Clocks fall back today, and once again my body didn't get the memo. Why the twice-a-year time change hurts sleep, raises heart attack and crash risks, and why Congress still can't pick a side.
Fall is the best time to get flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Your body needs about two weeks to build protection, so getting them now covers you before Thanksgiving, and before your sore arm meets a rake.
Illinois grows more pumpkins than any other state, with Morton known as the Pumpkin Capital of the World. Why Illinois leads the nation in pumpkins.
The federal tipped minimum wage is still $2.13 an hour. Why tipping hides the real price, exposes servers to harassment and discrimination, lets employers pay less, and why a predictable wage would be better for everyone.
Why a Nature Conservancy donor was happy to find two big Midwest preserves: Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois, with its bison herd, and the 20,000-acre Edge of Appalachia Preserve System in Ohio.
A tongue-in-cheek story about a small business SWOT analysis presentation that keeps getting interrupted by one example slide: a pile of free black dirt. Plus why free dirt grabs every Midwesterner's attention and what to check before you haul it home.
Illinois' Electric Vehicle Charging Act requires new homes and many apartment buildings to have EV-capable parking: panel capacity and conduit, but no outlet. What the law does, where it stops, and what adding a Level 2 charger to an existing garage looks like.
How Wisconsin became America's Dairyland: its cheesemaking history, signature varieties, and squeaky cheese curds, plus ways to taste it for yourself.
Marijuana smoke in parking lots, cigar smoke from the neighbors, and the smoking sections millennials grew up with. Why smoke-free laws were a gift, and why vaping is the next fight.
Twice a year the Shawnee National Forest closes a 2.5-mile gravel road in Union County, Illinois, so snakes and amphibians can migrate between limestone bluffs and LaRue Swamp.
Rory Sutherland's 'doorman fallacy' explains why replacing people with automation often cuts value you never measured. What it means for businesses rushing into AI.
The 'carbon footprint' idea was popularized by a BP ad campaign. Why individual guilt isn't the whole story and where real climate progress comes from.
Illinois became the first Midwest state to allow medical aid-in-dying for terminally ill adults. What Deb's Law requires, what decades of data from Oregon show, and why choice matters.
Why 'Will it play in Peoria?' made Peoria America's test market, how Columbus, Ohio, took over the role, and what it says about the Midwest as a snapshot of America.
Sympathy, empathy, and compassion aren't the same thing. A plain-spoken guide to the difference and how each one helps us be better neighbors.
Michigan is a top producer of apples and tart cherries thanks to the Great Lakes. When to visit for peak harvest, from cherry season in Traverse City to fall apple picking.
Harvest season brings tall corn, slow farm equipment, and blind rural intersections. Practical tips for driving safely on Midwest country roads in the fall.
Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, a personal memory of hearing the news in a small-town Midwest high school history class, and what the day still means.
From Green Bay and Chicago to Detroit, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, a guide to the Midwest's NFL teams and their history.
Labor Day has Midwest roots in the Pullman Strike of 1894 near Chicago. How the struggles of factory and rail workers turned into a national holiday.
Before pumpkin spice takes over, there's orchard season. Apple cider, fresh apples, and the tastes and traditions that mark the slow arrival of fall in the Midwest.
A review of the Miracle-Gro dual-chamber compost tumbler after years of near-daily use, plus beginner tips on what to compost, greens versus browns, and fixing a smelly bin.
How a family medical practice in Rochester, Minnesota, grew into Mayo Clinic, one of the world's leading medical centers, and what makes its model of care different.
The Great Lakes supply our drinking water, carry our shipping, shape our weather, and fill our summers. Why the Midwest's lifeblood deserves more credit.
Video poker machines are replacing restaurant tables and storefronts. How the chase for gambling money is wearing away the look and feel of our communities.
The Meta lawsuit shows how social media treats your attention as a product. Why it's worth stepping back from the feed and taking back your time.
Is the Midwest really accent-free? Why TV networks favored Midwestern voices like Tom Brokaw, how 'General American' spread, and the quirks like 'ope' and pop vs. soda that give us away.
