Journalists highlight the real‑world impact of media consolidation and the urgent need to protect local, community‑focused journalism.

Practical steps for safe sousveillance—the public's act of recording the surveillance state for accountability.

Nevada Secretary of State and avid traveler discusses checks and balances, the state’s automatic voter registration, and his experience overseeing elections.

The U.S. Secretary of State's Senate testimony showcased a disciplined, media‑savvy operator

Trump has never pretended to be a unifier. His political power has always depended on sharpening divides, not healing them.

The evolving rights of undocumented students in the U.S., key legal protections, emerging policy risks, and the major changes shaping access to K–12 and higher education.

“I want my son to study, and with 40 hours, I won’t be able to help him. I want him to have a career. I don’t want my son to be like me. With 40 hours, I won’t be able to, and I want my children to get ahead. It’s not fair,” said Marina Cabrera, a single mother farmworker in Spanish. Cabrera joined hundreds of farm workers around the state at organized rallies, including Olympia, to object to a new law requiring them to pay overtime when they worked more than 40 hours a week. “The idea of this overtime was good but backfired. No está hacienda lo que era la intención,” a farm worker told Northwest Public Broadcasting during the Jan. 25 rally. Workers asked for more hours instead of overtime because they said they earn less money with overtime hours. Father and son Rojelio and Jose Valdez, who work [...]

The doors of Don de la Colombiana greet guests with the vibrant sounds of Spanish music, the smell of fresh Colombian food, and a warm smile from owner Marly Machacon Villarreal. Originally from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, Machacon Villarreal came to the US with big ambitions. She first arrived in New Jersey, where she started out cleaning houses. Having family in Washington encouraged her to move to the state permanently. Despite living in the state for only nine months, she first worked as a singer at El Parche, a Colombian restaurant in Seattle and Tacoma. Now, she’s an entrepreneur and the sole proprietor of Don de la Colombiana.  Owner Marly Machacon Villarreal greets guests with a warm welcome as she prepares their food in the kitchen. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero) “I’ve always been a hard worker, and when times were tough, I always reminded myself that Latinos “siempre podemos’ we always [...]

Workers in the city will be entitled to five vacation days and five sick days starting Jan. 1

CHICAGO — What brings people to the Southwest Side neighborhood of Chicago Lawn on any given day? Quality aguas fresca, a homemade beverage made of freshly squeezed fruit, is popular in Mexico and other Latin American countries.  Though many street vendors throughout the city may sell agua fresca, few specialize in the unique drink that most recently, in the mainstream, some began to refer to as “spa water.” But on 71st Street and Homan, right across from Marquette Park, a family-run small business that specializes in selling aguas frescas and other snacks has been operating from their front yard since 2021.  A variety of aguas frescas and snacks is sold in front of Marquette Park in Chicago Lawn. (Citlali Perez ) The business is a family effort; Gloria Diaz and her husband Oscar Michelle, collaborate to make it possible with the support of Diaz’s sister Martina Guerca. And the youngest, [...]

MERIDEN — When she moved to New York City in 1994, Senia Martínez would have never thought of opening her own hair salon. The original plan was to pursue a career as a police officer, but now Martínez has 24 years of hair styling experience and is the owner of a Dominican hair salon, Senias Hair Salon Boutique & Spa, in downtown Meriden.  Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Martínez, 53, spent three years working toward the goal of becoming a police officer in New York City. She got her security guard license. Prior to that, she studied nursing in Santo Domingo.  “Then, all of a sudden, I felt as though something was telling me to do hair,” she said. “I told myself I would never do hair, but that quickly changed.” Senia Martínez, owner of Senias Hair Salon Boutique & Spa, on Wed. July 26, 2023. Photo by [...]

CT Latino News covers the social determinants of health—among the state’s diverse Hispanic-Latino populations. Economic stability and housing security are essential to one’s life and well-being. After 16 years of operation, Lil’ Sunshine Home Daycare—a 24-hour child care facility in Bridgeport, Connecticut—has plans to expand to a second location with the financial support of the CT Small Business Boost Fund.  “It was my first time applying for a business loan,” shared Lil’ Sunshine Owner Kamara Moodie. “I’m expanding my child care services from a family child care to a small center, and the funds will be used for working capital.” Launched last summer, the fund was intentionally designed to address financial and technical barriers that specifically affect small organizations in underserved communities.  Currently, about 61.3 percent of loans funded by the CT Small Business Boost Fund have gone to Minority- and Women-owned Businesses. As of late June, the CT [...]

CSI Students feel like there’s still areas on campus that need to be improved, including increasing bilingual faculty.

Education experts are calling for policy and societal changes that would best support educators of color across the state.

Fund aims to make postsecondary education accessible for all students, especially those in low-income and underrepresented communities.

La Plaza empowers Latinos by providing and increasing access to essential social, education, and workforce development services.

A prominent figure in the world of higher education, President Cruzado speaks openly about her family's influence, love of books, career in education, and La Isla Del Encanto.

“We are here. … Georgia is our home. We need to have local governments represent us," says Brittany López, a political activist and student at the University of Georgia.

