What did Naomi Ko get for her birthday? News that her family has been cursed for generations. See her one-woman show exploring the curse.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Energy efficiency work grows at Minnesota mobile home parks with large immigrant populations
The work ranges from giving mobile home park residents LED light bulbs to insulating the “belly” of their homes, which are exposed to cold air, at no cost to the residents.
Posted inNews
Ashley Boone is a social worker and foster parent, but a Minnesota court won’t let her adopt her nephews
Despite laws prioritizing the placement of children with relatives, a Kandiyohi County judge sided with a foster parent vying to adopt the boys.
Posted inHOUSING
St. Paul residents urge adoption of zoning changes that would increase housing across city
The St. Paul City Council heard from several residents Wednesday who said the changes could increase affordable housing and improve access to public transportation.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Frey to Minneapolis City Council: Put the Third Precinct at 26th and Minnehaha
The Minneapolis mayor says he wants to build a new police station on a vacant city-owned lot at 2600 Minnehaha Av. and asked the City Council to fund it.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Filled with fear and excitement, one St. Paul man vies for a license under Driver’s Licenses for All
Oscar is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who drove in the Twin Cities even though he knew he risked arrest and potential deportation.
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis Public Schools officials warn that staffing cuts are coming
As federal COVID aid runs out, Minneapolis Public Schools says it will need to cut expenses—and that will mean cutting staff. A union official questioned the district’s math: “We are still understaffed.”
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Que debe saber sobre Licencias de Conducir para Todos en Minnesota
El estado está aceptando citas de habitantes de Minnesota indocumentados que quieran aplicar para una licencia de conducir o una tarjeta de identificación estatal.
Posted inImmigration
Driver’s Licenses for All brings relief as undocumented Minnesotans apply for licenses after 20-year prohibition
Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services took the unusual step of opening some of its facilities Sunday to allow applicants to take their written driver’s test.
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Lifeworks Services shares 10 tips to create inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
In the shadow of a nuclear plant, Prairie Island celebrates steps toward a green future
The Tribal Nation is about two years into an effort to cut its members’ energy costs with a solar field and other eco-friendly projects.
Posted inEDUCATION
Student loan payments restart this month. Here’s what you need to know about paying your debt.
Americans collectively owe $1.77 trillion in student loan debt, and must start paying it back this month after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s loan forgiveness plan.
Posted inArts
Your Weekend Guide: The Twin Cities Arab Film Fest, a live cooking show, and more
This weekend’s events also include poetry readings by Korean and Hispanic artists and a celebration of Native American artistry.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Marijuana advocates urge Gov. Walz to appoint local entrepreneur, scientist as state’s cannabis czar
Some marijuana advocates and insiders want Clemon Dabney to lead the state’s new Office of Cannabis Management.
Posted inHEALTH
‘Races are hosted on our land’: At the Twin Cities Marathon and beyond, Verna Volker wants to reclaim running as a Native tradition.
After moving from New Mexico to Minneapolis, Verna Volker founded a group called Native Women Running to create opportunities and community for Indigenous athletes. She’s also changing the face of a mostly white sport.
Posted inEDUCATION
Unaccountable: Shakopee accountant under investigation for alleged $42,000 theft from Hmong charter school
The Anton Group, a St. Paul–based accounting firm, provided services to one in five Minnesota charter schools in 2022, but dissolved in wake of the alleged fraud. Neal Thao, the CEO of Noble Academy, said charter schools should “look at their accounts very carefully.”
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
How to help victims of Morocco earthquake and Libya flooding
Minnesotans are raising funds to support relief efforts in Morocco and Libya. Here are ways to help.
Posted inHOUSING
Lower Sioux Indian Community pioneers new building technique using hemp
The Lower Sioux Indian Community believes using hemp to build houses will help them address a housing shortage while promoting eco-friendly building practices.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Somali Prime Minister rallies locals, praises Somali youth during Minnesota visit
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre asked Somali Minnesotans to help raise money to fight the terrorist organization, Al-Shabab, in their home country.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Eight Libyan officials jailed for potential negligence in deadly dam collapses
Libya’s chief prosecutor says he has ordered the detention of eight current and former officials pending his investigation into the collapse of two dams. The disaster earlier this month left thousands of people dead.
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How to turn your small business dream into a reality
Position your big idea for longevity and success.
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Encouraging Young Black Men to Dream Big
Dr. Michael Walker is an unapologetic advocate for Black student achievement.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Why does Minnesota’s Asian community earn more than all other groups, yet still experience poverty at above-average rates?
