Destigmatizing herpes: Meet the creator behind the podcast that saves people’s lives
By Sam Dier Medill Reports It took Courtney Brame four years after his herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2, diagnosis to begin seeking out information about his positive status. An invasive Google search led him to multiple support groups, mostly private, filled with members shame-ridden by their diagnosis. It was there that he noticed […]
From the ocean to the pharmacy: Studying marine organisms for potential human health advances
By Brittany Edelmann Medill Reports Scientific divers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego explore the ocean to collect marine organisms, such as corals and sponges. They bring them just steps away from the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier to the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine to study them […]
How to avoid a lawsuit when writing a song
By Lauren Turner Medill Reports Streaming platforms such as Spotify and SoundCloud make it easier to share and upload music –and to remix and sample it. Think about Doja Cat’s “Freak” (Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”), Miley Cyrus’ “Midnight Sky” (Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen”) and Lil Uzi Vert’s “That Way” (Backstreet […]
‘We are all musical’: Turning to music and a grief choir to heal
By Brittany Edelmann Medill Reports One evening in the beginning of May 2021, birds chirped along with the sounds of a piano and voices outside of a hospice facility in Texas. A small group of about seven people finally met in person after four months of meeting weekly on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. They […]
WATCH: The Power of Puns in Advertising
By MacKenzie Coffman Medill Reports Several years ago, local hair restoration company Restore launched an advertising campaign with former Bears player Brian Urlacher. The company’s billboards, sprinkled around Chicago and surrounding areas, often feature a long-popular advertising technique — puns. So why does the controversial pun work so well? John Ford, the editor in chief […]
WATCH: The Mardi Gras After Party: Plastic Pollution and a Way Forward
By Hannah Beir and Poonam Narotam Medill Reports After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2021, the Mardis Gras celebrations in New Orleans came back this year. And they brought the trash back too. The Department of Sanitation cleared 1,150 tons of trash off the streets following the Mardi Gras parades and parties in February, according to […]
Cake? Candles? Card? A dozen do’s and don’ts for handling adult birthday awkwardness.
By Sarah Berman Medill Reports Does hearing the happy birthday tune make you cringe? Do you dread seeing the number of candles on your cake increase each year? You’re not alone. Celebrating birthdays dates back to ancient times, but after turning 21, many people feel like this milestone starts becoming fretful instead of fun. Whether […]
How to wash those Kim Kardashian-inspired ‘joots,’ according to fashion experts
By Julia Binswanger Medill Reports Kim Kardashian and the models on the Balenciaga runway don’t need to worry about cleaning their “pantaboots” (aka “joots”). But those who are buying them (for $325 through Agolde or $2,990 through Saint Laurent) will need to think about how to eliminate that wine stain. But how? “I don’t know […]
LISTEN: In Chicago, women have been preparing for Roe to be overturned while still fighting back since May
By Jane Vaughan Medill Reports In May, a draft decision from the Supreme Court of the United States was leaked, revealing the court had voted to overturn the landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade, which gave women the right to access an abortion without government restriction. Then, on June 24, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 […]
Medill Newsmakers: Ukrainian refugees adjust to America, advocate for Ukraine
By Seth Humeniuk Medill Reports As the war in Ukraine rages on, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country. Many have made their way to Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, where a thriving community of Ukrainians has stepped up to help them adjust to life in America. Despite all the challenges they face in […]