EVANSTON, Illinois, Dec. 3 -- Northwestern University posted the following news release: * * * Airplane and hospital air is cleaner than you might think * EMBARGOED UNTIL 8 P.M. EST (U.S.) ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2025 * * Scientists sampled worn face masks from travelers and health care workers * * Team detected a diverse but mostly harmless mix of bacterial species * * Most airborne bacteria came from human skin, not illness * * Microbial communities from hospitals and airplan  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 -- Global insurance brokerage and consulting firm Arthur J. Gallagher and Co., Rolling Meadows, Illinois, announced its acquisition of UK-based First Actuarial. The terms of the transaction were not publicly disclosed. First Actuarial provides a comprehensive suite of financial services, including pension administration, employee benefits, investment services, and general consultancy, to employers and pension plan trustees across the United Kingdom. The leadership of Arthur   more

CHARLESTON, Illinois, Dec. 4 -- Eastern Illinois University issued the following news release: * * * EIU Online Cybersecurity Program a top option in Illinois for 2026 Eastern Illinois University is celebrating a major achievement: The university's Online Cybersecurity program has been named the second-highest-ranked program in Illinois for 2026 by OnlineCybersecurity.org. This recognition underscores EIU's growing reputation as a leader in cybersecurity education and workforce preparation.   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 3 [Category: BizConsulting] -- G2 issued the following news: * * * G2's Winter Reports: Warming Up to the Top Trends Across 26,500+ Reports * Snow is on the ground across most of the US, and the puffer coats have emerged from closets, which can only mean that winter is upon us. It's time to trade those pumpkin spice lattes for hot cocoa while we shovel the snow off the sidewalks (this doesn't exactly happen here in Atlanta, but I can use my imagination!). The changi  more

BOZEMAN, Montana, Dec. 4 -- Montana State University issued the following news: * * * Gallatin College MSU student earns international scholarship for photonics By Frankie Beer A career change led Amanda Andrews to trade her flute for lasers at Gallatin College Montana State University. The second-year photonics and laser technology student returned to school in 2024, more than 10 years after earning her bachelor's degree in music and a master's in music education at Illinois Wesleyan Univ  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 3 [Category: Health Care] -- G.E. HealthCare posted the following news release: * * * GE HealthCare and Mayo Clinic unveil GEMINI-RT: A bold research collaboration in radiation therapy and advanced cancer care * GE HealthCare and Mayo Clinic launch GEMINI-RT, a strategic initiative to personalize radiation therapy by integrating imaging, AI, and patient monitoring across the cancer care continuum. * The collaboration focuses on four pillars, automation, predictive on  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 3 [Category: BizFood/Beverage] -- Grubhub, an online food delivery marketplace, issued the following news release: * * * Grubhub and National ACE Award $485,000 in Funding to Strengthen Nearly 100 Community Restaurants Through Accelerator and Grant Programs * In neighborhoods across the country, family-run restaurants open their doors each morning with a blend of tradition, determination, and hope. Today, 97 of those restaurants are receiving a new source of support.   more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Dec. 4 -- The Illinois Department of Public Health issued the following news on Dec. 2, 2025: * * * Gov. Pritzker Signs Landmark Bill to Protect and Expand Vaccine Access for Illinoisans HB 767 codifies access to life-saving immunizations as the federal government abandons science * CHICAGO -- Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined state officials, bill sponsors, and public health experts to sign HB 767. The legislation expands and codifies Governor Pritzker's Executive O  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 -- Meridian Health Plan of Illinois Inc., Chicago, a subsidiary of Centene Corp., St. Louis, Missouri, announced a significant commitment to address food insecurity in underserved populations across Illinois. The company is providing a $1.15 million grant over the next three years to the St. Louis Area Foodbank's mobile pantry initiative, Food On The Move. This financial support aligns with Meridian's "Eat Well, Be Well" initiative, which aims to enhance access to nutritious   more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Dec. 3 -- The University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center posted the following news release: * * * New HIV Mapping Tool Helps Public Health Workers Track and Predict HIV Outbreaks * While effective prevention and treatment for HIV exist, rates of HIV infections in the United States are still concerning, and public health officials are always looking for more effective ways to monitor and curtail the spread of the virus. A new tool, CyberGIS-HIV, crea  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 3 [Category: BizEnergy] -- Commonwealth Edison, a subsidiary of Exelon, issued the following news release: * * * Over $803 Million Coming To ComEd Customers * ComEd today announced that over $803 million will be returned to customers under the framework established in Illinois' Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) enacted in 2021, which requires nuclear plants to pay customers when prices are high. ComEd residential and commercial customers can expect to benefit from  more

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, Dec. 4 (TNSjou) -- Rutgers University issued the following news: * * * Scientists Rule Out the Existence of a Long-Suspected Particle Rutgers researchers help close the door on a decades-old physics mystery By Kitta MacPherson After collecting and analyzing data for a decade, a group of scientists, including a team from Rutgers, have debunked a decades-old theory about a mysterious particle. Their findings, published in Nature, come from the MicroBooNE experiment  more

NEW YORK, Dec. 3 -- Columbia University issued the following news: * * * Scientists Close the Door on a Leading Explanation for a Neutrino Mystery * An international collaboration of scientists working on the MicroBooNE experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Illinois announced that they have found no evidence for a fourth type of neutrino. The paper was published today in Nature. Earlier physics experiments saw neutrinos behaving i  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 2 -- The University of Chicago posted the following news: * * * UChicago students investigate language's deepest puzzles * Babies learn languages across cultures, under wildly different circumstances. Some children are spoken to in high-pitched, sing-song voices tailored just for them, while others grow up hearing adults that happen to be in their environment. Yet somehow, it always worksand linguists want to know why. It's just one of the puzzles around language   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 -- United Airlines, Chicago, Illinois, and Travelport, Langley, England, have announced a long-term strategic relationship intended to introduce a new collaborative model between a major airline and a multi-source content provider. This agreement signals a significant shift away from the traditional distributor relationship, with dedicated teams from both organizations focusing on co-developing new functionalities for corporate and travel agency communities. Through the deal,  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 3 [Category: Health Care] -- G.E. HealthCare posted the following news release: * * * University of Rochester Medical Center and GE HealthCare form seven-year Care Alliance to build advanced capabilities across system * Multi-year collaboration enables advanced diagnostic imaging and center of excellence in imaging sciences department across PET/CT, SPECT/CT, CT, MRI, and ultrasound. * In-house production of radiopharmaceutical tracers helps enable precision medicine  more

MACOMB, Illinois, Dec. 4 -- Western Illinois University issued the following news release: * * * Piper to Present 'The Heart of Resilience and Recovery' Jan. 27 Western Illinois University will host The Heart of Resilience and Recovery with guest speaker Brittany Piper that touches upon a universal human concern, how to find the strength to endure and overcome challenges and obstacles in life and move forward. The event will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27 in the Sandburg Theater  more