The apparent paradox lies in differences between how Minnesota’s Indian and Hmong communities arrived in the state.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Red Lake Nation to receive Minneapolis land for treatment center
Tribal leaders will build an addiction treatment facility on two parcels north of Lake Street, which have been vacant for more than a decade.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Minnesota could earn millions recycling electronic waste, study finds
Minnesota could reap significant environmental and economic benefits by recycling all its electronic waste. A St. Paul legislator hopes to pass a new state law to get there.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Poetry for youth, an art market, and reflections from a Black female artist
This weekend’s events include a poetry workshop, an open mic night, a St. Paul arts and culture market, and a mixed media art exhibition.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Minneapolis council members revive effort to pass rideshare ordinances after defeat
Three Minneapolis council members want to introduce two new ordinances that would increase wages and protections for Uber and Lyft drivers.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Minneapolis workers from across industries call on city to establish labor standards board
Supporters of a labor standards board in Minneapolis say they hope to have an ordinance passed by the end of the year.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Afghan refugees in Minnesota rebuilding community one thread at a time
Two years after Afghan refugees arrived in Minnesota after the fall of Kabul in Afghanistan, they are building a new community through sewing.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Trip to Puerto Rico inspires Minnesota groups, elected officials
Learning about environmental justice and community resilience in Puerto Rico helps Minnesotans dream bigger.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Somali Prime Minister to address the fight against Al-Shabab during Minnesota visit Sunday
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre will appear at an event in Bloomington scheduled from 6 p.m. Sunday to 12 a.m. Monday.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
What is the Sikh movement at the center of tensions between India and Canada?
Tensions between Canada and India have reached new heights with dueling diplomatic expulsions and an allegation of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Hmong farmers plant community and change in Dakota County
The Hmong American Farmers Association closed on farmland in Dakota County last year. Now, the more than 150 acres are home base for the organization and 20 families of Hmong farmers.
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Reclaiming the Narrative, Building Sustainable Growth
The North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance unites five Native nations to promote and educate the world about Native culture.
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Every Kid Deserves Safe & Affirming Spaces
Hoa Nguyen, Girl Scout Mentored Troop Leader
Posted inEDUCATION
Judge tosses four of five claims related to art-history dispute at Hamline University, keeps case in federal court
Erika López Prater, an art history professor, lost her teaching position at Hamline after showing images of the Prophet Muhammad in class. A federal judge will allow her religious discrimination claim to proceed.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Want to help Minnesota curb air pollution in vulnerable neighborhoods? Here’s how.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is launching a three-year process to implement the newly passed cumulative impact law.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Trial begins for officers charged with killing Elijah McClain near Denver
Jury selection begins Friday in the trial of Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt on manslaughter, criminally negligent reckless homicide and assault charges.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Seattle police officer recorded joking about woman fatally struck by squad car
A city watchdog agency is investigating after a body-worn camera captured one Seattle Police Department union leader joking with another following the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a police cruiser as she was crossing a street.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
More than 10,000 missing in flooded Libyan city; 11,000 dead
Libyan authorities have limited access to the flooded coastal city of Derna to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing and presumed dead following a disaster that has already claimed more than 11,000 lives.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Planned Parenthood resuming abortions in Wisconsin despite 173-year-old law
A judge ruled that an 1849 law didn’t ban abortions. Planned Parenthood says that it will resume offering abortions in Milwaukee and Madison starting Monday.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Lake Street businesses prepare for Mexican Independence Day celebration
Mercado Central in Minneapolis is hosting an event Friday to commemorate Mexican Independence Day.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Arts Guide: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, explore St. Paul murals
Spend your weekend watching K-pop dancers and listening to a mariachi band at events across Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Posted inEDUCATION
More than 43,000 student names and email addresses exposed in St. Paul data breach
The data breach is the sixth at a Minnesota educational institution in the last year. But cybersecurity experts tell Sahan Journal the hack was “relatively minor.”
Posted inHEALTH
COVID, flu, RSV boosters: Which shots should you get this fall?
The short answer to the question of what vaccinations you should get for optimum health is—all of them. Read on for answers to other frequently asked questions.
Posted inHOUSING
Blue Line extension clears hurdle after Met Council committee approves route through Minneapolis, suburbs
Community groups have urged the Met Council to avoid displacing homes and businesses as the train line is extended northwest from downtown Minneapolis.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota author’s Ojibwe Word of the Day series keeps language, history alive
James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw’s new book, “The Seven Generations and Seven Grandfather Teachings,” shows how language carries cultural wisdom.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Census data: Minnesotans of color grew in number, but continue to face disparities
Data from the American Community Survey shows that Minnesotans of color continue to fare worse than their white counterparts when it comes to poverty and unemployment.
