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Postal workers who recall packages and letters piled up in distribution hubs are better prepared this time as they gear up for another pandemic crunch. But low product inventories, and port and supply chain disruptions are creating new uncertainty about getting gifts delivered.

As 2021 draws to a close, the 2022 election is already well underway and Chicago’s election in early 2023 is looming on the horizon. On a special holiday edition of “The Week in Review,” a look at what offices are on the ballot, who’s running, and the key issues at stake.

Buoyed by solid hiring, healthy pay gains and substantial savings, customers are returning to stores and splurging on all types of items. But the spike has also resulted in limited selection across the board as suppliers and retailers have been caught flat-footed.

The long-awaited report by the Interior Department stops short of recommending an end to oil and gas leasing on public lands, as many environmental groups have urged. But officials said the report would lead to a more responsible leasing process that provides a better return to U.S. taxpayers.

Lawmakers in at least seven states considered eliminating use of “alien” and “illegal” in state statutes this year and replacing them with descriptions such as “undocumented” and “noncitizen,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The region’s nature lovers eagerly anticipate the annual flyover of the large, raucous birds but for regular observers of the cranes, this year’s migration was cause for anxiety due to low numbers counted at their regular Indiana rest stop.

The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of the pill ahead of a public meeting next week where academic and other experts will weigh in on its safety and effectiveness. The agency isn’t required to follow the group’s advice.

Timed reservations will be required for all programs, from open skate to rat hockey, to allow for social distancing.

The crackdown kicks off on Black Friday at Woodfield Mall. Scofflaws could face fines up to $600.

CTA has declared, “The magic is back.” Passengers will be able to board the Holiday Train and Holiday Bus this year, although a few restrictions are still in place due to COVID-19.

Calls for land-based reparations to Indigenous Americans. The impact of rising costs on food insecurity. The art of birchbark canoe building. A local cartoonist keeps alive a “Mad” magazine tradition.

Food insecurity continues to be far above pre-pandemic levels. Advocates say supply chain issues and inflation are worsening this problem — higher grocery bills make it even harder for some to afford food.

The op-ed also raises the idea of doing away with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and says tribes would be “freed” of treaties with the federal government – an idea some Native Americans oppose.

The infrequently revived 1948 musical gem boasts a brilliant score by Cole Porter of nearly 20 knockout songs, almost all of which are classics. It’s a wonderfully clever play-within-a-play book by Sam and Bella Spewack that owes a deep debt of gratitude to that guy by the name of William Shakespeare.

Whatever it is you are cooking, we all have memorable stories about the food that has been prepared and the recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation. These are those stories. 

One of the best parts about the holiday is the leftovers, which if you plan your meal right can last you for days. 

Local reaction to the verdict in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. COVID cases surge ahead of Thanksgiving. A tuition-free art school. And the Bears prepare for the Lions amid turmoil in the organization.

The increase in cases in Illinois this fall has now surpassed last summer’s delta variant surge. Health officials are urging residents to take extra precautions as they make plans to gather with family members who may or may not be vaccinated. 

Whatever takes place on the field Thursday is dwarfed right now by the confusion surrounding the entire Bears organization. Various reports paint a picture of a head coach about to be out of a job, and questions of whether there is any competence at all in the upper management of the organization.

Effective spring 2022, an art school just south of the city will be the first of its kind—offering tuition-free art classes for emerging and developing artists of all ages. Angel Idowu takes us to a ceramics class at the Hyde Park Art Center to show us how they’re making art more accessible for everyone.

The convictions for Greg McMichael, son Travis McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan came after jurors deliberated for about 10 hours. The men face minimum sentences of life in prison. It is up to the judge to decide whether that comes with or without the possibility of parole.

The lawsuits filed by the Naperville families of Jacob “Jake” Jurinek, 20, and Franco Patino, 21, are part of a flood of dozens of suits against Scott and the companies behind the Nov. 5 event in which 10 people were killed and hundreds were injured 

For Kyle Rittenhouse, a year of legal uncertainty over whether his claim of self-defense would stand up has given way to uncertainty over what’s next.

The Macy’s parade has been a traditional holiday season kickoff and spectators often line up a half-dozen deep along the route to cheer about 8,000 marchers, two dozen floats, entertainers and marching bands. 

When’s the last time you thought about the turkey not as dinner but as a bird? Here are some fascinating facts about this North American original.

A Thanksgiving parade, sing-along, holiday trains and buses, and a film festival usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.