Sahan Journal launches search for new staff to grow our audiences, major donors, and sales and marketing programs. Be part of the future of diverse nonprofit news in Minnesota!
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Sahan Journal is seeking a strategic manager of audience growth to work with us!
Sahan Journal launches search for new staff to grow our audiences, major donors, and sales and marketing programs. Be part of the future of diverse nonprofit news in Minnesota!
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Sahan Journal is hiring new roles to support our unique nonprofit newsroom. Come work with us!
Sahan Journal is searching for new staff to support our audience growth, major gifts, and sales and marketing. Be part of the future of diverse nonprofit news in Minnesota!
Posted inEDUCATION
Strikeblog Week Two: Striking educators and Minneapolis Public Schools describe (limited, halting) progress in contract negotiations.
Over the weekend, Minneapolis Public Schools offered pay bumps and class-size caps. Union leaders say these concessions should become permanent. The district and school board leaders say added spending could lead to ‘drastic cuts’ down the road.
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Posted inHEALTH
Mary Davis uses medical cannabis to help manage chronic pain. But Section 8 rules strictly prohibit her from using the medication in her Minnetonka apartment. Now she vapes in her car—and fears becoming another Black woman criminalized for marijuana.
Mary Davis, who suffers from fibromyalgia and other health issues, has been using medical cannabis for four years to treat chronic pain. She can store the medication in her federally subsidized Section 8 townhome but can’t use it inside. She’s forced to vape it outside under scrutiny from neighbors and the constant fear of being arrested by the police.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Kevin Aldwaik learned early that he didn’t fit in the corporate world. He does fit behind the counter of his tidy corner store, serving the Webber-Camden neighborhood of north Minneapolis.
Making it in Minnesota: Aldwaik grew up in East Jerusalem and came to the U.S. as a teenager. Besides making his small shop an essential stop for his diverse customers, he is deeply involved in the neighborhood.
Posted inNews
As the Feeding Our Future investigation expands, readers asked us why the government allowed people to allegedly steal tens of millions of dollars in food aid. Here’s what we found.
Could just anyone claim to feed children and get millions of dollars in federal funds? Who was responsible for monitoring food sites under federal Child Nutrition Programs? Did the Minnesota Department of Education follow federal oversight guidelines? We asked state and federal officials about how the food aid programs were supposed to work–and what may have gone wrong.
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis Public Schools outline strike’s effects on school calendar
Canceled classes will have to be made up. But the number of days that need to be rescheduled varies by school.
Posted inEDUCATION
Teachers in Minneapolis’ adult English literacy and GED program earn less than their K–12 counterparts. They say the low pay is causing an “exodus” of teachers and reducing available classes.
The adult basic education program serves many immigrants learning English and other adults pursuing their high school equivalency. Students say their striking teachers provide a vital service and need higher pay.
Posted inEDUCATION
Kim Ellison, the Minneapolis school board chair, shares her approach to union negotiations
As the Minneapolis educator strike stretches into a third day, the school board chair speaks with Sahan Journal about class-size caps, teacher pay, and the state’s $9 billion surplus. Limited resources should go to students and educators who need them most, she says.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Minneapolis City Council members decided Thursday to reconsider the controversial development of a site in the East Phillips neighborhood.
Environmental activists and many locals want the Roof Depot site to be developed into an urban farm with affordable housing. Last fall, the City Council approved the city’s plan to turn the site into a water utility yard—potentially increasing traffic and pollution in a diverse neighborhood that already experiences environmental health problems.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Two men have been arrested and charged in the February burglary of Masjid Al-Ilhsan. But mosque leaders are concerned it won’t be the last time they face criminal activity, despite new security measures.
Masjid Al-Ilhsan mosque leaders hired nighttime security and warned congregants to remain vigilant. But they plan to update security equipment after two men broke into the St. Paul mosque and stole a safe, a van, and other items.
Posted inEDUCATION
Strikeblog! All the latest news on the Minneapolis teacher strike: rallies, negotiations, and another day without classes
Minneapolis Public Schools outlines strike’s effects on the school calendar; adult basic education teachers make the case for higher pay; school board chair Kim Ellison shares her approach to negotiations; an economist analyzes Minneapolis teacher pay; educational support professionals speak out on the Northside; and an outdoor rally at the Capitol ends in “Purple Rain.”
