By Rafael Quintero
Senior political reporter with bylines from Caracas, Bogota and Washington, focused on the new Latin American diplomacy.
Illinois Offers $400 One-Time Payment to Families Who Lost SNAP Benefits
Illinois is issuing a one-time $400 payment to households that lost SNAP benefits due to federal cuts. The state has allocated $70 million f
Four Latino Groups Join Forces for Historic 2026 Voter Push
Four major Latino civic groups have formed an unprecedented nonpartisan coalition to boost Latino voter turnout in 2026. The effort targets
New Jersey town demands answers as cancer cases mount near toxic landfill
Keyport, New Jersey, is confronting a public health crisis as nearly 400 cancer cases emerge near a former industrial landfill. Independent
Pennsylvania's SNAP Chip Card Rollout Targets Food Stamp Theft
Pennsylvania is rolling out chip-enabled SNAP cards to combat rising food stamp theft. The $7M upgrade aims to protect vulnerable households
UCLA and Berkeley admissions gap widens across UC system
UCLA and UC Berkeley accepted just 10.8% and 10.5% of applicants, respectively, while Riverside and Merced topped 89%. The UC system issued
Miami clinic owner charged with using dead patients' IDs in $1.1M fraud
Federal and state authorities have charged Osmel Núñez, owner of a Miami aesthetics clinic, with orchestrating a $1.1 million fraud using th
FEMA Aid Denials: Avoid These Common Application Errors
FEMA denies many disaster aid applications due to avoidable errors. Learn the most common mistakes and how to appeal a denial within 60 days
Why Moroccans are crossing into Ceuta: the crisis behind the surge
A massive influx of migrants overwhelmed Ceuta, with at least 34 deaths at sea. High youth unemployment in Morocco and a Spanish court rulin
Chicago Latino schools hit hardest as CPS budget cuts loom
Latino-majority high schools in Chicago face a 7% reduction in teaching staff as CPS moves to close a $732 million deficit. The cuts disprop
Meta and BlackRock's $14B AI data center in Texas brings thousands of jobs
Meta and BlackRock are building a $14 billion AI data center in Texas, creating 4,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent positions. The fac
Texas renters gain thousands of affordable units in $114M housing push
Texas is rolling out a $114 million affordable housing initiative that will add more than 4,400 lower-rent units across 70 projects statewid
Wealthy New Yorkers dominate rent-stabilized apartments meant for low-income tenants
Affluent renters occupy about 10% of New York's rent-stabilized units, saving nearly $1,300 a month. The system lacks income recertification