United Airlines is warning 36,000 employees — nearly half its U.S. staff — they could be furloughed in October, the clearest signal yet of how deeply the virus pandemic is hurting the airline industry.

Five weeks after two explosions rattled General Iron, city officials allowed the North Side metal recycler to partially reopen June 24 — but its shredding facility remains shut down as investigations continue into the May 18 blasts.

A federal program designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms. Which companies benefited in Illinois?

Activity in the U.S. services sector rebounded strongly last month, but those gains are now being threatened by the resurgence of coronavirus cases in many parts of the country. Local economists weigh in.

It was clear as soon as the coronavirus was classified as a pandemic that it was going to take a heavy toll on the finances of many individuals and businesses – and therefore on their governments’ finances, too.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned businesses before the 4th of July holiday weekend that city inspectors would be out in force, and officials on Monday announced they had made good on those threats.

Determined to close a loophole in a six-year-old city law, aldermen advanced a measure Monday that would ban pet stores from selling dogs, cats and rabbits at a profit.

As the coronavirus pandemic took hold this spring, the federal government postponed the traditional April 15 filing deadline until July 15. Taxpayers must file or seek an extension by the new deadline or face a penalty. 

State health officials are urging businesses and residents to comply with public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, which has now been detected in all of Illinois’ 102 counties.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot had clear words for bar and restaurant owners who refuse to follow the city’s coronavirus guidelines during the Fourth of July weekend: You will be shut down and you will not reopen soon.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the new rules in May after the delivery apps came under fierce criticism for hurting already-struggling restaurants by charging steep fees and service charges.

An effort to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Chicago will take center stage Monday, as aldermen redouble their effort to reduce a surge in vaping by teens. The move will be hotly opposed by business groups.

Patrons might be flocking back to Chicago’s bars and restaurants in phase four of the state’s reopening plan, but there’s one major industry still waging an uphill battle: hotels.

As parents begin returning to the office amid the coronavirus pandemic, a glaring problem awaits them: child care. And for many Illinois families, COVID-19 made an already difficult situation even worse.

Most Chicago workers who earn the minimum wage will see their paychecks rise — and get more notice before they are expected to clock in for a shift, as two of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s top priorities take effect this week.

“Business owners throughout Chicago saw their hopes and dreams go up in flames with these fires,” Police Superintendent David Brown said of dozens of arsons that took place during recent protests in Chicago.