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Chicago-area home sales up from February

"For sale" signs line a Chicago street. (Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune)

The median price of a condominium sold in Chicago last month beat its year-ago comparison for the first time in two and a half years, new data shows.

The median price of a condo within the city rose to $275,000, up 2.8 percent from $267,500 a year ago, according to a monthly sales report released Wednesday by the Illinois Association of Realtors. The last time Chicago condo prices recorded a year-over-year gain was in October 2008, when the median sales price of $315,000 was a 3.3 percent gain from October 2007. Get the full story »

Feds: Fake news sites link to acai berry diet

By Ellen Gabler | The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against 10 companies the agency says are using fake news websites to market acai berry weight-loss products.

The FTC said the defendants operate websites that seem like legitimate news-gathering sites, but actually promote deceptive advertisements that urge consumers to buy acai berry products. Get the full story »

Gold tops $1,500 an ounce on economic concerns

Gold prices topped $1,500 an ounce Tuesday as investors looked for more stable assets because of worries about U.S. government debt, European financial problems and inflation. Get the full story »

Boeing wins NASA funds to build space taxis

NASA divided up more than $269 million on Monday among several companies vying to build commercial spaceships to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, the space agency said. Get the full story »

Apple sues Samsung over ‘Galaxy’ phone, Tab

Samsung's Galaxy Tab, one of the company's devices drawing scrutiny from Apple. (Denis Doyle/Bloomberg)

Apple Inc. filed a lawsuit claiming Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. copied the look and feel of its popular iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers, the latest in a series of legal skirmishes that underscore the increasingly high stakes of the mobile computing market.

The lawsuit, filed on April 15, alleged that Samsung’s smartphones, including the “Galaxy S 4G,” “Epic 4G,” “Nexus S” and its “Galaxy Tab” touchscreen tablet, violate Apple’s intellectual property. The 38-page lawsuit was filed in the U.S. court’s northern California district. Get the full story »

S&P threatens to cut U.S. credit rating on deficit

Standard & Poor’s threatened Monday to downgrade the United States’ prized AAA credit rating unless the Obama administration and Congress find a way to slash the yawning federal budget deficit within two years. Get the full story »

Dow plunges after S&P slashes outlook on U.S.

U.S. stocks slid on Monday, with the Nasdaq falling 2 percent, after ratings agency Standard & Poor’s cut its long-term outlook on the United States and another step by China to stem growth reignited worries about the global economy. Get the full story »

Tyree death put U. of C.’s Medicare funding at risk

The federal government threatened to strip a key financial lifeline at University of Chicago Medical Center in the wake of a medical error that contributed to the death last month of Chicago Sun-Times Chairman James Tyree. Get the full story »

Fed officials: Inflation muted, policy on course

The recent surge in oil prices is no prelude to broader price increases that would force the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, two top Fed officials said on Thursday. Get the full story »

Jewel parent’s shares surge on strong profits

A shopper outside of a Jewel-Osco at 370 N. Desplaines in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune photo by Antonio Perez)

Stock for SuperValu Inc., the Minneapolis-based grocery giant that owns Jewel-Osco, soared 20 percent Thursday when the company’s full-year income fell less than expected — despite poor performance in the Chicago and Northeast markets.

The company was able to stem its drop in gross margins, helped by better timing of special offers and more financial backing for deals from vendors. Get the full story »

McDonald’s franchisee rises 25% in debut

Shares of Arcos Dorados Holdings, a large South American franchisee of fast-food chain McDonald’s, rose 27 percent in their stock market debut as investors clamored for exposure to the famous brand in a region with booming consumer spending. Get the full story »

Wal-Mart planning small store in River North

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in talks to open a Walmart Express convenience store in River North, according to real estate sources.

The world’s largest retailer is eyeing a location at 225 W. Chicago Ave. at the corner of Franklin Avenue, which formerly housed Pearl, the discount art supply store. Get the full story »

Motorola, Huawei settle patent suit

Motorola Solutions Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co. said Wednesday they have agreed to settle all pending litigation between the companies. Get the full story »

Playboy editorial director confirms L.A. move

Jimmy Jellinek in 2010. (Chicago Magazine)

Playboy Enterprises on Wednesday sought to downplay speculation that its headquarters were headed for the West Coast, despite the fact that its editorial director is moving there.

Jimmy Jellinek, editorial director and chief content officer, posted on Facebook this morning that he was moving to Los Angeles in August. Shortly thereafter, the post was taken down, according to Time out Chicago. Get the full story »

First Chicago Bank given until June to raise capital

First Chicago Bank & Trust, which has been operating under regulatory scrutiny for more than a year, is “significantly undercapitalized” and has until early June to raise enough money to be considered “adequately capitalized,” according to an April 7 agreement between the Federal Reserve and the $1.02 billion-asset institution. Get the full story »