Posted inEDUCATION
Last spring, Minnesota overhauled how schools teach reading. How will that affect English-language learners?
The READ Act, passed by the Minnesota legislature, mandates that school districts switch to a literacy approach that emphasizes the science of reading. But it didn’t focus on the experiences or needs of multilingual learners. Sahan Journal checked in with schools that serve immigrant communities to see how the new approach may work.
Posted inHOUSING
Activists demand better response to homelessness after Indigenous encampment is cleared in Minneapolis
Community members asked Minneapolis City Council members to provide hand washing stations and drug prevention services at encampments.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Chef Yia Vang’s restaurant, Vinai, will open next spring in Minneapolis
Vinai, the new restaurant named after the refugee camp in Thailand where Vang was born, will take the space soon to be vacated by the Dangerous Man Brewing taproom.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Hennepin County judge named new Minneapolis community safety commissioner
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has tapped Toddrick Barnette, currently Hennepin County’s chief judge, to be the city’s next community safety commissioner. The Minneapolis City Council must approve the selection.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Your Minnesota rebate check is coming from Montana. What to look out for when it comes in the mail.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue expects to send out 2.1 million rebate payments by the end of September.
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Improving kids’ health means much more than doctor visit
Children’s Minnesota meets kids where they live, learn and play.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
New state waste management plan supports trash incinerators; advocates demand their closure, citing adverse health impacts
Activists have been chipping away at the HERC trash incinerator in downtown Minneapolis, but a new state plan for metro waste sees incinerators as an asset.
Posted inEDUCATION
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona espouses importance of multilingual education at Hmong dual-immersion school in St. Paul
Cardona spent Friday in Minnesota to wrap up his national tour, “Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar.”
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
How did Minnesota become a hub for Hmong people?
Hmong people are the largest Asian group in Minnesota, decades after many sought refuge here.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Arts Guide: Get outside for a block party, street gallery, and jazz festival
Minneapolis and St. Paul are hosting arts and music events outside this weekend, including storefronts decked out in art.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Driver’s Licenses for All goes into effect this week. Here’s how to apply for a license.
The state is accepting appointments from undocumented Minnesotans who want to apply for a state driver’s license or identification card.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Two more defendants plead guilty in Feeding Our Future fraud case
Sahra Nur admitted to stealing more than $5 million from the federal government. Yusuf Ali admitted to stealing more than $200,000.
Posted inHOUSING
Affordable housing development escapes Shakopee’s attempt to kill project after rezoning vote is withdrawn
The move comes after a Sahan Journal investigation found that city officials plotted to kill the Prairie Pointe development by rezoning the project site.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota entrepreneur sees opportunities, obstacles for people of color in marijuana industry
Plift co-founder Todd Harris worries that people of color will not benefit greatly from the legalization of marijuana.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minneapolis Police union wants stake in human rights agreement with the city
Police union attorney James P. Michels argued in court that the union needs to be aware of anything during the agreement’s implementation that could affect the Minneapolis Police Department union contract.
Posted inEDUCATION
‘An important day’: St. Paul opens nation’s first East African magnet school
The new school—the first of its kind in the nation—offers language support in Arabic, Amharic, Swahili, Somali, Oromo, and Tigrinya.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Fall movie preview: Hollywood readies for a season with stars on the sidelines
The ongoing actors and screenwriters strikes are casting a pall over the fall movie season, but a parade of awards contenders and autumn blockbusters are on the way, nevertheless.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota’s Goodhue and other small towns are disbanding police forces
America is in the midst of a police officer shortage. Small-town residents from Goodhue, Minnesota, to Lott, Texas, say giving up a police force isn’t that bad.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Kenya’s leader says climate change is eating away at Africa’s economic growth
President William Ruto spoke while hosting the first Africa Climate Summit. He says the continent of more than 1.3 billion people is losing 5% to 15% of its GDP growth every year to the impacts of climate change.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Myanmar won’t be allowed to lead Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026
Myanmar won’t take over the rotating leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as scheduled in 2026, in the latest blow to efforts by its ruling generals to gain international recognition after violently seizing power in 2021.
Posted inEDUCATION
Last spring, St. Paul gave Abdisalam Adam three months to start the nation’s first East African magnet school. Here’s what happened.
After decades of declining enrollment, St. Paul Public Schools made a bold bet: offer families a school with support in seven different languages. The school’s first-time principal had one summer to get it done.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Community members push to save Rice Street Gardens as potential development looms
Rice Street Gardens is a social and nutritional haven for many east metro immigrants. Community members are raising $1 million to buy the garden plots.
