February 8, 2005 - MPR’s Brandt Williams report that St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly confirms that as far as he knows his aide Sia Lo is the target of a federal corruption investigation. The mayor made the announcement in response to a Star Tribune article that named Lo.
January 24, 2005 - Minnesota Public Radio's new radio service KCMP launched this morning January 24, 2005. Nicknamed "The Current," the station's format features an eclectic array of music, including local bands that may have received limited airplay on commercial and other Twin Cities public radio stations.
December 13, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on a Minnesota Community Project study regarding Minnesotan’s attitudes on immigrants. The majority of the people involved in the study expressed favorable attitudes toward immigration. However, the authors say they're particularly dismayed over data showing a streak of hostility toward immigrants - especially by people living in the outer ring suburbs. The study's authors say those attitudes go against Minnesota's tradition of tolerance and acceptance of newcomers.
November 30, 2004 - The Hennepin County Attorney's office has charged five men with second degree murder for the recent homicide of a young Somali woman in Minneapolis. They say the men, who are all Somalis, shot the woman over an illegal drug, a mild stimulant called khat. Some Somalis say the chewing of khat leaves is widespread and socially acceptable within their culture. However, law enforcement officials say khat, like other illicit drugs, opens the door for violence and other crime. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports:
November 23, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports that court documents filed show the suspect in the six killings in Wisconsin, a 36-year-old Hmong immigrant, told authorities he was called racial slurs and fired upon before he says shot back. Hmong leaders in the Twin Cities gathered today to condemn the shootings and express sympathy for the victims. But some say racial tension between white and Hmong hunters is common.
November 11, 2004 - MPR's Brandt Williams reports that Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana has been named the 2004 American League Cy Young award winner. The honor is given each year by the Baseball Writers association of America to the most statistically dominant pitchers in both Major League Baseball divisions. Santana, a 25-year-old left hander, recorded the most strikeouts of any pitcher in the American league, the lowest earned run average and the second highest number of victories.
August 9, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams takes a look at probably the ugliest racial slur ever created. It is a word known primarily as a means to denigrate African Americans. The word packs such power to represent overt racial hatred, most people - regardless of race - will not even utter it. How can one word have such power?
May 13, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports that the involvement of a Hmong police officer in a series of violent incidents is puzzling St. Paul law enforcement officials. Part of the mystery surrounds officer Tou Cha's explanation of why the shell casings found at the scene of a drive-by shooting matched his gun.
May 11, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports that the arrest of a Hmong St. Paul police officer is the latest development in an investigation into several incidents of violence involving Hmong and Lao residents. Federal law enforcement officials are trying to determine how several recent shootings and arson fires are linked.
April 30, 2004 - Federal law enforcement officials are investigating several recent violent incidents involving members of the Twin Cities Hmong community. The most recent event was a suspicious fire that burned down the home of the son of a prominent Hmong leader. While the authorities search for suspects, some in the Hmong community say the recent violence highlights old divisions and wounds that have yet to heal.