Recent content from Laura Yuen
Yuen: The return of the man perm — Gen Z males are seeking a softer, modern wave
A trend fueled by TikTok and Korean pop culture has officially migrated to Minnesota.
Yuen: New word game makes the case for more screen time
Puzzle from the New York Times is already the second-most-played game after Wordle, and it's easy to see why.
Yuen: The rise of the pickleball clique — is the game becoming too exclusive?
The fastest-growing sport in America has been known for its socially inclusive nature. But some say that's changing.
Yuen: Should homework for schoolkids be a thing of the past?
Research shows homework offers little to no academic benefit for elementary school students.
Yuen: How Minnesota native Gretchen Carlson faced down a giant and propelled the #MeToo movement
Seven years after taking down Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, the former anchor is celebrating a couple of big wins in Washington.
Yuen: Remembering Steve, a one-eyed cuddle-kitty who 'ran' her Minneapolis neighborhood
Her obit, stapled to telephone poles, was raw, vulnerable and slightly profane.
Yuen: To bring workers back, bosses need to do more than demand. They need to lead.
Companies are again trying to revive the office — sometimes by making threats.
Yuen: This Minneapolis chef wants more Black women to give hunting a shot
Lachelle Cunningham's first turkey hunt brought her to tears. She now wants others to have that experience.
Yuen: When a Minnesota summer ends, I feel FOHMO — the Fear of Having Missed Out
Quick! Can we squeeze in one more trip to the lake or to the State Fair?
Yuen: It's really hard to pick a perfectly ripe watermelon — unless you use these expert tips
If you struggle to pick a tasty watermelon in the store, the problem is not you. But here's some advice.
Yuen: What happened when my body failed me and I had no idea why
A healthy 45-year-old, I suddenly lost the ability to walk. My first real medical scare taught me to be my own advocate.
Yuen: It's like Draft Day at this north Minneapolis pre-K graduation
These kids are about to take their talents to kindergarten.
Yuen: Consider the long-term cost when teens lose the freedom to roam
This summer you may have noticed fewer gaggles of young people roaming the once-popular hangouts.
Yuen: How to protect your organic composting bins from raccoons, squirrels and maggots
Organics recycling may take some trial and error, but defeat is not an option.
Yuen: Bad air quality in Minnesota is turning precious summer into a bummer
It seems like we're being cheated out of something we desperately count on and even need.
Yuen: Cellphones in schools? Minneapolis should look to Florida — yes, Florida — for the answer
If we care about kids, we should help teachers do their job. Minneapolis Public Schools, are you listening?
Yuen: This Minnesota mother and son have worn matching outfits nearly every day for years
Dressed head to toe in vibrant colors, the duo is a walking work of art in a staid sea of suburbia.
Yuen: These Minnesota-designed tees supporting trans kids grew out of a dad's love
A Minnetonka father wants his son to know there is more kindness than bigotry in this world.
Yuen: A PBS Kids podcast teaches families about Juneteenth from north Minneapolis
"Keyshawn Solves It" features local talent, including students from Lucy Craft Laney Elementary School.
Yuen: Why are there so many Asian Connies? A Minnesota-raised author set out to find the answer
Connie Wang discovered an outsize sisterhood of Connies — namesakes of the iconic Connie Chung.
Yuen: This Minneapolis author wants us to celebrate and accept disability for what it is
Claire Forrest's new young adult novel is getting rave reviews for its authentic portrayal of disability.
Yuen: Let's empower teens to take control of their screen use
Many Minnesota adolescents know they're up against a powerful foe in social media.
Yuen: With a new pontoon boat, I'm embracing a Minnesota Dream
In her family's bid to become "lake people," our columnist experiences the pain and promise of a new pontoon.
Yuen: Tale of lost pork chops fueled this leader's journey up Medtronic's executive ranks
What are the stories that your parents have passed on that remind you of the resilience of your roots?
What we learned from our own high school graduation speeches
Our columnists recalled the advice they dispensed to their peers decades ago. Do they stand by their words?
