Science and tourism in the Rio Secreto caves of the Yucatan Peninsula
By Brittany Callan Medill Reports Rio Secreto, Yucatan Peninsula – The first thing that struck me was the darkness. The feeble light from our helmets struggled to illuminate the cave around us. You could either walk with your light pointing at the ground or use it to look around the cave. Not both. That was […]
The Maritime Maya and building an ancient island pyramid
By Brittany Callan Medill Reports Vista Alegre, Mexico – Exploring an overgrown Mayan temple in the old Mayan port city of Vista Alegre – located on an island off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula – wasn’t quite what I expected. Videogames such as Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag set up romantic over-the-top […]
Scientists follow clues in Alaska to illnesses moving from animals to humans
By Samantha Yadron Medill Reports Medill News Service journalist Samantha Yadron is an embedded journalist with scientists from the University of Anchorage, Alaska, reporting on the dangers of micro-plastics to wildlife consuming it. In this blog, she follows scientists with the One Health initiative on a multinational research tour gathering clues about the transfer of […]
Energy and power company leaders meet in Chicago to call for a clean energy surge
By Puja Bhattacharjee It’s time. Energy leaders are calling for a shift to renewable power sources to meet future needs for utility companies, including for Commonwealth Edison Co. “How do you take the systems we have built into smart systems and turn it clean?” asked Anne Pramaggiore, president and CEO of ComEd. You build up […]
Rep. Jan Schakowsky wins re-election on “pins and needles” for final presidential results
By Hannah Moulthrop Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s 9th district victory went almost unnoticed at her packed party at Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston. Cheers erupted for Clinton’s win of each new state as the presidential race heated up, but supporters took for granted Schakowsky’s long expected re-election in her district that straddles Chicago’s North Side […]
Illinois blood centers to implement testing for Zika
By Teresa Manring LifeSource blood centers will implement testing of donated blood supplies for the Zika virus by Nov. 18 to meet a Food and Drug Administration recommendation that all U.S. blood centers test for the disease. LifeSource operates community blood donation centers in the state and distributes blood to approximately 60 area hospitals. Blood […]
Foodie 5K runs up $1 million in groceries for hungry neighbors
By Sara Shouhayib Over 1,200 runners and walkers took their place at the starting line of the second annual Foodie 5K race on Saturday morning and raised $130,000 to fight hunger. That’s enough money to provide the equivalent of $1 million worth of groceries to feed hungry people in Northern Illinois. “We know that one […]
Garza pulls ahead but says 10th ward race ‘too close to call’
By Lizz Giordano and Meghan Tribe Alderman John A. Pope, a 16 year incumbent of the 10th ward, finds himself in a race too close to call against his opponent and political newcomer Susan Sadlowski Garza. As of 10 p.m., with 35 out of 36 precincts reporting, only seven votes separated the two candidates and Garza had pulled […]
School counselor forces 10th Ward runoff
By Lizz Giordano and Sarah Kramer Political newcomer Sue Sadlowski Garza forced incumbent Ald. John Pope into a runoff to defend his 10th Ward Chicago City Council seat after a campaign that split the field between grassroots movements. With 35 of 36 precincts reporting, Pope had garnered just 45 percent of the vote, shy of […]
Chicagoans waste 55 million pounds of food each month
By Sarah Kramer Picture your fridge – the leftovers from last night’s dinner, the half-finished meal from the corner deli, the bag of avocados trucked in from California, the loaf of multigrain bread slowly getting stale. How much of the food in your fridge and the rest of your kitchen at this moment will you […]