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis educators hit the picket line for the second day. “Stability on the Northside is a question of racial justice,” one striking teacher said.
On a frigid morning, educational support professionals made the case for the strike. “We aren’t being heard, and so we have to do something about it,” said Shayla Johnson, an associate educator for pre-kindergarteners.
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis Public Schools and educators union resumed talks for first time in two days—and broke them off 90 minutes later.
Minneapolis Public Schools expected contract negotiations to last all day with striking educators. Instead, the mediator-led talks ended with no progress. “They keep forgetting who’s in control now,” said union head Greta Callahan.
Posted inEDUCATION
Striking Minneapolis educators rallied at the Capitol, called for education funding, and sang “Purple Rain.” Some non-unionized educators, and their students, joined them.
A strike rally on the south Capitol lawn in St. Paul drew throngs of educators, families, and elected officials. A strike band played “When the Saints Come Marching In.” And Minneapolis Public Schools stayed closed for another day.
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis teacher salaries have fallen behind pay in other big Minnesota districts, nonpartisan researcher says.
Research from the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan policy group, finds that teacher salaries in Minneapolis have barely kept up with inflation over the past three years. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers has made wage gains into a key issue in negotiations with Minneapolis Public Schools.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Latina lawmakers and political candidates raise concerns about their place in state politics as redistricting poses new challenges
Maria Isa Pérez-Hedges is making a run for the Minnesota House as Latina lawmakers in the Senate face new roadblocks due to redistricting. DFL Caucus Leader Senator Melisa López Franzen chose not to run for reelection after redistricting placed her in the same district as fellow DFL Senator Ron Latz, a long-time incumbent with history in the area. The changes lead some lawmakers to wonder about the future of Latino representation in the Senate.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Nigerian immigrant Wale Falade thinks Minnesota is ready to see more work by architects of color. His own firm, FIHAN, just won the bid to redesign Minneapolis’ North Commons Park.
The north Minneapolis park is set to undergo a $21 million renovation with features such as a community center, an aquatic center, athletic fields, an ice skating rink, and an amphitheater.
Sahan Journal spoke to Wale Falade, the Nigerian-born architect leading the project, about listening to community needs, founding a Black-led design firm, and building his own kitchen cabinets.
Posted inEDUCATION
Strikeblog Day Four: Negotiations continue, educators canvass, and district outlines school makeup day policy.
Here’s all the latest news about the first Minneapolis teacher strike in a half-century. Minneapolis educators and the district remain far apart on major issues such as class-size limits, mental health support for students, and pay raises for education assistants.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
FBI election crimes investigator interviewed Somali American elders in Minneapolis.
Five residents of a south Minneapolis apartment building describe early-February encounters with an FBI agent. Together, they say they faced questions about their voting methods in the 2020 City Council election in Ward 6. Several say they were shown images of their IDs or photos of neighbors and a Minneapolis politician. The elders say the FBI encounters left them scared and reluctant to vote in the future.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Midtown Global Market once was a cutting-edge incubator for entrepreneurs of color. But the challenges have piled up, and some vendors are worried about its future.
The South Minneapolis market is struggling with vacancies, the loss of its manager, and a dramatic drop in foot traffic – partly because employees of the nearby Allina Health headquarters are working from home.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
RETRACTION: Sahan Journal unpublishes a story about the federal meals program investigation.
Sahan Journal has unpublished the original story. We deeply regret the mistake and apologize to our readers and to Ubah Hussein Dhiblawe.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Tee McClenty fights for climate justice for all as the new executive director of MN350.
Low-income communities of color are most likely to be harmed by pollution and climate change, says Tee McClenty, new executive director of the Minneapolis nonprofit. As a woman of color who’s passionate about racial
and climate justice, she’s committed to making the fight to address climate change and for cleaner air and water more inclusive.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Two men broke into Masjid Al-Ihsan in St. Paul, and walked out with the mosque’s safe. They made off with $4,000 in cash, wallets, and a checkbook.
Burglaries have increased in St. Paul, particularly in the western part of the city, where the mosque is located. Leaders say congregants don’t feel safe.
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Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Somali American running star Abdi Bile is a world-champion mentor.
