The Chicago Reporter

Take From the Rich. A new poll shows that a majority of Americans would rather raise taxes on the rich than cut programs for the poor. As the fiscal cliff negotiations are to continue, we take a look at what we learned from the Pew Research Center's poll.

Heart-Warming Chicago. Here at The Chicago Reporter, most of the stories we publish are about the heart-wrenching side of Chicago. But this week we'll bring in some holiday cheer and look at stories that made us feel good.

Christmas Protest. In fiscal year 2012, more immigrants were deported from the United States than any other year.  Immigrant rights groups will hold a rally on Christmas Eve outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters to pressure the Obama administration to stop deporting immigrants.

500 Stars. Hundreds of people are killed each year on Chicago...

This week on the Barber Shop Show, our weekly radio show broadcast live from Carter's Barber Shop in North Lawndale, we invited local journalist to join us for our Mid-Month Mash Up, including blogger Jessica Young. Here's Jessica giving us a run down of her favorite stories from this week's show:

We'll be taking these next few weeks off and getting ready for a new year of exciting episodes of the Barber Shop Show. This Friday, you can hear a re-broadcast of our recent show on juvenile justice, and next week on Dec. 28, our episode on Section 8 housing discrimination in Cook County.

Thanks for listening to the show this year. Got an idea for an episode of next year's...

Leticia Morua had lost hope. The mother of three was severely depressed and the threat of losing her children worried her sick.

"I didn't care about anything. I just kept thinking that I didn't want to be separated from my children," she said. "I was worried about the
state taking my children away."

The 38-year-old had been placed under deportation proceedings in March 2010 following a traffic violation. The Chicago Reporter featured her story in the 2011 November/December cover story entitled "The Allure of Secure."

But today, she’s hopeful again. One recent Sunday morning she glides into her children’s room to get them ready for church. Talking with them, she smiles openly. Her attitude and demeanor completely changed in only one year.

That’s because on Dec. 3, 2012  an immigration judge granted her request for "cancellation of removal," which means she is now...

It was 4:30 a.m. and no one said a word.

Jorge Mariscal, his mother and his aunt were on their way to Loyola University Medical Center. It was the moment they all had been anticipating for years and finally it had arrived.

Sonia Lopez was donating her kidney to her 24-year-old son. Mariscal had been on dialysis for seven years and his only obstacle in getting a new kidney was his legal status. After submitting letters to hospital boards, conducing marches and a hunger strike on June 3, Loyola agreed to cover the costs of the transplant.

Here is the story of the long-awaited Dec. 6 surgery (Photos by Lucio Villa):