Hey there! It’s Tuesday, and I have a Groundhog’s Day prediction: Six more weeks of winter. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. COVID-19 vaccine for young children could soon be approved

Some good news for parents: A COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 might be ready much sooner than expected.

Pfizer-BioNTech asked the Food and Drug Administration today to authorize a vaccine designed for children aged 6 months to 5 years for emergency use.The agency approved the company’s vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds in October. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Illinois public health officials on Monday reported the first local case of a subvariant known as “stealth omicron,” or BA.2. While researchers have yet to determine whether the subvariant is more dangerous than the original, experts say its emergence could slow down the current decline in new infections.

“When it comes to subvariants, we just don’t know how they’re going to act until we get more cases of them,” Dr. Michael Angarone, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern Medicine, told the Sun-Times.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 8,665 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, one of the lowest daily totals since mid-December. [Sun-Times]

2. Gov. JB Pritzker issues a disaster declaration for Illinois ahead of winter storm

With some parts of the state forecasted to be hit with more than a foot of snow, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday “all state assets stand ready to assist” in the case of an emergency — including 1,800 plow trucks and 130 Illinois National Guard members already deployed.

“I encourage everyone to do what you can to stay safe: Listen to local authorities to stay up to date with the latest conditions in your community and make sure your household has essentials,” Pritzker said.

In the Chicago area, snowfall is predicted to begin at about 8 or 9 p.m. Around six inches of snow is expected for areas north of Interstate 80, the National Weather Service said, while areas south of I-80 could get up to 11 inches. The highest rate of snow, up to an inch per hour, is expected after midnight through early Wednesday afternoon.

The Illinois General Assembly canceled most of its sessions this week in anticipation of dangerous travel conditions caused by the storm. [Sun-Times]

3. A record number of Americans quit their jobs in 2021

Nearly 50 million workers voluntarily left their jobs last year, including more than 4.3 million in December, according to new numbers from the Bureau of Labor.

What prompted the mass exodus? Millions of workers seized opportunities to secure better pay or benefits from companies desperate to keep up during a labor shortage.

As CNN reports, “people also left the labor market to care for children or elderly relatives during the pandemic. Meanwhile, older workers retired early either because they could or because age discrimination forced them out of the labor market.” [CNN]

And more employees may be headed to the exits. A January poll from the National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the U.S., found that 55% of members say they will leave the profession sooner than they had originally planned. [NPR]

4. Putin says the U.S. and Russia remain far apart in talks about Ukraine

As the U.S. and Russia continue to face off over Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin today accused the West of ignoring his country’s security concerns about the expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe.

As NPR reports, “Putin argued that as a future NATO member, Ukraine could attempt to forcibly retake Crimea — the peninsula Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.”

“Are we supposed to go to war with the NATO bloc?” he said. “Has anyone given that any thought? Apparently not.” [NPR]

5. Lightfoot defends police reform efforts ahead of Van Dyke’s release from prison

Days before the prison release of Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who murdered 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014, Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended the city’s police reform.

“There has been some change,” she said Monday. “Not enough. Not enough by any stretch of the imagination. But I think some significant things have happened and continue to happen that we need to take stock of in light of this moment.”

McDonald’s killing prompted a federal investigation into Chicago’s policing practices that resulted in the Police Department being placed under a federal consent decree. The department has consistently fallen behind on meeting court-mandated reform goals, though recent reports from the independent monitor overseeing the plan have highlighted some areas of improvement.

“When you compare the department today to where we were back in 2015, it is night and day different,” Robert Boik, CPD’s executive director of constitutional policing and reform, told the Chicago Tribune. [Trib]

Here’s what else is happening

• Happy Lunar New Year! Here’s what to know about the Year of the Tiger. [CNN]

• A second day of bomb threats disrupted campus activities at several HBCUs. [NPR]

• Quarterback Tom Brady is officially retiring from the NFL after 22 seasons. [AP]

• The Chicago Park District’s interim CEO is sticking around for another three months. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

Today marks the start of Black History Month, which honors the contributions and sacrifices of Black Americans who have helped shape the nation. One of those people is historian Carter G. Woodson, who came up with the original idea for the celebration.

In 1926, the University of Chicago alum began to brainstorm a way to better promote and educate the public about Black history and culture. Woodson landed on what he called “Negro History Week,” set in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

“Woodson’s goal from the very beginning was to make the celebration of Black history in the field of history a ‘serious area of study,’ ” said Albert Broussard, a professor of Afro-American history at Texas A&M University.

Over time, he succeeded. By the late 1960s, Negro History Week had evolved into what is now known as Black History Month, and the celebration was officially recognized by the federal government in 1976. [NPR]

Here’s a list of ways to mark the month here in Chicago. [Choose Chicago]

Tell me something good …

Hunter is babysitting his nephews this week, and he needs some help keeping them entertained. What are some of your favorite kid-friendly activities?

Anne writes:

“Kids seem to get a kick out of a smelly guessing game. Blindfold them, hand them a small bowl, and see if they can guess what’s in it by smell alone. Try cinnamon, cheese, cut-up orange, crayons, soap. Promise they won’t have to smell anything gross and you may be surprised how well they do.”

And Dee recommends:

“Go to the forest preserve and build a lean-to. I was able to do this last winter with my grandchildren and all three of us spent wonderful hours building from large fallen branches. … Of course the boys will need boots and snow pants, if the snow comes, [and] a sled is useful to lay branches on.”

Have a suggestion for Hunter? Feel free to email or tweet us, and your responses might be shared here this week.