Working Lunch newsletter
CTA brings in Cook County sheriff’s police to patrol trains as it looks to appease feds • Northwestern Memorial gets approval for $96 million ICU bed expansion, part of larger growth plan
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Working Lunch

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Chicago craft brewers Half Acre and Maplewood announce merger

Operating under the principle that two heads are better than one, pioneering Chicago craft breweries Half Acre and Maplewood are joining forces under one corporate umbrella.

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CTA brings in Cook County sheriff’s police to patrol trains as it looks to appease feds

The Trump administration has threatened to withhold up to $50 million from the CTA.

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Northwestern Memorial gets approval for $96 million ICU bed expansion, part of larger growth plan

Northwestern Memorial Hospital may move forward with a $96 million project to add more intensive care unit beds and build a two-story connector between buildings, a state board decided.

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Sprout Social co-founder Aaron Rankin sells mansion for $14.3M, the highest Lake Geneva-area price in months

Rankin and his wife sold the home through a land trust to Milwaukee-based Eagles Wings Trust on March 3, according to public documents.

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Opening arguments begin in first Illinois trial against Abbott over its formula for premature babies

Attorneys for parents and Abbott Laboratories faced off during opening arguments Monday in the first Chicago trial over Abbott’s formula for prematurely born babies.

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As another shutdown impacts travelers, some see eliminating TSA agents as a solution

Long security lines snaked into baggage claim areas and parking garages at some U.S. airports this weekend, a possible indicator of more widespread travel problems as the latest government shutdown drags on.

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US stocks hold relatively steady even as crude oil prices rise again

U.S. stocks are holding relatively steady, as the price of oil gets back to climbing.

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Germany, Austria will release reserve oil in effort to calm surging prices

Germany and Austria said Wednesday they are releasing parts of their oil reserves following an International Energy Agency request for members to release a record 400 million barrels to help temper energy price spikes due to the Iran war.

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