Chicago Tribune - The credit crunch and global economic recession have squeezed many independent filmmakers, who were already struggling from a glut of films and a shortage of funds even before the global economy went into a tailspin last month.
While the major studios have long-term deals in place to co-finance their movies, independent producers aren’t […]

Chicago Tribune - "The key change in the next decade is that policymakers around the world have chosen the winners and losers," Griffin said at a Wednesday panel. "The winners are the banking system."
By selecting commercial banks to become the centerpiece of the financial industry, the government closed the era of investment banks and hedge […]

Reuters - Final bids for the Chicago Cubs will likely be due late September or early October, two sources said on Thursday, as owner Tribune Co seeks to sell the storied baseball team by the year end.
The next stage in the drawn-out sale of the team, its landmark stadium and a cable TV network […]

Chicago Tribune - The leader of an activist hedge fund with a significant stake in Sara Lee Corp. has been added to the foodmaker’s board of directors.
Downers Grove-based Sara Lee said Thursday that it is expanding its 10-member board by one, naming Jeffrey Ubben, founder and chief executive of ValueAct Capital, to the new spot. […]

Chicago Tribune- Maybe plain-vanilla stock and bond mutual funds will do the job after all.
Long-short funds — the newfangled mutual funds designed to give common investors a hedge fund experience and protection during downturns — recently went through one of their first major tests. And they flopped.
In July and August, with investors concerned over subprime […]