Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and Gov. JB Pritzker made an appearance on TikTok. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. U.S. COVID-19 cases reach record levels

The U.S. is now tallying an average of more than 265,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, data from John Hopkins University shows, surpassing a previous record set in mid-January. Hospitalizations, however, are about half of early last year.

Experts say the decline in serious illness might suggest that vaccines are working and the new omicron variant, although highly contagious, is milder than previous strains. [AP]

In Chicago, parents are scrambling to test their children for the virus before the city’s public schools resume next week. [Block Club Chicago]

And with at-home tests hard to come by, some Chicagoans are reporting a litany of issues as they flock to pop-up testing sites, including long waits and missing results. [Block Club Chicago]

Meanwhile, Chief Judge Timothy Evans reversed his earlier position and is now requiring all Cook County court employees to get vaccinated. [WBEZ]

2. Lightfoot texts show tensions with Pritzker

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are frequent collaborators, but text messages obtained by the Chicago Tribune reveal they’ve clashed over everything from the pandemic to bad press.

Back in 2020, for example, Lightfoot sent the governor a news report about tensions between their administrations as they negotiated over a Chicago casino.

“Gov, this is petty and unnecessary and why we have serious issues with your staff,” Lightfoot texted. “Not smart.”

She sent another article soon after, to which Pritzker responded: “Mayor. I didn’t write this nor did I foster it. I get bad press too. Call when you would like.” [Chicago Tribune]

The new spate of text messages come after the Tribune published a similar article earlier this month about the mayor’s sometimes combative dealings with aldermen. [Chicago Tribune]

3. Most Chicago police districts saw an increase in sexual assault reports

The number of sexual assaults reported across Chicago skyrocketed this year, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis finds, with 19 out of the city’s 22 police districts marking an increase from 2020.

The Near North district, which includes nightclub-heavy areas like River North, had the most cases in 2021, with the number of reports reaching a 20-year high. Meanwhile, police districts covering Jefferson Park and parts of Logan Square, Wicker Park and Bucktown saw the largest increases compared to last year.

Citywide, 2,056 sexual assault cases have been reported as of this week, a return to pre-pandemic levels. There were 1,612 incidents in 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions limited many social gatherings. [Sun-Times]

4. Biden and Putin to talk Thursday as tensions rise over Ukraine

President Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are set to speak tomorrow in a call requested by the Russian leader.

While a detailed agenda has not been released, the pair are expected to discuss a build-up of troops along the Ukraine border that has raised fears Russia is planning another invasion. The military escalation comes as Moscow seeks to preclude Ukraine and other former Soviet countries from joining NATO, a Western alliance that already holds significant influence in the region.

Aside from Ukraine, the two leaders are likely to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, an issue where the White House sees room for cooperation. [AP]

And the call comes on the heels of a ruling Wednesday by a Moscow court that ordered another prominent human rights group to shut down, raising concerns about civil liberties and freedom of expression in the country. [NYT]

5. Cook County wants to make biking more accessible

Imagine a place where bike paths don’t abruptly end on a busy street, where people feel empowered to bike instead of drive and where everyone can enjoy using two wheels. Sound nice?

Cook County leaders think so, and they’re creating the region’s first-ever bike plan to make such amenities accessible to everyone.

“Right now we have some places and communities that just do not have access to trails the way that others do,” said Jennifer Killen, superintendent of the county’s transportation and highways department. “We know that this bike plan, and more importantly the implementation of it, is one way that we can rectify that.”

The county plans to finish the equity-focused plan this summer. Here’s a look at what’s known about the effort so far and how you can weigh in. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• A former Illinois inmate could become the first federal prisoner to have gender confirmation surgery while in custody. [Sun-Times]

• Georgia Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde have racked up thousands in fines for violating the U.S. House’s mask mandate. [NYT]

• Two people were charged in connection with last week’s shooting at the Oakbrook Center Mall. [NBC 5]

• Hong Kong police arrested seven people during a raid on a pro-democracy news outlet, which has since shut down. [CNN]

• Virginia conservators found bullets, coins and other memorabilia in a time capsule discovered in the pedestal of a Robert E. Lee statue. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

There must be something in the water over at the Humboldt Park lagoon, because just two years after Alligator Robb captured Chance the Snapper, a local fisherman reeled in another unusual creature: an award-winning bighead carp.

Chicago resident Jarrett Knize won the Illinois “Fish of the Year” prize this week for his record-setting November catch. Weighing in at 72 pounds, 9 ounces, the massive carp beat out a 39-pound trout hooked in Lake Michigan and a 36-pound Chinook.

‘‘I’m grateful for all the people who made it fun,’’ Knize said. ‘‘You can’t land and certify an almost 73-pound fish in Chicago without a lot of help.’’

Check out an Abbey Road-esque picture of Knize crossing the street with his carp here. [Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

It’s almost the new year. What’s on your 2022 bucket list?

Ian writes:

“My 2022 bucket list involves my continued search for the best fried chicken sandwich in Chicago and (when it’s safe to do so) visiting all the arcade bars around town.”

What about you? Feel free to email or tweet me your ideas and they might appear here this week.