Franchise Opportunities in Chicago, IL

Chicagoans could catch an extraordinary sight this weekend as a total lunar eclipse will be overhead on Sunday, but the clouds could get in the way.

According to the Adler Planetarium, a Flower Moon will pass into Earth's shadow at 8:32 p.m. Sunday to create a total lunar eclipse.

"A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is fully engulfed by the Earth’s shadow," the Adler Planetarium wrote online. "Once totality begins, the Moon can appear reddish due to our atmosphere scattering away the bluer rays of the Sun’s light, just like the Sun appears reddish right before sunset."

May's Flower Moon is also called the Blood Moon by some due to the red color it gives off. However, that isn't unique to this year as the moon typically appears red during a lunar eclipse, the planetarium wrote.

This interactive map shows which stage of the eclipse will be visible from your location.

The planetarium noted that the eclipse will begin at 8:32 p.m., then move into a partial eclipse at 9:27 p.m. Totality is set to start at 10:29 p.m. and end at 11:53 p.m. The partial lunar eclipse will then end 12:55 a.m. on May 16.

According to Northwestern University, which is planning to host a public event surrounding the eclipse on its Evanston campus, such moments are "fairly rare."

“This is a chance to witness how the Earth, moon and sun are all connected,” Michael Smutko, director of the Dearborn Observatory and professor of instruction in physics and astronomy in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, said in a statement. “The three must be aligned to form a straight line, so the Earth’s shadow completely envelops the moon, for a total lunar eclipse.”

As of Saturday, the NBC 5 Storm Team predicted that Sunday will be mostly cloudy with a chance for rain and storms by the afternoon and evening. High temperatures will likely be in the mid-70s.

But for those who miss it, another total lunar eclipse is expected to be visible from Chicago on Nov. 8.

In about two years, a total solar eclipse will also be visible from Illinois.

On April 8, 2024, the event will be the last visible total solar eclipse from the U.S. until 2045.

More 31 million people across 13 states — including Illinois — live in "the path of totality" for the event — meaning those places will see 100% totality.

According to the website nationaleclipse.com, in Illinois, the state of totality will begin on April 8, 2024 at 1:58 p.m. and end at 2:06 p.m.

A newly released list graded over 3,000 hospitals across the U.S., including 116 in Illinois, based on safety, with one northern medical center receiving an "F" and several Chicago hospitals listed as a "C."

The Leapfrog Group graded hospitals on a scale of "A," "B," "C," "D," and "F," according to the list, which examines infections, problems with surgery, safety problems and practices to prevent errors, as well as doctors, nurses and hospital staff.

In Waukegan, Vista Medical Center East received an "F" grade. The hospital was docked for having several infections present and problems with surgery, such as a dangerous object left inside a patient's body.

The northern Illinois hospital was also noted for having several problems with safe medication administration, communication and the medical center staff.

Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago received a "C" grade, notably having issues with infections and problems with surgery, including a wound splitting open post-operation. The hospital was also docked for some safety problems.

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Loyola University Medical Center, Mt. Sinai Hospital, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System and West Suburban Medical Center also received a "C" grade, based on the list.

Here were the grades of several Chicago-area hospitals:

For a full list, click here.

According to the group, 33% of hospitals nationwide received an "A" grade, while 24% got a "B," 36% got a "C," 7% received a "D" and less than 1% were listed as an "F."

For a full explanation of the methodology, click here.

NBC 5 Chicago reached out to several area hospitals requesting for comment, but have not yet received a response from all health care centers.

Hospitals noted that some data from Leapfrog that was used to assess the grades dated back 1-2 years ago and that changes have been made since the initial reporting.

"We embrace any opportunity to continue our journey toward excellence. Like all hospitals, various organizations evaluate patient care, quality, safety and satisfaction, and each rating system differs in its methodology. We do not participate in Leapfrog’s survey and instead focus our efforts on meeting federal public reporting requirements with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services," a spokesperson for Vista Health Systems said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that the hospital has earned both national and state recognitions, including The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval as a Primary Stroke Center, the American Association of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery’s Bariatric Surgery Center Accreditation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Sleep Center Accreditation.

"While maintaining our current letter grades, we continue to make progress in our efforts to improve overall quality, safety and experience of care performance across the system, and this has resulted in a significant turnaround in our Leapfrog grades over time," a spokesperson for Mt. Sinai Hospital said in a statement.

