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business & work
Amazon shutters Shakopee facility, agrees to transfer hundreds of workers
Most of the closing workplace’s 680 workers will be sent to other Amazon sites, according to state officials and a nonprofit that worked with employees. Some will be laid off.
education
Minnesota education bill would let schools apply for cybersecurity grants
A $35 million proposal in the House education omnibus bill would allow schools to apply for grants to address building safety and cybersecurity needs. The bill highlights cyber insurance, but experts say schools need to focus on prevention.
business & work
‘Elevate and empower’: How St. Cloud’s Diverse Voices Press is filling a gap in children’s literature
A Somali couple in St. Cloud founded a publishing company to write books for underrepresented communities in children’s books.
Readers like you power our journalism.
Sahan Journal’s nonprofit journalism is powered by readers like you. If you find our journalism valuable and insightful, please keep it free for all by becoming a monthly donor of Sahan Journal today.
National & International headlines
Report: Black kids 6 times likelier to be strip-searched in England and Wales
Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza found nearly 3,000 children were strip-searched between 2018 and mid-2022 and more than half the searches were conducted without an appropriate adult present.
Autism now more common among Black, Hispanic kids in U.S.
Experts attribute the change to improved screening and autism services for all kids, and to increased awareness and advocacy for Black and Hispanic families.
TikTok CEO faces off with Congress over security fears
Shou Zi Chew faced a grilling Thursday from a U.S. congressional committee about banning TikTok.
latest stories
Minnesota rushes to help hundreds of thousands at risk of losing Medicaid after pandemic
Beginning Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans using Medical Assistance, the state’s program for Medicaid, may be in danger of losing coverage.
Stephanie Burrage to become Minnesota’s first Chief Equity Officer
Stephanie Burrage previously served as deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education. In her new post, Burrage will create a new state office of equity and opportunity.
‘A hugely personal story’: Theater Mu debuts musical exploring cancer
The musical, “Again,” runs March 29 through April 16 at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis. Playwright Katie Ka Vang believes the musical is “the first professional musical production by a Hmong-American playwright.”
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JPMorgan Chase Celebrates Women’s History Month
Q&A with JPMorgan Chase’s Carolina Jannicelli
Undocumented and wondering how to file your taxes? Here’s a guide to filing federal and state taxes.
Undocumented workers must apply for a taxpayer identification number that’s used to file federal and state taxes. A local tax preparer says addresses on tax forms are protected from being misused by immigration authorities.
Black leaders find safety in Minneapolis wellness center
The Wellness Paradigm features therapeutic massage, colon hydrotherapy, and ear candling, among other services. The center’s owner wants clients to immediately feel relaxed and safe.
Minnesota podcast tackles humanity, womanhood, and Islam
The Digital Sisterhood launched back in 2021 and has since drawn a huge international audience. The third season dropped this week.
Chef Yia Vang calls new Mee-Ka pop-up restaurant a ‘beautiful collision’ of Hmong and American cuisine
Mee-Ka will serve Hmong comfort food influenced by American cuisine, offering ramen and Hmong sausage as a stand-in for spaghetti and meatballs, among other twists on familiar favorites.
‘Why are they closing Walmart?’: Community members are upset over announced closure of store in Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center Walmart posted a sign saying the store would close permanently on April 21, 2023. The decision comes after the closure of an Aldi and Walgreen’s, also located in areas with large Black populations.
It’s gotten harder to end pregnancies across the Midwest. Abortion doulas in Minnesota say they’re here to help.
Abortion patients may need support in the clinic or help with travel, lodging, and logistics. Midwest abortion bans mean more patients are seeking assistance in Minnesota.
Duluth Black nonprofit launches creative space, Studio X
The Family Freedom Center launched the Skilled Trades, Arts, Robotics, and Technology program to bridge the gap between students of color and professions that build generational wealth.
Black and Funny Improv Festival: Comedy as ‘an act of resistance’
The festival features performers from across the country, and runs from Wednesday through Sunday.
Want to find ways to give back, celebrate, and build community during Ramadan? Here’s a list of free and ticketed events across Minnesota.
Mosques and community groups across Minnesota are hosting several events to celebrate Ramadan, including interfaith dinners and special events for women and girls.
Minnesota House passes bill that shields abortion providers, out-of-state patients
If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would prevent state courts or officials from complying with extraditions, arrests, or subpoenas related to reproductive health care that a person receives in Minnesota.
‘I’m the chef now’: Afro Deli owner Abdirahman Kahin named Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year
Abdirahman Kahin wanted to share African food with a larger audience, so he opened his first restaurant in 2010. Afro Deli and Grill now has four locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Students urge University of Minnesota to better fund scholarship, Native American studies
Students and activists want an expansion of the Native American Promise Tuition Program and more funding for the American Indian Studies department and Native-led student groups.
