Chicago’s population is declining, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The decline is not uniform, though. Some areas are experiencing a population increase, driving demand for housing.

U.S. Census estimates show that, from 2020 to 2023, Illinois’ population declined by 263,780. This reduced the state’s population by 3 percent to 12,549,689.

In Chicago the population fell 3 percent over the same period, as 81,900 people moved out. Chicago, however, with over 2.6 million residents, remains the city with the third largest population in the country after New York and Los Angeles.

The greater Cook County, which Chicago is part of, lost 188,000 people from 2020 to 2023. Areas that had the highest population decline in Cook County were Berwyn, Summit, and Riverside, with 4.9 percent. These shifts mean real estate developers could shy away from Cook County going forward.

On the other hand, there were regions in the state that experienced population gains. These are expected to attract more real estate development going forward. In Kendall County, for example, six out of seven municipalities saw population growth. Yorkville had the highest gain at 14.7 percent (3,160 new residents) while Montgomery had a population gain of 8.2 percent and Oswego 7.1 percent.

In McHenry County, Wonder Lake suburb had a population increase of 23.1 percent, bringing its population to 4,889. The Southwest suburb of Yorkville also saw its population rise by 2,562 people. Other regions with high population growth were Volo with 13.9 percent, Warrenville with 10.8 percent, and Godley with 10.7 percent.

​The U.S. Federal Reserve is the central bank overseeing the U.S. banking system. It has a dual mandate of supporting economic growth while ensuring price stability (checking inflation). It achieves this through its Board of Governors, which uses tools such as setting reserve requirements and the discount rate.

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 authorizes the Federal Reserve to establish reserve requirements for depository institutions like banks. Reserves are funds that the central bank requires banks to maintain as cash in their vaults or as deposits with the Federal Reserve. The reserves ensure banks have cash to support ongoing transactions. The central bank pays interest on the reserves that the banks hold with it.

On the other hand, the discount rate is the rate that the Federal Reserve charges banks to borrow money from it. Being the lender of last resort, the Federal Reserve can support banks in need of financing by lending money to them to meet their liquidity needs. Banks also use this rate as a guide to lend money to each other. They typically lend out portions of their cash balances at the Federal Reserve.

As such, increases in the reserve requirements and discount rates will leave banks with less liquidity to lend out to customers. On the other hand, reductions lead to higher liquidity. Both changes impact economic factors such as consumer credit access, housing demand and supply, business financing, employment, and demand for goods and services.

​Four prestigious tournaments known as the Grand Slam events represent the pinnacle of tennis: Wimbledon, the US Open, the Australian Open, and the French Open. These tournaments draw the world's best players to compete for the coveted Grand Slam titles.

Held in London since 1877, Wimbledon is the oldest and most traditional Grand Slam tournament. Played on grass courts and requiring an all-white dress code for players, Wimbledon is famous for its rich history, iconic traditions, and the legendary Centre Court.

The US Open, established in 1881, is the final Grand Slam of the tennis calendar, held annually in Flushing Meadows, New York. The US Open is played on hard courts and is famous for its night matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The tournament embraces innovation, often introducing new technologies and entertainment features.

The French Open, hosted at Roland Garros in Paris, has captivated audiences since 1891. Played on clay courts, it is renowned for its demanding rallies and unpredictable outcomes. The tournament is unique in tennis history, providing a severe test of endurance and adaptability.

Since 1905, the Australian Open has provided a hard-court spectacle for tennis enthusiasts. The Australian Open, held in Melbourne since 1988, opens the Grand Slam season in January, in peak Australian summer, attracting global attention with modern facilities like the state-of-the-art Rod Laver Arena.

These Grand Slam tournaments collectively represent the peak of tennis, each with its challenges and traditions. Together, they continue to shape tennis legends and make history.

​Situated to the west of Germany and northeast of Belgium, the Netherlands is a country defined by proximity to water. The 280-mile-long North Sea coast contains the mouths of three major rivers: the Rhine, Meuse, and Schelde. With much of the country’s land under or just above sea level, the country has adapted over the centuries in response to flooding events.

The Frisians settled in the Netherlands in around 400 BC and constructed villages known as terpen. These had mounds of built-up earth under them. Around 1,000 terpens still exist, functioning as they have through the centuries. The Frisians also pioneered the use of small dykes made using locally sourced materials.

On December 14, 1287, calamity hit this system, with North Sea waters rushing in, which resulted in more than 50,000 deaths. The St. Lucia's Flood also created Zuiderzee, a new bay where farmland had previously existed. Over the next several centuries, the Dutch determinedly found ways to drain and push back the Zuiderzee. This was accomplished by constructing more robust dikes, with windmills used for pumping excess water from extremely fertile land and agriculturally valuable land.

