Social Issues

Somali-Americans who fled civil war confront tribalism in new home
Many Somalis in Minnesota came to the state to flee a civil war fueled by tribalism. Now, some in the community are fighting against this discrimination against Somalis from different tribes through discourse, music, poetry and dance.
Target in the crosshairs of gun rights fight
In the wake of gun rights advocates bringing rifles into Target stores in Texas and several other states, the retailer suddenly finds itself in the middle of an apparent battle between them and people who want it to prohibit guns in stores.
Katherine Halopka-Ivery and Linda Halopka-Ivery filed the lawsuit directly with the high court in April, bypassing the trial and appellate courts. A separate federal lawsuit filed by eight same-sex couples is pending in federal court in Madison.
The chairmen of House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees on Sunday decried long waits and backlogs at the nations VA hospitals but stopped short of calling for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Measures aimed at keeping people out of jail punish the poor
Electronic monitoring devices provide an alternative to sending someone to jail. For a defendant, an ankle bracelet means returning to family and work. For corrections officials, it saves money by reducing overcrowded jails and prisons. But those devices are expensive.
After months of homelessness, a teen leaves the woods behind
Rural areas of the country often lack the shelters and services like affordable housing and public transportation you find in cities. Instead, people pack into substandard houses, live in cars, double up with other families or bounce around from place to place. Or they live in camps outdoors, like Desiree did.