Yuen: A bar mitzvah marks 'a moment in time, but years in the making'
I wasn't prepared for how moving attending my first bar mitzvah would be.
Yuen: Her story of forgiveness helped others heal — now they're helping her remember it
Less than two years after she was diagnosed with dementia, Mary Johnson-Roy's memories won't be lost if her community can help it.
Yuen: Why 10 is the golden age of childhood
It's a glorious but fleeting year when your kid laughs at your jokes and still thinks you're cool.
Yuen: Caring for animals helped this University of Minnesota veterinarian heal himself
Our pets give our lives purpose, a truth Jody Lulich knows all too well.
Yuen: St. Paul TikToker gets obit advice from dead people
Mary McGreevy has built a following by sharing her joy of reading memorable obituaries.
Yuen: 3 Minnesota parents on why gun laws need to change now
A viral educator, a mom who fights for her son's memory and a hunting dad call on elected officials to make the country safer for kids.
Yuen: I tried to go plastic-free for a week — here's what I learned
Our columnist tried to go without plastic. Is she out of her mind?
Yuen: The kids are doing 'new math,' and maybe that's a good thing
Instead of memorizing, elementary schools are teaching concepts that help kids be problem-solvers.
Yuen: These 10 (real) women from Minnesota deserve their own statues
From Olympic gold medalists to singers and civil rights leaders, women are underrepresented in Minnesota's statues. Let's change that.
Yuen: How Olympian Kara Goucher found her voice in wake of abuse
Minnesota plays a grounding, healing force in the American distance runner's new memoir which details years of abuse and indignities in her sport.
Yuen: Can we make room for men in the body positivity movement?
A mannequin at the Mall of America isn't sending the right message about male body acceptance.
Yuen: Want to tap into your genius? Find yourself a good group
What if more organizations embraced the idea that "genius emerges from the collective"?
Yuen: This picture of Mel the Mailman exudes Minnesota hardiness, but it's not what you think
The mailman in his shorts striding through the snow captures our spring state of mind.
Yuen: What's it like to be a professional pickleball player in Minnesota?
There's a more elite faction of athletes in a sport whose popularity is driven by its anyone-can-play accessibility.
Yuen: There must be a better way to register your kid for summer camp
Tech-related failures and ultracompetitive signups can leave kids without privilege in the dust.
Yuen: How families shattered by suicide are cheated out of financial support
A Minneapolis widower is speaking up for a change in state law that would make it easier for survivors of suicide to receive death benefits.
Yuen: When undocumented immigrants can drive, their kids can live in dignity, too
The law makes sense from a multitude of angles; one often overlooked segment of the population that wins is children.
Yuen: Outsourcing food runs in a snowstorm? Just make sure you tip
Three food delivery workers in Minnesota share what it was like working in last week's storm.
Yuen: If you want to live a healthier life, don't overlook the power of friends
Friendships often take a backseat to other priorities in adulthood, but science shows they're important for well-being.
Yuen: This young St. Paul archivist safeguards the stories of historic Rondo
"These are people's most precious memories, and they're more valuable than money," Kayla Jackson says of the artifacts she preserves.
Yuen: In new memoir, St. Paul cartoonist recounts marrying his husband 10 years ago
Rob Kirby's graphic memoir traces his evolution in thinking about the institution of marriage as Minnesota began to allow gay couples to be wed.
Yuen: These Minnesota couples created a new last name for 'a name that is ours'
When getting married, newlyweds have yet another option beyond taking one partner's name or combining surnames.
Yuen: Historians search for Minnesota's Black 'Rosie the Riveters'
These women helped with the war against fascism while fighting racism at home. They're finally getting their due credit.
Yuen: Meet the neighbors who said, 'Yes, in my backyard'
A band of suburban women weren't going to let their most vocal neighbors drive away a proposal to build a new mental health facility in their community.
Yuen: Why do kids reject their winter coats? Let's turn to science
The youth resistance to warm clothing is strong.
Yuen: What beginning ice skaters can teach us about the joy of learning something new
"I'm gonna get this," a Twin Cities dad said after his third time on ice. What if we all took this approach to trying new things?
