Now in his fourth term, Durbin is the second-longest-serving U.S. senator in Illinois history. The liberal lion enters 2016 with a few choice items on his bucket list—stricter gun control as well as immigration, criminal justice, and higher-ed reforms—and plenty of fire in his belly. Many political oddsmakers bet on the Democrats recapturing the Senate … Read more
“We begin 2016 in a much better place than we were 12 months ago,” Easterbrook told analysts in late January. And it’s no empty boast. Mere months after taking the reins at the struggling Oak Brook–based burger behemoth, Easterbrook gave customers what the company had previously insisted was impossible: breakfast all day! After the August … Read more
Mansueto speaks softly but makes very big things happen. He has already revolutionized the way investors get information (Morningstar), showered largess on his alma mater (funding for U. of C.’s library), and kept business magazines going strong (Fast Company and Inc.). Now the Indiana native is brainstorming with other big-shot biz leaders about creating a … Read more
After undergoing her final round of chemotherapy for the brain cancer that ended her mayoral bid in 2014, she’s baaack! And feistier than ever, taking aim at Rahm, Rauner, and CPS head Forrest Claypool ([[[No. 32]]]), who she says knows “nothing about education.” Lewis’s powerful union voted in December to authorize another strike after contract … Read more
When Epstein arrived in Chicago five years ago, he could have walked on Lake Michigan. By 2014, fans hissed that maybe he wasn’t the savior after all. Then came 2015: the first division title in 12 years and a playoff dismantling of the hated Cards. Now, after more big signings in the off-season (five-tool outfielder … Read more
Timing is everything. And this Argentine exec, formerly ADM’s COO, replaced Patricia Woertz just as big bets on ethanol were turning sour and oil and grain prices were poised to plunge. Since he took over (in January 2015) through January 2016, ADM’s stock fell 32.5 percent. (The S&P fell just 5.8 percent.) Luciano is now … Read more
Last April, Gordon was named the first female chairman of the august Economic Club of Chicago—proof, if you needed any, that she has clout with a capital C. Even trends like non-GMO and gluten-free are no match for her: The food ingredient maker she runs now cranks out specialty products that account for a quarter … Read more
Claypool stars in the political equivalent of that old Mike Rowe show Dirty Jobs: He’s the guy who’s always called on to clean up someone else’s mess. Patronage at the Chicago Park District. The Ventra rollout debacle at the CTA. All manner of trouble on the Fifth Floor as Rahm’s third chief of staff. Claypool’s … Read more
At this point, the question is not whether you’ll find yourself at a critically acclaimed Kahan joint, but which one. Big Star, Dove’s Luncheonette, or the Violet Hour in Wicker Park? Or maybe Avec, Blackbird, or the Publican in the West Loop? Add in a still-under-wraps showpiece slated for the intersection of Damen, North, and … Read more
In many respects, Zimmer had a terrific year: The university won the Obama presidential library sweepstakes, for example, and U. of C. Medicine announced that it would open a badly needed Level I trauma care center, a move applauded by virtually the entire South Side. Numbers, however, may be catching up to this trained mathematician. … Read more
