Social Issues

If a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage makes it on the ballot next year, it could give a big boost to Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate.
Bemidji, Minn. has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Before its small town feel slips away, some residents are using an innovative new model to create a common vision for the city's future.
House and Senate negotiators have a tentative deal to extend the Patriot Act. The new deal would restrict some FBI subpoena powers and require more justification for getting information about citizens. But most of the existing law's provisions would become permanent. An assessment of the Patriot Act from a former member of Congress. 12:30: An MPR report on the history of the "Floyd of Rosedale" football trophy, and how it relates to race relations in Minnesota and Iowa.
The Great American Smokeout is today -- it's a day when the American Cancer Society urges smokers not to light up, even for one day, in hopes they'll give up the habit for good. New research is giving more insights into how smokers become addicted, and the best ways to quit.
One of college football's most famous trophies has its roots in a courageous decision by a football player, who decided to cross the color line of 1930s America. He set in motion a series of events which lead to the establishment of the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, contested each fall by the Minnesota and Iowa football teams.
Mission from Minnesota, a grass-roots organization whose members took it on themselves to help with hurricane recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region, is planning another relief trip over Thanksgiving week.
Once a remote desert outpost, the city of Las Vegas is now 100 years old and it's the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States. It also ranks near the top of American cities in rates of alcoholism, drug addiction, personal bankruptcy, teen pregnancy and suicide. "Las Vegas: An Unconventional History," tells the story of Sin City.
Some commercial tax preparers have faced a barrage of lawsuits over "Rapid Refund" programs. Rapid refunds are short-term loans based on an expected tax refund. Critics say some tax preparers have taken advantage of the poor with those loans.
Voices of Minnesota visits two prominent native-American Minnesotans: Helen Blue-Redner is the former chairwoman of the Upper Sioux Community, and Carl Gawboy is an artist.