Social Issues

Kaler backs pulling Coffman, other names off U buildings
Nicholson, Middlebrook and Coffey halls, and Coffman Memorial Union, are all named for leaders who supported discrimination against blacks and Jews at the University of Minnesota. President Eric Kaler said Friday he'll urge regents to rename them.
Many view 'black friend defense' as a tired, hollow argument
The trope played out in front of a national TV audience this week as Republican Rep. Mark Meadows defended President Trump against testimony by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who claimed the president is racist. Meadows pointed to Lynne Patton, a black Trump administration staffer, and said Patton never would tolerate working for a racist.
House passes second gun background check bill in as many days
The measure seeks to close the so-called "Charleston loophole" that allowed an avowed white supremacist to buy a gun he used to kill 9 people at Mother Emanuel AME in Charleston. S.C., in 2015.
When kids ask (really) tough questions: A quick guide
Is Santa real? Will you ever die? Children ask questions that can induce knee-buckling panic in adults. Here are some research-tested strategies to help you navigate conversations about death, race and other tricky topics.