President Trump signed an executive order this week mandating that federal employees return to the office full-time.

Why it matters: The U.S. government is the biggest employer in Chicago, with nearly 50,000 workers.

• Return-to-office pushes can often be a way for companies (and governments) to do layoffs without technically having to fire anyone.

What they're saying: "This directive turns back the clock to before 2010 when Congress required federal agencies to expand telework by law," said American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) president Everett Kelley. "Congress took this action a full decade before the pandemic, recognizing telework as an important tool for agencies' operational efficiency."

By the numbers: Of 149,000 federal employees in Illinois, including the military, 13.2% worked from home at least once the week before they were surveyed in 2023, according to the Census Bureau.

Zoom in: AFGE Local 704 represents 1,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency workers across the Midwest. Union president Nicole Cantello tells Axios their union agreement includes fully remote work and telework, which allows employees to be at home eight out of 10 days in a two-week pay period.

• "It's the union's position that the telework should continue under our collective bargaining agreement," Cantello says.
• "We believe that there will be a number of people who will decide that they do not want to stay because the administration has made it so unpalatable. But we are asking people to stand strong."

What's next: The Office of Personnel Management, in a memorandum dated Wednesday, recommended agencies set a target of having all workers back in the office full time within 30 days "subject to any exclusions granted by the agency and ... collective bargaining obligations."

Go deeper

A first-of-its-kind hemp-derived THC retail store will open inside the Salt Shed today.

Why it matters: It could pave the way for other big venues and stadiums to add similar stores.

The latest: RISE Dispensaries will operate an on-site retail space at The Fairgrounds inside the Salt Shed music venue, offering THC Delta-9 products, including hemp-derived THC gummies, chocolates and drinks.

Yes, but: It's not a regulated Illinois dispensary. RISE operates several adult-use recreational cannabis dispensaries in Illinois, but this partnership would sell unregulated but legal products.

Zoom out: The hemp-derived THC products like Delta-9 have recently become a focal point for local and state governments. Gov. JB Pritzker and the state legislature failed twice to pass a bill that would have regulated where these products could be sold in Illinois.

• In Chicago, the city council passed a measure to ban similar products in certain wards and is considering a plan to tax the products.

What's next: The new retail store opens Friday at 4:20pm.

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🎧 "Sound Opinions" is marking its 1,000th episode as the world's one and only rock 'n' roll talk show. (Block Club)

😷 Bird flu killed 3,000 hens at an organic chicken farm this week in south suburban Matteson. (NBC-5)

🗳️ Ranked choice voting is making inroads in Will and DuPage counties, but Cook County campaigns lag behind. (Tribune)

👋🏼 Hi, it's Carrie!

Chicago Restaurant Week starts today, and perhaps this year you could make it about more than just a good meal and supporting local businesses.

How it works: Hundreds of Chicago and suburban restaurants (a record 500 this year!) offer special menus at discounted prices to get diners in the door during the historically slow winter months.

Our suggestion: Use it to try new spots, meet new people or even as an excuse to reconnect.

Reality check: U.S. adults eating dinner or having drinks with friends on any given night has declined by more than 30% in the past 20 years, The Atlantic reported.

• A survey by OpenTable last year found that 68% of Gen Z and Millennial diners ate out solo the previous year.

💭 Carrie's thought bubble: My husband and I ate at this great spot in New York recently where the tables were close together, and we struck up a convo with the couple next to us. They were fascinating world travelers and we closed down the restaurant and exchanged numbers. Now we have new friends in San Diego!

The bottom line: Restaurants and bars are community gathering spots, not just takeout counters. Whether you go alone or with friends, strike up a convo with your tablemate.

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🌱 Discover new local events.

Meet IRL | Friday Night Pickleball: Singles Night at SPF on Jan 24: This event aims to bring together our awesome community of singles in a fun and casual environment. Come along to make new connections for friendship or more. $30-$50.

Mac & Cheese Crawl - Chicago's Cheesiest Bar Crawl at Wrigleyville's BEST Bars on Jan 25: Tickets include admission to all bars on the crawl & 7 free mac & cheese servings, drink specials, giveaways and more. $10-$20.

Promoting your event? Email [email protected].

The Chicago Fire FC just signed the youngest field player in club history.

The latest: The Fire signed 15-year-old midfielder Robert Turdean to a Club-record contract for a Homegrown Player.

• Homegrown Players are local athletes who attend the club's soccer academy.
• Seven Homegrown Players are currently under contract for the Fire.

Zoom in: Turdean hails from Niles and attends the Chicago Fire Academy, which is an accredited middle and high school specifically designed for soccer student-athletes.

The big picture: Turdean not only receives the biggest Homegrown Player contract in Club history, but it's the second-biggest in league history.

• The financial details were not released, but the Fire could exercise options to keep him under contract through the 2030 season.

Keep reading

👋 Hi, it's Justin!

This year started with a bang for local music venues as Fitzgerald's in Berwyn was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

It's a great honor for a great music club. Which brings us to today's quiz…

• How well do you know the history of music venues in Chicago?

Last week, we had only one winner on our MLK quiz. Congrats to Colleen S.!

• As always, email me a screenshot of your perfect score and you'll get a shoutout next week.

🎸 Ready for a trip down memory lane? Take the music venue quiz here!