Social Issues

Lawmakers try to dislodge opioid response bill
Lawmakers generally agree on a plan but are negotiating over who will pay and for how long to respond to the addiction epidemic which has claimed hundreds of lives in Minnesota.
Breaking the cycle of disinvestment in lower-income communities
It's not uncommon for people who want to start businesses in lower-income neighborhoods to have trouble getting bank loans. But increasingly, there are investors looking specifically to help businesses in those areas.
Dakota aim to reclaim Fort Snelling and its difficult history
The Minnesota Historical Society wants to make its sites more inclusive of all histories, and an example of its efforts came at an event for the Dakota community at Fort Snelling.
Teachers begin to see unfair student loans disappear
The Department of Education is expanding a fix to its troubled TEACH Grant program, giving millions of dollars of grant money back to public school teachers working in the country's neediest schools.
What's in a name? Ask your legislator
Lawmakers are struggling this year with what to call a lot of things -- from a lake in Minneapolis to some parks to a bridge.
Why making a 'designer baby' would be easier said than done
Ethical concerns aside, the genetic ingredients for human traits are so complex that editing a few embryonic genes is unlikely to have much effect -- or achieve the fantasy of enhancing humans.
Kennedy named University of Colorado president amid protests
The University of Colorado has named Mark Kennedy as its next president amid protests that the former Republican U.S. representative is out of step with the school's values.
Trump defends clinicians' right to refuse to do abortions
The conscience rule was a priority for religious conservatives who are a key part of Trump's political base, but some critics fear it will become a pretext for denying medical attention to LGBT people or women seeking abortions, a legal medical procedure.