From dunks to deliveries: Former No. 1 Pick La Rue Martin’s Unlikely Success Story
By Elan Kane La Rue Martin Jr. thought his future was set. The Portland Trail Blazers had drafted him No. 1 overall in the 1972 NBA draft. Money and fame awaited. Fifteen years later, he started work as a UPS driver, struggling to find uniform pants that fit his 6-foot-11 frame. “There is life after […]
Basketball builds a brotherhood
By Alan Suriel For some people basketball is just a sport to play when they’re bored. For others, basketball is a sport in which they give up everything. They give up your social life. They give up television. They give up rest and relaxation. For those people, basketball is life. Every so often, a person […]
Home builder confidence in single-family housing jumps to highest in 12 years
By Hannah Levitt Home builder confidence in single-family housing rose to the highest level since 2005, buoyed by increased confidence since the November presidential election. The Housing Market Index rose to 71 in March, jumping 9.2 percent from 65 in February and higher than the Bloomberg consensus prediction of 66, according to the National Association […]
Is it wise for youth athletes to specialize in one sport?
By Brent Schwartz If Bo Jackson was a high school athlete today, even with his immense talent in football and baseball, odds are there would be a coach saying, “Hey Bo, you need to pick one sport.” That is what Chrishawn Cook heard as a budding athlete at Niles North. “I tried to play football […]
Consumer price increase slows
By Zhu Zhu The consumer price index increased 0.1 percent in February, a sharp slowdown from the 0.6 percent jump in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The February increase was the smallest one-month rise in the seasonally adjusted all-items index since July 2016, mainly due to a decreased gasoline index.
Niles North basketball elevates expectations after surprising season
By Brent Schwartz All that stood between the Niles North Vikings and a regional championship were three minutes. After a back-and-forth three quarters against Notre Dame College Prep, the Vikings used a 10-0 run to take a 48-35 lead to start the fourth. But a flurry of missed 3-pointers followed, and they squandered the advantage, […]
Caterpillar seen turning around despite investigation
By Mengjie (Jessie) Jiang Caterpillar Inc. is projected to turn around in 2017, boosted by improving global end markets and effective cost management, despite the overhanging cloud of an alleged tax fraud. Analysts anticipate the heavy-equipment maker this year will post net income of $1.54 billion, or $2.60 per diluted share, swinging from a $67 […]
Von Steuben players unwind from tough senior season with some fun
By Karl Bullock After a disappointing end to their senior season at Von Steuben, members of the boys basketball team participated in the Illinois High School Association’s 3-point shooting contest at Whitney Young Magnet High School on Chicago’s near West Side. For Tyrus Jenkins, Rafael Cruz and Justan McNair-Sneed, the contest was a chance to have […]
Will Japan’s ‘Womenomics’ work?
By Shen Lu and Rachel Newman Tokyo — It’s not news that women across the world feel a lack of equality, but in Japan, the problem is particularly pressing. Nearly 70 percent of Japanese women feel gender inequality — compared with the world average of 40 percent — three decades after the country enacted an […]
Video: Chicago teacher struggles to address ‘fake news’
By Marianna Brady Teacher Mark Lenz is struggling to teach his English class students at Catalyst-Maria High School on Chicago’s southwest side about sources now that President Donald Trump has claimed that CNN and other media organizations are “fake news.” Lenz said he feels awkward that he is forced to contradict the president about what […]