Kate Thayer – Page 12

Melissa Bertoletti, an emergency room nurse at Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, hugs her son at their home in Homewood before leaving for work March 20, 2019.

Nurses say proposed state law limiting number of patients would save lives. Hospitals say it could cost billions of dollars they don’t have.

March 22, 2019 at 11:08 a.m.

Describing 12-hour shifts with no break for a meal or even a trip to the bathroom, hospital nurses who say they’re overloaded with patients are pushing for a new state...

Joe and Nicole Wesolowski eat dinner with children Weston, 3, from left, Quinn, 1, and Natalie, 9, at home March 12, 2019, in Naperville. Their 15-month-old son, Ryan, stopped breathing in his crib in 2015.

‘He was cold as ice’: Hundreds of children die each year with no explanation. Their parents are pushing for answers.

March 20, 2019 at 2:49 p.m.

It was during a rushed but otherwise typical Tuesday morning when Jeff Frank of North Aurora went to wake his 16-month-old son, Emmett, and noticed him in an unusual sleeping...

Mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot, left, and Toni Preckwinkle take their seats before a televised debate with Carol Marin on March 7, 2019, in Chicago.

Exchanging jabs like white, male candidates, Lightfoot and Preckwinkle challenge gender and racial stereotypes

March 14, 2019 at 3:10 p.m.

As Chicago voters for the first time see two African-American women vying for mayor, experts say gender and racial stereotypes remain — even if Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle are...

Marie Marcum, 9, works on her swing during practice with her softball team, the Plainfield Twisters.

After being mocked by game at Naperville Chuck E. Cheese’s, 9-year-old girl gets manufacturer to remove softball snub

March 10, 2019 at 9:05 a.m.

While out with her mom and some friends at the Naperville Chuck E. Cheese’s, 9-year-old Marie Marcum, an experienced softball player, decided to show off her skills in a baseball...

Fourth-grader Derek Burian practices before taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness test with teacher Selena Landa at Lakewood Falls Elementary School in Plainfield on Feb. 28, 2019. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness test replaces the controversial PARCC test.

Illinois scraps controversial PARCC test in favor of shorter exam with new name

March 6, 2019 at 7:33 a.m.

Students in third through eighth grades across the state will begin taking a new standardized test this month, leaving behind the widely panned PARCC test. Yet this year’s new test,...

Certified Medical Assistant Angela Dolezil holds a flu vaccine for a 6-month-old child Feb. 12, 2019, at Amita/Presence Health clinic in Chicago.

Chicago marks 1st pediatric flu death as Arlington Heights middle school sees high number of cases

May 23, 2019 at 1:48 a.m.

A child has died from the flu in Chicago, marking the first influenza-related pediatric death in Cook County and the third in the state so far this season. Details about...

Top 10 list of fictional kids from TV, movies, books leaves out girls. Here’s our list.

February 27, 2019 at 9:31 p.m.

A parenting website this week created a list dubbed the Top 10 Fictional Kids of All Time, highlighting memorable child characters from TV, movies and books. Bart Simpson, the list...

Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on Feb. 21, 2019.

Jussie Smollett case could hurt hate-crime survivors, LGBTQ advocates say

February 24, 2019 at 2:54 p.m.

After Chicago police announced charges alleging Jussie Smollett, a gay African-American actor, faked a hate crime, LGBTQ advocates say they hope the actions of one don’t overshadow a growing problem...

The Violence Against Women Act has expired. Advocates say that sends a dangerous message and are pushing for permanent protections.

February 21, 2019 at 11:10 a.m.

Following the expiration of the Violence Against Women Act last week, advocates for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence worry about the message that sends and call it a...

Dr. Erin McCann examines 6-month-old Jordan Cole-MacIntosh, with his father, Peter MacIntosh, on Feb. 12, 2019, at Amita/Presence Health clinic in Chicago. Jordan received several vaccinations, including a flu vaccine, at the appointment.

Slow start, but it’s not over yet: 5 things to know about this year’s flu season

February 14, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.

As influenza season trudges on, public health officials report fewer cases than last year’s severe and deadly season. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Thursday shows a...

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