Mary Lahammer

As law enforcement stands at the ready outside the trial of a white officer charged with the murder of a Black man in Minnesota, lawmakers at the State Capitol are trying to tackle a variety of issues around policing. Officer Arik Matson, a police officer who nearly lost his life in line of duty, and his wife, Megan, told a Senate committee how he has had to relearn how to do basic things like walk.

A strong economy and tight labor market make the need for affordable housing even more acute. “Hi, welcome to my chaos” is the greeting from construction site supervisor Rhonda Thorson at Habitat for Humanity. “We’ve been working with volunteers since the beginning of Habitat in the 70s – it’s a crazy idea, but somehow it works,” the no-nonsense leader adds. “Cool thing is, everybody wants to be here.