University of Chicago economists don’t see Fed raising rates before Sept.

By Lucy Ren and Ryan Sachetta The Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates before its September meeting and instead will wait into the summer to get a better assessment of the economy before making any decisions, according to two University of Chicago economists. Former Federal Reserve governor and University of Chicago professor Randall […]

Chicago Elections 2015 – The Runoff

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia were forced into a runoff election after the first election in February, which led to millions of additional dollars raised and spent and extensive debating and campaigning across the city – and the airwaves. For in-depth coverage, Medill Reports followed the mayoral candidates and spread […]

Gearing up for the runoff: Medill Report’s Electioncast 2015

The Medill News Service’s Election 2015 video team is hosting three separate electioncasts today. In our first update, Lukas Voss and Empriss Campbell tell us about the candidates’ schedules, continuing reaction to last week’s controversial mayoral debate, high early voting turnout and how the 15th Ward’s new demographic landscape impacts the aldermanic race.

Ward runoff races heat up

By Steven Chambers and Meghan Tribe UPDATED: This story’s been updated to reflect late-closing polling places.   Residents in the 1st, 41st, 42nd and 46th wards will have an extra hour to cast their ballots in Chicago mayoral runoff election. A judge of elections granted a petition of the Board of Election asking for voting […]

Voices from the voters: the issues of the election

Mayor Rahm Emanuel greets Chicagoans at Clark and Lake CTA Station

On election day, it’s all about the voters. Medill reporters took to the streets to gauge poll turnout, find out who’s changed their votes, and see how campaign advertising has impacted Chicagoans.

Where mother once sewed, daughter now cooks tapas

By Alysha Khan When Nia Asimis lost her job in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, she didn’t bother looking for another one. Instead, she saw opportunity in her mother’s former tailor shop space. Asimis, 42, opened a restaurant, drawing from her Greek heritage. She called it Nia Mediterranean Tapas. Seven years later, […]

Small plates trend remains strong

By Alysha Khan Sometimes big trends come on small plates. Over the past decade, the concept of small plates has expanded from a curiosity to a strong trend that is currently spreading to everything from coffee shops to national chains. Small plates are shareable portions that give customers a chance to sample more menu items […]

Analysts hopeful of change under new McDonald’s Corp. CEO

By Alysha Khan McDonald’s Corp. new CEO Steve Easterbrook took office March 1 and security analysts are cautiously hopeful that he will be able to revive the struggling fast-food giant. “It’s going to take time for Steve to put his imprint on things,” said Jack Russo, senior analyst at Edward Jones. The stock currently has […]

Diners react to possible Chipotle price hike

By Alysha Khan During the last quarterly earnings call, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. executives warned that if the price of beef continued to rise, the chain may have to raise its prices. We took to the streets of Chicago to talk to Chipotle customers about the potential hike.

McDonald’s Corp. experiments with touch screen menus

By Andrew Fowler and Alysha Khan Across the country, McDonald’s Corp. is rolling out Create Your Taste, the chain’s new way to customize your burger with a touch screen. Executives say the new initiative could potentially lift sales and bring in more customers.