Social Issues

Juan Manuel Santos: Reconciliation, empathy key to peace-building
The 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of Colombia gave the 2020 Eugene McCarthy Lecture at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict.
The push for an Equal Rights Amendment in Minnesota
Advocates for a proposed Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, to the state constitution hope to bring the question before voters on the November ballot.
Court blocks Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' policy along part of the border
The 9th Circuit said the policy, which forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico, may violate the law. But judges were prepared to block the policy in two states only, starting next week.
10 census facts that bust common myths about the 2020 U.S. head count
It happens only once a decade, so it can be hard to make sense of the census. NPR's census reporter has rounded up facts that debunk some of the most common misconceptions about the national count.
What it’s like to support a family on $12.50 an hour
Many assume low-wage workers are teenagers, but data show that most are adults in their prime working years, and many support families on those wages. In recent years, economists say it’s also become increasingly challenging for low-wage workers to change careers or move up the ladder.
'Part of this country': At Capitol, Minnesota welcomes newest citizens
More than 50 people took their citizenship oath, part of a wave of naturalizations in the past year. A federal judge urged them to take full advantage — and vote.
Federal report says women in prison receive harsher punishments than men
Prisons often give disproportionately harsher punishments for minor offenses to women than to men, according to a new federal report that backs up the findings of an earlier NPR investigation.
APM Reports documentary, 'Shackled Legacy: Universities and the Slave Trade.'
APM Reports documentary, “Shackled Legacy: Universities and the Slave Trade.” History shows slavery helped build many U.S. colleges and universities.