and Cortlandt Property Management.
Together, landlords manage more than 1.3 million housing units in 43 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Justice Department. They all operate multi-family residential buildings. Many of them own some or all of the properties under their management.
“Access to affordable housing is a fundamental human right. It is unacceptable that Illinoisans are forced to pay higher rental prices because a scheme to use new technology and break a long-standing law has To stack the odds against them.” (Chicago Sun-Times)
5. Chicago Theater Week is coming up. Here are some of the best deals of 2025.
Tickets are on sale now for the city's main theater week in February, and the best part is that most tickets cost $30 or less.
Eighty-five productions from nearly 60 theaters, from downtown destinations to storefronts, are participating in the show, going beyond traditional plays with performances from Hubbard Street Dance, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, and The Second City.
WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis scoured the list looking for some of the best performances. See his choices in the link. (wizz)
Here's what else happens
President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced in the illicit money case, but received no penalty or fine. (NPR) The US economy added 256,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%. (NPR) Immigration advocates have warned that a Chicago police proposal to help ICE may be illegal. (WBEZ) Illinois has joined the IRS Direct File program, allowing some taxpayers to file federal taxes for free. (Chicago Sun-Times)
Oh, and one more thing…
PSA: We're finally getting Season 2 of Severance on Apple TV+ this month.
This isn't the only show to watch out for in early 2025. NPR has compiled a list of TV shows you can expect, from medical dramas to westerns to cop shows and documentaries.
There's Pete, set in an emergency room in urban Pittsburgh. Netflix's American Primeval does away with the romanticism of many Westerns, instead depicting the harshness of Utah in 1857. (NPR)
Tell me something good..
What are your best tips for surviving Chicago winters?
Sue writes:
“I always enjoy going to the many museums that Chicago has to offer. Then I enjoy a walk to get some chocolate, or a meal before getting on the train or bus, and hopefully I won't be cold for too long, and then I go home.
Latanya writes:
“As a Chicagoan for 17 years, I spent every year trying to figure out how to get through what I thought was the most hated season in the city. Thanks to weekly ice skating dates with friends, and at least one or two trips to King Spa to sit in the amazing Sudatorium, “And the regular Chicago Athletic Association work-out in front of the fireplaces, and the commitment to go for a walk everyone no matter the weather, I actually came to enjoy the Chicago winter and even feel (a little) sad when it’s over.”
And Rachel writes:
“While you're wearing your best clothes from hat to boots, embrace the cool air on your face! If you can learn to love it and the rest of your body is warm, it will start to feel cooler and can also help activate your parasympathetic nervous system, reducing your body's response to stress and anxiety — a way Great for soothing the body and embracing cold days.
Thanks for all the responses this week! I'm sorry I couldn't include them all, but it was great hearing from everyone.
