WEST CHICAGO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL LIFESMARTS STEAM EARNS THIRD PLACE AT NATIONAL COMPETITION Students from West Chicago Community High School earned a third-place finish at the 2026 National LifeSmarts Competition, competing against top teams from across the country, The nationally recognized competition challenges students in areas including personal finance, consumer rights, environmental issues, technology ...
SMALL BUSINESS DAY GAVE OWNERS A PLAYBOOK ON POLICY, AI, AND GROWTH The U.S. Chamber gathered policymakers and entrepreneurs for Small Business Day—a summit built to give small business owners the information they need on policy shifts and growth strategies shaping ...
DELEGATION TO TURKIYE EXPLORES POLICY REFORMS, GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES On April 20-22, a delegation of 25 members of the U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-Türkiye Business Council traveled to Ankara and Istanbul for meetings with senior officials. The business mission was led by Council Chair Hamdi Ulukaya, the Founder and CEO of Chobani, and held ...
ANDY P ON THE MARKET Last week's rate move stole the headlines. The number that actually matters for your next move barely got mentioned. Every Monday morning, I get the same call. It's a couple in Wheaton or Glen Ellyn. They've outgrown their first home — the kid is now two kids, the office isn't an office anymore, and the kitchen they thought was ...
FISCH FINANCIAL WEEKLY UPDATE Stocks advanced last week as investors moved past stalled progress in Middle East peace talks and refocused on corporate earnings. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.91 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.12 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 0.55 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 0.58 percent ...
FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT CELEBRATES NEW DUPAGE WILDIFE CONSERVATION CENTER WITH RIBBON-CUTTING EVENT The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County officially marked the opening of its new DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn on Thursday, April 30, with a ribbon-cutting celebration attended by its Board of Commissioners and other elected officials as well as District staff, project partners, ...
WEGO DRAMA BRINGS THE HYSTERICAL MONTY PHYTHON'S SPAMALOT APRIL 23 - 25 Wego Drama at West Chicago Community High School continues their season with the hysterical farce Monty Python’s Spamalot. A show that is “lovingly ripped off” from Monty Python and The Holy Grail. This satirical musical is full of laughs as King Arthur assembles his Knights of the Table. From there, they set off to find the Holy Grail ...
CBP PORTAL LAUNCHES APRIL 20 - WHAT IMPORTERS NEED TO KNOW Following the Supreme Court's ruling striking down IEEPA tariffs, CBP is rolling out an online refund portal in phases starting April 20, 2026 to return ~$166 billion in duties to 300,000+ importers across 53 million entries ...
TAX CERTAINTY UNLOCKS SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT Small business owners are leveraging landmark tax legislation passed in 2025 to buy equipment, hire workers, and expand operations, according to testimony delivered to the U.S. House Small Business Committee by Traci Tapani, co-president of ...
FISCH FINANCIAL WEEKLY UPDATE Stocks rose over the short trading week on fresh hopes for a quick end to the Middle East conflict, while March job growth was unexpectedly strong. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index picked up 3.36 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 4.44 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial ...
U.S. CHAMBER BETS ON FEARLESSNESS AS BUSINESSES NAVIGATE "BLACK SWAN WORLD" In a wide-ranging interview on The Deciders podcast with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Brody Mullins and veteran DC strategist Lisa Camooso Miller, U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark laid out a one-word mandate for American business in 2026 ...
APRIL MARKET MOMENTUM - THE NUMBERS ARE IN. THE MARKET IS FINE. Spring is here, and so is the noise. Tariff headlines, rate swings, stock market jitters. If you're tuned into the news cycle, it can feel like a rough time to make a move in real estate. But here in DuPage County and the western suburbs, the numbers tell a different story. Prices are up, inventory is still tight, and the spring market is ...
AMERICAN INDUSTRY POWERS AMERICA'S RETURN TO THE MOON This week's Artemis II mission — the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years — isn't just a NASA milestone. It's a stress test for the government-industry partnership model that underpins U.S. space leadership. The mission validates the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and life support systems with humans ...
"LIBERATION DAY" ANNIVERSARY MARKED WITH NEW TARIFFS The White House marked the first anniversary of its April 2, 2025, “Liberation Day” tariff announcements by introducing new Section 232 tariffs on patented pharmaceuticals and associated inputs—with exceptions for specific firms and countries—and changes to the Section 232 derivative tariffs on ...
THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE FRIENDSHIPS & HOW EMPLOYERS CAN HELP FOSTER THEM Having friends at work can make work more enjoyable and the day go by more quickly, but there are numerous benefits to having workplace friendships that you may not have even considered. In this issue of the Pulse, we discuss the importance of workplace friendships ...
ILLINOIS SENATE HONORS ST. ANDREWS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB The owners (Jemsek/Hinckley Family) and staff at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club were honored Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with an Illinois Senate Resolution congratulating the public facility on its 100th anniversary in business. Illinois State Senator Seth Lewis ...
STRONGER IP, STRONGER ECONOMIES: THE 2026 INTERNATIONAL IP INDEX Last week, the U.S. Chamber released the latest installment of its annual International IP Index at a virtual event discussing global trends in IP protection and enforcement. Now in its 14th edition, the 2026 report underscores an unmistakable trend: global IP leadership is shifting, ...
FISCH FINANCIAL WEEKLY UPDATE Stocks ended a challenging week lower as investors' attention shifted from updates on ceasefire talks to concerns about the economic impact of a protracted conflict. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 2.12 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 3.23 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.90 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index ...
SPRING BRUCH PICKUP STARTS APRIL 6 Help keep pickups safe and efficient! If your pile doesn’t meet these guidelines, it won’t be collected: • Bundle brush with twine (no wire), Keep bundles under 50 lbs, Limit: One pile per address ...
FISCH FINANCIAL WEEKLY UPDATE Another volatile week unfolded as rapid developments in the Middle East and public comments from leaders on the conflict see-sawed markets, leaving investors struggling to keep up with updates. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 1.89 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.07 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 2.11 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which ...
FOREST PRESERVE DIST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KARIE FRILING MOVING TO BECOME CITY MANAGER IN FLORIDA Executive Director Karie Friling announced Tuesday that she will leave the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to become city manager for Sarasota, Florida. Friling was hired as executive director in March 2021 and will remain with the District through May to assist with the leadership transition. During her tenure, the District advanced several major initiatives focused ...
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT IS SQUEEZING GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS AND ENERGY MARKETS The economic fallout from the ongoing Middle East conflict is sobering — the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to Western commercial shipping, creating the largest oil supply disruption in history. This isn't just an energy story. Fertilizer, food security, ...
MARCH MARKET MOMENTUM If you’ve been watching national housing headlines lately, you’ve probably seen some dramatic takes: “Prices falling in major cities.” “Buyers disappearing.” “Mortgage rates rising again.” But here’s the reality I’m seeing on the ground in the western suburbs of Chicago: ...
