Social Issues

Minnesota novel revisits meth crisis of the '90s
"Northern Lights" tracks a young man through a succession of small towns and counters the myth that meth affects only the poorest of the poor.
Video shows jailer kneeing, punching handcuffed black man
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher on Monday released video of the 2016 incident, which happened before his term. Fletcher called the video "extremely disturbing," and said he is making changes, including appointing a new detention superintendent to oversee the jail.
Some noncitizens do wind up registered to vote, but usually not on purpose
Claims of massive illegal voting by noncitizens have routinely been disproved, but some noncitizens end up on the voter rolls, often by accident. Now, states are trying to fix that.
Kids' mental health, opioid crisis get boost in Walz budget
Gov. Walz's budget places a big emphasis on education and health, and the governor wants to boost kids' access to mental health care in school. He's also proposing $17 million in new funding over two years to tackle the opioid crisis.
United Methodist delegates defeat bid to ease LGBT bans
Delegates of the United Methodist Church, America's second-largest Protestant denomination, Tuesday rejected a move to ease the faith's ban on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT clergy.
Why white school districts have so much more money
According to a new report, predominantly white school districts receive $23 billion more than districts that serve mostly students of color in the U.S.
Family members reported the anglers missing on Tuesday morning, saying they hadn't heard from them since Friday. By early Tuesday afternoon, the Lake of the Woods sheriff said the party was now accounted for.
Classic books are full of problems. Why can't we put them down?
A recent study found that Dr. Seuss books can be pretty racist. It's highlighted a growing debate: Should schools teach classic books that may be problematic or trade them for socially conscious ones?