Chicago high school debaters take on the ‘most important things in the world’
By Emily Olsen It’s late on a Friday evening, but the cafeteria at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences is packed, filled with students chatting, eating pizza and prepping for their first debate tournament of the season. “I was nervous for the first bit, but I think it was actually a really great experience […]
Hand-picked CPS board no longer works for parents who want their own vote
By Meredith Francis and Emily Olsen While many are already casting their ballots for the presidential election, some Chicago parent and community groups are demanding the opportunity to cast a vote for their local school board. “Parents, people across the city have had enough. We want an elected school board and we want it now,” […]
Looming state budget cuts set up cultural clash at centers for students of color
By Alex Ortiz Brittney Hopgood graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2014 with a degree in industrial design. The high point? Getting a part-time job as a African-American Cultural Center marketing assistant. She had struggled to find an internship within her major to gain experience, and there, she found opportunity — and […]
In Waukesha, small businesses wonder whether Democrats or Republicans can change their lives
By David Jordan and Nona Tepper On Main Street in downtown Waukesha, a sleepy Milwaukee suburb, the perspective is decidedly local. Most shops close at three on Saturdays on a street devoid of national chains, except a Subway. Business owners advertise for one another in their windows and stop to talk about the challenges they […]
U.S. Senate race is Milwaukee Muslims’ hope for another Washington ally
By Maryam Saleh Milwaukee area Muslims’ support for Hillary Clinton is “unenthusiastic” and “reluctant,” largely stirred by Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, say community members and leaders. But there is one candidate they emphatically stand behind: Democrat Russ Feingold.
New early voting location draws more traffic
by Christen Gall Reyna Hernandez wanted to make a difference in the election by casting her vote early on the second day of the early voting period. “It felt like a really important statement and to see the numbers changing early, that’s one of the other reasons why I think voting early was important because […]
Freedom to oppress: Two journalists face the power of Trump’s influence at a Green Bay rally
By Christen Gall and Jasmine Minor GREEEN BAY, Wisc. – She jabbed me hard enough to make me drop my phone. A teenager, she was making it clear I was in her space. She gave me a second jab to the shoulder as her mother appeared at her side. “You are not welcome here,” the […]
Citizenship backlog silences potential Illinois voters
By Nona Tepper [A national version of the story was published in the Washington Post. Read it here: Yes, the election is rigged — against immigrants who should be able to vote but can’t] A growing citizenship backlog crisis may leave more than 17,000 Illinois residents unable to vote come November. The number of Illinois […]
Shena Gutierrez won’t take U.S. border officials’ ‘no’ for an answer
By Alexa Mencia [The story was republished in Truthout as Wife of Use-of-Force Victim Advocates to Hold Border Officials Accountable and on SJNN] Shena Gutierrez’s husband José almost died March 30, 2011. As the leader of a support network for those affected by U.S. border authorities’ use of force, Gutierrez knows her husband was one […]
Iran nuclear deal raises heat at first Dold/Schneider debate
By Sarah Haas The Iran nuclear deal formed the narrative line of a contentious debate Sunday night between U.S. Rep. Bob Dold, R-Kenilworth and Democrat Brad Schneider, who is trying for the second time to unseat Dold in the 10th Congressional district. The candidates squared off before a packed house in the auditorium of Lake […]