"Our ultimate goal is to achieve “A” level performance across the entire care continuum as part of our vision to be the Provider of Choice for our communities. There is still much more work to be done. But we are proud of the efforts of our caregivers across the system to making a personal commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients," the statement continued.

Rising COVID cases have prompted emergency meetings and the return of masks at some Chicago-area schools.

The increase in metrics have prompted state health officials to encourage booster shots for those who are eligible and indoor masking.

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:

Masks Now Required at Evanston Township High School as COVID Cases Rise

An uptick in COVID cases in the city of Evanston has led officials at Evanston Township High School to now require masks for all staff, students and visitors in school buildings -- regardless of vaccination status -- effective Monday, the school said Sunday.

Previously, masks inside the school were only "highly recommended."

The updated mask requirement comes three days after the city announced that its community COVID level had increased from 'medium' to "high," the highest level of alert, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more here.

When Are You Contagious With COVID and How Long Should You Quarantine?

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across Chicago and the city's top doctor said the trend will likely continue in coming weeks, sparking questions from concerned residents.

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says that the city's positivity rate has soared to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects metrics to continue to rise in the coming days.

Read more here.

Rise in COVID Cases Prompts Emergency Meeting at Oak Park School District

Just days after the Oak Park Health Department unveiled new COVID-19 guidance for schools following an increase in cases, one village school district's board announced its own actions to help reduce the spread of the virus.

In an emergency meeting Friday, Elementary School District 97 voted to require masks on field trips and for those who attend indoor events inside school buildings, including graduation ceremonies. Schools will also try to move indoor activities outside as much as possible.

Read more here.

Booster Shots, Indoor Masking Encouraged Amid Rising COVID Risk Levels, Health Officials Say

Illinois health officials are encouraging COVID-19 vaccinations, booster shots and masking indoors as cases continue to rise and more counties move into heightened coronavirus risk levels.

As of Friday, 23 counties in Illinois -- including Cook, Kane, McHenry, Lake, DuPage, DeKalb, Kendall and Will counties -- were all listed under "medium" community alert level for COVID transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more here.

Coronavirus in Illinois: 40K New Cases, 45 Deaths in Last Week As More Counties Rise to Medium COVID Risk

Illinois health officials reported 40,026 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, along with 45 additional deaths. While cases have increased, deaths declined by one in the last seven days.

The previous week, the state reported 30,633 new and 46 deaths. The week before that, the state reported 24,646 new cases and 46 deaths were reported.

In all, 3,209,341 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The additional deaths bring the state to 33,705 confirmed COVID fatalities.

Read more here.

Low, Medium, High: What CDC's Community Levels Mean and What's Required in Each

With nearly every Chicago-area county having reached the "medium community level" for COVID-19 and one Chicago suburb reaching "high" transmission levels, per guidance set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, what does that mean for you?

So what does that mean and what does it take to reach each level?

Evanston Now at ‘High' Community COVID Risk Level Due to Rising Cases, City Says

Based on the rising number of new COVID cases reported in the last seven days, the city of Evanston said Thursday its community COVID risk level has increased from 'medium' to 'high,' the highest level of alert, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

City metrics show 397 new COVID cases were reported in Evanston over a seven day period, compared to 305 the week prior.

According to local health officials, once Evanston reaches more 200 new COVID cases per 100,000 people over a week time frame, community level transitions to high.

Read more here.

Grundy, LaSalle Counties Join 8 Others in Chicago Area at ‘Medium’ COVID Level: CDC

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two more Chicago-area counties have now joined the list of areas that are at a “medium community level” of COVID-19 as a new omicron subvariant continues to spread across the United States.

Both Grundy and LaSalle counties have joined eight other counties in the NBC 5 viewing area that are in that “medium range,” according to the latest metrics released Thursday afternoon.

In all, there are 23 Illinois counties now at that “medium” level, up from 14 a week ago.

Read more here.

Can COVID Cause Hair Loss? Here's What We Know

Can a COVID-19 infection cause hair loss?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, many people reported that their hair was falling out in large clumps months after recovering from the coronavirus.

However, doctors who studied the side effects of COVID said hair loss might not be as surprising as some think. Here's why.

Tested Positive for COVID and Looking for Treatment Options? Here's What to Know About Pfizer's Antiviral Pill

As more test positive for the coronavirus across the Chicago area, many are turning to questions over treating the virus with the new antiviral COVID-19 pill.

Pfizer's Paxlovid pill has been used in several recent high-profile cases, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

But as more doctors prescribe Pfizer's powerful COVID pill, new questions are emerging about its performance, including why a small number of patients appear to relapse after taking the drug.

