Social Issues

Closing arguments delivered in federal human smuggling case
After hearing three and a half days of testimony, the jury in a federal human smuggling case will begin deliberating judgement Friday. Two Florida men face charges alleging they brought migrants from India into the U.S. illegally.
Survivor tells story of fatal night in human smuggling trial
The jury in the federal trial for two men accused of human smuggling heard dramatic testimony Wednesday from a man who crossed the U.S. Canadian border in a snowstorm on Jan. 19, 2022. He was in a group which included the Patel family of four who froze to death that night.
Border agents lay out a day of horror leading to the discovery of a frozen family
Tuesday in the Federal Courthouse in Fergus Falls prosecutors began laying out their case against two men accused of human smuggling which resulted in the death of an entire family.
How philanthropy can support housing stability and racial justice
The Pohlad Family Foundation focuses its philanthropy on housing and racial justice. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the foundation’s president, Susan Bass Roberts, about where the money goes.
’We were already struggling’: Several Somali mothers say they were duped into paying for poor tutoring services
Eighteen local Somali mothers say they were unknowingly signed up to pay for thousands of dollars in tutoring services through their state tax refunds.
‘Chris died doing what he loved’: Friends remember Twin Cities social justice advocate
Ujamaa Place President and CEO Christopher Crutchfield died while hosting a movie night for Black men on Nov. 4. His nonprofit is named after the Swahili word for “extended family,” and for many in the Twin Cities, that’s exactly what Crutchfield was.
At a Minneapolis brunch, hundreds of Black women ‘choose joy’ despite Trump win
Sheletta Brundidge organized a brunch for Black women in Minneapolis on Saturday morning after the election that drew over 200 attendees seeking to unpack and recharge. 
After Trump's election, some Latino Minnesotans change focus
Francisco Segovia is the executive director of COPAL Minnesota. He spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about what life looked like for some Latino residents of Minnesota during Trump’s last term, and how they’re preparing for the near future.
Boycott men? South Korea's 4B movement gains traction in the U.S. after Trump's win
After Trump's win, there are growing calls among American women to boycott men. They're drawing inspiration from 4B, a South Korean feminist movement that rejects dating, sex, marriage and childbirth.