Hey there! It’s Tuesday, and it’s finally snowing! Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Chicago restaurant owners want more time on new vax requirements

Local bars, restaurants and other indoor venues are supposed to start checking vaccine cards at the door on Jan. 3, but some owners say that’s too soon.

At a news conference this week, members of the Chicago Restaurants Coalition called on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to push the requirement’s start date back to Jan. 15, arguing businesses need more time — and funds — to comply.

“I don’t have any people on staff to do this. It’s not something that I had in my budget when trying to figure out how to cover my operating expenses,” said Mary Kay Tuzi, owner of Twin Anchors in Old Town. [Block Club Chicago]

The request came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled new recommendations for how long people who test positive for COVID-19 should remain in isolation. Instead of 10 days, the agency said, asymptomatic patients only need to stay home for five. Experts say the shift will lessen the pandemic’s strain on the economy, allowing workers to return to the job sooner than previously permitted. [NPR]

2. Hundreds of new Illinois laws go into effect Jan. 1

It’s nearly the new year, and you know what that means: new laws. With more than 280 pieces of legislation set to take effect starting Jan. 1, the Chicago Tribune put together a handy guide to some of the biggest changes.

Some workers will get a raise as the statewide minimum wage bumps up from $11 to $12 an hour, the third such increase under Illinois’ pledge to hit a $15 minimum by 2025. Meanwhile, Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., will officially become a paid holiday for state workers.

On the education front, public schools will need to update their curriculum as Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to enact an Asian American history requirement. Both public and private schools will also no longer be able to ban hairstyles like braids or locks associated with race or ethnicity.

And Illinois police officers will be prohibited from using deceptive techniques when interrogating minors, which experts say can lead to false confessions. Law enforcement agencies overseeing areas with 500,000 or more people will also be required to make sure each of their officers has a body camera. [Chicago Tribune]

3. Cook County’s court reopening is drawing surprisingly positive reviews

When the right to a speedy trial resumed in October after a more than yearlong COVID-19 suspension, many Cook County attorneys predicted the courts would quickly be overwhelmed. So far, that hasn’t happened, WBEZ’s Patrick Smith reports.

Data show that the system’s reopening didn’t result in a widely predicted crush of cases that would have forced prosecutors to drop charges in order to keep up. And while there have been far fewer jury trials this year compared to pre-pandemic days, the system is largely back to being fully functional as plea deals once again take the lead role in keeping the courts afloat.

Longtime defense attorney Tony Thedford said criminal cases in Cook County are moving much faster and more fairly than he would have predicted a year ago.

“To be in the position that we’re in right now, I actually think that it is a victory,” he said. “We had no precedent for this.” [WBEZ]

4. Food recalls dropped during the pandemic, but experts don’t know why

The federal agencies charged with food safety have pulled far fewer products from the shelves during the pandemic, data shows, but it’s unclear what that means for consumers.

On one hand, experts say, a reduction in recalls could mean the system is getting safer, with regulators spotting spoiled or unsafe items before they arrive in stores. However, others fear the reverse is happening, and more potential risks are slipping through the cracks.

“I think it’s too early to tell,” Ben Chapman, who teaches agricultural and human sciences at NC State University, said of the drop. “I think we’re trying to do analysis in the midst of a pandemic, and we don’t really understand how things have changed.”

But don’t worry: Fewer recalls doesn’t necessarily mean more bad food is making it to your supermarket. So far, experts say, there hasn’t been a noticeable spike in cases of foodborne illness. [NPR]

5. Don’t miss Chicago’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show

Queue up some Katy Perry — Chicago is set to put on its biggest fireworks display ever as the city rings in 2022.

After many New Year’s Eve festivities were canceled last year due to the pandemic, Mayor Lori Lightfoot heralded the show’s return while emphasizing safety measures.

“The display can be viewed outdoors where the spread of COVID-19 is less likely, so our residents and visitors should feel comfortable while masking up and social distancing,” she said in a statement.

The spectacle will start right as the clock strikes midnight and stretch over a 1.5-mile route along the lakefront and Chicago River. Revelers celebrating from home can watch a live broadcast of the event on WGN. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• More than 2,000 flights were canceled today as a COVID-19 staffing crunch continues. [CNN]

• A Chicago park commemorating those lost to the AIDS epidemic is set to open this spring. [Chicago Tribune]

• President Joe Biden had 40 federal judges confirmed in 2021, the most for a new president since Ronald Reagan. [NPR]

• Three new natural gas power plants could curtail Illinois’ clean energy gains. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

Could Oreo cookies solve New York City’s rodent problem? Rat Trap Distribution, the company behind a new high-tech trap, thinks so.

How do their chocolatey contraptions work? Crumbled-up cookies (peanut butter-flavored Oreos are best) and sunflower seeds lure pesky vermin into the trap, where they’re allowed to snack unbothered for about a week, director of operations Jim Webster said. Once the creatures get comfortable, he said, the trap is turned on and they fall into a dunk tank-like basin filled with noxious chemicals.

While animal rights groups have pushed back against the deadly devices, Mayor-elect Eric Adams called them “amazing” and said he will look into using the traps across the city’s boroughs once he takes office. [NYT]

Curious about Chicago’s approach to rat control? Check out our 2019 guide to the city’s most ubiquitous vermin. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s on your 2022 bucket list?

Joan writes:

“Read 50 books, about 1/week. I’m retired, so it should be easy, right? The tricky part: not letting myself include murder mysteries in the total. OK to read them, but not to count them.”

And Phyllis writes:

“I’m looking for all the bridges in my town. I walk a lot and see bridges everywhere, such as on trails, in backyards and over ravines. Some are tiny and some are essential. They all tell a story.”

What about you? Send me your ideas and they might appear here this week.