Stories by Kristen Thometz
Study Finds ‘Promising’ Results for Lung Cancer Detection Using AI
| Kristen Thometz
Artificial intelligence outperformed radiologists in identifying lung cancer as part of first-time screenings, according to a new study. The technology also produced fewer false positives and negatives.
OPRF High School to Reprint Yearbooks After Racist Gestures Found in Photos
| Matt Masterson
The suburban school district’s Board of Education voted Monday to spend $54,000 to reprint the books after more than a dozen photos were found of students displaying an upside-down “OK” hand gesture.
Rahm Emanuel to Contribute to ABC News, The Atlantic
| Kristen Thometz
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has at least two new gigs after wrapping up his second term in office. He joins the broadcast network as a contributor and The Atlantic as a contributing editor.
Funeral Set for Marlen Ochoa-Lopez
| Associated Press
The visitation, funeral and burial will take place this week for Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, who was strangled and whose baby was cut from her womb late last month.
Asian Carp DNA Found in Chicago Area Near Lake Michigan
| Associated Press
Officials say genetic material from Asian carp has been detected near Lake Michigan, but a follow-up search turned up none of the invasive fish.
Lightfoot Recounts Ancestor’s Tragedy in the Jim Crow South
| Paris Schutz
The little-known story of Lori Lightfoot’s grandfather who was murdered in the Jim Crow South nearly 100 years ago.
Lightfoot Signs Executive Order Curbing Aldermanic Prerogative
| Amanda Vinicky
Within hours of being sworn in, Mayor Lori Lightfoot signed an executive order that aims to significantly curb aldermanic prerogative. She made signing it her first order of business as a demonstration she’ll bring change to the city.
Aldermen on Governing with Mayor Lori Lightfoot
| Alexandra Silets
As Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes aim at City Council corruption, we talk with four aldermen about how they’ll work with the new mayor.
Before She Was Mayor: An In-Depth Profile of Lori Lightfoot
| Dan Protess
From humble beginnings in Massillon, Ohio, to a high-powered federal prosecutor – to mayor of Chicago. Our in-depth profile of the events that shaped the life of Lori Lightfoot.
Rare Albino Alligator Arrives at Brookfield Zoo
| Alex Ruppenthal
Snowflake, a 16-year-old American alligator, is estimated to be one of just about 100 albino alligators in existence.
In ‘Pygmalion Effect,’ Superb Dancers of Russia’s Eifman Ballet Undermined by Manic Choreography and Too Much Strauss
| Hedy Weiss
Watching the company as it performed Boris Eifman’s latest work, the feeling that his dancers are not well served by his relentlessly madhouse style of movement – manic, extreme, repetitive – could not be denied.
Violinist Hilary Hahn Elicits a ‘Wow,’ and More, at CSO Concert
| Hedy Weiss
Hilary Hahn’s bravura handling of a fire-breathing passage in Sibelius’ “Violin Concerto in D Minor” brings forth a “Wow!” from what was certainly an adult man in the audience at Symphony Center.
Measles Exposure Reported in Chicago
| Kristen Thometz
An individual with a confirmed measles infection took public transportation and visited several stores in the Loop late last week, according to health officials.
Lightfoot Sworn in as Chicago Mayor: ‘This City Felt Like Where I Belonged’
| Matt Masterson
Chicago’s new mayor, the first black woman and openly gay person to hold the office, takes aim at aldermanic prerogative and outlines her four guiding principles: community safety, public education, stability and integrity.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Inaugural Address
| WTTW News
Did you miss the inauguration? Watch video of the ceremony or read the full text of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s inaugural address at Wintrust Arena.
Illinois Not Alerted to Early Clues in Womb-Cutting Case
| Associated Press
Police and Illinois’ child welfare agency say staff at a Chicago-area hospital didn’t alert them after determining that a bloodied woman who arrived with a gravely ill newborn had not just given birth to the baby boy, as she claimed.
Incoming Chicago Mayor Has Path to Historic Police Reforms
| Associated Press
Lori Lightfoot will have a powerful ally in seeking to fulfill a campaign promise to overhaul the Police Department: a judge with authority to hold reform slackers in contempt.
In ‘Next to Normal,’ Mother’s Mental Illness Wreaks Havoc with Family’s Health
| Hedy Weiss
This 2008 musical is unsettling, irritating, frustrating, relentless and more. But director David Cromer and his actors have tapped into the dark charm and moments of humor in the show with great skill.
Lightfoot Rewards ‘Reform’ and ‘Old Guard’ Alderman in Council Shake-Up
| Paris Schutz
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot releases her picks for committee chairmanships, proposing that Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) lead the Finance Committee that was led for decades by Ald. Ed Burke (14th).
Illinois Bill Seeks to Legalize Syringe Exchanges Statewide
| Kristen Thometz
A new bill aims to fix the state’s “ambiguous” law over syringe exchange programs. Public support for such programs remains low, but advocates say they can offer critical help to those in need.
Trade War, Heavy Rains Weigh on Deere & Co.
| Associated Press
Deere cut its profit and sales expectations for the year as a trade war between the U.S. and China escalates and farmers try to recover from a planting season besieged by heavy rains.
Web Extra, The Week in Review: Trump’s Pardon, Emanuel’s Legacy
| Nick Blumberg
Paris Schutz and guests discuss President Donald Trump’s pardon of disgraced former Sun-Times publisher Conrad Black, and assess some of Emanuel’s legacy ahead of Monday’s inauguration.
The Week in Review: Lightfoot’s Ambitious Agenda
| Nick Blumberg
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot says she plans to blow up politics as usual. Springfield races toward the end of the spring session with huge issues up in the air. And another Chicago alderman is arrested.
Java the Corpse Flower is About to Bloom Again — Sooner Than Expected
| Alex Ruppenthal
After blooming for the first time in June 2017, Java, one of the dozen or so corpse flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden, is preparing to bloom again.
Bond Denied for 3 in ‘Brutal and Heinous’ Killing of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez
| Matt Masterson
A bond proffer presented by Cook County prosecutors Friday outlines the gruesome details of a pregnant teens’s death at the hands of Clarisa Figueroa and her 24-year-old daughter Desiree Figueroa.
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