Market volatility boosts CME earnings
By Jiefei Liu CME Group Inc. reported strong fourth-quarter earnings Thursday, driven by high trading volumes amid market volatility. CME Group, the Chicago-based derivatives marketplace, reported net income of $373.4 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, up 28 percent from $291.7 million, or 86 cents per share, a year earlier. Analysts’ expectation was $1.06, according […]
A hazy outlook for Chinese investment in Chicago
By Shen Lu First it was Japan. Now China. The investment capital that China, Chicago’s shiny new investment star, injects into the local economy has reached new highs almost every year since the Great Recession. Chinese investment in Illinois — primarily concentrated in the greater Chicago area — hit a whopping $5.5 billion last year, […]
Amid slow growth prospects, MB Financial seeks more acquisitions
By Yifang (Evonne) Liu MB Financial Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI) is expected to continue modest growth in 2017 in spite of a higher rate environment, and management is looking for more acquisitions. Analysts are conservative about the Chicago-based bank holding company’s 2017 performance after the company reported soft fourth quarter earnings last week that missed analysts’ […]
Chicago style icons: A Violet fusion of punk and queerness
By Lauren Baker Zack Violet is known for creating both atmospheres and outfits that go against the grain. Violet, who likes to be referred to as “they”, is redefining queer fashion here in Chicago. Anita Dolce Vita defines queer fashion as “undefinable because it is specific to the individual” and is “systematically rooted in gender […]
Who inspires you? New Trier girls basketball team tells us
By Giuliana Allegrotti Last week I talked to New Trier junior guard Daniela Sirott about her athletic heroes, who inspires her in professional sports. Her answer took me by surprise.
Domestic violence victim: I will never stop fighting for them
By Xufei Geng The first thing a visitor to John Panko’s Evanston home might notice are two drawings his daughter did for him when she was four years old. Although 10 years have passed since his daughter produced those drawings, Panko says he still remember every detail about them. “This is me, that is her. […]
Disability Intersects Muslim Identity for Chicagoans
By Peter Jones Aziza Nassar and Muhammed S. Ullah are two American Muslims living with disabilities. Although President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning all refugees and travelers from seven mainly Muslim countries has left Muslims in the U.S. feeling marginalized, Muslims with disabilities are feeling even more isolated. The U.S. Religion Census estimated that […]
Long wait, slow start: Senn falls short in return trip to playoffs
![After eight years of anticipation for this moment, the boys’ basketball team’s first playoff game in nearly a decade, the Senn Bulldogs had to wait another 40 minutes. Marine Academy arrived at Senn at 5 p.m. for a 4:30 tip. Ultimately, though, it was the home team that was slow to show up. Senn trailed early in the first half and never recovered, falling 82-69 Wednesday evening in the first of three playoff games in the Blue North conference. First-year Senn coach Terrell Walsh worried in Tuesday’s practice the players wouldn’t be ready at game time, and his fears were realized when Marine (10-11) went up by 13 midway through the second quarter. “They’ve never made the playoffs, so this is what they do,” Walsh said of his players after the loss. “All season we’ve this been telling them the same thing over and over and they just don’t realize it, so is what happens.” Slow starts have plagued Senn (10-4) throughout the season. Starting point guard Noah Chapman said the team was ready to play, but the group just couldn’t recover after falling behind. “We weren’t nervous,” Chapman said. “We just came out slow, which we always do.” His coach says otherwise. “Yeah, I think they were nervous,” Walsh said. “It is what it is.” Nervous or not, Senn was rattled by the hot hand of Marine’s KeyAndre Spann. The shooting guard scored 18 of his team’s first 22 points and finished with a game-high 27. “We started off slow, and [Spann] hit a couple of shots. He killed us,” Senn assistant coach Marcus Riley said. Riley said the team shouldn’t have been nervous since they were playing at Senn, but it hardly felt like a home game at times. A small group of Marine supporters regularly drowned out any noise by the approximately 60 Senn fans that attended the game. Even though he had a full roster to work with, Walsh stuck to a six-man rotation for the duration of the game. Senn beat Marine less than a month ago with a similar strategy, but Marine Academy simply buried the Bulldogs with 13 made three-pointers. The Bulldogs have two more chances left in pool play to prove they belong in the playoffs. Despite the rough start, Walsh sees his team making it out of pool play, which takes point differential into account. “We have to a blow team out to get back in it,” he said. “I believe it’s going to work in our favor. … We still got two more games. It’s the playoffs. Anything can happen.”](https://s3.amazonaws.com/medill.wordpress.offload/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/02/sennblock-1024x799.jpg)
By Mark Singer After eight years of anticipation for this moment, the boys’ basketball team’s first playoff game in nearly a decade, the Senn Bulldogs had to wait another 40 minutes. Marine Academy arrived at Senn at 5 p.m. for a 4:30 tip. Ultimately, though, it was the home team that was slow to show […]
Illinois start-up revives craft manufacturing
By Mengjie (Jessie) Jiang Under a huge American flag, three craftsmen are scraping and sanding acetate eyeglass frames on a gritty table, one of the 75 steps to make a pair of State Optical luxury eyeframes. The Vernon Hills, Ill., manufacturer says it’s trying to redefine “Made in America” by emphasizing quality and craftsmanship over […]
The journey of a Pioneer
By Katy Winge As early as second grade, people paid attention to Carie Weinman on the court. Long-time basketball fans and referees who know the game, approached her family and said she is going to play at the next level. “Right from the get-go,” said her father, Paul Weinman. “They just knew.” They were right. […]
