Lisa Donovan

Louie Herrera, left, a volunteer with Lakeview Pantry, helps Maria Criollo load grocery items into her car outside the pantry on Jan. 24, 2022, in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

Burritos, inflation and privilege: As food costs rise in Chicago, a social media uproar highlights who really bears the brunt

January 25, 2022 at 10:24 p.m.

For a brief moment over the weekend, west suburban Hinsdale became the center of an internet viral moment involving inflation, burritos, wealth and privilege. The scorn of social media users...

Crowds pack Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg for Black Friday holiday shopping on Nov. 26, 2021.

Inflation hits 7.5% in Midwest; surging consumer prices ‘disastrous’

January 19, 2022 at 8:41 p.m.

New national data confirms what American consumers are seeing at the grocery store, as they shop for cars and even what they pay for the roof over their heads —...

A sign announcing hiring is set up outside rue21 at Gurnee Mills on Sept. 17, 2021, in Gurnee.

Unemployment down, consumer prices up: Experts paint a picture of the 2022 economy

December 29, 2021 at 8:47 p.m.

Expect unemployment in Illinois and the rest of the country to continue to fall — and then level out — while consumer prices on things like new cars, utilities and...

A sign announcing hiring is set up outside of rue21 at Gurnee Mills on Sept. 17, 2021, in Gurnee.

Illinois unemployment falls below 6% in November for 1st time since start of pandemic

December 22, 2021 at 3:43 p.m.

Illinois unemployment dipped slightly in November, falling below 6% for the first time since the pandemic gripped the nation in early 2020. While the state's unemployment rate fell to 5.7%...

Abbott Laboratories campus in Lake County in 2015.

Abbott Labs former CEO Jack Schuler among new round of billionaires to sign Giving Pledge

December 14, 2021 at 9:14 p.m.

Jack Schuler, former CEO of Illinois-based Abbott Labs, was among more than a dozen billionaires from across the globe who signed the Giving Pledge this year, vowing to donate more...

Haven Allen, right, CEO of mHUB in Chicago, on July 27, 2020.

Chicago manufacturing incubator among 60 finalists named by Biden administration for $1B in grant money

December 13, 2021 at 9:50 p.m.

An Illinois coalition focused on expanding clean energy is among 60 finalists for $1 billion in economic development grants tied to the Biden administration's coronavirus relief package. Led by Chicago...

The Illinois Department of Employment Security office in Springfield on Sept. 29, 2016.

Illinois has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Here’s why.

December 9, 2021 at 5:26 p.m.

Illinois' unemployment rate has dropped from its pandemic high of 16.5% to 6%, federal job numbers show, but the state's jobless rate is still among the highest in the country...

Tech workers at Chicago's tech incubator, 1871, on Nov 22, 2021. Nashville has launched a marketing campaign to woo tech workers from Chicago and other big cities.

Nashville is trying to woo Chicago tech workers, touting milder weather and shorter commutes. But will the pitch work?

November 30, 2021 at 11:51 p.m.

Music City is making a big overture to Chicago's tech workers. Amid a population boom and Big Tech creating outposts there, Nashville has launched a marketing campaign to woo tech...

Crews from Peoples Gas and KS Energy Services connect individual homes to a new gas main that's been recently installed in the Montclare neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side on Oct. 14, 2021. The work is part of the utility's $7.7 billion pipeline replacement program to replace 2,000 miles of aging iron pipes below Chicago streets.

Chicago-area residents paying more for natural gas, used cars and televisions: report

November 15, 2021 at 6:34 p.m.

Consumers across the Chicago area paid more for used vehicles last month along with the gasoline that fuels them, but the biggest jump was natural gas prices — something experts...

The Pentagon in Washington in 2008. The Department of Defense's innovation unit will open a regional office in Chicago as the Pentagon looks for the newest tools to fend off cyberattacks and related threats.

Department of Defense to open innovation office in Chicago

November 4, 2021 at 7:45 p.m.

The Department of Defense's innovation unit will open a regional office in Chicago as the Pentagon looks for the newest tools to fend off cyberattacks and related threats. The opening...

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