CHICAGO (WLS) — Columbia College Chicago’s new president and CEO steps into a pivotal moment, facing formidable challenges ahead.

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Dr. Shantay Bolton began her tenure in July 2025, with her official installation occurring in March.

Dr. Bolton’s leadership marks a significant moment for the renowned arts, media, and communications college, as she becomes the first woman to helm the institution in nearly a century and the first woman of color ever to do so.

Yet, the list of pressing issues she faces is extensive. The college is grappling with a $40 million deficit, dwindling enrollment numbers that have sunk to about 4,000 students, and a history of multiple layoffs.

This past January, the college reduced its staff by letting go of 23 full-time faculty members.

“I’ve walked into a circumstance where our finances were not as strong and so we know this is not something that’s gonna change overnight,” Bolton said. “We’re engaging in the decision making that will help us to be more stable in the long term. Anytime there’s changes, it’s tough but we’re committed to doing it and doing it in a way that’s disciplined, focused and with surgical precision.”

Beyond that, Bolton plans to address enrollment issues but promoting the school is a more forceful way.

“I am really excited about just really amplifying what already exists in the strength of who we are,” Bolton said. “We are the premiere creative media arts institution in the world, right here in Chicago, and I want others to know that and I want us to be proud of that.”

This article contains material that discusses suicide. If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Tragedy struck Florida as a once-commended sheriff’s deputy, known for his courage and dedication, fatally shot a former girlfriend before taking his own life. The shocking incident reportedly unfolded following a dispute over a television set.

For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Friends have identified the deceased woman as Mandy Fackler, leaving behind her two young children, aged 12 and 9. Further details are available in a report by Fox Tampa.

Deputy Troy Savetz, a 14-year veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, served as part of their marine unit. His career had been marked by multiple accolades for bravery and compassion.

He and the victim had an “on-again-off-again, tumultuous relationship,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a news conference.

Savetz, 47, was waiting outside Fackler’s home when she and her children returned from a day at the beach at about 5:30 p.m. He brandished a gun and was angry about “wanting his TV set back,” Gualtieri said.

When the victim tried to call 911, Savetz took her phone. That’s when she told her two children to go inside.

They did as they were told. And they never saw her again.

The children were “extremely brave,” calling 911 and giving dispatchers everything needed to identify the suspect, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco told reporters.

When authorities arrived at the home, they saw the mother’s vehicle with the door wide open and they found her phone, Nocco said.

“At that point, they realize that she’s no longer there” at the residence, he said.

Officers sprang into action using K-9 teams, drones, and aviation units, searching for the vehicle Savetz was driving when he carried the victim away, Nocco said.

About 90 minutes after the altercation began, authorities found the vehicle in nearby Spring Hill. Officers approached with a drone and saw two people inside.

When they reached the car on foot, they found Savetz and his victim dead.

“We’re not sure when and at what point” he killed her and himself, Nocco said.

The children, now with their biological father, were unharmed in the incident.

They “should be starting off this week getting ready for school,” Nocco said. Instead, they’re “starting off this week getting ready for a sad life without their mother.”

He praised the children for their bravery and obedience in such a critical moment.

“I know eventually there’s going to be a point in your life where you’re going to go back and listen to all the videos and read all the reports, ” Nocco said.

“So please hear this directly from us: We listened to that 911 tape, and we know that your mother said to go inside to save your lives and to call 911. You did exactly what your mom asked you to do.

“Know this: Your mom is looking down from heaven, and she’s so proud of you two … So know that you two did the right thing.”

Nocco said officers were “amazed” by the children’s “calmness.” The information they provided allowed for the fastest possible response.

“So we’re so proud of you, and I know your mom is. But know [that] this entire community is praying for you.”

Before this, Savetz had earned accolades for his behavior while wearing the badge. In 2014, he was honored by the sheriff’s office for his “heroic action” in saving the life of a 24-year-old man, stopping him from jumping off a bridge in Pinellas County.

That earned him attention from the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, who called him “Our Everyday MVP” in a June 2015 social media post. Wearing his green uniform, Savetz was honored by receiving the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

He was hailed a “hero” at local fundraisers and by radio stations.

In 2018, the sheriff’s office shared a social media post about how Savetz had adopted a pot-bellied pig he found while on duty. That year, he and Maple, as she became known, went on to be named ambassadors for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Tampa Bay.