The friendship between a former Olympian and the college kid he took under his wing shows the power of mentoring — to make both individuals’ lives all the richer.
Posted inEDUCATION
Classroom duties are piling up. Mental health needs are skyrocketing. But pay hasn’t budged. Why Minneapolis and St. Paul educational assistants are ready to strike.
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul teachers unions have identified raising educational support professional pay as a major demand as they prepare to strike. Classroom aides in both cities say they’re working harder than ever, but still struggle to pay their bills. “My job description is, ‘We can ask you to do anything we want,’” says one of her grueling work day.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Meet Minnesota gamers and game developers of color working to see themselves on screen.
Millions of people around the world play video games, investing in a multibillion-dollar industry. A large and growing percentage of the gamer community identifies as people of color.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Former Minneapolis police officers convicted on all charges in the killing of George Floyd.
A jury found Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights. The three former Minneapolis police officers participated in Floyd’s arrest, while Derek Chauvin, the senior officer on site, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. The jury also convicted Thao and Kueng of failing to intervene with Chauvin, who was found guilty in April on state charges of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s killing.
Posted inCOMMUNITY VOICES
Anne Leland Clark: Payday loan debts have financially hobbled thousands of Minnesotans. Lawmakers and other elected officials must advocate for reform in lending practices, including interest rate caps.
Commentary: At first, a payday loan may seem innocuous and helpful, a way to relieve the immediate pressure of piled-up bills. But soon their high interest rates ensnare the low-income people they target. Such predatory practices have their roots in racist economic and residential policies. The head of Exodus Lending, a St. Paul nonprofit, pleads for “a change in the system.”
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Sharmarke Issa resigns as board chair of Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. Federal officials allege money used to buy an apartment complex he co-owns came from food aid program.
Sharmarke cited personal reasons for stepping down. He owns the building with Abdi Salah, a former aide to the mayor, who also has resigned.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Hennepin County is making a plan to get to zero waste. Environmental justice advocates want to make sure it includes shutting down its trash incinerator.
A climate action plan with big ambitions offered no commitment to shutting down the HERC, which generates electricity from burning garbage. Foes say people of color and low-income families suffer most from the carbon dioxide and particulates it emits.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Editor’s note: Why Sahan Journal is reporting on alleged fraud in the federal meals program.
I started Sahan Journal to provide committed coverage to immigrants and people of color in Minnesota. But it’s not all good news. Sometimes that means reporting on allegations that some people would rather keep out of the public view. We owe our readers the truth. And we need to be honest with ourselves about potential wrongdoing.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Amalia Moreno-Damgaard quit her job in banking to become a chef and entrepreneur. All she had to do was go back to school, invent a new career, and never stop taking risks.
Making It in Minnesota: Amalia Moreno-Damgaard is an author, chef, and local TV personality. In 2021, the Latino Chamber of Commerce in Minnesota honored her as entrepreneur of the year. And while she studied in culinary school, Moreno-Damgaard also credits the lessons she learned about food and small business from her grandmother, who ran a variety store that served Indigenous customers in Guatemala.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Kamal Mohamed wants to serve new, Ethiopian-inspired food at his dining spot, StepChld. He also wants to throw out the old, tyrannical ways of running a restaurant.
The northeast Minneapolis restaurant reflects founder Kamal Mohamed’s guiding principles. There is no “I” in StepChld, whose dishes reflect the creativity of the whole staff, not just one chef. And its food and atmosphere aim to feed the soul. Kamal describes the cuisine as “music you can eat.”
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis and St. Paul educators plan to strike March 8 if no agreements are reached before then. What you need to know.
Educators could strike March 8 in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Citing the last two stressful years, teachers and education support professionals in both cities are seeking better pay and expanded staffing, more mental health support, and smaller class sizes. Amid the turmoil, the fate of many teachers of color is uncertain. The school districts say they simply can’t afford what the educators want.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Kim Potter, former officer who killed Daunte Wright, receives two-year prison sentence. Wright’s parents decry light sentence: ‘A white woman’s tears trump justice.’
Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter was sentenced Friday to two years in prison in the killing of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop last year. Wright’s parents expressed anger at the outcome: “Kim Potter murdered my son and … today the justice system murdered him all over again,” Katie Wright said.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Senior aide to Minneapolis mayor leaves City Hall amid food fraud allegations.
