Coronavirus vaccines explained
By Grace Rodgers Medill Reports “We’re finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and we have to allow ourselves to get there,” said Dr. Lewis Nelson, the chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and University Hospital. Since January, new reported cases of COVID-19 have steadily declined across the […]
A day in the life of a coral breeder
By Caroline Catherman Medill Reports Florida Keys – When I walked into the Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, I never thought I’d end up siphoning snail poop. The private nonprofit breeds coral species in indoor and outdoor tanks for research and out-planting on Florida’s reef, which has […]
Medill Newsmakers: How Chicago’s music scene survived the pandemic
By Casey Drottar Medill Reports Medill Newsmakers is a series of broadcasts dedicated to taking an in-depth look at a single topic. Each broadcast features the newsmakers in Chicago and elsewhere who are at the forefront of these issues. Casey Drottar is a sports reporter at Medill. You can follow him on Twitter at @CDrottar19.
“The Disney Way”: How Minor League Baseball Uses Fun and Community to Maximize Fan Experience
By Ashton Pollard Medill Reports Fireworks. Sugar. A Ferris wheel. An escape from reality. Sounds like a day at a theme park. It’s also a day at a Minor League Baseball park, an experience that has finally returned after a canceled 2020 season. Unlike Major League Baseball, minor league ballclubs do not have control over […]
Chicago This Week Episode 8
Amelia Burns Medill Reports
Shells tell the story of long-gone button industry
By Marisa Sloan Medill Reports EDGEWATER, Md. — The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Environmental Archaeology Laboratory is easy to miss, hidden within a basement on the sprawling 2,650-acre campus. Those who manage to find it can expect to be greeted by an eclectic spread: microscopes, coffee mugs, miniature dinosaurs and shelves full of both books […]
Pre-pandemic soundscape returns to Kentucky Derby
By Rachel Gaylor Medill Reports After the coronavirus pandemic caused a spectator-free Kentucky Derby last year, the availability of vaccines enabled 51,000 people to attend Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, for the 147th Run for the Roses this May. Take a listen to all of the accompanying sounds that were restored to the historic racetrack […]
Which Infielders Are Up Next For the Chicago Cubs?
By Jimmy Lynn Medill Reports The Chicago Cubs’ front office will have some tough decisions to make as the July 30 trade deadline approaches, and the current state of their farm system won’t make that process any easier. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo — all homegrown stars and core members of the 2016 […]
Iowa Cubs ownership, front office tackle pandemic-related challenges as fans return to Principal Park
By Jimmy Lynn Medill Reports After a 604-day layoff, Iowa Cubs baseball returned to Des Moines last week, thanks to the leadership of majority owner and chairman Michael Gartner and the Iowa Cubs front office. “We work off of a simple business concept: safe, clean and fun,” Iowa Cubs President and general manager Sam Bernabe […]
Alex Calarco looks forward to Northwestern and beyond after COVID-19
By Ashton Pollard Medill Reports A couple of trash cans. A single batting cage. A canceled season. It was not exactly the junior spring Alex Calarco imagined. But at least he didn’t have to worry about recruiting. Calarco, a senior catcher at New Trier High School, has been committed to Northwestern since his sophomore year. […]