Social Issues

Musicians tackle powerful, personal topics for 10th round of Cedar Commissions
Over the past 10 years, the Cedar Commissions series in Minneapolis has been a platform for emerging musicians. The show will go on this year in streaming format, starting Friday night, as the artists take on subjects both powerful and personal.
Timeline: The killing of George Floyd
The killing of George Floyd — who repeatedly told Minneapolis police officers he couldn’t breathe as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck in May 2020 — sparked days of unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul and mass protests across the globe. In April, Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter.
What you need to know about the Derek Chauvin trial
The former Minneapolis police officer is facing charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. Opening statements began March 29. The three other officers charged are expected to stand trial in August.
Effort to replace MPD moves forward
A proposal to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new agency passed a hurdle in a City Council committee Thursday.  
Minnesota’s reckoning with race and policing was many years in the making
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in the murder and manslaughter trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. Floyd’s killing touched off a worldwide reckoning on racial justice and law enforcement, building on the outrage that had grown with each high-profile police killing in recent years.
With Biden's backing, Democrats revive George Floyd police reform bill
House Democrats have passed the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing. The sweeping measure bans chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement while easing requirements for prosecutors to pursue misconduct charges.
Drug overdose deaths surge among Black Americans during pandemic
Black Americans with addiction face "pervasive and continuing systemic racism" and often struggle to gain access to treatments that prevent fatal overdoses.
New center to reframe how we research health disparities
A new grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will support antiracism research in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.
As virus-era attacks on Asians rise, past victims look back
Asian Americans have faced a dangerous climate since the coronavirus entered the U.S. a year ago. Now, just over a year and thousands of incidents later, some of the earliest victims find moving forward has been difficult or, at best, bittersweet.