NEW YORK — For millions of American workers, the federal government took two actions this week that could bestow potentially far-reaching benefits. In one move, the Federal Trade Commission voted to ban noncompete agreements, which bar millions of workers from leaving their employers to join a competitor or start a rival business for a specific period of time. The FTC’s move, which is already being challenged in court, would mean that such employees could apply for jobs they weren’t previously eligible to seek. In a second move, the Biden administration finalized a rule that will make millions ..read more

After 13 years spent serving Naperville-area customers — first by food truck and then from a brick-and-mortar location — Fire It Up Taco Fusion Grill is shutting down due to struggles that started with the COVID-19 pandemic, a Facebook announcement said. The restaurant’s last day is Saturday. COVID-19 created a lasting impact that the business couldn’t fully bounce back from, according to the post. Four years after the pandemic began and a state mandate shut them down for months, they’re still operating at a loss, the post said. Rick VanBuren, seen here in 2017, started Fire It Up Taco Fusion ..read more

Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood likely would look much different if not for the efforts of Americo L. Lisciotto, a draftsman who lived on Champlain Avenue. The Italian immigrant was behind an effort to save part of the neighborhood from demolition as the first elected leader of the Pullman Civic Organization. Though his story isn’t well known in most of the Chicago area, his memory was brought to life last weekend by the Pullman House Project, which offered tours of his former home, along with the Pullman House Project Welcome Center and coffee shop at 605 E. 11th Street. Lisciotto’s former hom ..read more

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, were the buyers who paid $11.2 million last year for Citadel founder Ken Griffin’s 66th-floor penthouse in Streeterville’s Park Tower building. Lucas and Hobson plan to combine the penthouse with their existing full-floor condo on the 65th floor of the same building — which they purchased for $18.75 million in 2015 — to create a 16,000-square-foot duplex penthouse, according to a building permit application recently filed with Chicago building officials. The combined condo will cost $33.5 million to assemble, including construction ..read more

The Chicago Bears — one of the National Football League’s charter franchises — on Wednesday unveiled plans for a new stadium project on the lakefront partly funded by the public that would give the team a facility in line with many of the NFL’s ultra-modern, fan-friendly structures. Joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson and other local political leaders, team officials held a noontime news conference at their current home — 100-year-old Soldier Field — where they detailed what the multipurpose, fix-roofed, 77,000-capacity stadium and surrounding area would look like and sketched out how the plan wou ..read more

Q: I have come across motorists whose brake lights come on hundreds of feet before a stop light. Brake lights come on, the vehicle immediately slows and it eventually comes to a complete stop at the light. Strictly in terms of brake wear, does a gentle stop over a long distance and time wear out the brakes less than a firmer stop (no skid marks) at a light? Figure initial speed is 40-45 mph. D.D., Palos Hills, Illinois A: Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. While braking, friction converts kinetic energy to heat energy. The wear would be about the same — all other things being equal ..read more

Oberweis Dairy, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month, announced Tuesday that it has found a buyer for its century-old family business. Brian Boomsma, the owner of Chicago-based Dutch Farms, made a stalking horse bid for nearly all of the operating assets of the company, with plans to “operate and grow the business” when it emerges from bankruptcy, Adam Kraber, president of Oberweis, said in a news release. “We are thrilled to have a business leader like Brian Boomsma interested in investing in Oberweis and enabling the company to continue to move forward and pros ..read more

Caitlin Clark appears to be on the cusp of setting another record. The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28 million contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe. The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported the pending deal, citing unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the sportswear giant and Clark’s agents. Excel Sports Management, which represents Clark, and Nike did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. C ..read more

Chicago-based grocery startups Dom’s Kitchen & Market and Foxtrot, which merged late last year following a period of rapid growth, are closing their doors, the company announced Tuesday. “We explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option despite good faith and exhaustive efforts,” Dom’s said in a statement posted on the company’s website. “We understand that this news may come as a shock, and we apologize for any inconvenience it may cause,” the statement said. “We genuinely appreciate your understanding during this challenging time.” Workers outside the Dom’s in ..read more

After Starbucks fired seven workers who were trying to unionize their Tennessee store, a U.S. government agency obtained a court order forcing the company to rehire them. Now, Starbucks wants the Supreme Court to curb the government’s power in such cases. On Tuesday, justices are scheduled to hear Starbucks’ case against the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that protects the right of employees to organize. If the court sides with Starbucks, it could make it tougher for the NLRB to step in when it alleges corporate interference in unionizatio ..read more