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Current Issue

Police misconduct

The city’s effort to stem police misconduct is falling short, leaving abusive officers to operate with near impunity.

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Gun Crimes

May/June 2011

A Chicago Reporter investigation found that many teens convicted of gun crimes were never clearly identified as having had a gun.

Table of Contents

Without a smoking gun

The Chicago Reporter

Illinois is looking to crack down on gun crimes by sending more 15- and 16-year-olds into adult court. But a Chicago Reporter investigation raises questions over whether the youth headed to lockup are the hardened criminals politicians intended to put away.

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Trigger trauma

Samantha Winslow

The Urban Youth Trauma Center helps to fill void for youth who experience hardship.

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Without a smoking gun (En Español)

Angela Caputo

Illinois está buscando tomar medidas severas en contra de crímenes con armas de fuego enviando a más jóvenes de 15 y 16 años a la corte como adultos. Pero una investigación de Chicago Reporter plantea preguntas acerca de si los jóvenes en camino a la cárcel son los criminales habituales que los políticos tienen la intención de encerrar.

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Inside Stories

Housing accountability

State of New Jersey makes banks liable for all vacant properties.

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Inside Stories

Unlucky 13

An increasing number of people are turning to bankruptcy for a fresh start, but many are leaving themselves susceptible to more debt by opting for a Chapter 13 protection, which has a high failure rate.

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Inside Stories

Despair over disrepair

Lenders who owe the city fees for failing to register vacant properties are still getting city business.

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Spin Offs

Middle East meets Middle West

The news:

Since January, pro-democracy protests have swept across the Middle East and North Africa, captivating the world’s attention.

Behind the news:

During the past decade, the number of immigrants from “Near East” countries in...

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Spin Offs

Latino community on the rise

The news:

Latinos have surpassed African Americans as the largest minority group in Illinois, according to new estimates in the 2010 Census.

Behind the news:

Latinos could become Chicago’s largest racial or ethnic group by the year 2020, if...

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Spin Offs

Thousands of students, few graduates

The news:

Former Chicago Bull Wallace “Mickey” Johnson of North Lawndale recently ran for alderman of the 24th Ward on a platform that included improvements to the local education system.

Behind the news:

During his five years as a...

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Spin Offs

Public wages in perspective

The news:

In March, Wisconsin legislators passed a bill restricting public-sector workers’ collective bargaining rights.

Behind the news:

Chicago residents who work in the public sector earn 9 percent more on average than their private-sector...

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New Voices

Sound investment

A Juilliard-trained pianist dedicates her life to providing free music education.

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Editor's Note

This won’t end well

It’s hard to root for the bad guys. And I’m an optimist, so I’m always the person at the movies hoping for a happy ending.

But the work that we do at The Chicago Reporter isn’t always so clear-cut. This month’s cover investigation is a prime example. Reporter Angela...

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Reporter Impact

Reporter News - May/June 2011

Reporter Jeff Kelly Lowenstein has left The Chicago Reporter to become a database and investigations editor at Hoy, the Chicago Tribune’s Spanish-language newspaper. Kelly Lowenstein spent more than five years at the Reporter covering labor/business and health. He...

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Multimedia

Gallery
Photos from the May/June 2011 issue

Atreyu Spears, 19, lives between his mother’s and sister’s apartments, and is not sure how his gun conviction from 2009 will impact his future attempts to get an apartment, job or money for college. The Chatham neighborhood where he lives was recently said to be the epicenter of violent crime in...