Research, interviewing process differs across regional banks for Fed’s Beige Book
By Sarah Foster Medill Reports The Beige Book’s research process isn’t exactly black and white. Each of the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks has a different method for reporting and writing its section. Some economists make in-person visits to local companies throughout their region. Others distribute digital surveys to area contacts or host roundtable discussions. […]
Dairy Farmers Struggle With Economic, Health Challenges
By Brian Baker Medill Reports Andrews University opened its dairy farm in 1907. For more than a century, the private college in southwest Michigan used the farm for educational purposes and relied on it for financial income. But after three consecutive years of losses, the university’s board voted in early June to close its dairy […]
Local blogger on healthy food in Chicago and beyond
Loumay Alesali Medill Reports From Havana to Athens to Lima and many more destinations around the world, Sapna the Chicago vegetarian traveler, blogger and Instagrammer delivers international journeys to people’s fingertips with one click, or swipe. She started her blog, vegetariantourist.com, six years ago to share her traveling experiences with people and help them find […]
Wrigleyville memorabilia shop brings history to life
By Sarah Foster Medill Reports Tom Boyle can’t help but poke through his shelves. He’s in search of a movie poster that only he can visualize. It’s somewhere among the newspaper clippings, the vinyl records, the buttons and the books. “Let me see,” he says, furrowing his brows and shuffling through his inventory. After searching […]
Japanese politician fights for gender equality
By Sarah Foster Medill Reports Tokyo—There would be nothing special about the night of Oct. 22. There would be no front-page stories to commemorate her, no newspaper headlines to honor her. No confetti would fall from the ceiling; no balloons would bounce to the floor. Instead, she would spend her night alone, sitting somberly in […]
Olympian Bradie Tennell’s choice of ‘Cinderella’ could lead to a ‘happily ever after’
By Chris Kwiecinski Medill Reports BUFFALO GROVE – Bradie Tennell has been living an almost fairy-tale-like life since for the past two months. The Carpentersville-native figure skater catapulted herself into the international spotlight after she was named to the 2018 Olympic team on January 6. That news came days after winning the 2018 U.S. Championship, […]
New home sales drop in December
By Sarah Foster Medill Reports Americans purchased fewer homes than expected last month, but economists are still pointing to 2017 as a healthy year for the housing market. December sales of newly built single-family homes plunged 9.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted rate of 625,000, the sharpest decline since August 2016, according to a report […]
Designer toy shop adjusts to changing market
By Jiefei Liu “Things come in and out of style,” said Whitney Kerr, president of Rotofugi Inc., a designer toy shop in Lincoln Park. The store features imported artsy toys from around the globe, ranging from $500 vinyl toys by Otto Bjornik to $4 Pokemon figure strap capsules. A gallery space is now occupied by […]
Is UConn good for women’s college basketball?
By Allie Burger The history of the DePaul’s women’s basketball program can be summed up in a walk down a wide hallway on the second floor of McGrath-Phillips Arena. The corridor, linking the offices of longtime coach Doug Bruno to his assistants, is a testament to the success of one of America’s premiere college programs. […]
It takes generations: the women, men, and children of Chicago’s Women’s March
by Ritu Prasad Sharpies, construction paper, pastries, and plenty of coffee were spread invitingly across two tables at the Women & Children First Bookstore. When the doors opened at 8 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning, there was already a line of people ready to make signs and socialize before the Women’s March on Chicago. Nineteen-year-old […]