Medill

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.

Click HERE for audio slideshow.

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

McDonald’s Corp. began a national advertising campaign for its McCafé coffee bar Tuesday in an attempt to encroach on coffee giant Starbucks Corp.’s turf.

Since introducing its premium roast drip coffee in late 2006, the Oakbrook-based fast food chain has been phasing in a line of espresso-based specialty beverages, including lattes, cappuccinos and mochas, in select stores nationwide. The McCafé is now in more than 11,000 of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. stores, including more than 660 in the Chicago region that reaches from Milwaukee to Northwest Indiana.Read more

Initial jobless claims nationwide fell 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 631,000 last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday. The four-week moving average was 637,250.

Illinois reported 3,803 fewer layoffs for some of its major industries, including construction and manufacturing. It trailed only Pennsylvania and Florida in decreased layoffs last week.

Economists are not celebrating last week’s drop-off.Read more