Mayor Jacob Frey’s office announced Abdi Salah’s departure following a call from Sahan Journal about the top staffer’s connection to the Feeding Our Future investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that Abdi used child nutrition funds to purchase a south Minneapolis apartment building. Abdi has not been charged in the investigation.
Posted inCOMMUNITY VOICES
Veena Iyer: The death of the Patel family on the frigid U.S.–Canada border demands a response. We must create a more humane immigration system.
What led an Indian family of four to try to enter the United States in such a risky way? Was it the long wait to join relatives? A visa system that offered no options? Our narrow standards for seeking asylum? We’ll never know, because the Patels lost their lives trying to walk from Canada into Minnesota. For their sake, we must do better.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Chao Xiong joins Sahan Journal as new managing editor.
Xiong, who worked at the Star Tribune for 18 years, is a pioneering Hmong American journalist who brings deep experience in coverage of courts and crime.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
As a girl in Wisconsin, ThaoMee Xiong’s immigrant father worked the halls of her school – as its janitor. Decades later, she works the halls of power in Minnesota for the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.
Xiong saw the importance of hard work, the sting of prejudice and the impact of the legal system on her community as she was growing up. After years as a leader in politics, the nonprofit world and the law, she has been named St. Paul-based CAAL’s new director.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Redistricting will change political boundaries for thousands of Minnesotans, including communities of color. Here’s what that means for you.
Now that a Minnesota state panel of judges has released its redistricting map, counties and cities will begin work on theirs. The changes could have a major impact on representation for communities of color.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Two men named in Feeding Our Future fraud investigation donated to Ilhan Omar in 2021. The congresswoman says she recently sent the contributions to food shelves.
Omar sponsored legislation that expanded federal food aid programs during the pandemic. She now has asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to investigate allegations they’ve been abused for personal profit.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
What you need to know about Minnesota redistricting
See how proposed plans would affect you
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
As a child in Cameroon, Samuel Ngwa picked coffee beans on his family’s small farm. He never expected he’d start a coffee import business of his own—in Minnesota.
Making it in Minnesota: After obtaining a master’s degree in the U.S., Samuel Ngwa returned to the family trade. “It dawned on me that all this time when my father was kicking my butt to pick beans, people all over the world were drinking coffee,” Ngwa says. Under the label Safari Pride, he has imported, roasted, and sold coffee from Africa’s “bean belt” for more than 25 years. But the time feels right to grow the business, he says.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels explores Congressional run against Representative Ilhan Omar.
Don Samuels confirms to Sahan Journal that he is “meeting with people” to discuss a possible run for the 5th Congressional District. And he says he may consider either a DFL primary challenge or running under a different party affiliation. Samuels emerged last year as a political supporter of the Minneapolis Police Department, and fought a ballot measure to overhaul the city’s public safety structure.
Posted inEDUCATION
‘A joyful moment’: For the first time, some Minnesota school districts add Eid to the calendar
Eid will be a school holiday in Minneapolis, Hopkins, Moorhead, and Mankato. Muslim students and educators say the change will eliminate the need for them to choose between traditions and schoolwork, and signifies recognition and respect. “It’ll make a lot of people feel more accepted,” said one Hopkins student.
Posted inHEALTH
The biggest challenges of home health care work: Finding enough people, and enough money to pay them properly.
It’s hard but rewarding work, says Nora Clark, who has been doing it for 17 years. But many have left the field during the pandemic, and the Minnesota legislature is being asked this year to increase pay.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
‘We understand air pollution is not equally shared’: Minnesota Democrats set sights on environmental justice as legislative session begins.
House Democrats are proposing a $1 billion investment in climate and a bill to prioritize environmental justice in 2022.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Mayor Frey addresses questions, critics after Amir Locke killing. “Policy is ever-evolving,” Frey says.
Calls for a ban on no-knock warrants and for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to resign continue a week after police officer Mark Hanneman killed 22-year-old Amir Locke in a no-knock raid. In an interview, Frey discussed transparency, his police reform agenda, and public mistrust of the city’s police.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
People of color are more likely to live in multifamily housing with high heating bills. Modernizing Minnesota’s building codes to improve energy efficiency would save them money—and help the environment.
