On Saturday an immigration rally at Federal Plaza marked the anniversary of the huge march a year ago. Organizers are gearing up for a two month onslaught of rallies leading up to another large march on May 1 through the Loop. The Chicago area has become a hotbed on the issue of immigration, taking part in the driving force that may one day force Congress to provide coherent legislation that doesn't allow for so much... more ›

We previously wrote on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (UCIS) updated test questions and increase in prices for the citizenship exam. One company, First Hospitality Groups, is taking steps to reduce some of the burden on those looking to become legal in the country. As the Sun-Times reports, the hotel chain, which has 12 hotels in the Chicago area, is offering a reimbursement of the $400 it costs for the naturalization process and gives workers a day off. more ›

En route to Milwaukee to visit relatives, a 42-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on a Mexicana Airlines flight from Guadalajara, Mexico. The plane landed at O'Hare, and officials say the 7-pound, 8-ounce baby was delivered on the aircraft by an obstetrician. Obstetricians on a Plane is currently in the works. more ›

Fans of Mandarin Mint, Kauai Kolada, and Warm Winter Toffee cigarettes should start stocking up now, as these cigarettes are in their last days. Yesterday, in a news conference from Chicago’s West Side, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that R. J. Reynolds had agreed to a settlement that would prohibit them from selling cigarettes with candy, fruit, or alcoholic beverage names. Under the terms of the agreement, Camel, Kool and Salem can still produce flavored cigarettes; they just can’t be sold with the delicious sounding names.
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Just as the city of Chicago is set to start enforcing its public smoking ban, Elk Grove Village is considering banning the sale of cigarettes completely. Mayor Craig Johnson told the Tribune it would be hypocritical to pass a current village proposal to ban smoking in public while still allowing the sale of cigarettes. If passed, the Trib says that a ban on selling smokes in Elk Grove would be the first of its kind in the country, according to the American Lung Association and the Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco. more ›

If Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis did not like illegal immigrants during his senate campaign last year, then he certainly doesn’t like them now. Yesterday two illegal immigrants filed a state labor complaint against Oberweis, alleging Oberweis Dairy hired a cleaning firm that paid them below minimum wage for cleaning dairy stores in the northwest suburbs. Rosa Ramirez and Jorge Ibarra say Patmar Janitorial Service of Lake in the Hills paid them just $3.23... more ›

3. Poi Dog Pondering: You guys are still around? You’re having a busy little week, aren’t you. more ›