In 1916, another wave of floods and storms caused the Dutch to initiate a project that reclaimed the Zuiderzee entirely. The 19-mile-long Afsluitdijk dike, completed in 1932, created the freshwater lake IJsselmeer from what had been the Zuiderzee. Another major flooding event in 1953 caused a change in Dutch policy, with the Delta Act leading to the construction of barriers and a dam across the North Sea itself. This monumental project led to the creation of a new province, Flevoland, from what had been the sea.

Today, 17 million people, or some 60 percent of the Dutch population, inhabit the 27 percent of the country that would naturally be underwater. They are still vulnerable to flooding, but not to the extent of centuries past.

​Air fryers are versatile pieces of kitchen equipment that do away with the preheating phase of conventional ovens and deliver crispy, golden-brown perfection. Whether it's turkey breast or roasted veggies, ready-to-eat meals come out of the fryer relatively quickly. The results are healthy as well. Items in the air fryer, whether French fries or Brussels sprouts, typically need only a quick drizzle of oil to achieve restaurant-quality crispiness. Other items like leftovers and reheated pizza don’t need oil.

One important facet of the air fryer is leaving ample room in the basket for air to circulate and crisp up the food’s entire surface fully. This may involve working in batches if you have more than a few mouths to feed. Simply put items already fried into the warmer drawer that many air fryers come with (or in a warm oven) while the next batch is frying.

Remember that an air fryer requires around 25 percent less heat than a conventional oven. If there is a precise temperature at which something cooks typically in the oven, reduce it accordingly and decrease the cooking time by 25 percent. Be sure to flip the food items in the basket halfway through cooking to ensure an even crispness, and check the food’s progress toward the end by opening the basket.

​Golf is a game of precision that requires important psychological traits alongside proper technique and physical skills. Mastering the mental game is essential for golfers aiming to unlock their true potential on the course.

One key aspect is visualization, where golfers mentally rehearse their shots before physically executing them. This powerful practice helps cultivate focus, enabling players to picture their ideal swing and see the ball in their mind as it follows the intended path.

Mindfulness and concentration also play significant roles in maintaining poise on the greens. By staying in the present moment, golfers can navigate challenges with a clear mind, making informed decisions and executing precise shots.

Embracing resilience when facing setbacks is another critical mental skill. Golf, by nature, involves ups and downs, and maintaining a positive mindset after a missed shot or a challenging hole is key to sustained performance. Players must look at every setback as a learning opportunity.

Last, routines and rituals can provide a sense of control and familiarity, helping golfers enter a focused state of mind. Whether it’s a pre-shot routine or a specific ritual before a round, these practices contribute to a mental framework conducive to success.

While golf is undeniably a physical sport, the mental game is the secret weapon that can turn a good golfer into a great one. Players can incorporate visualization, mindfulness, resilience, and routine into their approach to conquer the game’s mental challenges.

​In golf, puttin relies on repetition and awareness of minute changes in lie, club direction, and speed. Various drills can help improve the putting technique, including one-handed putting, which allows you to understand how the putter head releases the ball. With two hands on the putter, this sensation is less distinct. By understanding the feel of the putter hitting the ball off one hand and noticing how the ball responds off the head, you better understand how the club face should interact when it makes contact.

Keeping the head and spine static through the swing and simply rocking the shoulders leads to a straighter through-stroke, avoiding any bends or turns in the club after contact and creating a straighter shot. One way to get a feel for this is by placing a pair of clubs parallel to each other on either side of the ball and swinging through them as if they are the lines of a roadway. It will be easy to determine if the ball veers right or left, indicating an adjustment is needed.

Getting the right speed for the right distance can be a major issue for many putters. It is easy to under or overshoot a hole and turn an easy birdie into a par or bogey attempt. Set a flagstick or club two feet behind the hole to refine distance control. Hit puts from about 20 feet out, with a goal of either holing the shot or hitting it past the hole but not as far as the marker behind it.

​The Chicago real estate market is set to become one of the nation’s few markets with a new office project. Local developers gathered in November 2023 for the office project groundbreaking ceremony, a rarity in the US.

The project is a joint effort between Fulton St., JDL Development, and SNK Capital. The latter acted as the primary equity investor in the $233 million, 11-story, 409,000-square-foot building, which is located at 919 West Fulton. The project has already secured an anchor office tenant in Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, as well as a lease with the Gibsons Restaurant Group.

Fulton St. chief executive officer Alex Najem has indicated the office building project is just the start of new business efforts in Fulton Market, a former meatpacking district. Najem has plans for a large residential project consisting of 1,300 apartment units in three towers located across from one another on Fulton Street.

​A 2020 housing report found that nearly 74 million Americans lived in homeowner association and condominium communities, with the New York metropolitan area representing the highest concentration of condominiums in the country. Condominiums, or condos, provide residents with several advantages compared to rental units and residential properties, although there are also potential drawbacks. Depending on the scenario, owners may be interested in condo conversion or deconversion.