Yuen: Your tiny steps toward positive change are yielding big results
Still going strong with New Year's resolutions? Readers share how they've made life changes stick.
Yuen: Parents, it's time to safely put away the gummies
After Minnesota legalized hemp-derived products containing THC last summer, the number of cases of kids ingesting cannabis is way up.
Yuen: Meet the two meteorologists elected to the State Senate
Nicole Mitchell and Rob Kupec bring a certain cachet to the Capitol as well as two strong voices for science.
Yuen: New leaf, new year? Don't underestimate the power of small
What if the secret to a better you wasn't about achieving bold feats, but sticking to low-effort habits?
Columnist Laura Yuen looks back at a year of grief and triumph
As 2023 winds down, here's an update on people featured in some of her most memorable columns.
Yuen: Add grief to joy and mix well when an iconic Chinese bakery closes
The best comfort food makes you feel loved and protected. Keefer Court gave us this for four decades.
Yuen: In our digital age, the tangible holiday card still means something
Why do some of us cling to this old-fashioned annual tradition?
Yuen: How does divorce affect how you work? Two U researchers were surprised
While most people reported negative repercussions, about 40% of people navigating divorce said the experience had a positive impact on their work. Here's why.
Yuen: How to teach your kids to volunteer for the right reasons
Service should be about making the community a better place — not a ploy to make our children less entitled.
Yuen: If weary moms could get the magical summer camp experience they create for their kids
A gift card to the spa is nice, but a true getaway from the treadmill of daily parenting tasks would be divine.
Yuen: Outdoor pickleball nets have come down for the season, but you can still play
Minnesota's pickleball craze has migrated indoors. You can find a court near you — if you know where to look.
Yuen: Here's a not-so-novel idea. If you're sick, stay home or wear a mask
Do people coughing and sneezing repeatedly in public not notice everyone around them cringing?
Yuen: The Mall of America's first Asian Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Allan was recruited by none other than Santa Larry, who in 2016 became the mall's first Black Santa.
Yuen: She wasn't traumatized by her abortion, and that's part of the story, too
Comedian Alison Leiby, known for her writing on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," brings her one-woman show to the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis.
Yuen: Bands celebrate a Minneapolis musician's life that was silenced too early
Saxophonist Pat Mackin died in September, eight years after a drunk driver slammed into him and left him with severe and lasting injuries.
Yuen: What's it like to live with Tourette's syndrome? A Minnesota cop explains on TikTok
With his catchphrase "Happy ticcing!" Craig Elgin has built a community where people can find solidarity or better understand the neurological condition.
Yuen: The story we've been sold about how kids learn to read
Reporter Emily Hanford of American Public Media sets out to answer why many schools still hew to teaching methods based on theories long disproven by cognitive scientists.
Yuen: A dancer who became paralyzed finds balance between hope and acceptance
In her new movie, first-time filmmaker Kelsey Peterson teaches us about the grace of adaptation.
Yuen: In defense of the shacket (and other ubiquitous fashion statements)
Why Minnesotans can't get enough of this impractical piece of fall outerwear.
Yuen: 50 years ago, Title IX forced University of Minnesota to allow women into marching band
Female marching band trailblazers, now in their 60s, 70s and 80s, will be honored on the field at Saturday's halftime show.
Yuen: How early specialization is hurting youth sports
In today's ultracompetitive landscape, starting a new sport at age 10 can feel like it's too late.
Yuen: Why I don't care for reality TV but unapologetically watch 'Love Is Blind'
No matter how dysfunctional our own relationships are, we realize they're not nearly as messed up as they could be.
Yuen: Mom and son explore the complexities of international adoption
Their new podcast asks the question: Should you adopt a baby from another country just because you can?
'I'm here, I'm happy': TV reporter from Minnesota comes out as transgender
Nora Reichardt, a graduate of Buffalo High School, "wasn't either asking for permission, nor begging for forgiveness," says mentor Jana Shortal of KARE 11.
