Social Issues

Understanding autism can lead to tolerance
Autism was once a rare disorder, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 150 children now carries that diagnosis.
Homeless shelter near GOP convention site to remain open
The Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul will remain open and enhance its services when the Republican National Convention comes to St. Paul in September. Catholic Charities runs the center and has been working on a plan for what it will do differently during the convention.
High school for recording arts is 'hip hop central'
A "hip-hop high school" in St. Paul uses music to keep kids on track and help them graduate against tough odds.
To solve racial disparities, parents, schools call truce
The education gap between black and white students in Minneapolis public schools has been the source of an increasingly bitter struggle, but a group of parents and the school board have decided to call a truce.
Singing in Grover's Corners
Turning famous works of American literature into operas has become something of a trend lately. St. Paul's Skylark Opera company is presenting the upper Midwest premiere of one of the latest, Ned Rorem's adaptation of "Our Town."
Still seeking an end to homelessness
The Bush administration's homelessness czar campaigns for a complete end to homelessness. Philip Mangano says more permanent housing is the way to address the chronic problem. But the troubled economy and injured war veterans may add many more homeless.
American Indians prefer to reflect on their own history
Minnesota marks 150 years of statehood this year, but not everyone is celebrating. American Indian tribes in Minnesota were here long before the state was. For many Indians, the history they remember is one of repression, broken promises and loss of culture.
Yucca Mountain and the fight over nuclear power
The Bush administration wants to store the nation's nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada, but opponents are concerned about safety, and the implications for expanding U.S. nuclear power.
A performance in plain sight amongst unknowing crowds
If you have ever stood in a crowded mall and wondered about the individual stories behind the people around you, the Back to Back Theater Company from Australia may have an answer.