But the “inexcusable” behavior of Savetz immediately ended his identity as a law enforcement officer, Gualtieri said.

“The moment this individual committed a crime, he was no longer a law enforcement officer. He was a criminal.”

In a significant move on Wednesday, Google introduced its newest array of Pixel smartphones, highlighting sleeker cameras equipped with powerful zoom capabilities and cutting-edge artificial intelligence features. These upgrades aim to streamline user experience, reducing the need for multiple taps and swipes.

With these advancements, Google seeks to entice consumers into purchasing the latest models and broaden the adoption of its AI-powered tools among a larger audience.

“Google consistently promotes new software features, particularly AI, as the principal motivation for upgrading,” commented Andrew Cornwall, a senior analyst at Forrester.

According to Cornwall, the tech giant has integrated several innovations, including the ability to extract photos from videos, a teleprompter feature, enhanced video stabilization, and improved speech-to-text functionality.

Despite the Pixel phones not yet matching the popularity of Apple’s iPhone, Google has been steadily increasing the integration of AI technology in its Pixel devices since 2023, marking a clear commitment to innovation and user experience enhancement.

Apple, meanwhile, has been lagging behind. It announced new AI advances in June, focusing on how the technology can help with people’s day-to-day lives, with a focus on privacy and security — using Google’s Gemini AI model to do so.

Google said in a presentation to reporters last week that the new phones will double the previous storage size, starting at 256 gigabytes, and feature 30 hours of battery life and faster wireless charging.

The company has eliminated the 128 gigabyte Pixel 11, which had been its lowest-priced option at $800.

Beginning Wednesday, US customers can order the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, starting at $900, $1,100 and $1,300, respectively.

The Pixel Pro Fold, meanwhile, starts at $1,900.

That’s a $100 increase for each phone from last year’s prices.

New features include live translation for videos, podcasts and voice messages.

In the Pro models, a tool called HiLight lets you assign a color to your favorite contacts and have the phone light up in that color when they call and your phone is placed face down.

It complements Pixel’s “Flip to Shhh” feature that puts the phone in “do not disturb” mode when it is placed face down.

Google is also offering a free six-month subscription to its AI Pro plan to anyone who buys the more expensive Pixel 11 Pro or Pixel 11 Pro XL models.

The company is hoping to hook more people on the AI Gemini tool kit, which it assembled to compete against OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Camera upgrades include a new mode called Magic Capture, which automatically takes a series of photos and video with a single tap of the shutter button.

Google said the cameras also feature improved light sensitivity and, for Pro models, Instant Night Sight captures shots in dark environments faster, so you don’t have to hold your phone still while waiting for exposure.

Google also introduced a tracking device for the first time.

Called Pixel Tag, it will cost $30 for one or $100 for a four-pack and is compatible with phones running Android 9 or higher.

Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly conveyed that there were “no red flags” indicating that COVID vaccines posed risks to pregnant women.

However, recently unveiled messages suggest he might have harbored private concerns about this stance.

These communications have ignited intense debate over what Fauci truly knew and disclosed, reigniting discussions on the safety of COVID vaccinations for expectant mothers. The revelations have led numerous individuals to come forward with claims of miscarriages following their vaccinations.

Notable personalities such as television figure Meghan McCain, who experienced a miscarriage during the pandemic, and billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who shared that his wife, Neri Oxman, had suffered seven pregnancy losses, have joined the conversation. Yet, neither has clarified if these losses occurred post-vaccination.

In the digital sphere, numerous women have also been swift to share their personal experiences.

‘I miscarried at 12 weeks just five days after a [COVID] booster,’ one wrote, while a second added, ‘my daughter, who was forced to get the vaccine because of her job, lost her second baby at 15 weeks. Words fail me right now.’

The alleged increased risk of miscarriage following the COVID vaccination stems from a 2021 study, which was later revealed to have had a flawed design and been misinterpreted. 

Critics argued that among women who were vaccinated during the first trimester, the available data implied an approximately 82 percent miscarriage rate. 

However, the authors later acknowledged a problem with the way the original paper presented the miscarriage calculation and in 2021, the CDC said the 82 percent calculation was ‘not an appropriate calculation based on the data available.’ That was because, in the paper it was based on, more than 1,000 pregnancies were still ongoing and their outcomes weren’t yet known.