Here's what we know so far.

New Subvariant of Omicron Continues Spread in U.S., Midwest: CDC Estimates

A new subvariant of omicron are making up an increasing proportion of the COVID cases in the United States, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to that data, the majority of cases in the United States are still made up by the BA.2 subvariant of omicron, but that number has dropped to 56.4% this week.

The BA.2.12.1 variant, which has been responsible for a large surge in cases, especially in the northeast, is now up to 42.6% of COVID cases this week.

Read more here.

COVID Incubation Period: How Long Should You Quarantine and When Are You Contagious?

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across Chicago and the city's top doctor said the trend will likely continue in coming weeks, sparking questions from concerned residents.

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says that the city's positivity rate has soared to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects metrics to continue to rise in the coming days.

"In this wave...it's likely that we'll have even more cases before we see it turn around," she said. "And the last thing we want to do is to have people really see the hospitalization numbers going up significantly."

For those who contract COVID, there may be lingering questions. Here's the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC COVID Guidelines 2022: Symptoms to Watch for, How Long to Quarantine and More

With new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 spreading across the U.S. and nearly all of the Chicago area rising to a higher alert level, many are wondering what to do if they experience symptoms or test positive for the virus.

If you were exposed, when could symptoms start, how long are you contagious, how long should you quarantine for and when is the best time test?

Read more here.

The Chicago-based corporation said it will seek a buyer who will keep its 62,000 Russian employees.

RUSSIA — McDonald's is closing its doors in Russia, ending an era of optimism and increasing the country's isolation over its war in Ukraine.

The Chicago burger giant confirmed Monday that it is selling its 850 restaurants in Russia. McDonald's said it will seek a buyer who will employ its 62,000 workers in Russia, and will continue to pay those workers until the deal closes.

"Some might argue that providing access to food and continuing to employ tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, is surely the right thing to do," McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a letter to employees. "But it is impossible to ignore the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine."

McDonald's said it's the first time the company has ever "de-arched," or exited a major market. It plans to start removing golden arches and other symbols and signs with the company's name. McDonald's said it will also will keep its trademarks in Russia and take steps to enforce them if necessary.

McDonald's said in early March that it was temporarily closing its stores in Russia but would continue to pay its employees. It was a costly decision. Late last month, the company said it was losing $55 million each month due to the restaurant closures. It also lost $100 million worth of inventory.

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McDonald's has also closed 108 restaurants in Ukraine and continues to pay its employees there.Western companies have wrestled with extricating themselves from Russia, enduring the hit to their bottom lines from pausing or closing operations in the face of sanctions. Others have stayed in Russia at least partially, with some facing blowback.

French carmaker Renault said Monday that it would sell its majority stake in Russian car company Avtovaz and a factory in Moscow to the state — the first major nationalization of a foreign business since the war began.

Maxim Sytch, a professor of management and organizations at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, said McDonald's and others also face pressure from customers, employees and investors over their Russian operations.

"The era where companies could avoid taking a stance is over," Sytch said. "People want to be associated with companies that do the right thing. There's much more to business — and life — than maximizing profit margins."

McDonald's first restaurant in Russia opened in the middle of Moscow more than three decades ago, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a powerful symbol of the easing of Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union, which would collapse in 1991.

Now, the company's exit is proving symbolic of a new era, analysts say. Sytch, who lived in Russia when McDonald's entered the market and remembers the excitement surrounding the opening, said the closing signifies a reversal to the Soviet era of isolation.

"It's really painful to see the many years of gains on the democratic front being wiped out with this atrocious war in Ukraine," he said.

Kempczinski left open the possibility that McDonald's could someday return to the Russian market.

"It's impossible to predict what the future may hold, but I choose to end my message with the same spirit that brought McDonald's to Russia in the first place: hope," he wrote in his employee letter. "Thus, let us not end by saying, 'goodbye.' Instead, let us say, as they do in Russian: 'Until we meet again.'"

McDonald's owns 84 percent of its restaurants in Russia; the rest are operated by franchisees. Because it won't license its brand, the sale price likely won't be close to the value of the business before the invasion, said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, a corporate analytics company.McDonald's said it expects to record a charge against earnings of between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion over leaving Russia.

McDonald's has more than 39,000 locations across more than 100 countries. Most are owned by franchisees — only about 5 percent are owned and operated by the company.

