Stories by Kristen Thometz

If you recently purchased premade salad kits at the store, check the label before serving it. Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped salad kits have been linked with an E. coli outbreak.

Every county courthouse in Illinois is now required to provide a publicly accessible space – other than a bathroom – for women to express breast milk. But a survey of 77 facilities finds that nearly 25% lack a designated lactation space. 

Each year, an average of 19 women in Chicago die within 12 months of pregnancy, according to a new report that identifies racial and socioeconomic disparities in mortality rates. “This is wake-up call to all of us and a call to action,” said a local health official.

More than 50% of high school students and nearly 25% of middle school students in the U.S. have tried a tobacco product in their lifetimes, according to the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey. “It’s really disappointing,” a local pediatrician said.

A festive CTA train, winter markets, irreverent attorneys and holiday hounds usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A new report outlines barriers faced by the elderly and people with disabilities when using public transportation and makes recommendations for improvements. “Access benefits everyone,” said one disability advocate.

Chicago comic artist Ed Siemienkowicz died before he could complete his nearly 250-page graphic novel. For the last two years, more than 150 artists and friends have donated their time and skills to finish what he started.

This year’s list highlights 30 items that have been recalled over the past year because they pose safety hazards to children, including two infant sleepers linked to more than 30 deaths. 

Vintage holiday decor, helium balloons and a holiday train usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

In 2003, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency had 1,265 employees. By 2018, that number had fallen to 639, according to a new report that a former IEPA director describes as “both a wake-up call and call to action.”

Thanksgiving’s so close you can almost taste it. In anticipation of the marathon day of eating, we asked local chefs, foodies and staff for their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Dig in!

If you recently purchased lettuce at the store, check the label before serving it. Romaine lettuce harvested in Salinas, California, has been linked with an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 40 people in 16 states, including Illinois.

The 29-year-old Wicker Park resident completed her Guinness World Record attempt for longest marathon hula-hoop session Saturday morning. “I’m so relieved,” Jenny Doan said.

Across the country, nearly 50 have people died after experiencing serious vaping-related illnesses. In Illinois, there have been five deaths – the most in any state, according to the latest data released by health officials. 

The 29-year old Wicker Park resident has been hula-hooping for more than 75 hours straight, breaking the Guinness World Record for longest marathon hula-hooping session, but she’s not giving up until she reaches her personal goal of 100 hours.

Jenny Doan is planning to hula-hoop for 100 hours straight in order to break the Guinness World Record. We check in with her 31 hours into the challenge. “It’s been tiring,” said the 29-year-old Wicker Park resident.

Holiday lights, art fairs, new toys and hot rods usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A new initiative called Family Connects Chicago will provide free home nursing services to families with newborns, offering “support that is so vital in those first few weeks of a baby’s life,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday.

As part of federal efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, the National Health Service Corps has awarded $80 million in student loan repayments to clinicians working to treat addiction, including 41 in Illinois.

Jenny Doan wants to break the Guinness World Record for marathon hula-hooping. In addition to “sheer resilience and grit,” it takes a little planning – and a lot of motivation. Here’s how she’s planning to tackle the challenge.

Four people have died in Illinois since March after experiencing serious vaping-related illnesses. The state is now among those with the most fatalities linked to the outbreak, according to health officials.

An open-air holiday market, musical performances, art books and screen printing usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Illinois has one of the best lung cancer survival rates in the country, yet it also has one of the highest incidence rates of lung cancer, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

Preterm birth rates have been increasing in Illinois since 2013, according to a new report from the nonprofit March of Dimes.

Circus acts, a prison tour, barrel-aged brews and a powwow usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

After helping to reduce racial disparities in breast cancer deaths in Chicago, the local nonprofit Equal Hope is aiming to eliminate cervical cancer in the city. “No woman should ever die of cervical cancer,” said the group’s executive director.