Big Ten Media Days: Teams embrace pressure, others aim to close gap
By Brock Morgan Medill Reports With three straight national champions coming from the Big Ten, the conference enters the season as one of the most competitive in college football. While teams such as Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State carry championship aspirations, programs such as Northwestern and Maryland are focused on growth, embracing outside expectations and proving they can hang with the […]
At University of Illinois, scientists study how environmental chemicals impact reproductive organs
By Kimberly Henrickson Medill Reports An exciting new project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign focuses on the impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the female reproductive system. The endocrine system is made up of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, which help regulate metabolism, blood sugar, heart rate, reproduction and other processes. The project’s goal is to better understand the mechanisms by which the hormone disruptions […]
WATCH: Courtside Moms Media shares parental insight at WNBA All-Star Weekend
By Brock Morgan Medill Reports As the WNBA All-Star festivities took over Chicago late last month, one event shifted the spotlight away from the players and onto the women who helped them get there. Courtside Moms Media hosted a brunch, bringing together mothers of NBA and WNBA athletes to share their experiences, celebrate their roles in their children’s […]
Chicago restaurants turn to value menus to reach customers
By Antony Terence Medill Reports After offering a special $30 plate of vodka pasta, truffle fries, salad and a drink — the choice of a martini or a spritz — LIA Tavern said reservations for its “girl dinner” special were booked out for a solid four months. “Girl dinners are the new happy hours,” said Justin Vaiciunas, chef and co-owner of LIA Tavern in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. In April, “we posted […]
WATCH: Press-on nail vending machines on Chicago’s South Side are the new DIY
Medill Reports By Morgan Norris Press-on nails are the new DIY in this economy! Manager Eric Gonzales of OBP Nail & Beauty Supply, the largest nail supply store on Chicago’s South Side, breaks down how press-on nails have evolved from simple sticky pads to design-your-own gel tips you can customize at home, featuring their new […]
WATCH: Wrigley Field’s new ‘Champions Gate’ honor the Cubs’ three championships
By Brock Morgan Medill Reports Wrigley Field debuted a new entrance July 19 to honor the Cubs’ three World Series championships. Many lifelong fans said the 2016 championship — when they defeated Cleveland to snap a 108-year championship drought — is the most meaningful moment in franchise history. Visitors said the new landmark preserves Wrigley Field’s tradition while adding a modern tribute to one of baseball’s most […]
LISTEN: Combating medical misinformation: How UChicago Medicine’s Doctor Monica Peek builds trust with skeptics
By Sydney Meyer Medill Reports Whether it’s online influencers who discourage hormonal birth control, or false claims from U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about vaccines and Tylenol, fact-based information about health and wellness is being debated in various spheres of American life. Reporter Sydney Meyer sat down with Dr. Monica Peek, an academic internist at […]
WATCH: Chicago kids find faith on the field
By Brock Morgan Medill Reports In Palos Heights, children lace up their cleats for more than just a game of flag football. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Chicago chapter is using sports to give youth a place to build friendships, stay active and grow in their faith during the summer. While the co-ed league provides […]
LISTEN: Growing up too fast: The adultification of Gen Alpha with the ‘Gen Z Social Worker’
By Morgan Norris Medill Reports Licensed clinical social worker Katrina Gainey, known as the Gen Z Social Worker online, speaks about adultification and its disproportionate impact on Black and minority children. Based in Chicago, Gainey breaks down how systemic pressures, the absence of age-appropriate media and chronic responsibility strip children of their childhood and follow them into […]
NASCAR reunites with Chicagoland Speedway; raises questions over future
By Justin Parmer Medill Reports JOLIET, Ill. — What was once an unlikely reunion is now a reality. NASCAR returned to Chicagoland Speedway last weekend, making its first visit to the track in seven years and culminating in the 4th of July weekend’s eero 400. The track put on a show worthy of the wait. […]