How can Minnesota help people of color who live in big apartment buildings save money—and benefit the environment at the same time? Citing a new study, housing and energy advocates are pushing the Legislature to pass higher energy efficiency standards to reduce heating bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Making It in Minnesota: Arnold Kubei went bankrupt trying to launch a Twin Cities gas station. Less than 10 years later, the immigrant entrepreneur from Cameroon expects to collect more than $5 million providing social services and housing.
Arnold Kubei says he “lost everything,” after investing all his savings and maxing out his credit cards in a business that went bust. Today, he provides housing services and assisted living facilities through a pair of companies headquartered in Woodbury: Metro Care Human Services and Home Sweet Home of Minnesota. The lesson from his story, Kubei told Sahan Journal, “is to not give up, to not be discouraged. I failed. I went bankrupt. But I stayed consistent to my vision.”
Posted inEDUCATION
Half of all Minnesota community college students struggle to pay for housing. And now, a pandemic rental-assistance program is ending. Students of color and college administrators say they need solutions.
Minnesota community colleges and their students are looking for housing support as federal COVID rental aid expires. When homelessness looms, students say, classes and studying suffer. “We have a serious concern; we are very worried,” says one college administrator.
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Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Amir Locke killing leads Black elected officials to condemn failed Minneapolis police reform
State Representative Esther Agbaje learned about the killing of 22-year-old Amir Locke after Minneapolis police raided her downtown apartment building. City Council member Robin Wonsley Worlobah had been pushing for public safety changes in committee meetings. The killing of Amir Locke during a no-knock raid demonstrated to both the city’s inability to change policing and preserve life.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
While Feeding Our Future brought in millions of dollars in federal food aid money last year, its director also launched a GoFundMe campaign that brought in tens of thousands more.
The organization’s director, Aimee Bock, says it was studying whether to expand into other states, and that it needed a reserve fund to tap in case of emergencies.
Posted inCOMMUNITY VOICES
Minnesota Black Law Students Association: Amir Locke’s killing must lead to real change in police practices and discipline.
In an open letter, the students write, “The Black Law Students Association demands action. We refuse to support a system that disproportionately targets black bodies and executes them without reservation. Fire the men and women who decided a 7 a.m. no-knock warrant was appropriate. Release the details of the warrant in full. We built this country; we deserve better than living in fear.”
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Amir Locke lay under a blanket and held a handgun before Minneapolis police shot and killed him, as seen in a newly released bodycam video.
The bodycam footage shows a Minneapolis police SWAT team entering the apartment without knocking and shouting “police search warrant” before the shooting. The search warrant stemmed from a St. Paul homicide investigation, though Locke was not named in the warrant. Mayor Jacob Frey and interim Minneapolis police chief Amelia Huffman answered questions about the latest police killing in a press conference that followed the release of the bodycam video.
Posted inEDUCATION
Burnsville charter school director takes leave of absence following fraud allegations in Feeding Our Future investigation.
FBI search warrants accuse Abdiaziz Farah, the founder of Gateway STEM Academy, of using child nutrition funds to purchase a Porsche and a $575,000 house. Gateway STEM Academy has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
This week, Minnesotan KaYing Yang joins President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans. One searing experience she’ll bring to the job: Watching her Hmong parents work against daunting obstacles to build a new life in America.
A seasoned immigrants’ advocate, KaYing Yang sees her new role in the Biden administration as her best opportunity yet to highlight the contributions and needs of her Southeast Asian community. Yang, who arrived in the U.S. at age 7 as a Hmong refugee, has plenty of personal and professional experience to draw from. And she said she won’t be afraid to challenge those in power to do better.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Why hasn’t anyone been charged in the Feeding Our Future investigation? And what’s a search warrant, anyway? We asked a defense attorney to explain what’s happened so far in the alleged food fraud case—and what happens next.
St. Paul defense attorney A.L. Brown explains what a federal search warrant actually does and how it may lead to a grand jury and criminal charges. “It’s best not to try to read into the search warrants,” Brown tells Sahan Journal. “It says what it says. That’s the government’s view.”
Posted inNews
Feeding Our Future director blames Minnesota Department of Education for food aid probe.
