Social Issues

Bill making Juneteenth a MN holiday is headed to Walz
June 19 will soon be a state holiday in Minnesota. Known as Juneteenth, it’s the day in 1865 when slavery was viewed as finally abolished in the United States, even though it came years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation
In first GOP-led hearing about the border, witnesses paint sharply different pictures
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee blamed Biden administration policies for the record number of migrant apprehensions. Democrats accused them of fear-mongering and spreading misinformation.
SNAP recipients will lose their pandemic boost and may face other reductions by March
Congress ended the temporary benefit meant to help low-income households with pandemic-era hardships. A huge increase in Social Security benefits may mean some households see further SNAP reductions.
Documentary series traces history of racial injustice, resistance in Twin Cities
Twin Cities Public Television released a documentary called Jim Crow of the North in 2019. A new series by the same name explores more stories about resistance to racial discrimination in the Twin Cities region. It hinges on this question: Why is Minneapolis the epicenter of a global racial reckoning?
Avivo Village shines as solution for unsheltered homelessness in Minneapolis
In 2020, the nonprofit Avivo went tent to tent at the massive encampment in Powderhorn Park to learn what it would take for residents to come indoors. From that came Avivo Village, an indoor community of 100 small units in the North Loop designed specifically for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Is providing a portable toilet an endorsement of a homeless encampment?
Minneapolis has stopped fulfilling requests for portable toilets at encampments on city property. Some city council members say they think it’s a way for the city to skirt responsibility for its encampments.