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Tuning Into Your Child
St. David’s Center Shines a Light on the Importance of Parent-Child Relationships
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The Loft’s Wordplay Festival: Revitalized & Reimagined
Wordplay returns July 8, 2023!
Minnesota school workers push Legislature to solve ‘staffing crisis’ with $25-an-hour minimum wage.
The Education Support Professional Bill of Rights would boost pay and lower health insurance costs. School workers say it’s necessary to attract and retain staff. But district leaders worry about increased costs.
Valerie Castile says the state’s new school-meals law is an investment in Minnesota’s kids—and a tribute to her son, Philando
For the past six years, Valerie Castile has helped raise more than $200,000 to pay off the cafeteria debt of kids who can’t afford school lunch. On Friday, Governor Tim Walz signed a bill providing a basic breakfast and lunch to every kid in Minnesota. Castile told Sahan Journal her activism came from “listening to God and the spirit of my son, and we just started helping people.”
Transgender activists hope to save south Minneapolis house, open a co-op
Residents of the Rye House are trying to raise money to buy the home from a Catholic organization, which is giving them until sometime in April to move out.
A fresh fade right at home: Black student-athletes at St. Olaf start campus barber shop featured in CBS Sports documentary
The pop-up shop provides styling and haircuts for students of color who would otherwise have to drive to the Twin Cities area.
Mille Lacs band, tribal and environmental groups launch campaign against proposed mine
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, along with other tribal and environmental groups, launched the Water over Nickel campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with the proposed Tamarack Mine, 50 miles west of Duluth.
MORE STORIES
Prior Lake High students find voice, power in wake of Twin Cities racial turmoil
Since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police in 2020, students at Prior Lake High School are speaking out about how racism has impacted them in and out of school.
Legislature closer to passing free meals for students
The Minnesota Senate voted 38-26 Tuesday to use the state’s budget surplus to cover a basic breakfast and lunch each day for students.
Despite mounting legal costs, Mille Lacs County plans to appeal ruling in tribal case
Mille Lacs County is appealing a federal judge’s decision to grant the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe policing authority within its 61,000-acre reservation.
Willie Jett becomes first Black man to lead Minnesota’s education department
Jett brings his vast experience to the role of Minnesota Commissioner of Education. He’s been a teacher, student, coach, principal, parent, and superintendent.
‘Do you see us?’ Minnesota tribal leaders drive discussion at Capitol
Leaders of 11 federally-recognized Indian tribes addressed their concerns to lawmakers during Sovereignty Day at the Minnesota Capitol.
Here are the 10 new defendants who were charged Monday in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation
Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger’s office charged 10 more suspects in the alleged fraud. Fifty suspects were charged last year.
A plane for Kenya, a Tesla in Eagan: New defendants charged in alleged Feeding Our Future fraud spent money on lavish toys instead of needy children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged 10 defendants Monday who allegedly embezzled federal money earmarked to feed needy children. One woman allegedly claimed to feed more children than the entire population of the town she reportedly served.
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These tax tips can make filing (1040) EZ
With tax day approaching, there’s no time like the present to get started on your 2022 returns and submit them well before the April 18 deadline.
East Village apartment flood left exposed floors, damaged walls, and seniors stranded without elevator service
Several tenants of the East Village apartments say Aeon has left their units and building in shambles more than two months after the flood. The apartments are home to many Somali residents.
How can I protect myself against the ransomware attack on Minneapolis Public Schools?
Hackers have posted online some personal information from Minneapolis Public Schools students, staff, and families—and have threatened to leak much more. We asked experts what it means for you, and what you can do about it.
Minnesota House unanimously passes bill strengthening protections for Indigenous families and children
The Minnesota House passed a bill Thursday that would enhance child welfare protections under the 1985 Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, known as MIFPA.
International headlines
Apache group gets new chance to argue mine will harm sacred sites
Apache Stronghold sued the U.S. government, saying that its plans to transfer the Oak Flat land to a mining firm would place an undue burden on tribal members seeking to practice their religion.
Trump waits out grand jury as New York braces for protests
Former president Donald Trump over the weekend claimed without evidence that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but there was no indication that prediction would come true.
Video shows Irvo Otieno pinned to floor before his death
Newly obtained video shows sheriff’s deputies and workers pressing down on a prone, handcuffed, and shackled Irvo Otieno. He died March 6.
Putin welcomes China’s Xi to Kremlin amid Ukraine fighting
Xi Jinping’s trip showed off Beijing’s new diplomatic swagger and gave a political lift to Russian President Vladimir Putin days after an international arrest warrant was issued for the Kremlin leader on war crimes charges related to Ukraine.
Silicon Valley Bank collapse concerns founders of color
In the hours after some of Silicon Valley Bank’s biggest customers started pulling out their money, a WhatsApp group of startup founders who are immigrants of color raised concerns about securing funding for their startups.
Report: 43,000 estimated dead in Somalia drought last year
Half of the 43,000 people who died during Somalia’s longest drought last year were likely children under 5 years old.
