Community Voices is generously supported by The Minneapolis Foundation; .Article continues after advertisementArticle continues after advertisementWANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?If you’re interested in joining the discussion, add your voice to the Comment section below — or consider writing  or a longer-form  commentary. (For more information about Community Voices, see our .)MinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access — no paywall or subscriptions. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today?You...…Community Voices is generously supported by The Minneapolis Foundation; .Article continues after advertisementArticle continues after advertisementWANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?If you’re interested in joining the discussion, add your voice to the Comment section below — or consider writing  or a longer-form  commentary. (For more information about Community Voices, see our .)MinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access — no paywall or subscriptions. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today?You...WW…

When Fall River-based Robbins Manufacturing laid off David Ficke on March 29, the welder followed in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites during the coronavirus pandemic. He filed an initial unemployment claim, hoping it would help him survive a shutdown of much of the state’s economy.But when a call to the state’s unemployment help line placed him in a queue of 400 to 500 people, Ficke knew he would wait a long time for a lifeline.Unable to pay rent, he moved into the “Hotel Chrysler” — his 2006 Town and Country minivan — and drove to a rest stop outside of Albert Lea,...…When Fall River-based Robbins Manufacturing laid off David Ficke on March 29, the welder followed in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites during the coronavirus pandemic. He filed an initial unemployment claim, hoping it would help him survive a shutdown of much of the state’s economy.But when a call to the state’s unemployment help line placed him in a queue of 400 to 500 people, Ficke knew he would wait a long time for a lifeline.Unable to pay rent, he moved into the “Hotel Chrysler” — his 2006 Town and Country minivan — and drove to a rest stop outside of Albert Lea,...WW…

Community Voices is generously supported by The Minneapolis Foundation; .Minnesota has a proud history of holding bad corporate actors accountable — from tobacco companies to opioid manufacturers — when they knowingly conceal damaging information about their products from regulators and the public. This is particularly true when that secrecy results in harm to public health, private property, and public resources.In late June, Attorney General Keith Ellison acted in Minnesota’s tradition of guarding the public interest when he filed a consumer protection lawsuit against three of the...…Community Voices is generously supported by The Minneapolis Foundation; .Minnesota has a proud history of holding bad corporate actors accountable — from tobacco companies to opioid manufacturers — when they knowingly conceal damaging information about their products from regulators and the public. This is particularly true when that secrecy results in harm to public health, private property, and public resources.In late June, Attorney General Keith Ellison acted in Minnesota’s tradition of guarding the public interest when he filed a consumer protection lawsuit against three of the...WW…

Article continues after advertisementMinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access — no paywall or subscriptions. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today?You can also .Show comments or leave a commentThis list spans the last seven days.* Please read before republishing *We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an  as long as you follow our . See our full republication guidelines for more information.To republish, copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking...…Article continues after advertisementMinnPost's in-depth, independent news is free for all to access — no paywall or subscriptions. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today?You can also .Show comments or leave a commentThis list spans the last seven days.* Please read before republishing *We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an  as long as you follow our . See our full republication guidelines for more information.To republish, copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking...WW…

From Other Nonprofit Media showcases select work from other nonprofit news sites around the nation.is republished from the .As cities debate ways to meet their long-term goals for emissions reductions, a Minnesota town’s new climate plan calls for fast action and quick results over the next five years.The City Council in Red Wing unanimously approved a five-year  in August and its members anticipate boosting current programs and starting new initiatives within the next few months. The short time horizon contrasts with climate plans in other cities rolled out over a 20-year...…From Other Nonprofit Media showcases select work from other nonprofit news sites around the nation.is republished from the .As cities debate ways to meet their long-term goals for emissions reductions, a Minnesota town’s new climate plan calls for fast action and quick results over the next five years.The City Council in Red Wing unanimously approved a five-year  in August and its members anticipate boosting current programs and starting new initiatives within the next few months. The short time horizon contrasts with climate plans in other cities rolled out over a 20-year...WW…

Community Voices features opinion pieces from a wide variety of authors and perspectives. ()In Murdock, Minnesota, a “Nordic heritage group” called the Asatru Folk Assembly has purchased a church building. This group is a white supremacist group, promoting “white purity.” Groups like Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) are part of a larger movement termed “Neo-Völkisch” that raises up Northern European and Germanic ancestry as an appeal to potential members but is a veneer for extremist, racist attitudes and actions. AFA in particular grounds itself in its interpretation of the language,...…Community Voices features opinion pieces from a wide variety of authors and perspectives. ()In Murdock, Minnesota, a “Nordic heritage group” called the Asatru Folk Assembly has purchased a church building. This group is a white supremacist group, promoting “white purity.” Groups like Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) are part of a larger movement termed “Neo-Völkisch” that raises up Northern European and Germanic ancestry as an appeal to potential members but is a veneer for extremist, racist attitudes and actions. AFA in particular grounds itself in its interpretation of the language,...WW…

Community Voices is generously supported by The Minneapolis Foundation; .Speaking at a naturalization ceremony in 2018, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 31 new citizens hailing from 26 countries that, “We are a nation made strong by people like you … people who traveled long distances, overcame great obstacles and made tremendous sacrifices, all to provide a better life for themselves and their families.”Sadly, Justice Ginsburg’s vision of America contrasts sharply with the current reality. On Sept. 30, the Trump administration announced that it would cap the number of refugees the...…Community Voices is generously supported by The Minneapolis Foundation; .Speaking at a naturalization ceremony in 2018, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 31 new citizens hailing from 26 countries that, “We are a nation made strong by people like you … people who traveled long distances, overcame great obstacles and made tremendous sacrifices, all to provide a better life for themselves and their families.”Sadly, Justice Ginsburg’s vision of America contrasts sharply with the current reality. On Sept. 30, the Trump administration announced that it would cap the number of refugees the...WW…