Though few couples go into a marriage anticipating that their union will not last, unfortunately, a large percentage of American marriages come to an end. In fact, approximately 40% to 50% of U.S. marriages end in divorce.

Divorce may be common, but it is never easy. Many couples enter divorce with even more trepidation than they entered their marriage, and sometimes, it just isn’t clear whether or not divorce is the right choice.

If you’re struggling with the decision to divorce or continue your marriage, give yourself time to thoroughly evaluate the situation. Before making your choice, try asking yourself the following three questions:

Question 1: Have You Had the Divorce Talk?

Communication is one of the most important pillars of a healthy marriage, so it is likely you’re struggling to share your thoughts and feelings with your partner if you’re considering divorce. Nonetheless, if you’ve been able to have a civil conversation with your partner about divorce, consider holding off the paperwork. While some partnerships use threats of divorce as a tool to express emotions or to manipulate, if you and your partner have been able to speak calmly about divorce, marriage counseling could be a viable option. You might be able to use those communication skills to talk about what is underlying your desire to separate, and you could be able to mend the relationship. Premarital counseling has been shown to reduce divorce likelihood by 50%, and any counseling, in general, will do more good than harm.

Question 2: What Exactly Is Making You Want to End the Marriage?

Some relationships are pushed towards their end by obvious contributing factors. For example, domestic violence, drug abuse, and alcoholism are common justifications for separation. Additionally, couples therapists report that 50% of their caseload is due to infidelity. However, not all breakups are so cut-and-dry. If you cannot pinpoint exactly why you want a divorce, spend some time figuring out exact reasons you want to end your marriage. Consider making a list of habits and events that seem significant enough to be deal breakers. Only you can decide what you want, but seeking clarity through journaling and contemplation can make your choice a little easier.

Question 3: Are the Consequences of Divorce Going to Be More Unpleasant Than the Consequences of Staying Married?

While those who are not married or who do not live together can separate with relatively little effort, divorce takes a significant amount of time and money. Many individuals experience financial hardship after a divorce, as well as uncomfortable reactions from friends and family. Divorce may be the best choice for your scenario, but remember that some unpleasant consequences are unavoidable. If you suspect that those consequences will outweigh the unhappiness you feel right now in your marriage, consider seeking therapy or other ways to improve your marriage if your partner is willing to cooperate. In some cases, relationships improve with patience and time, and the heartache of divorce can be avoided.

Deciding to divorce may be one of the toughest decisions of your life. Unfortunately, divorce almost always results in sadness, confusion, and sometimes anger. Try asking these three questions for greater clarity, so that you can make the best decision for yourself, your family, and your future.

Approximately 48 million people in the United States are hospitalized for food poisoning every year, and 2016 is no exception.

An E. coli outbreak at Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill has affected at least 50 people in the Chicago area, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). At least 14 people who ate at the restaurant have been hospitalized.

Health officials urge anyone who ate at the restaurant and develops symptoms of an E.coli infection to seek medical attention. Common symptoms include abdominal cramping and diarrhea that can be bloody.

Those who need to see a doctor should also mention exposure to shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), according to the CDPH.

A lawsuit has since been filed in connection with the E. coli outbreak. Attorneys from the national food safety law firm Pritzker-Olsen, who have been contacted by five of the 50 who became ill after eating at the restaurant, filed suit on behalf of Maria Terese Loparco, on July 8.

On June 25, Loparco ate two chicken tacos and two steak tacos from Carbon, according to the case. By June 30, she was experiencing gastrointestinal pain and flu-like symptoms, which had worsened to include bloody diarrhea. By the end of the day on June 30, the “diarrhea was pure blood,” according to her complaint.

Loparco was rushed to the Urgent Care center attached to Ingalls Family Care Center and later transferred by emergency vehicle to Ingalls Memorial Hospital.

“Based on what we know now, the Chicago Department of Public Health is closing in on the precise cause of this massive outbreak,” said Brendan Flaherty, the food safety lawyer representing Loparco.

Loparco is among at least 14 people who were hospitalized for E. coli infections after eating food from the restaurant.

“This is a serious condition that is treatable,” said CDPH Commissioner Julie Morita, M.D. “Anyone who believes they may be symptomatic and ate at this restaurant should see their medical provider immediately.”