McDonald's said exiting Russia will not change its forecast of adding a net 1,300 restaurants this year, which will contribute about 1.5 percent to companywide sales growth.

Last month, McDonald's Corp. reported that it earned $1.1 billion in the first quarter, down from more than $1.5 billion a year earlier. Revenue was nearly $5.7 billion.

In afternoon trading, shares of McDonald's shed 21 cents to $244.83.

By DAVID KOENIG and DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Business Writers

It was around this time in 2021 when then-president Angelique Power was stepping down from the Field Foundation of Illinois. The Chicago native was in the role for five years, centering the foundation’s funding structure on racial equity. During her tenure, the Field Foundation was credited with distributing more than $4.5 million annually in grants in the areas of art, justice, leadership investment, and media and storytelling across Chicagoland.

As of June 20, Daniel Ash will take up the mantle as the new president of the Field Foundation. Ash, a Youngstown, Ohio, native, is leaving his role as associate vice president of community impact at the Chicago Community Trust to do so. The Field Foundation’s board of directors announced the appointment after an extensive nationwide search.

With more than nine years building strategy aiming to advance equitable neighborhoods within underinvested communities through grant-making to community organizing, storytelling and resident-driven initiatives, Ash said while he will miss the immediacy of working daily with Trust colleagues, but he is looking forward to continued collaboration with them in the philanthropic world.

“From the seat of the Field Foundation, I’m going to be working with them with locked arms because it takes organizations and many others in the local community — corporate philanthropy, private philanthropy, family philanthropy, and partnerships with community leaders and political leaders — to work on these very audacious issues that we can challenge together,” Ash said. “I’m just working on a different front, but we’re working on the same battlefield, if you will.”

Ash’s resume includes stints at Chicago Public Media, where he oversaw marketing and strategic partnerships, and leadership positions at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Center for Family Policy and Practice. Ash is leaving just as Chicago Community Trust’s first female CEO, Dr. Helene Gayle, is exiting to serve as president of Spelman College in Atlanta. Ash said he will be helping the organization find his successor.

“We’re really working hard to make sure that people understand that the Trust is OK and the organization’s commitment to the strategy (of closing the racial inequity wealth gap) is still there at the board level and will continue,” Ash said.

Ash laughs and says his propensity to say hi to everyone on the street has served him well during his career. He said it’s helped him build relationships and networks at the Chicago Community Trust. He said he’s looking forward to bringing his deep connection with Chicago’s Black and Latinx communities to the new opportunity at the Field Foundation of Illinois.

“The Field Foundation has this amazing, rich history of being a foundation that stood up for the values and principles that I’ve always aligned with,” Ash said. “Under Angelique Power’s leadership, this board made a commitment to the social justice movement, applying a racial equity lens before it was fashionable to do so. That work, the work that Angelique led endures, it’s in the DNA of the foundation. I like the fact that the foundation is one that uses historically its voice, its convening power to impact how we see specific challenges in our local community. And I like the fact that the foundation, as a private foundation, (has) always been very unequivocal about its commitment. ”

Ash said the Field Foundation is more than grant-making, it’s the civic power associated with the foundation to interrogate challenges, ask good questions, bring people together to solve challenges and respond to those questions. All of it made him apply for the president position at the foundation. Ash sees his transition to the new role as another opportunity to be of service to the communities he loves.

“My hope is that people will see that I use my position — social, financial, knowledge capital, everything I have to bring to the table to build and fortify the infrastructure that we need to advance the movement toward justice,” Ash said. “What I mean by that is, the work for me is more than just the work that’s right in front of you. There are programs that need to be funded, there are leaders that need to be developed. All of that work combines to create a foundation that is built on the foundation that others laid for us to continue the journey toward (something) more racially equitable for the community. And that’s what I love about this opportunity.”

“Daniel’s breadth of experience and the respect he has earned through his work made him the ideal choice to become the next President of the Field Foundation,” said Field Foundation Board Chair Gloria Castillo in a statement. Castillo co-led the search with board member Lyle Logan. “Daniel deeply understands the work the Field Foundation is prioritizing because he has been doing similar work for years, and we are confident that his vision aligns with the Foundation’s goals.”

“I see the opportunity to have a leadership role at the Field Foundation as a civic responsibility,” Ash added. “I think private foundations have to demand that the community that we’re trying to impact hold us accountable. I’m asking the community to connect with me, share with me, and share with us at the Field Foundation because ultimately if they’re not benefiting from the work that we’re doing, then we’re not doing the work right.”