It’s common to become allergic to a food item as an adult

By Anne Snabes Medill Reports Nearly 11% of adults in the U.S. are allergic to at least one type of food, according to Northwestern University research published last year. The researchers found that almost half of adults with food allergies acquired at least one allergy during adulthood. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician and director of the […]

Some young Midwesterners don’t align fully with Democrats or Republicans

By Anne Snabes Medill Reports MILWAUKEE — Stephanie Olsen does not align with a political party and sees too much “tribalism” in politics. “I think identity politics is toxic,” said Olsen, a 30-year-old Milwaukee resident. “We’re just fighting against each other constantly. Really, if you actually talk to a human being, you probably agree on […]

Mennonite and Amish farmers struggle with increasing rain in Illinois

By Anne Snabes Medill Reports ARTHUR, Ill. — Mennonite farmer Willis Kuhns said 2019 was “as frustrating as it gets.” He started planting corn on his farm in Arthur in mid-April last year, but frequent rain halted the process. “It would almost be ready to plant and then we’d get another rain,” Kuhns said. Kuhns […]

Climate change has hit Beaufort, South Carolina, but only some vote on the issue

By Anne Snabes and Maura Turcotte Medill Reports BEAUFORT, S.C. — The sea along South Carolina’s coast line is growing ravenous. In this sleepy coastal town at the bottom of the state, Tropical Storm Irma sent waves over the sea wall into a downtown park in 2017. Downtown businesses flooded with waist-high water. Nearly a […]

Medicare for All attracts support for Bernie Sanders

By Anne Snabes Medill Reports CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Corina Pittman, a college student with severe allergies, once bought two EpiPens that were each $200. She called this price “crazy.” She is passionate about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” proposal, which would end private health insurance and institute a single-payer health insurance system. That means […]

‘No matter who wins’: South Carolina mayor calls for moderation, unity in primary

By Anne Snabes and Maura Turcotte Medill Reports Billy Keyserling, the mayor of Beaufort, South Carolina, governs over a small coastal city reflective of much of the state — largely Republican with some moderate Democrats. Following Pete Buttigieg’s narrow win of more delegates in Iowa and Sen. Bernie Sanders’ victory in New Hampshire, the pressure […]

Art can be part of the scientific process, a climate scientist says

Anne Snabes Medill Reports Artists and designers can participate in the scientific method by talking with scientists, according to a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Mika Tosca, who crosses worlds as a climate scientist and assistant professor at the SAIC, spoke at the annual meeting of the Bulletin of the […]

Can Thanksgiving be a healthy holiday? Yes, it can!

By Anne Snabes Medill Reports How can you stay healthy on Thanksgiving? For starters, don’t skip breakfast to save room for an extra slice of pumpkin pie. And have a plan before you fill your plate with food, says Eileen Vincent, assistant director of Clinical Nutrition Research at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Vincent […]

Khumbu Glacier in Nepal offers clues to rapid retreat of ice

By Anne Snabes Medill Reports The Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas retreated rapidly in the past, offering clues to how the glacier will behave in the future, University of Maine research suggests. Laura Mattas, a master’s student at the university, conducted field research this summer on the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal. She presented her research […]