Aimee Bock blames a feud with the Minnesota Department of Education for a federal probe into alleged misuse of food aid. Her lawyer says documents seized by the FBI will prove her point, and predicts she won’t be charged.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh returns campaign contributions from donors tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.
South Minneapolis Democrat returns 11 donations, seven from people directly named in federal search warrants. Four also donated to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Omar condemns any misuse of food aid money.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Minnesota’s political caucuses are tonight: Here’s how to participate.
Due to a recent court ruling, immigrants who are not yet U.S. citizens can now participate in the process.
Posted inCOMMUNITY VOICES
Hamse Warfa: Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development has made big strides toward expanding opportunities to Minnesotans of all backgrounds. Here’s how the agency did it.
This month, Hamse Warfa announced he’s leaving Minnesota state government for a role in the Biden administration. He believes Minnesotans and people of color have benefitted from innovations in the way the state Department of Employment and Economic Development reaches out to job-seekers.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Making It in Minnesota: Filipino customers will drive for hours to find food from home. Herman and Faith Rott opened a new grocery store in Mounds View to give it to them.
Where in Minnesota can you find Filipino favorites like malunggay, puto cheese, pan de sal, and prepared meats like chorizo de Cebu? Until recently, the answer was almost nowhere. That’s why Herman and Faith Rott opened Filipino Village Grocery Store–in the middle of a pandemic. The couple talked to Sahan Journal about how they’re making their business a success.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Men tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud donated to reelection campaign of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, records show.
A federal search warrant unsealed last week claims Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota nonprofit, stole money intended to feed disadvantaged children and adults. Owners and partners of Safari Restaurant allegedly took millions. Six of those men made large donations to the reelection campaign of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey–including an individual whom the mayor appointed to a committee for public safety.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Even on a morning as fiercely frigid as this one, there they were, flying down snowy Twin Cities streets with condensation puffing from their wrapped-up faces–winter bicyclists. Among those hardy riders are an increasing number of riders of color.
It’s affordable. It’s great exercise. It’s easy on the environment. And best of all, it’s exhilarating. Minnesotans of color share their love of winter biking as well as tips on how to get started and where to find advice and camaraderie.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Feds investigate nonprofit incorporated by Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman in alleged Feeding Our Future food fraud.
Federal search warrants connect a nonprofit called Stigma-Free International to Feeding Our Future. Jamal Osman said he was involved with Stigma-Free until June 2020, and then cut ties with the nonprofit. Investigators allege Stigma-Free participated in a wide-ranging fraud beginning in January 2021, stealing millions of dollars from programs intended to feed low-income children.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Tell us what you know about Feeding Our Future and alleged food fraud.
Sahan Journal is reporting on Feeding Our Future and allegations that the nonprofit funneled federal food aid to shell companies and individuals who may have kept the money for themselves.
Posted inCoronavirus
Wilson Ekinde: Two years of experience dealing with COVID leaves nurses ‘armed to face the devil.’
Nurses have more knowledge and protective equipment. Patients with Omicron don’t tend to be as sick. But it’s far from business as usual on the COVID wards.
Posted inHEALTH
Michelle Davenport: ‘I couldn’t break the fever. I thought I was going to lose my life.’
Nursing educator is heading back to work on the hospital floor with COVID patients. Because of her own experience with the disease, she plans to be extremely careful not to spread the disease to her family.
Posted inCoronavirus
Kenyata Carroll: ‘I am seeing a lot of people with permanent disabilities.’
Not as many patients are dying as in the early days of the pandemic, but COVID patients may suffer permanent effects of a long hospitalization.
Posted inCoronavirus
Russ-Em Tracy Johnson: ‘You care for people who are angry and don’t want to listen to doctors.’
Younger patients hospitalized now sometimes think they know better than medical staff. Nurses are burned out and chronically short of hands to take care of them.
Posted inCoronavirus
On Twin Cities COVID wards: A younger, whiter wave of patients. And a whole lot of burnout.
The Omicron variant may have supplanted Delta, but hospitals still are struggling. There still are too many patients and not enough nurses.
Posted inNews
Confused about the alleged fraud at Feeding Our Future? The shell companies, the Las Vegas junket, the $500,000 apartment in Kenya? Here’s everything you need to know about the FBI raid and investigation so far.
