Hey there! I’m getting a much-needed haircut today. I’m beginning to look like a guy who, despite all of the things that must be done during the day, will stop and be totally mesmerized by a construction site. Anyway, here’s what you need to know.

1. Can Lightfoot overcome a low approval rating and win a second term?

A friend recently asked me, “Can she win?” The honest answer is anything can happen when you’ve got a race this crowded.

But a more interesting question is: What does Mayor Lori Lightfoot see as her path to victory?

“She is banking big on building a base on the South and West sides — painting herself as the mayor who finally invested in some of the most underserved areas of the city after decades of neglect under the Chicago political machine,” reports my colleague Mariah Woelfel.

There are downsides to this strategy, as other candidates will also try wooing voters in these communities. But the goal here is likely to get just enough votes in the February election to advance to the April runoff election, which is a one-on-one race.

And the runoff presents a different problem that can be summed up by Rev. Ira Acree, a prominent pastor who endorsed Lightfoot in 2019 but isn’t so sure this time around.

He said if Lightfoot gets into the runoff and faces a more conservative candidate, he’s on team “Bring in the Light.” But things change when U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García enters the picture.

“If I went with my heart, I would go with Lori Lightfoot. Because she is a Black woman with many struggles. I can relate to them,” Acree said. “But if I went with who I think would be a better mayor, who’s more competent, who’s most prepared? Who has a history of fighting corruption? Then I will go with Chuy García.” [WBEZ]

2. Organized labor catches a buzz among weed workers

Legal marijuana is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation. And it’s also among the fastest to unionize, with workers concerned about their safety, working conditions and pay, reports Zachary Nauth for WBEZ.

“I’m 27 years old and I’m tired of working jobs that feel like a dead end,” said Cyndi Kazmirzak, a “budtender” at Windy City Cannabis.

“I want a career. Then I get here and I feel like I’m working at the ‘McDonald’s of Weed,’ getting treated like a teenager. I for one am not going to go down without a fight.”

In the three years since pot became legal in Illinois, cannabis workers have voted in 30 elections and reported a healthy 88% win rate, much better than the 61% of elections won by unions across the country in fiscal year 2021, Nauth reports. [WBEZ]

3. An Illinois abortion clinic at the forefront of post-Roe America

An abortion clinic opened in downstate Carbondale this fall, and it “revealed tensions between residents that had largely been hidden,” reports The New York Times.

Carbondale is seen by advocates of abortion rights as a crucial location for serving patients traveling from Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas.

One patient, Alyssa, drove five-and-a-half hours from Mississippi, spending all the money she had to make the trip.

A Carbondale resident who works at one of the clinics “helped gather enough money to cover Alyssa’s abortion, leaving her enough money for fuel for the long ride home,” the Times reports. [NYC]

4. More than 120 candidates are running for a spot on Chicago’s new police district councils

I know I talk about the upcoming city elections a lot, but this year is particularly consequential on multiple fronts.

Among the races that could dramatically impact Chicago are the new police district councils, which were created by city officials last year as calls grew for civilian oversight of the Police Department.

Chicago’s 22 police districts will each have a three-member council. And more than 120 candidates are hoping to win one of the 66 seats in the upcoming election.

But “three districts where increased crime is a major concern don’t have the bare minimum number of candidates,” reports my colleague Fran Spielman at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Other areas of the city saw up to eight or nine candidates vying for a spot on their councils. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Even people in Iran were celebrating the U.S. victory at the World Cup

Soccer fans in Iran set off fireworks and cheered in the streets after their national team lost 1-0 to the U.S. yesterday.

That’s because the World Cup defeat was seen by those celebrating as “the Islamic Republic’s loss, not Iran’s,” reports NBC News.

The Islamic Republic has faced waves of protests over the past couple of months following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly breaking the nation’s dress code.

The protests quickly morphed into a much broader movement against Iran’s theocracy, with some calling for an overthrow of the regime. [NBC News]

Here’s what else is happening

• Illinois Democrats introduced changes to the SAFE-T Act in an attempt to clarify more controversial parts of the law. [Chicago Tribune]
• U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., today became the first Black leader of a political party in Congress. [NPR]
• House lawmakers also today moved to avert a nationwide rail strike. [AP]
• An experimental drug appeared to slow down Alzheimer’s disease. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

One of the many things I love about this time of the year are all the parties.

And NPR has this, um, interesting guide to “kick things up a notch” this year.

I’ll let the suggestions speak for themselves. One is creating a “a vision board.” [NPR]

Meanwhile, Block Club Chicago has a nice guide to holiday popups and bars that go all out on decorations. [Block Club Chicago]

Tell me something good …

What movies do you watch this time of year no matter how old you get, and why do you love them?

Jean writes:

“We love the new Grinch movie (with Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones and Keenan Thompson) and Arthur Christmas. We watch other things, too, but without those, it doesn’t feel like Christmas time!

“We included Home Alone last year and are just waiting for Die Hard to be age appropriate for our kids hahaha.”

Yippee ki yay!

And Jill CT writes:

“My favorite animated choices are A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. But for live action, I make it a point to watch Love, Actually every year around this time. Lots of eye candy, lots of tears, lots of romance — what could be better?

“I also usually manage to watch It’s A Wonderful Life at some point but I always change the channel when Uncle Billy goes to the bank. The ending is a guaranteed tear fest!”

Feel free to email me, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.