Additionally, the authors of the study, in their published response, acknowledged that their original 82 percent denominator wasn’t appropriate for calculating a risk estimate, but also explained that follow-up was missing for most women vaccinated early in pregnancy. 

In other words, the data necessary to calculate the early-pregnancy miscarriage rate simply weren’t available yet. 

Now, further research and separate studies have found that the COVID vaccine is safe for pregnant women and there is no evidence that vaccines cause or increase the risk of miscarriages.

How common are miscarriages?

Estimates suggest that about 10 to 20 percent of all pregnancies in the US end in a miscarriage, the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic, although experts say the number is likely higher because many miscarriages go unreported. 

Most, 80 percent, occur before 12 weeks of gestation. 

A miscarriage can occur for a number of reasons, though in a majority of cases, a true cause is never known.

Doctors have linked it to issues with the developing baby and hormones. Being over 35 years old and having diabetes, obesity, a uterine condition or being a smoker all raise the risk.

Because miscarriages are not uncommon, experts say it is possible that many cases apparently linked to the vaccines or the virus may have happened anyway and the jab is blamed because someone received it not long beforehand.

Does getting a COVID vaccine raise your risk of a miscarriage? 

Scientists have studied this question in depth to determine whether the COVID vaccine is safe for pregnant women.

Pregnant women were not vaccinated against Covid during the phase three trials for the shots. Research has been carried out since then, however, showing the shot does not raise the risk of miscarriage for expectant mothers. 

A major 2021 study from Minnesota looked at the medical records of 105,000 pregnant women in the US who were between six and 19 weeks of gestation.

Overall, out of the 13,000 women in the study who had a miscarriage, 8.6 percent said they had been vaccinated against Covid 28 days earlier. For comparison, among the 96,000 who had a healthy pregnancy, 8 percent had been vaccinated against COVID.

Another study, also from 2021, by Norwegian scientists, analyzed data on nearly 18,000 pregnant women from before 14 weeks’ gestation. 

Of its 4,500 participants who suffered a miscarriage, 5.1 percent had been vaccinated against COVID before week 14, they found. For comparison, among the 14,000 who had healthy pregnancies, 5.5 percent had been vaccinated against the virus.

Researchers said the similar numbers suggested that there was no increased risk of miscarriage from receiving the COVID vaccine. If there were, the team would expect miscarriages to be much more common among women who were vaccinated.

Dr Sujatha Reddy, an OB-GYN in Georgia, said: ‘I have not seen any data to support suggestions that the COVID vaccine raises the risk of a miscarriage.

‘OB-GYNs still recommend pregnant women receive the COVID vaccine. The benefits outweigh the risks.’

She added: ‘Women who are concerned about this shot should speak to their healthcare provider.’

On its website, the CDC says more than a million pregnant women have now received a COVID vaccine, and that its monitoring system also shows no higher risk of miscarriage among those who got the inoculation.

Scientists have not found a difference in risk depending on the trimester. 

Doctors were particularly concerned that the vaccine could raise the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester, but this was not supported by studies.

Are there other risks from taking the COVID vaccine?  

The CDC says research has shown that pregnant women who received the COVID vaccine had no higher risk of miscarriage or preterm delivery compared to those who did not.

For the developing fetus, the agency also said there was no higher risk of low birth weight or birth defects if the mother had been inoculated.

Among studies into this was a paper on 40,000 pregnant women, published in 2022, which found no link between COVID shots and preterm birth or smaller-than-average birth weights.

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), which represents experts handling high-risk pregnancies, has said online that it ‘strongly reaffirms’ its recommendation that pregnant patients receive the COVID vaccine. 

‘Maternal immunization is one of the most effective ways we can protect both pregnant patients and babies during some of the most vulnerable stages of life,’ said Dr Margot Savoy, the chief medical officer for the American Academy of Family Physicians.

What about the benefits? 

Virtually everyone now has a level of immunity to COVID because the vast majority of people have now been infected by the virus at least once.

Some doctors say, however, that the vaccine still has some benefits. 

Experts at the SMFM say pregnant women infected with COVID are three times more likely to be hospitalized than non-pregnant individuals. They are also up to three times more likely to need advanced life support and a breathing tube. 