A food source has not yet been identified. Other E. coli outbreaks have been linked to under-cooked beef, unpasteurized milk, and unwashed, raw produce. Those most at risk of developing an E. coli infection are younger children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems.

Workers’ compensation laws and regulations have been an integral part of the American society for many years. They provide security and peace of mind, especially for workers in inherently dangerous environments, such as coal miners and factory workers. According to Inthesetimes.com, the state of Illinois could be facing some drastic changes to the policies currently in place, if Gov. Bruce Rauner is successful in the changes he’s pushing for.

One of the changes Rauner would like to see made is narrowing the scope of workers’ compensation coverage for employers by not including the “work histories” of employees. Traditionally, employers have assumed responsibility for the physical problems employees developed over years of toiling in manual and hard labor. Rauner wants to change this to require that a specific workplace injury account for at least 50% of a workers’ compensation claim.

In other words, it’s Rauner’s belief that this type of coverage is intended only for traumatic injuries, not those that come as the result of long-term, repetitive acts related to work, but that are also likely enhanced through day-to-day living. He believes this is the equivalent to asking employers to “pick up the tab” on non-workplace injuries.

While this may be true in some instances, opponents of his proposed changes argue that what he’s really trying to do is reshape and overhaul the workers’ compensation standards that have been on the books for years. According to the National Academy of Social Insurance, workers’ compensation pays 100% of medical costs for injured workers from the day of injury, and cash benefits for lost work time after a three- to seven-day waiting period.

“What the governor is proposing is to take a lot of cases that have been compensable for the last 50 years and to throw them out,” said John Burton, a veteran workers’ compensation industry expert.

Despite all the rhetoric, both sides appear to have good intentions, just different ways of viewing the world. Rauner argues that changing the laws will help promote business and the economy in general. He claims the current policies and associated high costs are helping to drive businesses out of Illinois. Proponents on the other side say that the type of changes Rauner is pushing for would be a big step back for the working person.

Whose side are you on? Sound off in the comments section below.

Over 95% of individuals in the United States wear t-shirts, but not everyone can say their shirts are from a tech-savvy fashion company. Yet one fashion company in Chicago is changing the way technology impacts their business.

Whoever said the Chicago technology scene was an ordinary cluster of B2B contenders has clearly never met the team at Trunk Club.

Headquartered in River North, the on-demand fashion tech company has become somewhat of an institution in Chicago, a city often criticized for its lack of flashy, consumer-facing products.

Since its launch in 2009, the company has grown into one of Chicago’s key tech triumphs. With a $350 million sale to Nordstrom in 2014 and a growing headcount that’s landed the company on more than one Top 100 Digital Tech Employers list, Trunk Club’s tech-driven approach has lead it to the forefront of technology, fashion, and future of commerce.

“The world is splitting into two halves: a cheap-fast-now, commoditized world that Amazon is going to win at, and the other side is the service and experience-focused commerce world,” said Mike Cruz, Trunk Club’s VP of Engineering. “We don’t sell you what you need. We ask you where you want to be and give you clothes to achieve that goal.”

And to add even more innovation and excitement, the company has recently expanded its sales to include women.

Officially launched in Fall 2015, the program allows customers to try on Trunk Club’s suggestions, and then pick and choose which items they want to pay to keep. They can return any unwanted items free of charge, as long as they’re returned within 10 days, just like the established system for the company’s men’s service.

But the fashion-forward powerhouse doesn’t stop there.

Trunk Club has been an advocate of simplicity since the start, and they’re constantly working to make their technology and internal architecture reflect that.

“We’re making and resizing services because simplicity is a lot easier,” Cruz said. “The goal is to be able to keep the architecture in your head. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting close.”

Cruz said the engineering team alone today sits at about 30, with an additional 70 team members like designers and IP rounding out the team. And that’s in addition to a chic army of personal stylists who curate each trunk and a number of other positions, such as marketing and sales.

In addition to their online presence, Trunk Club also operates five physical locations throughout the country in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.