Before learning about these processes, individuals should understand the condo industry in America. While “condo” is generally used to describe an individual unit, condominiums are large property complexes similar to apartment buildings. The major difference between condos and apartment complexes is that condo residents own their units, though there are often “community property” aspects of a condo that are collectively owned by the property’s management team. Condo management usually takes the form of a board composed of condo owners.

Condominiums have existed in one form or another since the end of the Middle Ages. They have been prominent in the United States since the 1950s, especially in populous urban areas. If a condo board or property investor feels it would be beneficial to transition from apartments to condos or from condos to apartments, they must undertake conversion or deconversion, respectively.

Condo deconversion is the process of converting all condo units in a building into for-rent apartment units. Deconversions are typically carried out as single-transaction bulk sales and are attractive for condo associations worried about a potential real estate bubble. Despite the terminology, a condo can be “deconverted” even if the property has never been used as a rental community. Deconversion is an ambitious and complex process, but it can be an invaluable tool for condo communities faced with exorbitant deferred maintenance costs.

Condo deconversions have grown in popularity in recent years. Condo boards have received several new restrictions from the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, such as the need to meet specific health standards before boards can receive loans for unit repairs and upgrades. This issue can be exacerbated by the fact that the older a building gets, the more repairs it needs. Without these repairs, condo boards struggle to meet health and safety regulations, resulting in a challenging, expensive cycle.

Condo deconversions can also help alleviate the nation’s rental property crisis. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the country needs at least 7.4 million rental homes just for extremely low-income renters. Real estate investors can bypass the construction phase of new apartment units by purchasing and deconverting an existing condo community.

There are drawbacks to condo deconversions that must be considered as well. If condo owners do not secure any type of residential assurance following a deconversion, they will need to enter a hostile real estate industry in search of a new home. Florida is host to over 1.5 million condominium communities, and in recent years, the state has faced its lowest housing inventory levels in history. Condo owners will also need to assess the short-term gains of deconversion against the loss of long-term equity.

As mentioned, deconversion is often discussed in relation to condo conversions, the process of turning an apartment complex into a condo community. Conversions may also occur at hotels, office buildings, or even parking garages.

​The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the most successful franchises in National Football League (NFL) history, with six Super Bowl victories in eight appearances. The team has also boasted some of the league's best defenses throughout its history. Surprisingly, they have only had one NFL MVP quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, in 1978. However, Pittsburgh has handed out a team MVP award every year since 1969.

In addition to Bradshaw, who won the team MVP award in 1977 and 1978, cornerback Mel Blount (1975), kicker Gary Anderson (1983), running back Jerome Bettis (1996, 1997, and 2000), and Ben Roethlisberger (2009) earned the distinction. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick won the award in 2022.

A three-time All-Pro safety from Old Bridge, New Jersey, Fitzpatrick finished the 2022 season with 96 tackles, a league-best six interceptions, and 11 defended passes. He finished 10th in the Associated Press (AP) Defensive Player of the Year voting. The Steelers acquired Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins in a September 2019 trade. He had 299 tackles, 17 interceptions, and three forced fumbles in 61 regular season games with the Steelers following the 2022 season.

The 2022 season marked the fourth consecutive year in which a defensive player won the Steelers MVP. Linebacker T.J. Watt won the award in each of the three prior seasons, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the team MVP in three consecutive years. Watt, a five-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, also finished top three in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of those years and won the award in 2021. He finished that season with a league- and career-best 22.5 sacks, 64 tackles, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. Watt also led the league in sacks (15) in 2020.

In 2018 wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was the last offensive position player to win the Steelers' team MVP. Selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Smith-Schuster recorded 917 receiving yards as a rookie and followed that up in 2018 with a career-best 1,426 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl recognition. He played five seasons with Pittsburgh before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.

Antonio Brown, also a wide receiver, won the Steelers' MVP award for the fourth time in 2017. He previously won in 2011, 2013, and 2015. A 35-year-old native of Miami, Florida, Brown led all receivers in total yards (1,533) and yards per game (109.5) in 2017 and finished second in AP Offensive Player of the Year voting. He also led the league in receiving yards in 2014. Through nine seasons with Pittsburgh, Brown scored 74 touchdowns and registered 11,207 receiving yards. He last played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.

Running back Le'Veon Bell won the Steelers' MVP award for the second time in 2016. A second-round pick of the Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft, Bell finished the 2016 campaign with 1,268 rushing yards, 616 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. He finished sixth in AP Offensive Player of the Year voting. Bell also won the Steelers' team MVP in 2014. He last played with the Baltimore Ravens and Buccaneers in 2021.