Bias Against Bodies: Medical fatphobia can have life-or-death consequences
Advocates say barriers to care can be far more harmful than fatness itself.
Environment & Public Health
Waste, sustainability, climate change and environmental justice. WBEZ covers our surroundings and the way we coexist with them.
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Chicago mom fought Lurie Children’s Hospital for three years to get overbilling for newborn reversed
Illinois law bars insurers from charging out-of-network rates for neonatal care at in-network hospitals. But that didn’t keep it from happening to this Chicago family.
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Chicago’s top doctor, Allison Arwady, is still standing
Frayed public health leaders left their posts in droves as the pandemic wore on. Not Arwady — she is steeling herself for her next front.
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How startups want to change weather forecasting
According to some startups, tools like artificial intelligence and drone technology might be the answer.
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The FDA considers a major shift in the nation’s COVID vaccine strategy
The new approach would simplify vaccination guidance so that, every fall, people would get a new shot, updated to try to match whatever variant is dominant.
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Illinois’ 2022 weather wrap-up: colder, drier, and fewer tornadoes
Illinois State Climatologist Dr. Trent Ford looks at last year’s weather stats.
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50 years after Roe v. Wade, many abortion providers are changing how they do business
The overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision just months ahead of its 50th anniversary has prompted many abortion providers to shift how they serve patients.
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Is it time for a reality check on rapid COVID tests?
At-home rapid tests have become a staple of COVID-19 precautions, but some experts worry that people are relying too much on these tests and that’s creating a false sense of security.
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What makes Chicago prime real estate for geese?
You’re not imagining it — the goose population in Chicago has been growing. Here’s what’s being done about it.
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Can you spend 24 hours plastic-free?
One journalist tells us about his experience – and the 164 ways he failed that day.
