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About ChicagoGlobal

We’re excited to share with you ChicagoGlobal, a new newsletter from Crain’s Chicago Business and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Each Sunday evening, we'll bring you fascinating coverage of our city's role in the wider world — and the ways global connections shape our lives here at home. See all of the Council's newsletters.

Here's what you can expect to read each Sunday:

  • Shaping Global Chicago will feature two stories that provide analysis on the intersection of business, Chicago, and the world.
  • Midwest Briefing will list three stories from other news sources that connect Chicago or the Midwest to the world.
  • Global Chicagoan: 3 for 3 will be a mini Q&A that highlights one Chicago-based professional active in the business world or global community.
  • Your City, Your Take will ask readers a Global Chicago-related question and solicit responses to be featured in the following week's edition.
  • City Explorer will feature relevant and intellectually stimulating globally-themed events taking place locally.
  • Global Connections will spotlight one country and five interesting connections to Chicago.
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Check out recent editions

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs publishes ChicagoGlobal every Sunday evening. The newsletter includes stories, interviews, and local events.

April issues

  • April 7: Chicago Tea Party + World-Class Stadium + Switzerland Connections
  • April 14: Farmland Foreign Investment + McDonald's 🍟 Test + Greece Connections
  • April 21: Global M&A outlook + Outdoor dining beyond Clark Street + Vietnam Connections

March issues

  • March 3: Chicago Chef, Global Mission + Recipes With a History + Cuba Connections
  • March 10: When Digital Nomads Come to (Chi)town + Connections to Ireland
  • March 17: International Flavor Incubator + Business Magnet + Cambodia Connections
  • March 24: Retail Vacancies Global Lessons + Little Italy's Ticking Clock + Costa Rica Connections
  • March 31: Courting international tourists + Nazi-looted art + South Africa connections

February issues

  • February 4: Is Chicago Sinking? + UChicago's Doomsday Clock + Türkiye Connections
  • February 11: Chicago's Challenges and Advantages + The State of the CTA + Czech Connections
  • February 18: Chicago's Air Quality + Chicago Shakespeare Theater + Connections to Indonesia
  • February 25: AIT Worldwide Logistics' Global Ties + City Hall's Foreign Affairs Resolutions + Egyptian Connections

January issues

  • January 7: Chicago's Pedestrian Malls + Hispanic Business Owners on Migrant Influx + Polish Connections
  • January 14: 'Golden Visa' Backlog + Congested Pricing in Chicago + Canada Connections
  • January 21: Chicago's Ties to Tattooing + Chicago Auto Show + Connections to Argentina
  • January 28: Alinea's Global Success + Love for Chicago's Commuter Trains + Morocco Connections

December issues

  • December 3: Chicago attorneys help migrants + international holiday decorations + connections to Australia
  • December 10: Translating Chicago's Business Culture + Exporting Comedy + Connections to Jamaica
  • December 17: Chicago's Kyrgyz Community + A Mass Migration to the Great Lakes + French Connections

November issues

  • November 5: Why a French Company Picked Chicago + Host City Challenges for Large Events + India Connections
  • November 12: Integrating Migrant Families + Crisis Playbook for Businesses + Connections to China
  • November 19: Chicago's compost initiative + Midwest 'Best Value' ranking + Connections to Brazil

October issues

  • October 1: Chicago's sustainable architecture scene + reshoring + connections to the Philippines
  • October 8: Chicago Marathon's Impact + Columbus, Indiana Architecture + Connections to Mexico
  • October 22: International Horror Films + China's Economy + Connections to Afghanistan
  • October 29: Chicago Businesses Help Migrants + Kevin Pang's Favorite Chinese Restaurants + Croatian Connections

September issues

  • September 17: Welcome to ChicagoGlobal + A 'Stinky Ditch' + Chicago's Gastro-tourism Scene + Japan Connections
  • September 24: Chicago's Hospitality Biz + the City's Unicorns + Connections to Germany

Latest | ChicagoGlobal

How a trade delegation for female Irish entrepreneurs persuaded them to expand to Chicago

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

Several large, Chicago-based firms, including Aon and Illinois Tool Works, have expanded into or relocated to Ireland since 2021—but that’s only half the story.

Aer Lingus Airbus A320 plane lands at Dublin airport.
Peter Morrison / AP
Global Economy

Many global cities are expanding outdoor dining, so what makes Chicago's Clark Street an exception?

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ChicagoGlobal by Jack Benjamin

Due to unresolved civic tensions, Chicago's Clark Street faces a potential shutdown despite expansions of outdoor dining programs in other global cities.

People sit on the terrace of a cafe in Paris
Thibault Camus / AP
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A dealmaker scopes out the forecast for cross-border M&A action

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

Adviser Brenda Jacobsen is holding her breath and suggesting an uptick in activity late last year and the first quarter this year heralds a comeback in 2024 transaction volume overall.

A collection of different currency notes from around the world.
Jason Leung
Global Economy

Why are foreign investors buying land in Illinois, and what does it mean for the state?

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

In Illinois, Chinese investors own only about one square mile of land, while Portuguese, Italian, and Canadian interests hold over 760 square miles combined.

An aerial view of farm equipment harvesting a field
Joshua A. Bickel / AP
Global Economy

Tea connoisseurs — yes, there are tea connoisseurs — set to raise a cup in Chicago

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

At the Chicago Tea Festival, visitors from around the country will meet to taste and buy some of the most exotic blends from around the world.

A woman holds a coffee mug Global Cities

How are sports stadiums funded globally, and what does it mean for Chicago?

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ChicagoGlobal by Jack Benjamin

For Chicago's sports stadiums, the financing debate between public funds and private investment remains an obstacle, as it has been for stadiums around the world.

An aerial shot of the inside of Soldier Field, with planes flying overhead
Kamil Krzaczynski / AP
Global Cities

In this legal fight, the Art Institute stands to lose more than artwork

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ChicagoGlobal by Brandon Dupré

The museum is fighting two legal battles over ownership of a drawing that's believed to have been stolen by Nazis during the Holocaust.

One of the lion statues outside of the Art Institute of Chicago Global Politics

"It's hard to compete with Mickey Mouse": Why Chicago recruits international influencers to promote the city

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

Chicago's strategy to boost international tourism through partnerships, like Brazilian influencer Lucas Estevam, aims to attract diverse audiences with tailored experiences.

Two people at the front of a boat with the Chicago skyline behind them.
Alejandro Reyes/Choose Chicago
Global Economy

Chicago's retail vacancies are hitting all-time highs. What can it learn from other global cities?

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ChicagoGlobal by Jack Benjamin

Reflecting a global trend, Chicago Loop retail vacancies hit a record 30%—most likely due to remote work—necessitating revival strategies.

A person walks past an empty storefront
Erin Hooley / AP
Global Economy

How one agency is scouting the globe for Illinois connections

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

Intersect Illinois has emerged as a key force in the dealmaking behind some of the most significant corporate relocations here.

An aerial view of the Chicago skyline
Kamil Krzaczynski / AP
Global Cities