Pregnant women are at a slightly higher risk from the virus because they have a weaker immune system. It’s for this reason that they are also recommended the flu jab in the US.

Experts say that being vaccinated against COVID can also protect babies, because it may mean that antibodies against the virus are passed to the fetus. Babies have a slightly higher risk of a serious illness from COVID.

SMFM also said that a COVID infection raises the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth. 

These outcomes remain rare, however. A 2023 study by Norwegian scientists that analyzed 390,000 births and 1,000 stillbirths found that those who were infected with COVID were more likely to suffer a stillbirth.

What are the current COVID vaccine recommendations for pregnant women?

Currently, recommendations differ depending on the organization.

At present, the CDC urges pregnant women to speak to their provider before getting the COVID vaccine, which would be administered as booster shots.

It says online that the shots offer the ‘greatest benefit if you are at higher risk for severe illness, including if you are pregnant’.

The agency had recommended the shots for pregnant women from August 2021 and expectant mothers could also get them during the December 2020 rollout. 

Its guidance was reversed in May last year, however, after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy said pregnant women should no longer get the Covid vaccine. In September 2025, his vaccines advisory committee backed this up and suggested sweeping changes to the inoculation schedule. 

In March this year, a federal judge blocked many of the recommended changes to the vaccination schedule, raising concerns over the qualifications of those on the committee. It was not clear whether this applied to changes to the vaccination schedule recommended for pregnant women. 

This week, President Donald Trump also signed an executive order limiting childhood vaccinations, in a further revision of previous vaccination advice.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which represents doctors for pregnant women, alongside 13 other medical bodies, still urges expectant mothers to get the dose. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends the COVID vaccine for pregnant women. 

The CDC’s latest guide tells pregnant women to get two vaccines: the shot against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, known as Tdap, and a shot against RSV.

Releasing its own inoculation schedule in June, ACOG told pregnant women to get four shots: Tdap and RSV jabs, and COVID and flu vaccinations.

For the COVID vaccine, it said this could be administered at any age and at any point during pregnancy. 

ACOG president Camille Clare said in June, announcing the recommendations: ‘Changing national recommendations coupled with rampant vaccine misinformation are resulting in confusion for both patients and healthcare professionals.

‘It is incredibly important for the public to have access to reliable, evidence-based information on maternal immunizations from a trusted source. ACOG is proud to be that source.’ 

In other countries, such as the UK, the COVID vaccine is no longer routinely recommended for pregnant women, except for those at high risk.

Where did the 82% figure come from?

It has been claimed that 82 percent of women vaccinated against COVID early in pregnancy suffered a miscarriage. The figure is inaccurate and a miscalculation.

In 2021, CDC scientists contacted nearly 4,000 pregnant women who had received the COVID vaccine up to three months earlier and asked how their pregnancy had progressed.

Overall, they found 712 had given birth to healthy babies, while 104 had miscarriages and one had a stillbirth. The rest, the vast majority, were still pregnant. Overall, this gave a miscarriage rate of 12.6 percent, within the normal range.

Critics reviewing the paper, however, said it only covered women in the third trimester and argued they should be removed from the data.

Women in the first trimester are much more likely to have a miscarriage. But over the three months the study covered, it was not possible for them to have a completed healthy pregnancy – which takes nine to 10 months.

In an open letter published in 2022, critics removed women in the third trimester from the data, leaving them with 127 completed pregnancies and 104 miscarriages, which gave a miscarriage rate of 82 percent. 

Their calculation excluded the more than 3,000 pregnant women vaccinated against COVID in the first and second trimesters and whose pregnancy was still ongoing. 

The open letter containing the figure has been widely criticized. The CDC said it was ‘not an appropriate calculation based on the data available.’

Dr Viki Male, an immunologist working on pregnancy at Imperial College London, said on X: ‘The quoted 82 percent is not the miscarriage rate. It just tells us that we can’t go from the first trimester to giving birth to a healthy baby in three months. 

‘Which, I think we all knew, right?’

If I had the COVID vaccine, will that affect my chance of getting pregnant later? 

Scientists say there is no evidence that the COVID vaccine will affect fertility further down the line.

COVID primarily affects the respiratory system. There is no evidence that it impacts the reproductive organs directly.

The SMFM says online: ‘There is no evidence that vaccines affect future fertility.’