Hey there! The tornadoes of chaos that are my nephews are at my place today because their school is doing parent-teacher conferences. And I love hearing what they talk about when I’m not in the same room as them. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will step down as the top Democrat in the House

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — the only woman to lead the House in U.S. history — today announced she will step down from the party’s leadership after two decades.

“For me the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” Pelosi said in a speech on the House floor. “I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”

Pelosi said she will continue to represent her San Francisco district in the House.

House Democrats will hold leadership elections at the end of the month, and among the top contenders so far are Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California, NPR reports.

The news comes as Republicans are expected to hold a razor-thin majority in the chamber after Democrats “defied historical expectations and performed better in governor, Senate, and House elections than anticipated,” NPR reports. [NPR]

2. Starbucks workers in Chicago are part of a nationwide strike called the ‘Red Cup Rebellion’

Thousands of Starbucks workers across the nation walked out today, marking the largest labor action to face the coffee giant since employees pushed to unionize last year.

The strike coincides with what is one of the company’s busiest days — Red Cup Day, when Starbucks hands out limited-edition holiday reusable cups that are considered to be collector’s items, NPR reports.

Workers say they want better working conditions, such as consistent schedules and higher staffing levels at busy stores. [NPR]

Today’s strike comes amid a wave of labor organizing in the U.S. after the pandemic exposed inequities in the workplace.

In Chicago, this year is on track to have the most petitions for union elections filed in the last 12 years, reported my colleagues Amy Qin and Charmaine Runes. [WBEZ]

3. A Chicago professor wanted to teach a class called ‘The Problem of Whiteness.’ Death threats and online harassment followed.

An instructor at the University of Chicago said she postponed the class after a student launched an online campaign aimed at canceling it, sparking a wave of racist, misogynistic and antisemitic attacks, reports my colleague Nereida Moreno.

Rebecca Journey, a teaching fellow who earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from UChicago, said her class analyzes whiteness as a social construct and dismissed “disingenuous” claims that it stokes “anti-white hatred.”

“I want to stress that these attacks are the direct consequence of this student’s targeted cyberbullying campaign,” Journey said. “This was a malicious attack not just on me as a teacher, but on anti-racist pedagogy writ large.”

UChicago officials are standing by the course, which Journey plans to teach under the same title. [WBEZ]

4. Music festivals in Chicago will need approval from high level park district officials amid an uproar over the use of public land for private events

The board for the Chicago Park District voted unanimously to change the permitting process for large music festivals, putting an emphasis on community input after concerned neighbors criticized the city for what they say is a privatization of public land.

But the changes may be superficial, as the park district relies on revenue from the music festivals to help fund programs, some residents tell Block Club Chicago.

“The fact there is the potential for some oversight is a step in the right direction. But am I hopeful? Not really. I think this is a conversation of profit over people,” said Anton Adkins, who lives in the North Lawndale neighborhood, not far from Douglass Park.

As Block Club reports, “In recent years, the Park District has increased the number of megafests at Douglass Park — and the number of weeks areas of the park are closed to the public — despite growing complaints from neighbors who have been fenced out of their public park by private companies for ticketed events.” [Block Club Chicago]

5. A guide to Chicago’s Christkindlmarket

Grab a mug because the city’s annual Christkindlmarket returns tomorrow to downtown’s Daley Plaza — and the event attracted a whopping 1.5 million visitors last year.

My colleague Courtney Kueppers created a handy guide for folks who are looking for the best ways to get to the festival, want to avoid crowds and are curious about what’s new this year.

And yes, there are photos of this year’s collectible mugs. One includes people dancing outside in a winter city scene, and a non-alcoholic mug features a penguin in a dirndl — a traditional German dress.

This year also sees a brand new location in Aurora, and the Christkindlmarket at Wrigley Field has grown to include 35 vendors. [WBEZ]

If you’re into the holiday spirit as much as my husband (our apartment is now fully decorated), you might want to check out these go-to holiday recipes from Chicago-area chefs. [Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn will not run in the crowded race for mayor of Chicago. [Chicago Sun-Times]
  
• A federal judge ruled to erase at least $6 billion in student loans for about 200,000 borrowers. [NPR]
• Chicago Public Schools will receive a $25 million donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Special shout out to reader Julie Simon, whose tiny clay books will be on display at the Glenview Public Library. [GPL]

Oh, and one more thing …

This week’s episode of WBEZ’s Making podcast focuses on one of the more prominent figures in the LGBTQ community — RuPaul.

Before she threw on a wig and became one of the most famous drag queens in history, RuPual was a kid in the big city, go-go dancing to make ends meet.

“None of us had any money back then. We were all shopping at thrift stores,” said friend and legendary drag queen Lady Bunny. “We were all kind of artsy-fartsy bums.”

Host Brandon Pope examines the crucial moments in RuPaul’s life with Lady Bunny, DJ and songwriter Larry Tee, author and drag historian Simon Doonan and Chicago’s own Shea Couleé. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

Winter definitely feels like it has arrived in Chicago. What’s something you do to make this time of year more cheerful?

Sallie Stiens writes:

“I like to head to the Christkindlemarket at lunch during the week. (After the Thanksgiving rush!) It’s a little quieter M-F, and you can always meet a few fellow Chicagoans grabbing a brat and a glühwein — people are pretty cheerful with the smell of cinnamon and sugar almonds and glühwein in the air!”

And Jim Jolley writes:

“The thing I like when cold weather arrives is getting the fireplace going. Throw in a glass of red wine, a book or a movie, with the two cats lying about … perfect.”

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