Illinois ranks 28th in the nation for overall health and well-being, a slight improvement from last year and helped by a low rate of drug deaths and the availability of primary care physicians, according to the 2015 America's Health Rankings report.
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has followed a major business announcement with some big personal news. She gave birth to twin girls Thursday, the day after unveiling plans to hatch a new company to control Yahoo's Internet business. This is the second time that the 40-year-old Mayer has given birth since...
The world economy stumbled in 2015, with growth estimated at just 2.4 percent this year following a nearly 60 percent drop in oil prices and an over 20 percent fall in commodity prices in the last 18 months, according to a U.N. report released Thursday. The report on the World Economic Situation...
Uber drivers: 2. Uber: 0.After delivering a blow to Uber in September by certifying a class that brought a worker misclassification lawsuit against the on-demand transportation company, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen dealt another blow Wednesday when he ruled to expand that class.The class size...
After years of negotiations, the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries wrapped up a sweeping trade agreement in October that supporters say will eliminate obstacles such as tariffs and set standards for doing business in 40% of the global economy. The deal has faced tough opposition...
The stock market's sharp decline in August and September took its toll on Americans' finances in the third quarter. Household net worth fell for the first time in four years. The Federal Reserve said Thursday that Americans' stock and mutual fund portfolios plunged $2.3 trillion in the July-September...
The former director of a foundation started by ex-Subway pitchman Jared Fogle begged a judge not to send him to "rot in the landfill of lost souls" before she sentenced him Thursday to 27 years in a federal prison for producing child pornography. Russell Taylor, whose production of child pornography...
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has taken a stake in Sears' real estate spinoff Seritage Growth Properties. The so-called "Oracle of Omaha" bought 2 million shares, or roughly 8 percent, of the New York-based real estate investment trust that was formed earlier this year. The REIT was developed...
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates edged higher this week following three straight weeks of declines, amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise its key short-term interest rate next week. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.95...
Lawyers hired to compensate victims of General Motors' faulty ignition switches have paid out $594.5 million to settle 399 eligible claims. The numbers were released Thursday in a final report from compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg. A total of 4,343 claims were filed with the GM fund. Only 9.2...
Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells says he is “deeply sorry” about the customers who were sickened after eating at the chain in recent weeks. “I'm sorry for the people who got sick. They're having a tough time and I feel terrible about that,” Ells said in an interview on NBC's Today show. Ells...
A small group of Volkswagen engineers began working as early as 2005 on emissions cheating software after they were unable to find a technical solution to U.S. emissions controls as the automaker pushed into the North American market, executives said Thursday. The company in September admitted...
Men's Wearhouse's is struggling as it tries to figure out the best strategy for its business since buying rival Jos. A. Bank. The men's clothing retailer reported Wednesday that sales at Jos. A Bank locations open at least a year tumbled 14.6 percent in the third quarter as fewer customers visited...
Amazon.com is expanding its food business into groceries for the first time in Chicago, making Plum Market items available for one-hour delivery via the company's Prime Now service. Plum Market groceries have been available for delivery through Instacart since last year. Amazon also said it will...
A group of nontenured instructors at the University of Chicago has voted to form a union, adding a prestigious name to a swelling national movement to bring organized labor to the ivory tower. The vote was 96-22 in favor of forming a bargaining unit to be represented by the Service Employees International...
The mobile payment wars are heating up. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said it's testing its own mobile payment system that will allow shoppers to pay with any major credit or debit card or its own store gift card through its app at the cash register. It will start testing...
Investors took a chance on some beaten-down shares on Thursday, helping the U.S. stock market to its first gain in four days. The gain was modest, but broad, with eight of the 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index ending higher. Drillers and other energy companies, down sharply...
Applications for U.S. jobless aid climbed last week, but the number of Americans seeking benefits remains close to historic lows in a positive sign for the job market. THE NUMBERS: Weekly applications for jobless aid rose 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 282,000, the Labor Department said Thursday....
Thirteen cities from Anchorage, Alaska, to Waco, Texas, are getting a hand from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to make better use of data. Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Thursday its latest round of "What Works Cities" selections. The $42 million program ultimately will provide 100...
Illinois officials say the state's first medical marijuana patients have purchased nearly $801,000 worth of cannabis during the program's first month. Program director Joseph Wright announced the figures Wednesday. The numbers indicate Illinois has collected roughly $56,550 in taxes from wholesale...
The nation's middle class, long a pillar of the American economy, has shrunk to the point where it no longer constitutes the majority of the adult population, according to a new major study. Rapid growth of upper-income households, coupled with an increase in less-educated, low earners, has driven...
Orbitz Worldwide and General Mills are among Illinois employers warning of nearly 1,900 layoffs in the coming months, according to notices filed with state regulators. General Mills, which is closing its longtime West Chicago plant next summer, will lay off 444 workers beginning in January. Opened...
If Congress won't take action against companies that avoid taxes by shifting their debt to American soil while moving profit overseas, a technique known as earnings stripping, the Treasury Department should crack down with new rules, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says. Clinton's...
Airlines are busy trying to woo customers at both ends of the spectrum. American Airlines announced Wednesday that it plans to create a "premium economy" service for international passengers that's designed to be not quite as fancy as business class, but a step up from economy. The new service,...
With stagnant commodity prices causing farm incomes to fall to their lowest levels in 9 years, America’s farmers are finding new ways to add revenue or cut costs. While the sharing economy has taken hold in urban areas and vacation hot spots with services like Uber and AirBnB, its arrival in agriculture...
You have a lot to do as the end of the year approaches, including getting ready for 2016 at home and in the office. If holiday tasks have diverted your attention from staying organized at work, getting back on track and decluttering your workspace can help ensure a smoother start in the New Year....
About half of the world’s fraudulent card payments happen in the U.S., according to a report from BI Intelligence. Card issuers, payment networks, businesses and consumers pay billions of dollars each year to cover the costs of payment fraud. America’s payment networks are moving toward more-secure...