Author: Cecil Larson

Ugh. Another depressing article about the lack of women in tech? It's true – gender equality is a topic that's very important right now. Google “women in tech” and you'll get thousands of articles with depressing statistics about women in STEM and hundreds more offering stories of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Silicon Valley. If you work at a startup or growing tech company, the media noise is more than enough to make you feel a little uncomfortable with your industry and wonder where you can best effect positive change. So what's the good news? As a “woman in…

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Tribune Staff Report | South Bend TribuneELKHART — The exhibitions “America the Beautiful: The Photographs of Clyde Butcher” and “Ansel Adams: Selected Photographs from the Portfolios” continue through July 16 at the Midwest Museum of American Art, 429 S. Main St.A new traveling exhibition, “America the Beautiful” brings together 43 photographs of some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the United States and includes some of Butcher's monumental images (40×60 inches). A book accompanies the exhibition and is available for purchase.The Adams exhibition includes 17 photographs from the collection of Dr. Rick and Cindy Burns.Adams (1902-1984) is perhaps the most…

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The founders of The Max Challenge and Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping have formed an umbrella company to strengthen support for franchisees Max Challenge and Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping have joined forces Fit Franchise Brandsa New Jersey-based fitness franchising startup designed to support its franchisees and serve more than 30,000 members in 87 locations and 14 states. Bryan Klein, its CEO Fit Franchise Brands and its founder The Max Challengeannounced the merger and the newly formed Fit Franchise Brands on LinkedIn, sharing a video explaining the benefits for current franchise owners: a network of franchisees offering more opportunities to work together, a franchisee…

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The 2016 presidential election saw Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton underperform in large swathes of the rural Midwest, areas that have historically supported Democrats. Richard Johnson examines the lessons modern Democrats can learn from Carol Moseley Braun's 1992 Illinois Senate campaign, which saw her become the first black woman in the US Senate. He writes that one of the most important points from Braun's campaign is that she actively appealed to white working-class voters by emphasizing change and populist anti-elitist themes. In 1992, Carol Moseley Braun became the first black woman elected to the US Senate. Brown won Illinois with 95…

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Every state in the country has weather warnings this weekend as a major storm moves across the US, with the Midwest bracing for an oncoming blizzard and dangerously cold temperatures and the South bracing for tornadoes and power outages. blizzard and winter storm warnings have been issued for parts of the West and much of the Midwest since Friday as arctic temperatures move in bringing bitter cold and snow. Cold air will sweep across the West on Friday, bringing snow with “significant impacts” to Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Utah, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Wind chills in the…

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Great North Labs — led by a few seasoned entrepreneurs — raised its first fund of $23.7 million to invest in early-stage tech startups across the Upper Midwest in the US The fund is based in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a partner located in Silicon Valley. This is one of the largest debut seed funds ever raised in the Midwest. The VC firm was started by twin brothers Rob and Ryan Weber, who previously ran ad monetization firm NativeX. They sold NativeX to China's Mobvista in 2016, after which they spent 18 months at Mobvista. Then they took…

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The best time of year to visit the MidwestIf you plan to explore the entire north-central US, June through September is the time best time to visit the Midwest. Hot and humid summers offer great road conditions for driving throughout the region with the bonus of outdoor festivals and events like Twins Days in Ohio and state fairs in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio or North Dakota. On the other hand, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Missouri have higher rainfall during the summer months. In October and November there is a significant drop in temperature, but sunny days, comfortable for walks with colorful foliage,…

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Up your game, Midwest sports fans. The 2024 calendar is a highlight reel full of firsts, lasts, bigger and better. Here's a scorecard to help you keep track of the sporting events happening in the Midwest this year, as well as links to scouting reports on what to see and do in the host cities. US Figure Skating Championships, Columbus, Ohio Fully appreciate the power, grace and athleticism of the skaters by witnessing their jumps and spins in person at Panhellenic Arena— is even better than on TV. You'll also be a part of Midwest sports history: it's the first…

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Duluth, Minnesota-based Essentia Health and Marshfield, Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic Health System have withdrawn their plan to merge into a 25-hospital Midwest system. The two nonprofit health systems said in a statement that they have “engaged in meaningful discussion” over the past two years about how the organizations could combine their unique strengths. “We have decided that a combination at this time is not the right path for our respective organizations, colleagues and patients,” the health systems said in a statement posted on Essentia Health's website Friday. “We will continue to seek opportunities to collaborate as two integrated, mission-driven health systems…

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Stacks emerge from the Shell Deer Park refinery in Deer Park, Texas. (Dave Einsel/Getty Images via Bloomberg News) [Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] Diesel prices in the Midwest rose for a second day after the unexpected shutdown of two refineries in the region, fueling fears of a supply crunch. BP's White powder The facility, the largest U.S. inland refinery, fell on the afternoon of Feb. 1, sending fuel prices higher. On February 2, power was restored, but it was unclear how long it would take to fully restart operations, adding to the instability. Exacerbating…

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