Daywatch: Six months after the end of Roe

Good morning, Chicago.

Six months after the historic fall of Roe v. Wade, Illinois abortion providers say they’re seeing an unprecedented number of out-of-state patients — and they’re traveling from more states than ever before. Almost a third of the agency’s patients are now from out of state.

“It is clear that abortion bans don’t stop people from having or needing abortions, they just make it more difficult to access care,” said Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois typically saw patients from 10 to 15 states besides Illinois each month, but that number increased to 31 states after the end of Roe. The number of patients coming from Wisconsin has surged tenfold.

Read the full story by Angie Leventis Lourgos.

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Violent crime rate began to drop on CTA trains in 2022, but it was still double pre-pandemic levels

The rate of violent crime on CTA trains began to drop this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic emptied public transit of many riders, but it remains near the highest levels seen in the past decade — and more than twice as high as the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the arrest rate for violent crimes on the “L” fell to its lowest level in at least a decade, a Tribune analysis of Chicago police data shows.

Not all doulas deal with births. Some focus their work around death. Here’s how a few are serving Chicagoland residents.

The role of a death doula is similar to that of a birth doula; it’s a person who can educate you on what to expect at the end of life, who can provide emotional and spiritual support for the dying and their loved ones.

Unlike a hospice care nurse, who comes in several times a week, a death doula is more likely to be bedside at the end of a person’s life and help family members navigate the funeral, eulogies and obituaries.

Is it COVID, the flu, RSV or just a cold?

If you’re feeling sick, it can be tough to differentiate among COVID-19, the flu and RSV because they share similar symptoms and can also look like the common cold.

Here’s what your symptoms may mean.

The legendary Practical Theatre gang — most of it — is back on a comedy stage

“The memories rush back when I see their faces,” writes Rick Kogan.

There they stand, Paul Barrosse and Victoria Zielinski, married for more that 30 years, parents of two grown daughters, recently moved to Evanston after a couple of decades in Los Angeles and still bright and funny and full of exciting plans, which prominently include “Vic & Paul & Dana’s Post-Pandemic Revue” that is being performed at Studio5 in Evanston.

Column: 15 great moments in Chicago sports in 2022

It wasn’t all bad for Chicago sports fans in 2022, no matter what you saw or read, writes Paul Sullivan.

We recently chronicled the many low points of the Bears, White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks and Bulls while comparing this to some of the worst years on the local sports front in recent memory. But it also was the year the Sky raised their first championship banner, Marian Hossa had his number retired and Justin Fields became must-see TV every week.

My worst moment: When it felt like half of New York City saw Harold Perrineau naked while filming ‘Oz’

Harold Perrineau has one of those careers where it seems like he’s been in just about everything, from Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” to “The Matrix” sequels on the film side, to shows including “Lost” and “Claws” on the TV side. And of course an early major role: The HBO prison drama “Oz.”

When asked about a worst moment in his career, it was the making of an episode for “Oz” — one that exposed more than he expected — that came to mind.