An exhibit running through March at the Graham Foundation in Chicago proposes action--practical, whimsical or outlandish--that city dwellers can take to make their hometowns a better place.

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In a down economy, consumers’ loss might be the world’s leading fast-food chain’s gain.

With a stock price that has been climbing since mid-May and an expensive product rollout underway, McDonald’s Corp. is defying the recession despite—or perhaps because of—tightened consumer spending. As cash-strapped customers opt for a cheaper meal, the only thing the Golden Arches may have to worry about is an economic upturn.Read more

Consumers were more confident about the U.S. economy in May, according to the New York-based Conference Board, which said its closely watched index of consumer confidence climbed more than 14 points to 54.9 from a revised 40.8 in April.

The jump in consumer confidence reported Tuesday far exceeded analysts’ expectations for a reading of 42.6 in May, according to Bloomberg LP, and puts the index at its highest level in eight months.Read more

The 90th annual National Restaurant Association Show will kick off Saturday at McCormick Place with fewer exhibitors and lower attendance expected than in past years.

Though thousands of exhibitors are scheduled to attend the convention, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau acknowledged that this year’s gathering will be smaller than in 2008.

“Like many of our conventions that are coming in, [exhibitors] are sending fewer exhibit personnel, and attendees may be attending for fewer days,” bureau spokeswoman Meghan Risch said.

Convention participants corroborated Risch’s assessment Thursday as preparations got under way for the four-day event.

Commercial food-equipment manufacturer Hobart LP, a perennial attendant, did not downsize its booth but did bring less equipment and fewer employees in response to economic pressures, said trade marketing manager Joyce Grooms, who has managed Hobart’s exhibit for eight years.

“I scaled back about 40 percent [on equipment] over last year” to minimize transportation costs, Grooms said.

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It’s lunchtime on a typical weekday and Reckless Records downtown is packed. Dave Richardson, a 26-year-old legal clerk, has stopped in on his break to shop for LPs, those 12-inch, non-biodegradable vinyl discs that have been made obsolete many times over, most recently by MP3s.

Why would anybody pay for vinyl when there’s so much free digital music on the Internet? Why opt for a format that hardly fits in a backpack when the iPod can put up to 20,000 songs in a back pocket?

“I like the idea of owning a piece of physical media,” Richardson said.

He isn’t alone. Despite the MP3 takeover of the music industry, more and more audiophiles are turning to vinyl for an old-fashioned listening experience. And after 19 years in business in Chicago, British-owned Reckless Records of London Inc. is reaping the benefits.

The company’s three locations—-Lakeview, Wicker Park and the Loop—-sold 136,000 LPs in 2008, up about 38,000 from the year before. Despite declining CD revenue, Reckless’s total sales climbed to $4.2 million last year from $3.8 million in 2007. The uptick will allow the company to move its Lakeview store to a bigger location at the end of May.

To Reckless general manager Bryan Smith, vinyl’s resurgence comes down to consumer desire for a hands-on listening experience.

“People are rediscovering the artifact of music, being able to hold the physical product,” Smith said. “They like the mobility of the MP3, [but] it doesn’t give you a physical relationship with bands.”

Click HERE to keep reading at Medill Reports - Chicago.

With Chicago hotels operating less than half full, air travel down and business conventions being canceled, state and city travel officials held a rally Tuesday at Navy Pier for the embattled tourism industry.

A crowd of about 150 gathered on the Lakeview Rooftop Terrace to hear officials sing the praises of tourism industry employees and announce initiatives designed to jumpstart travel.Read more