Posted inHEALTH
Hair care is part of health care: Minnesota hospitals change how they welcome Black and brown patients
Spurred by patient feedback, local hospitals have started to provide culturally appropriate hair- and skin-care products. “It just shows that someone’s talking, and someone might be listening,” one patient says.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Cultural Destinations booth at Minnesota State Fair connects diverse businesses to wider audience
A booth at the Minnesota State Fair allows several business owners of color to take turns showcasing their wares in the education building.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Twelfth defendant in Feeding our Future fraud case pleads guilty to stealing $1 million
Abdikadir Kadiye pleaded guilty to stealing money from the federal government that was supposed to feed underprivileged children.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Art Events in the Twin Cities
Experience a glow-in the dark exhibition, a monarch butterfly tapestry project, an open mic night, and a multimedia exhibition exploring Somali womanhood.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Explore Latino businesses at the Minnesota State Fair
Pan-Latino Day will take place on Saturday, September 2, at the Minnesota State Fair.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Social worker Lamar Hill draws from experience as a biracial foster child
Lamar Hill runs Four Elements Therapy in Fargo, North Dakota, where he also serves Minnesotans.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
First time at the Minnesota State Fair? Here’s how it went for me
Sahan Journal reporter Alfonzo Galvan takes you through his first day at the Minnesota State Fair.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Former Sears building’s new owner breaks silence on its potential future
The old Sears property near the Minnesota State Capitol could house an events center, charter school, and food court, among other ideas, according to its new owner, Asian Media Access.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Citizenry on a stick: Minnesota State Fair holds first naturalization ceremony since 1996 for new Americans
Immigrants from 18 countries gathered at the International Bazaar to take the Oath of Allegiance. The benefits of citizenship? The right to vote and easy access to deep fried Oreos.
Posted inNews
K-Mama Sauce’s Korean chili paste makes State Fair debut after eight-year effort
K-Mama Sauce founder Kyung Chun tried to get into the fair as a vendor and was rejected for seven years.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
University of Minnesota launches environmental justice center to help underserved communities
The University of Minnesota is home to a new federal office intended to get as much climate investment into environmental justice communities as possible.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Sahan Journal wins national news innovation award for Somali-language text-message service
The 2023 Nonprofit News Awards recognized Sahan for “Tani waa su’aashayda” (“Here’s my question”). The weekly audio newsletter and text-message service offers news to Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
Posted inNews
Review of new Minnesota State Fair foods: A bag of polarizing pickles, mom’s recipe, and more
Sahan Journal reporters Hibah Ansari and Joey Peters try some new foods at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, which starts today.
Posted inNews
Eleventh suspect in Feeding Our Future fraud investigation pleads guilty
Qamar Hassan is the 11th defendant of 60 to plead guilty in the case.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
East Phillips group given more time to raise millions to buy Roof Depot site
The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute is confident it can raise the $3.7 million needed by November to buy the site from the city.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Mayor Frey vetoes Minneapolis rideshare ordinance, announces changes for Uber drivers
The city ordinance does not have approval from enough council members—nine—to overcome the mayor’s veto.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Firing of Indigenous organizer leads to complaints of union busting, reveals rift in Minnesota climate nonprofit
Nancy Beaulieu and Andy Pearson say they were fired and disciplined, respectively, for trying to comply with management’s orders.
Posted inEDUCATION
Crisis averted: Minnesota teacher-license plan gets federal approval, preserving $219 million in special education funding
The approved plan will require a change to state law. But some advocates say the Minnesota plan will not address a bigger problem: teachers entering the classroom without special education training.
Posted inHEALTH
Language barriers in health care contribute to more COVID deaths, Minnesota researcher finds
Dr. Nasreen Quadri, a physician and researcher affiliated with the University of Minnesota, wants to remove the health care barriers faced by immigrants and refugees. One of those challenges is speaking English.
Posted inEDUCATION
A new home: JJ Legacy School will move to Family Baptist Church
After a rental dispute that revealed holes in state law and resulted in the school’s eviction, the Montessori charter school will move to another church in north Minneapolis. “We get to start new,” said Tonicia Abdur Salaam, the head of school.
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Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Marijuana is legal in Minnesota, but legal experts urge caution for immigrants.
As Minnesota legalizes cannabis, immigration experts remind noncitizens that the substance is federally controlled and Minnesotans without citizenship or immigration documentation still face risks.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Minnesota queens of color seek opportunities to shine amid national anti-drag blitz
“I think people need to change the conversation about what drag is,” one Black drag performer says, to an example of “queer excellence in the community.”
