The biodiversity crisis is often framed as a science problem, but at its core, it is a human one — and it calls for a human-centered solution. Around the world, species that anchor entire ecosystems are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services estimates that up to one […]
Charity may begin at home, but it doesn’t have to stay there. Galas for good causes nationwide can give you an even better reason to pack your bags than wanderlust.
Patti Smith has worn many titles through the years — rocker, godmother of punk, poet, artist, writer, wife, mother, sister, advocate, friend, mentor, muse. For a brief chapter at the beginning of her story, she was also a Chicagoan. Returning to the city where she was baptized in 1947, Smith joined Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy […]
From book bans and attacks on journalists and free speech to federal funding cuts and the loss of literary spaces, the ecosystem that sustains reading and writing is under growing pressure. Libraries, newsrooms, classrooms, and independent bookstores are all feeling the strain. Taken together, these forces point to something larger. “[T]he biggest crisis of our […]
Few composers have shaped the sound of modern cinema as profoundly as Howard Shore. Across more than 90 genre-spanning film scores — from The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and The Aviator, to lighter favorites like Big and Mrs. Doubtfire — the Canadian composer has built a career defined by musical storytelling. But it is […]
In truth, all women are superheroes — life givers, multitaskers extraordinaire, nurturers, problem solvers; generally, they are emotionally stronger than men too. In honor of Women’s History Month, please share who inspires you! Of course my magnificent mothers top my list. Senator Gramsie — Virginia Blankenbaker, aka Mom The Dean — Patricia Albjerg Graham, aka […]
We love to believe that change happens because we decree it so. The New Year’s vow, a flash of resolve we committed to just weeks ago, a promise to ourselves — this time will be different. But real change and lasting motivation don’t show up on demand. It’s not because we lack discipline. It’s because […]
As the war in Ukraine enters another year, its consequences extend far beyond the front lines. Millions remain displaced, navigating daily uncertainty as civilian infrastructure and volunteer networks strain under sustained pressure. During recent reporting in Ukraine, I focused on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) near the front lines east of the Dnipro River and in […]
Amplifying the authentic connections and good intentions of people gathered around any table — at home, work, or in your community — through helpful actions and virtuous circles of freely available content can lead to meaningful, measurable change. What starts small can joyfully snowball! Our partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association is proof. It started with […]
Dr. Mojgan Makki, Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with Psychiatry Studio in Chicago, was treating an adolescent patient with ADHD. The patient experienced serious side effects from the oral medication, requiring Dr. Makki to pursue the next clinically appropriate plan: a transdermal patch for ADHD treatment. “Time was of the essence,” says Dr. Makki. […]
