Working Lunch newsletter
State Farm to issue $5 billion in auto insurance dividends — or about $100 per car • Chicago credit downgraded, which will mean higher borrowing costs
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Working Lunch

Thursday, February 26, 2026

CEO of Northfield-based Medline talks tariffs, IPO following company’s first earnings call

The CEO of Northfield-based Medline cheered the company’s successful initial public offering late last year following the company’s first earnings call Wednesday.

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State Farm to issue $5 billion in auto insurance dividends — or about $100 per car

Home insurance rates may be going through the roof, but State Farm has some good news for its auto insurance customers.

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Chicago credit downgraded, which will mean higher borrowing costs

Two ratings agencies have downgraded the city of Chicago and kept their negative outlooks intact, citing the city’s back-to-back budget shortfalls since 2023.

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A little-known program allows CTA and Metra to suspend riders. Most of them are Black.

The racial disparity has raised some eyebrows, including those of State Rep. Kam Buckner, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation that allowed the transit systems to start suspending riders.

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Obama Foundation readies for uncertainty of development near presidential center

Can the Obama Presidential Center stick to its guiding principle of attracting investment and helping longtime South Side working-class neighbors build wealth without pushing them out?

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Proposed legislation would slash $40M in ‘hidden expenses’ from Illinois utility bills

With utility rates rising across Illinois, consumer groups are backing proposed legislation to wring $40 million per year in hidden expenses out of customer bills.

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Old Town 6-bedroom home with elevator: $6.5M

This six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom home offers multiple patios, a landscaped side yard and a passenger elevator.

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IURC launches affordability inquiry into utilities including NIPSCO

NIPSCO will be one of five utilities included in the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s inquiry into energy affordability.

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