Social Issues

In a pandemic, technology helps tribe reconnect with Dakota language
Members of the Prairie Island Indian Community say there’s a silver lining for their heritage in this chaotic time. By moving Dakota language classes online, they are attracting more tribe members than ever. 
Home but not safe, some LGBTQ young people face rejection from families in lockdown
"A lot of young people when they make it to college are able, for the first time, really, to live their truth," says psychologist Megan Mooney. Now, many young people must stay in a home setting that forces them to hide their identity again.
Pioneer Press columnist Rubén Rosario retires after career of telling memorable stories
Rubén Rosario is leaving his full-time job after 28 years with the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Since 1997 he has been writing a column for the newspaper, which tells the stories of remarkable, but otherwise unknown, people and the issues that confront folks who live on the margins of society. He talks about his career as a journalist.
'Sleeping while black': Louisville police kill unarmed black woman
Attorneys for Breonna Taylor's family say police executed her in her own apartment. Officers were serving a narcotics warrant. Taylor's boyfriend fired at officers, fearing they were intruders.
Georgia AG seeks probe of prosecutors in Arbery killing case
The Feb. 23 killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery has sparked a national outcry, in part because months passed before the arrests of Gregory and Travis McMichael. They were charged with murder after video of the shooting appeared online.
American Jews were targets of more anti-Semitic incidents in 2019 than any other year over the past four decades, a surge marked by deadly attacks on a California synagogue, a Jewish grocery store in New Jersey and a rabbi's New York home, the Anti-Defamation League reported Tuesday.
Minority-owned small businesses were supposed to get priority. They may not have
The CARES Act required the Small Business Administration to tell banks to prioritize underserved communities for coronavirus relief loans. That didn't happen, a new inspector general's report found.
Controversial redesign plan goes before Minneapolis schools this week
District officials say the plan would narrow the achievement gap between students of color and white students. But many families say the possible changes are adding to already high levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advocates: Pandemic making it harder for domestic violence victims to leave
Domestic violence shelters are still open during the pandemic. But advocates say stay-at-home orders are making it harder for people to leave abusive situations — or even just to call for help.