Period poverty is a global issue experienced by millions of people, especially houseless, low-income and Black and Brown communities. Still, so many are unaware of what this is. The stigmas surrounding menstruation, sexual health, and gender have all contributed to the mass dismissal of this topic as a health crisis, preventing many from recieving help. In fact, periods are so stigmatized that many can’t even utter the word period or menstruation: it’s the cycle, that time of the month, Aunt Flo or so many other euphemisms that deflect from this naturally occurring bodily function.  At Illinois Latino News and its sibling affiliates under the Latino News Network banner, we view our readers, you, as an extension of our newsroom. If journalism is a public service, you are our collaborators, our partners. In covering this topic, we need your help.  We want to know your experiences dealing with menstruation and/or [...]

In a collaborative effort to equip parents with the information necessary for the upcoming school year Illinois Latino News, WBEZ, and Association House of Chicago hosted the free, virtual and bilingual event: Community Conversation: Student Mental Health in Chicago Schools on August 18.  https://youtu.be/wVMcJpy_SV8 The online conversation brought together a variety of mental health experts and educators to discuss resources available for Chicago parents and students. Araceli Gomez-Aldana of WBEZ moderated the event which consisted of five panelists: Myra Rodriguez, Community Health Supervisor at Association House; Dr. Tara Gill, Psychologist and Mental Health Consultant at Lurie Children’s Hospital Center for Childhood Resilience; Catherine Whitfield Martin, Principal at Charles Sumner Math and Science Academy; Brian Coleman, Counselor at Jones College Prep and President at Illinois School Counselor Association; and Lucia del Rincon Martinez, Trauma Therapist at La Rabida Children’s Hospital Chicago Child Trauma Center.  In the weeks leading up to [...]

WBEZ Chicago and Illinois Latino News (ILLN) will host a second virtual Community Conversation on Thursday, August 18 at 7 pm (CST) as part of their partnership in best serving the public. Between the pandemic, remote learning, school work and social media, Chicago students have lots to be stressed about. Ahead of the 2022-2023 school year, WBEZ and Illinois Latino News are aiming to help parents prepare to keep their kids healthy while learning. This virtual event will be built based on survey responses from Chicago parents. COVID19 revealed inequities in healthcare, and other determinants of health among Hispanics-Latinos. ILLN and WBEZ collaborated on their first Community Conversation: Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic in March. https://youtu.be/Fo_0P8nZp4U Dr. Marina Del Rios, the first person in Chicago to receive the vaccine was among the guest speakers. “There’s been an improvement, but we’re seeing a delay,” said Dr. Del Rios about getting Spanish dominant Hispanic Latinos [...]

Carolina Serna’s job as a care coordinator for the Clifford Beers, a behavioral health care provider based in New Haven, puts her in the middle of today’s mental health crisis for kids, teenagers, and their families. When Clifford Beers gets referrals for cases, Serna and other care coordinators become the face of the organization, helping children and families get the clinical care they need. But Serna and her colleagues do much more than that. In a sense, they’re the bridge between troubled families and the rest of society. Take one of the many tough situations Serna handled during the COVID-19 crisis: A young Hispanic mother in New Haven had just lost her job. Her husband left. She was pregnant. Her son faced behavioral health and disability issues. And she was being evicted from her apartment. The first thing Serna did was get the mom a lawyer. Then she reached out [...]

Publisher’sNote: The Misidentified was first published on palabra. Illinois Latino News, one of five independent news outlets managed by the Latino News Network, partners with palabra. in best serving the Hispanic-Latino community. IN A LATINO COMMUNITY NEAR CHICAGO, TOO MANY VICTIMS OF COVID ARE IDENTIFIED AS WHITE, BLACK, OR OTHER. THE MISCLASSIFICATION IS PART OF A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM MADE WORSE BY THE PANDEMIC, AND IT COULD BE COSTING LATINOS URGENTLY NEEDED PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES. It started with a casual perusal of COVID death statistics in the summer of 2020. Journalist Ana Arana found that Latinos across the country were routinely misidentified ethnically and racially. The anomalies were easily missed by most media. But Arana’s instincts told her that at stake were significant public health consequences for Latinos. What ensued was a year-and-a-half-long palabra investigation into widespread misclassification of Latino COVID deaths that health officials acknowledge but have done little to correct. This story [...]

Publisher's Note: Mental health concerns dominate people's minds, even as the pandemic eases, according to a new survey conducted by the newsroom collaborative, Solving for Chicago. Illinois Latino News is one of the 23 newsrooms working cooperatively to cover pressing issues facing the public in the Chicago region. This story is based on your responses to the survey about the long-term effects of the pandemic people face and how to overcome those challenges. Mental Health wellness was among the social problems you said you want to see more news coverage. The impact of the coronavirus on Hispanics-Latinos, who have been disproportionately affected, has been discerning. Due to higher rates of deaths, unemployment, college dropout, homelessness, and access to quality health care, the community is more prone to developing symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Systemic barriers to mental health support have worsened for the community — at a time when [...]