Social Issues

988 becomes Minnesota’s go-to call for mental health help 
Now starting its third year, the 988 call line has turned into a lifeline for tens of thousands of Minnesotans. Advocates say it’s been a success helping people with all kinds of health needs, although challenges remain to make the system better.
If roughly 40 percent of Americans avoid the news, what does that mean for political engagement?
About 40 percent of Americans avoid the news at least some of the time, and the reasons for doing so are complicated. As one expert points out, some news avoiders are put off by scary headlines, and others have a hard time making sense of the news, especially when it comes to politics.
Stauber cites mineral mining as one reason for Trump’s appeal in northern Minnesota
Minnesota 8th District Republican Rep. Pete Stauber spoke to MPR News’ All Things Considered host Tom Crann about his party’s platform and how he sees it playing out in northern Minnesota.
‘In certain circumstances’: GOP grapples with abortion rights, a key issue in Harris campaign
While Kamala Harris is not yet the official Democratic party’s presidential nominee, many of her supporters are hopeful she’ll bring her perspective as a woman — and a woman of color — to the top job in U.S. politics. But not everyone is on board with her stance on reproductive rights.
Punishing people for sleeping and camping in public spaces 
MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that gives local governments the right to criminally punish people for sleeping and camping in public spaces.
Joyner Emerick focuses on the future for Minnesota’s disabled students
Young people bring Joyner Emerick hope for the future, which is why they serve on the Minneapolis Board of Education. When they were elected in 2023, Emerick became the city’s first openly transgender and openly autistic school board member and has used that platform to advocate for disabled students at both the local and state levels.
Growing people, not crops, is the goal of a Moorhead farm
The Red River Valley is well known for large farms growing an abundance of corn, soybeans and sugar beets. But there’s a unique farm near Moorhead that’s finding success by focusing on a very different kind of growth: human skills and knowledge.