A summer road trip across Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and a Rust Belt town split between crumbling factories and signs of new life.
Driving without insurance pushes your risk onto everyone else. How uninsured drivers affect the rest of us, and why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is worth having.
Euchre, spades, and other partner card games teach communication, trust, and how to play the hand you're dealt. Why card night still matters, plus a quick primer on euchre.
Tornado activity has been shifting east from the Great Plains toward the Midwest, with Illinois near the top in 2026. What it means for insurance and farms, and how to be ready.
Most of a washing machine's energy goes to heating water. Why switching laundry to tap cold saves money, when hot water still makes sense, and other easy hot water savings.
A state-by-state look at the Midwest's top universities, from the University of Chicago and Northwestern to the region's flagship public schools, and what each is known for.
Easing off the gas instead of tapping the brakes saves fuel, extends EV range, cuts brake wear, and smooths traffic for everyone. How to coast, plus tips for EV regenerative braking.
After Barbenheimer, summer 2026 gave us another double feature: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, with shared stars and two very different journeys home.
Phones lighting up during a live show tear down the 'fence' of shared space. Why theater etiquette matters, how artists are pushing back, and simple rules for being a good audience member.
An expensive hotel with paper-thin toilet paper, a gas station that did better, and why the small details reveal what a business really values. Plus, a case for the bidet.
Day trips and staycations are a smart way to actually rest without the cost of a big vacation. How to plan one that feels like a real break, with Midwest day trip ideas.
The quiet kind of hoarding: homes that aren't a disaster, just full. Why millennials are inheriting decades of stuff and how to start clearing it out before it becomes someone else's job.
A long-term review of the EGO POWER+ battery lawn mower after seven years, including how the shared battery system works with the EGO leaf blower and snow blower.
Life is a long-game investment. On planting trees whose shade you'll never sit in, practical ways to leave things better than you found them, and why greed fails the next generation.
How shareholders, private equity buyouts, and corporate consolidation change the simple math of business, and why customers and workers end up paying for it.
When you 'buy' a digital movie, game, or e-book, you're usually just licensing it. Real examples of purchases disappearing and practical ways to protect your collection.
The loudest guy at the hardware store usually knows the least. On the Dunning-Kruger effect, the quiet confidence of real experience, and how to tell the difference.
How terracotta watering spikes keep container plants alive through heat waves and vacations, plus the Chapin watering can that fixes everything annoying about watering cans.
Slug Bug gets a modern update: give a thumbs down when you spot a Tesla Cybertruck. A look at the truck's recalls, its reputation, and why an EV driver isn't a fan.
Canadian wildfire smoke keeps turning Midwest skies orange. Why it happens, what the Air Quality Index means, and practical ways to protect your lungs at home.
Summer brings fresh salads and, too often, Cyclospora outbreaks tied to produce. What cyclosporiasis is, its symptoms, and practical food safety steps for leafy greens.
Rooftop solar is like growing your own tomatoes: you know the dirt and skip the middleman. Lessons from having solar on a Midwest roof since 2022, and what to check before you buy.
Squirrels are rodents with a great publicist and a habit of digging up your garden. Why they dig, what they're actually doing, and practical ways to protect your seedlings.
One purchase shouldn't mean two emails a day forever. On marketing emails, nonprofit fundraising mail, and 'ask your doctor' TV ads, plus how to cut down the noise.
A recirculating microwave fan isn't a vent. Why ducted range hoods matter for smoke, grease, humidity, and gas stove pollution, plus how to get the most out of the one you have.
Use your blinds, your thermostat, and the direction of your commute to work with the sun instead of against it. Simple, free ways to cut cooling costs and glare.
Save money year-round, skip 'buy 3, get 1 free' traps, don't feed scalpers, and watch out for 'streaming' that really means renting. Plain advice for keeping more of your paycheck.
America turns 250, but mass surveillance like Flock license plate cameras makes the freedom we're celebrating harder to believe. Here's what's watching you and why it matters.