Signal, a Chicago-based marketing technology company, has recently closed a $30 million Series E round of funding to expand its product in global markets.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the funding round was led by I2A, a Chicago-based venture fund, along with investors such as Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Baird Capital, Epic Ventures, and Silicon Valley Bank.

More than 20,000 companies already use Signal’s platform, including powerhouses like Crate and Barrel, Macy’s, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

The six-year-old company runs a platform that has changed the game for companies everywhere.

The platform patches together data from different sources to help its clients recognize and track individual customers. The information can come from a variety of sources and can help brands get a comprehensive look at individual customers across multiple mediums.

“It’s not enough these days to know what (customers are) looking at, and then making a recommendation,” CEO and co-founder Mike Sands said.

Countless businesses rely on online marketing strategies to expand their reach, and technology like Signal’s could help them tremendously. The funding that Signal has now will allow them to expand globally, including opening spaces in the U.K., Australia, and even the Asian Pacific regions.

However, many companies aren’t even yet aware of the impact that good marketing technology and strategy can have on their business.

More and more companies are realizing the importance of video marketing as part of their strategy, and for good reason. People are no longer phased by ads on buses, and technology allows them to speed through television commercials. Even business phone systems have evolved to meet new customer and marketing needs.

When consumers need or want something, they reach for their phones. In fact, 62% of companies that designed a website specifically for mobile use reported increased sales across the board.

According to Marketing Tech, video is the most shared content type on Facebook for almost every industry. Sharing is essentially word of mouth marketing, and with minimal spending on a business’s part, is just as effective.

Companies like Signal are revolutionizing online marketing strategy with their software, and with Signal’s initiative to go global, countless companies worldwide will be able to benefit from their services.

The Plastics Pioneers Association recently announced they have named four new members to their organization, According to PlasticsNews.com. The Plastic Pioneers Association (PPA) is a non-profit organization based in McHenry, IL, and contains over 200 members. Every member has at least 25 years of experience in the plastic industry and the new inductees are no exception.

The PPA is dedicated to preserving the history of the industry and one of their primary modes of doing this is through scholarship awards to students who are interesting in a career in plastics. From their website, their states goals include:

“To recognize achievements in the fields of plastics and/or polymer science, engineering, technology, education, sales/marketing, or management. To support industry-wide educational programs. To promote the study and improvement of plastics and/or polymer science, engineering, and technology in the Plastics Industry.”

The group announced the four new members (two men and two women) at their annual spring meeting, which was held in Florida. Here is a brief synopsis of each new member and their career achievements.

Aline Alroy was one of the two women to be welcomed into the group. Alroy is currently the vice president of sales at a Hackensack, N.J.-based manufacturer of polymer filtration systems, High-Technology Corp.

In addition to her time spent there, Alroy has served on the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc.’s Equipment Council and has held various other roles related to the industry.

One of the other new members is Kenneth Pawluck, a plastics and mechanical engineering manager at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Natus Medical Inc. Pawluck is an established inventor/innovator in the industry as he currently holds 23 patents (three pending) of his own. For this kind of work he has been recognized by RandD Magazine and Injection Molding Magazine.

Pawluck was also the chair of SPE’s Product Design and Development and Rotational Molding divisions. Rotational molding is a unique, four-stage method that uses heat to mold resin in a plastic mold. He also owned his own consulting firm for about eight years that specialized in plastics, medical, commercial and industrial product design, development and root cause failure analysis.

To learn more about the other two new members check out the news piece here.

This isn’t the first time Latoya King has tangled with the law, but perhaps for her sake it will be the last.

According to ABC 7 Chicago, King, 32, was pulled over at approximately 2:30 a.m. a couple of Saturdays ago in the 3200-block of Harlem in Riverside for speeding. She subsequently failed six field sobriety tests and a plastic cup of Remi Martin was found in her vehicle, according to police.

King ultimately took a breathalyzer and blew a 0.16 blood-alcohol level, which is twice the legal limit. It was at about this time that King started to get violent.

Riverside police officials provided the following account of the events that transpired during King’s booking:

“While she was being fingerprinted and booked, she broke away from the officers and started to kick and punch the live scan booking machine. She then started to violently fight with the arresting officers in the booking room. She punched, kicked and spit directly in one of the officer’s face, mouth, eyes and nose. This fight continued in such a violent manner that the Riverside 911 Center asked for assistance in the booking room. The Lyons Police Department dispatched personnel to assist Riverside.”

