How changing rules, massive backlogs, and decades of dysfunction have eroded trust in government

How narrative power, press freedom, and the voices of young storytellers help safeguard civic engagement and strengthen democratic resilience.

A message of alarm and hope—alarm at the state of the nation, and hope that we can still right ourselves.

A personal reflection on arriving in a new country and discovering its diversity, opportunities, and challenges.

"Democracy isn’t a fixed state, it’s an ongoing project. Are we doing the work to keep it?"

Democracy advocates say the case could strip constitutional protections from millions of U.S.–born children and undermine core principles of equal citizenship.

Actor John Leguizamo is pushing for a national freeze on all shopping on February 28, calling it an economic blackout.

Sensationalized headlines about the small number of lawbreaking immigrants will not change the fact that entire industries, from construction and health care to agriculture, restaurants, and elder care, rely on immigrant labor, which accounts for anywhere from a quarter to half of certain occupations.

A clear need is emerging for financial education, investment opportunity and access to capital, states The Latinas in Leadership Institute.

What happens when other nations (especially so-called third-world nations) advance economically and educationally? Does it cause us damage?

“If we lost half of the farmworker population in a short period of time, the agriculture sector would likely collapse.”

The U.S. Energy Department reported the Hispanic community faces a median energy burden 24% higher than white households.

"We feel it is important to address current issues in order to highlight solutions that will help students and their mental health."

“If you know yourself and your culture and where you come from, you’re more sound of mind and comfortable with yourself and your own identity.”

“We're still considering bilingual education as a privilege, not as a right,” the director of a language program said.

Successful applicants will be assigned meaningful multimedia work in the production of local and regional news, including reporting and writing, audio, visuals and social media.

'They came with nothing and gave me everything.'

“I want to be able to provide that same support that my teachers provided me to other students and families,” Rivas said.

Latinos are more likely to die from heat on the job than non-Latinos, and are 21% more likely to live in urban heat islands.

The rules will affect new residential construction projects funded by the federal Housing and Rural Development agency. Now, lawmakers are pushing the agency that oversees the nation’s two largest mortgage backers to adopt similar measures.

Gina Ramirez, the Midwest Director of Environmental Health for the Natural Resources Defense Council argues the need to change Chicago’s zoning laws to eliminate sacrifice zones.

Angela Gonzalez creates thought-provoking art designed to capture the attention and imagination.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are featuring Peggy Salazar, the “no-nonsense” woman who will not stop fighting for Environmental Justice.

A natural mutation found in Puerto Rican dairy cows might keep them healthier in extreme heat.

Children whose caregivers cannot afford to buy enough food during the summer are at higher risk for food insecurity and learning loss.

“Farmworkers show up, and we still have food on our table thanks to them, and they are still underappreciated, overlooked, underserved, underpaid… you name it."

Latinos are more likely to die from heat on the job than non-Latinos, and are 21% more likely to live in urban heat islands.

In an effort to address food insecurity year-round, Rhode Island joins 34 states in the new nationwide Summer EBT program.

The state recently passed a law to make it easier for people to become mental health providers. However, the Hispanic and Latino population has a high need for this kind of care and faces other, unique obstacles in accessing it.

“At the beginning I never imagined the impact of this program, but now having become more conscious of the situation, all of the promotoras and everyone in the community here has something important to share.”   

Publisher’s Note: Please participate in a short survey at the end of the story. Knowing how this story may have influenced, you will help guide our future reporting...Thank you! As the population of Hispanics-Latinos increases in the United States, and with it the number of eligible voters, so does the debate on how to best reach them. Some thought leaders favor spatial over racial voting techniques, arguing that what a candidate says is more important than who says it. Democrats are re-evaluating their messaging to Hispanics-Latinos in this year's midterm elections after the 2020 election saw a substantial vote shift, with 63 percent of Hispanic-Latinos voting for President Joe Biden, down from 71 percent of them voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Republicans are working to build on the success of former President Donald Trump, who made gains among Hispanic-Latino voters in 2020 compared with his 2016 performance. Trump increased [...]

Publisher's Note: Please participate in a short survey at the end of the story. Knowing how this story may have influenced, you will help guide our future reporting...Thank you! With the Hispanic-Latino population in the United States rising, there is a growing concern that systemic barriers prevent the community from engaging in active democratic participation. Some thought leaders believe that better representation of political candidates who are from the marginalized group will inspire Hispanics-Latinos to vote. Maritza Bond Credit: Paul Bass / New Haven Independent "It is not about having English and Spanish on platforms and (in) content. You got to think about the culture", said Maritza Bond, health director for the City of New Haven, seeking the office of Connecticut Secretary of the State in the upcoming November election. "I want this exploratory committee to be an inspiration for all young girls, all Latinos and Latinas, and all young people [...]

Hartford Public Schools (HPS) have over 17,000 students, and more than half are Hispanic-Latino; more than 1 in 5 are English language learners. Struggling with the same staffing shortages faced by districts across the country, HPS is recruiting bilingual educators from Puerto Rico to fill teacher vacancies ahead of the 2022-2023 school year. Through the Paso a Paso Puerto Rico Recruitment Program (step by step) — the district plans to recruit as many as 15 teachers from the island who would become full-time educators. Adriana Beltran-Rodriguez is one of them, “I was interested in helping the students feel like they’re not completely alienated in the school.” The Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) educator told WBUR, “For them (students) to know that there’s someone that cares about them and wants them not only to succeed in English but to honor their culture and their language.” Adriana Beltran-Rodriguez [...]

Publisher's Note: Please participate in a short survey at the end of the story. Knowing how this story may have influenced you can help guide our future reporting...Thank you! “People feel excluded in not having the knowledge because of the language barrier,” said Luis Lorenzo, a resident of Bristol, about what he thinks keeps new Americans like himself from participating in the electoral process. Lorenzo is originally from Mexico. Lorenzo was featured in Voting System Fails Immigrants, as part of the Advancing Democracy: Connecticut Solutions Journalism Initiative that CTLatinoNews.com (CTLN) is undertaking as part of eight reporting projects in 10 newsrooms across the United States. The six-month program is sponsored by the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN); its mission is to spread the practice of solutions journalism: rigorous reporting on responses to social problems. CTLN is exploring solutions to why Hispanics-Latinos don’t vote by engaging with thought leaders in Connecticut and drawing from the best [...]