Social Issues

Roseau feels the strain as Minnesota-Canada border hassles take a toll
A nationwide shift of customs officers to the Mexican border last year forced northern crossings to cut hours. That’s frayed the fabric of daily life in Roseau, Minn., where local leaders are not confident of a return to normal.
Veterans urge changes before expansion of VA caregivers program
Veterans are warning that the Department of Veterans Affairs has not resolved serious flaws in the way the program is administered.
5 years after Ferguson, racial tension might be more intense
Five years after 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on a steamy August day, racial tension remains palpable and may be even more intense.
Bringing together young and old to ease the isolation of rural life
In rural communities, loneliness and lack of social connection are taking a toll on the elderly and young alike. One group in Minnesota is trying to solve the problem by connecting the generations.
Less sex, fewer babies: Blame the internet and career priorities
America's birthrate continues to decline, and young people are having less sex, amid career pressures and a confusing online dating scene. The declining fertility rate raises alarms for the economy.
Your questions about gun control in Minnesota, answered
Following two mass shootings, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pressed lawmakers on stalled gun control legislation. Those proposals have a complicated history in the state. Here are a few questions we received from audience members, and their answers.
El Paso, with deep Mexican American past, rallies amid pain
The massacre that killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso struck a city that has long been the cradle of Mexican American culture and immigration and suffered through bloody episodes of racial violence in the past.
Dayton, site of latest mass shooting, warily awaits Trump
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley's stricken community will have a visitor Wednesday in President Donald Trump, who in the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend has made calls for unity on the heels of his divisive political talk.