Ally Marotti

If you're able to work from home and don't have to commute or go into work for the time being, it's a fantastic opportunity for you to finally start eating breakfast. In fact, research shows that breakfast can provide a mental boost. While the coffee is brewing, scramble some fluffy eggs and grab a slice of toast for a healthy start to the day.

From speedier Wi-Fi to new bikes: As the pandemic drags on, companies pay for work-from-home perks beyond the basics

September 11, 2020 at 9:18 p.m.

When Ben Meeder bought a new ride from a Pilsen bicycle shop earlier this summer, his employer footed the bill. The purchase was part of a $700 stipend software company...

Marijuana plants shown growing July 31, 2019. Two unsuccessful marijuana dispensary applicants are suing the state, hoping to halt its plans to award more weed dispensary licenses.

Lawsuit seeks to delay weed license lottery, alleges state picked 21 ‘politically-connected insider companies’

September 8, 2020 at 10:47 p.m.

Two unsuccessful marijuana dispensary applicants are suing the state, hoping to hit the pause button on its plans to hand out 75 marijuana licenses. Awarding of the licenses is more...

Marijuana plants in their second week of cultivation.

700 weed applicants, 21 finalists: Some hopefuls aren’t happy about who’s still in the running for Illinois’ 75 marijuana dispensary licenses

September 8, 2020 at 7:31 p.m.

When Illinois put 75 licenses to operate recreational marijuana dispensaries up for grabs earlier this year, more than 700 groups submitted 4,000 applications. On Thursday, the state said 21 of...

The state has finished scoring applications for 75 dispensary licenses, and plans to award the licenses in a lottery later this month.

Illinois will award 75 marijuana dispensary licenses in lottery, ending a monthslong delay

September 4, 2020 at 6:37 p.m.

Illinois plans to award 75 recreational marijuana dispensary licenses in a lottery in late September, ending a monthslong delay that left applicants stuck in limbo. Applicants proceeding to the lottery...

President Donald Trump shows an executive order related to coronavirus pandemic relief during a news conference on Aug. 8, 2020, at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

Could Trump’s payroll tax deferral boost your paycheck? Yes — but ‘it’s not free money.’ Here’s why.

September 2, 2020 at 4:18 p.m.

President Donald Trump's payroll tax deferral took effect Tuesday, but some Chicago-area accountants are advising employers against implementing it. The deferral allows employees to delay until Dec. 31 paying the...

In-flight internet company Gogo, which is headquartered in Chicago, is selling its commercial aviation business for $400 million in cash, the latest in a series of efforts the company has made to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Gogo is selling its commercial aviation business for $400 million

September 1, 2020 at 8:11 p.m.

In-flight internet company Gogo is selling its commercial aviation business for $400 million, following a series of efforts the company has made to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic. Global...

Customers line up Jan. 1, 2020, down Milwaukee Avenue outside MOCA Modern Cannabis in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, on the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales in Illinois. MOCA is being acquired by a New York City-based company.

NYC weed company is acquiring MOCA dispensaries in Chicago, says it isn’t done buying Illinois marijuana shops

August 28, 2020 at 3:14 p.m.

MOCA Modern Cannabis' two Chicago marijuana dispensaries are being acquired by a New York City-based company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. AWH, formerly Ascend Wellness Holdings, is buying...

The proposed home to a Pharmacann cannabis dispensary at 12-14 W. Maple St. near Mariano Park in the Gold Coast on July 13, 2020.

Not everyone wants weed: Chicago rejects plans for pot shop near Gold Coast, showing marijuana sentiment can change by the block

August 25, 2020 at 7:08 p.m.

Chicago rejected plans for a recreational marijuana shop near the Gold Coast early Saturday morning, highlighting the tricky process companies must navigate when opening a dispensary in the city. The...

PharmaCann wants to open a store, called Verilife, on W. Maple Street in Chicago's Gold Coast.

Marijuana shop near the Gold Coast is first site to be rejected by Chicago zoning board

August 24, 2020 at 4:29 p.m.

The city rejected a marijuana company's plans to open a dispensary near the Gold Coast after an almost 12-hour meeting that stretched into the early hours Saturday. PharmaCann wanted to...

Steven Galanis, co-founder and CEO of startup Cameo, is seen April 5, 2018. Cameo, which lets fans book personalized video shoutouts from celebrities, is based at Chicago tech hub 1871.

What Zoom can’t do: Chicago tech hubs worry the magic of in-person networking is at risk in a WFH world. A shared sandwich at 1871 sparked $100,000 in funding for startup Cameo.

August 24, 2020 at 7:04 p.m.

One night a few summers ago, Cameo co-founder Steven Galanis and a few colleagues were working late in their office at Chicago tech hub 1871 when someone knocked on their...

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