Stories by Nick Blumberg

A new report says we collectively understand women’s health far less than men’s health. That’s because just a fraction of research funds to study things like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and autoimmune disease go toward studying women -- even though they disproportionately face those diseases.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future — what Zuckerberg calls the “metaverse.”

The full U.S. Senate is set to consider Rahm Emanuel’s nomination to serve as President Joe Biden’s ambassador — but if the former Chicago mayor is confirmed, it will happen without the support of at least two progressive Democratic senators.

Many of the videos played in court were found by police on social media sites, where lots of footage was streamed live or promptly posted after the bloodshed, and many of the scenes were familiar to those following the case.

There are many fine performances and clarion ensemble voices in this production. But it is Curtis Bannister, as ragtime musician Coalhouse Walker Jr., who steals the show.

Buoyed by the recent passage of the ambitious Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is heading to the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, Scotland, to present Illinois as a global player in the emerging green economy.

Niquita Booker, 27, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder following the fatal shooting Sunday of 22-year-old Kailah Bledsoe in the Gresham neighborhood.

FBI agents took Heather Mack, 26, into custody on her arrival at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday morning.

The former member of the Illinois House told a federal judge Wednesday that he offered a member of the Illinois Senate monthly payments of $2,500 to support a bill supported by a sweepstakes firm that he worked for as a lobbyist.

So little prairie still exists in Illinois, most residents of the state have never encountered this rare landscape. Here, then, is an introduction.

“Our schools have been incredibly resilient throughout this pandemic, and CPS is committed to supporting our dedicated principals and staff as we navigate the unique challenges of the past and current school years,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a statement.

The Department of Justice has charged 13 members of a Chicago street gang faction with racketeering conspiracy as part of a federal indictment related to dozens of murders, attempted murders and acts of violence spanning more than 20 years.

The union said 55% of its members at the 12 main plants voted against this latest contract offer Tuesday.

Illinois tax revenues plummeted when COVID-19 hit, but according to the Illinois Department of Revenue, they’re rising again.

The cause of balding – in mice. The probe of a distant exoplanet. Tuskless elephants. University of Chicago paleontologist Neil Shubin returns to help us understand some of the latest science stories making headlines.

The Steppenwolf Theatre reopens after a 20-month shutdown due to the pandemic. The 46-year-old theater celebrated its return with a ribbon cutting Tuesday for a new wing that includes a state-of-the-art stage. 

U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign.

Democrats reached an agreement Tuesday on a plan to lower prescription drug costs for older people, capping out-of-pocket Medicare costs at $2,000 and reducing the price of insulin, salvaging a campaign promise as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal.

Jurors heard starkly different portrayals of Kyle Rittenhouse — instigator or victim — in opening statements at his trial Tuesday on charges of shooting three people on the streets of Kenosha during a turbulent protest against racial injustice.

The Chicago Blackhawks held settlement talks Tuesday with an attorney for a former player who is suing the team after he accused an assistant coach of sexual assault in 2010 and the team largely ignored the allegations.

Three of the four lifeguards accused of wrongdoing resigned as a result of the investigation, while Chicago Park District Interim Inspector General Alison Perona recommended the fourth be terminated in connection with the allegations. 

There were few reports of voting or equipment problems, other than the sporadic power outage or polling place opening late that is not unusual for Election Day. It was too soon to gauge the effects of new voting restrictions in place in a few states.

The recent closure of an Aldi in West Garfield Park leaves residents with one less grocery store and points to a larger issue of food insecurity across the city, particularly in low-income and Black and brown communities that have faced decades of disinvestment, according to advocates. 

A new study shows that vaccination against a coronavirus or a previous infection can provide protection against other viruses in that same family – and it shows that generic vaccines could be developed to protect against future viruses.

One-on-one with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. More fallout from the Chicago Park District sexual abuse scandal. Can COVID-19 vaccines protect you against the common cold? Inside Steppenwolf Theatre's new building.

The advisory continues to cover 41 states as well as Guam, announced Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.