Feeding Our Future allegedly funneled federal money through dozens of shell companies that appear to have been established on the fly. “To date, the conspirators have stolen millions of dollars in federal funds,” the FBI said in the search warrant affidavit. “The scheme is ongoing.”
Posted inEDUCATION
With the Omicron variant, teacher absences are way up. But what’s happening with students is… interesting.
Minnesota schools have run into protests as they try to decide whether to keep kids in school or switch to online learning during the Omicron surge. We asked Minnesota’s eight largest school districts just how many kids are staying home from school.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Editor’s note: Why Sahan Journal published an article about criminal charges involving absentee ballots.
Sahan Journal writes often about how immigrants and communities of color are participating in Minnesota’s elections. Readers also need clear and fair reporting about investigations involving absentee ballots and election integrity.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Federal prosecutors file perjury charges against Minnesota man in investigation involving absentee ballots.
A November 18, 2021, indictment alleges Muse Mohamud Mohamed gave false statements in grand jury testimony about his handling of absentee ballots.
Posted inHelping Out
As hundreds of Afghan refugees flow into Minnesota, volunteers and aid agencies are stepping up to help. You can too.
Local aid groups have set a mid-February deadline to resettle 750 Afghans in Minnesota. Participate in a donation drive. Shop on an Amazon wishlist. Anyone can help. Housing is the most urgent need, but aid coordinators are well aware that needs go beyond material things. “We know a house is nothing if you don’t have dignity, if you don’t have joy, if you don’t have a sense of comfort and safety,” says one aid wrangler.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
In one of the most diverse corners of Minnesota, immigrants are making their mark in politics.
People of color make up 55 percent of Brooklyn Park’s population. Three of the four candidates running for an open city council seat are immigrants.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Abraham Brima Bah: ‘Law enforcement has to be trusted.’
City council candidate says Brooklyn Park should reimagine public safety to reflect the community’s diversity. Housing and supporting small businesses also are big issues.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Xiongpao ‘Xp’ Lee: Brooklyn Park has ‘a great mix of everything,’ and still has room to grow.
Currently a member of the city’s Planning Commission, candidate focuses on community engagement and bringing value to Brooklyn Park’s east side.
Posted inCoronavirus
How to get free COVID tests sent to your home in Minnesota.
For weeks now, at-home COVID tests have been in short supply at pharmacies and stores across Minnesota and the United States. Now, a new federal program means anyone can get COVID tests mailed to their home–for free? How do you do it? When should you use them? When do you still need a lab test?
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Futsal is a smaller, faster version of soccer. The global game is seeing a boom in the Twin Cities, driven by an immigrant player base.
Dedicated courts are growing in the Twin Cities. Funding has been set aside for two new courts in south Minneapolis, where a recreational scene is booming.
Posted inHEALTH
As a new senior executive at HealthPartners, Pahoua Yang Hoffman wants to make health care more accessible to Minnesota’s immigrants—starting with her mother.
Hoffman is leaving her senior role at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, where she directed community-giving programs. In her new role at HealthPartners, the giant Minnesota health provider and insurer, Hoffman will address community health, equity, and access to culturally competent care.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
After having a daughter, Remona Htoo couldn’t find children’s books in the Karen language. So she wrote one herself.
Remona Htoo’s book, “My Little Legs,” is one of the few Karen-language books published in the U.S. Htoo and her 22-month-old daughter, Emma, enjoy sledding, backpacking, and camping out. They’ve visited wilderness areas in the metro and the North Shore; so far, the toddler has notched 10 national parks.
Posted inHEALTH
COVID kills Minnesota immigrants at higher rates, younger ages, survey says.
University of Minnesota researchers analyzed more than 5,000 death certificates in the state from the year 2020. They found a higher mortality rate from the virus for people who were born outside the country than among people born in the U.S.
Posted inEDUCATION
Teach in person? COVID causes chaos. Teach remotely? Kids suffer. Minnesota’s teachers of color say that Omicron presents schools with bad options and impossible choices.
As the Omicron variant surges, so do teachers’ stress levels. Staffing shortages and low student attendance are forcing some districts into remote learning. As schools enter their third pandemic year, Minnesota teachers of color talked to Sahan Journal about the challenges of teaching–and how their students are coping.