The police officer who was directly assaulted was transported to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. He was released later that morning with no reported serious injuries or conditions.

Drunk driving in itself is a serious and potentially fatal crime that costs more than $37 billion annually and tens of thousands of lives every year. In addition to felony aggravated drunk driving, King was also charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, obstruction of identification, resisting arrest, misdemeanor drunken driving, driving with no valid driver’s license and several other traffic related citations.

As alluded to at the beginning of this piece, this is not King’s first run-in with police. According to law enforcement officials, she has a record of past arrests for things such as obstruction, invasion of privacy, traffic offenses, assault, damage to property, and theft.

If you’ve ever eaten at the world-famous Next restaurant in Chicago, then you no doubt know who Dave Beran is. Unfortunately, for those that enjoy his innovative and delectable style of cooking you will no longer be able to enjoy it in the Windy City.

In fact, you’ll have to make quite a trek to enjoy his meals again. Here’s a hint: it’s not New York either. Although the Big Apple is considered by many to be the cuisine capital of the world in many ways, Beran chose to take is cooking talents to Los Angeles.

According to Los Angeles Eater, Beran is moving out to the West Coast just as Chicago is about to gain famous Los Angeles chef Julian Cox.

Yet as disappointing as this loss may be for Chicago, the situation does offer unique opportunities, too. Now each city will get a chance to learn, appreciate, and enjoy delicious dishes born in cities quite unlike one another.

Approximately 45 million people move every year for various reasons; oftentimes these moves are tied to employment. Losing top talent is never a good thing for any business, but in a field like the culinary world, it’s a somewhat unfortunate reality that in order to reach the true ceiling, a chef probably has to take a crack at either the New York City or Los Angeles markets at some point.

“It is a bittersweet moment for us to announce that chef Dave Beran will be moving to California to pursue his dream of opening a restaurant in Los Angeles,” Nick Kokonas told LA Eater. “Chef Beran has been an integral part of our team at both Alinea and Next and his leadership and spirit of culinary innovation and discovery has helped Next achieve such great success. While we are sad to see him move on, we understand that it’s a logical next step for him personally and we wish him every success in California.”

The next chef de cuisine at Next will reportedly be James Beard award finalist Jenner Tomaska.

In an attempt to ease qualms about the legitimacy of healthcare provided at walk-in clinics, CVS has decided to share the medical information of patients who use their walk-in clinics with the University of Chicago. The retail giant provides clinical support, medication counseling, chronic disease monitoring, and wellness programs at the medical clinics associated with their pharmacies.

The walk-in health clinics run by CVS are called MinuteClinic. These institutions act as an urgent care for patients looking for medical attention when it’s unavailable from their primary doctor.

According to pharmacytimes.com, a press release outlined CVS’s affiliation with the University of Chicago as an attempt to “enhance access to high-quality, affordable health care services for patients.” CVS will be providing prescription and visit information to the university through their electronic health record systems.

This decision comes at the tail-end of Walgreens announcement of the sale of their Chicago-area walk-in clinics to Downers Grove-based Advocate Health Care. According to the Chicago Tribune, this decision was made in a continued attempt to improve operations among their health clinics.

While the specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed, all 56 locations of Walgreens’ in-store clinics have been sold to Advocate.

By continuing to outsource clinical operations, Walgreens hopes to continue to provide access to healthcare for patients who wish to avoid the emergency room. Considering only 29% of primary care physicians offer evening hours, many patients go to walk-in clinics because they can’t be seen by their primary physician.

The new pharmacy programs also aim to unify the country’s healthcare services.

“We are pleased to work with these exceptional health care providers throughout the country to develop collaborative programs that enhance access to patient care, improve health outcomes and lower health care costs in the communities they serve,” said Troyen A. Brennan, MD, Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health. “By allowing our electronic health records and information systems to communicate and share important information about the patients we collectively serve, we will have a more comprehensive view of our patients, which can aid in health care decision making and help ensure patients adhere to important medications for chronic diseases.”

With a comprehensive view of patients and their medical history, physicians hope to create a more effective medical care system.