Lawndale man finds hope in the basement of a church
By Pat Nabong and Hammad Sarfraz Although fewer people experienced homelessness in Chicago in 2016 compared to the previous year, nearly six thousand still live on the streets and in shelters. Bernard Johnson is one of them.
Illinois grapples with rise in contingent workforce
By Karen Lentz A bill under consideration in the Illinois legislature is drawing attention to a growing trend in today’s workforce: employers meeting long-term staffing needs by contracting with employment companies and temporary work agencies. A contract company may handle a range of hiring tasks including recruitment, training, payroll, benefits, and other typical human resources […]
Chicago startup Rippleshot helps banks combat fraud
By Wenjing Yang Card transactions have gained, if not surpassed cash, in the 21st century economy. While card use can afford consumers great convenience, the risk of fraud is ever-increasing, bringing headaches to banks and merchants. Rippleshot, a Chicago-based financial technology startup, uses algorithm-based analytics to help reduce these risks with earlier predictions of where […]
Too many reasons not to go home
By Xufei Geng Jingwen, 23 and Chinese, has been working with her parents in Johannesburg for the past seven years. Her parents came to Johannesburg in 2004 and now own a small restaurant in Chinatown. In 2010, Jingwen quit school and went to Johannesburg to seek more opportunities. Now she is dreaming of going back […]
Brexit slows Jones Lang LaSalle’s growth
By Zhu Zhu Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (NASDAQ: LAP) is expected to continue modest growth despite a Brexit-induced slowdown in both commercial and residential real estate needs in its key region, Europe. Analysts are conservative about the company’s 2017 performance after the company reported lower profits in last year’s fourth quarter that missed their expectation. […]
Spencer Boehm continues the family tradition at New Trier
By Eric Burgher “Is this your kid?” the woman asked, holding the boy’s hand. She had found him downstairs in the weight room doing flips and cartwheels. Attempting them, anyway. Susan Boehm gazed down at her then-four-year-old son, a big smile on his face and a welt the size of a grapefruit on his head. […]
Dramatic win propels Northwestern toward March Madness
By Astasia Williams Hail Mary. Program-record 21 wins. March Madness. The first day of March lived up to its nickname at Welsh-Ryan Arena as Northwestern took down Michigan in a cinematic fashion Wednesday night. Now may be the time for Evanston, Illinois, to put on its dancing shoes for the NCAA tournament.
Domestic workers filled with fear over Trump’s threat of deportation
By Jiayan (Jenny) Shi O’lola Ann Olib, a Philippine caregiver in Chicago, says she was excited about the Illinois domestic workers’ rights bill; however, she expresses a sense of uncertainty for her friends who remain undocumented as President Donald Trump continues to push his deportation agenda. “I was happy that there’s domestic rights, very excited. […]
Anti-Semitic threats and vandalism hit Chicago Jewish centers
By Eric Burgher Hostility toward Jewish community centers and day schools across the nation continued this week, with bomb threats to centers in 11 states, and approximately 100 headstones damaged at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia over the weekend. With no suspects in custody, concern continues to grow in the Jewish community. The latest wave […]
‘Resist Trump Tuesdays’ protesters take on police brutality
By Lauren Jensik Gabe Gonzalez thinks being poor and a person of color should not be a crime. “Before you’re found guilty, before you’ve had a court date, before you’re found innocent, before your case is dismissed, if you’re poor, you can’t get out of jail,” said Gonzalez, director of organizing at the Center for […]