McDonald’s key revenue figure up 6.7 percent in January

McDonald’s Corp. said Wednesday that a key revenue figure climbed 6.7 percent in January as U.S. customers spent more on breakfast items, beverages and its new Chicken McBites.

No cigar: Economic embargo on Cuba turns 50

HAVANA (AP) — When it started, American teenagers were doing “The Twist.” The United States had yet to put a man into orbit around the Earth. And a first-class U.S. postage stamp cost 4 cents. The world is much changed since the early days of …

Getting better all the time

Investors, feeling more optimistic about the economy, are pushing Dow Jones Industrial Average close to 13,000.

More states to join foreclosure-abuse deal

More states agree to join settlement over foreclosure abuses.

Tinley Park restaurant in the mood for McRomance

For couples considering a romantic place for a Valentine’s Day dinner, the Golden Arches probably don’t spring to mind. But the McDonald’s at 17171 Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, is getting decked out in holiday decor and will offer tableside service from 5 to 8 p.m. …

St. Xavier invites public to job fair

Briefly: St. Xavier job fair, Fiancee Couture to hold grand opening.

Key states move closer to foreclosure-abuse deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — California and New York, the key holdouts in a long-awaited settlement over foreclosure abuses, moved closer Monday to backing a deal that would force the five largest mortgage lenders to reduce loans for about 1 million households.

But those states, along with …

Stocks end higher, erasing early losses

Stocks resumed their slow but steady climb Tuesday as Greece appeared close to announcing a deal with creditors to cut its debt. The Dow Jones industrial average ended at its highest level since May 2008, rising 33.07 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 12,878.20. The Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 2.72 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,347.05. The Nasdaq composite rose 2.09 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,904.08. The Nasdaq is about a point shy of its best close since December 2000.

Expert expects gas prices in Chicago to hit $4.60 by May

Gas prices could spike another 60 cents or more by May, hitting $4.60 or higher in Chicago, experts say.

Shattered tap handle leads to suit against Two Brothers Brewing Co.

A woman is suing Two Brothers Brewing Co. and its distributor after one of its beer tap handles “shattered into jagged and dangerous pieces” as she tried to pour a brew at the restaurant where she worked.

A guide to digging our way out

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching aspect of the Great Recession has been its terrible impact on housing, with millions of Americans losing their homes to foreclosure and millions more struggling to avoid such a fate. The Southland has been hard hit by the crisis, with about …

Eaton: County looks to early help from Obamacare

Cook County wants help from the feds to pay for health care the county provided to the uninsured last year. County officials hope to get funding by jump-starting the county’s connection with the nationalized health care plan set to go into effect in two years. …