Northwestern University

Northwestern University researchers have discovered Chicago has a unique COVID-19 virus strain that appears to be directly linked from the early outbreak in China, the university said in a news release Thursday. Another variant discovered in Chicago COVID-19 patients, which happens to be the predominant variant worldwide, and in the U.S. is centered in New York, generates more of...

Some good health news: Americans’ cholesterol levels are dropping, and more people at especially high risk are getting treatment. Researchers say Monday’s report suggests a controversial change in recommendations for cholesterol treatment may be starting to pay off. “It is very heartening,” said Dr. Pankaj Arora of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led the study. “But there is...

President Donald Trump’s vision of America’s tomorrows looks much like its yesterdays. He loves “beautiful” coal. “Beautiful” warships. And “those four beautiful words: MADE IN THE USA!” He speaks of the country’s might as measured by its steel mills, farms and cars rolling off Detroit assembly lines. He’s not merely summoning happy memories. His nostalgia shapes policy and lives,...

The polarizing politics of climate change have forced companies to choose between supporting the Trump administration’s deregulation policies that could boost profits or opposing them to win over environmentally conscious consumers. That dynamic played out again Thursday when President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency sought to revoke regulations on methane gas emissions from oil facilities. British Petroleum, ExxonMobil and Royal...

Dozing off to late-night TV or sleeping with other lights on may mix up your metabolism and lead to weight gain and even obesity, provocative but preliminary U.S. research suggests. The National Institutes of Health study published Monday isn’t proof, but it bolsters evidence suggesting that too much exposure to light at night could pose health risks. “Evolutionarily we are...

Dozing off to late-night TV or sleeping with other lights on may mix up your metabolism and lead to weight gain and even obesity, provocative but preliminary U.S. research suggests. The National Institutes of Health study published Monday isn’t proof, but it bolsters evidence suggesting that too much exposure to light at night could pose health risks. “Evolutionarily we are...

The latest U.S. research on eggs won’t go over easy for those can’t eat breakfast without them. Adults who ate about 1 ½ eggs daily had a slightly higher risk of heart disease than those who ate no eggs. The study showed the more eggs, the greater the risk. The chances of dying early were also elevated. The researchers say...

Advertisers are hoping to provide some welcome distraction and entertainment as economic fears persist and the nation’s political climate remains sharply divided.

Here’s what to know for Tuesday, Nov. 13.

The latest forecast from Storm Team 4.

Move more, sit less and get kids active as young as age 3, say new federal guidelines that stress that any amount and any type of exercise helps health. The advice is the first update since the government’s physical activity guidelines came out a decade ago. Since then, the list of benefits of exercise has grown, and there’s more evidence...

Stacey Abrams’ Democratic campaign filed a federal lawsuit Sunday asking a judge to delay vote certifications in Georgia’s unsettled governor’s race by one day and to make officials count any votes that were wrongly rejected. If successful, the suit would prevent officials from certifying county vote totals until Wednesday and could restore at least 1,095 votes that weren’t counted. The...

U.S. colleges and universities have received more than $350 million from the Saudi government this decade, yet some are rethinking their arrangements in the wake of the killing of a journalist that has ignited a global uproar against the oil-rich nation. The Associated Press analyzed federal data and found that at least $354 million from the Saudi government or institutions...

Think the Red Sox are asleep at the ballpark? You may be right. Catching some Zzzzs during downtime could help Boston be more alert during the first coast-to-coast World Series in 20 years. A sleep room was opened last year at Fenway Park, adjacent to the gym next to the home clubhouse. Two bunk beds contain four queen-sized mattresses.

Here’s what to know for Monday, Aug. 6.

Storm Team 4 meteorologist Chris Cimino has your forecast for Monday, Aug. 6.

It’s a family affair: Britain’s royal officials say Prince Harry has asked elder brother Prince William to be best man at his wedding next month.

Government and other scientists are proposing a new way to define Alzheimer’s disease — basing it on biological signs, such as brain changes, rather than memory loss and other symptoms of dementia that are used today. The move is aimed at improving research, by using more objective criteria like brain scans to pick patients for studies and enroll them sooner...

A big financial loss may shorten your life, a new study suggests. Middle-aged Americans who experienced a sudden, large economic blow were more likely to die during the following years than those who didn’t. The heightened danger of death after a devastating loss, which researchers called a “wealth shock,” crossed socio-economic lines, affecting people no matter how much money they...