Social Issues

Willmar keeps the refugee door open despite concerns
Rising numbers of Somali and Latino immigrants have brought opportunities and tensions to west-central Minnesota. A recent Kandiyohi County vote to accept more refugees has put those divisions into clearer focus.
DHS watchdog finds no wrongdoing in deaths of 2 migrant kids
Both died from bacterial infections. At the time lawmakers and immigrant advocates decried how the children had been treated in the hours before their deaths and called for an investigation. 
Vatican office lifts veil, revealing vast caseload of abuse
The Vatican office responsible for investigating clergy sex abuse cases says it is overwhelmed. A record 1,000 cases have been reported in 2019, many of them from countries not heard from before. The tribunal has long been a secretive branch of the Vatican. Now, it is opening up.
In nearly every U.S. metro area, new data show opportunity lags for kids of color
NPR got an early look at data showing vastly different opportunities for children of different races across the United States living just neighborhoods apart. Albany, N.Y., has some of the greatest inequities.
For struggling Minnesota Muslims, help is a phone call away
Two sisters, Sumaya and Fadumo Hassan, started a mental-health helpline offering callers counseling and referrals to other resources. They’ve addressed questions on how to deal with bullying, anti-Islam sentiment and issues of identity.
A Minneapolis workers’ advocacy group has compiled several dozen stories from Latino immigrants who’ve alleged exploitation and other forms of wage theft while working on construction jobs. The report comes on the heels of Hennepin County’s first-ever prosecution of a labor-trafficking case, which ended in a guilty plea last month.