Daily Whale Originals

The Daily Whale

The Daily Whale wishes all of our readers a happy and healthy Fourth of July. In observance of the holiday, our newsletters will not be published on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. Our regular publishing schedule will resume on Monday, July 8.

We are on the heels of an unprecedented mayoral election in Chicago, signaling an immediate opportunity to outline the best path forward for this city. We are also anticipating the U.S. Department of Treasury’s second round of proposed guidelines for Qualified Opportunity Funds which are eagerly anticipated in the coming weeks. These guidelines advise on the best ways to put Opportunity Zones to use and represent a glaring opportunity for Chicago.

Global professional services firm Aon is in the second year of an innovative apprenticeship program that currently employs 50 students in technology, insurance and human resources positions while they earn associate’s degrees at two-year community colleges.

The two-year apprenticeship program began in 2017 and offers participants a competitive salary, employee benefits, paid tuition toward an associate’s degree, mentoring and on-the-job workforce training. Upon successful completion of the program, apprentices are also offered full-time employment at Aon.  

Chicago attorney and Police Board President Lori Lightfoot on Monday contended the “Chicago Police Department cannot be successful in its core mission of fighting crime and keeping the public safe without a constant eye on reform.”