Recent content from Maya Rao
'We can get some justice': Vows to find killer of 6-year-old Aniya Allen one year later
The loss of Aniya last May shocked Minneapolis – the last in a trio of shootings of children by stray gunfire over several weeks.
Georgia Fort expands independent newsroom to change Minnesota's racial narrative
The veteran broadcast journalist also eyes mentorships and a possible pipeline for journalists of color early in their careers.
Black citizens recount fear, distrust as complaints against Mpls. police go nowhere
Few cases filed with Office of Police Conduct Review lead to discipline.
In communities of color, scathing MPD report is not a surprise
Finally, some say, there is recognition of what they have recognized for decades.
The Taliban stole her dream of an education. In Minnesota, she's getting it back
Her birthday wish this year in America was the same as last year in Afghanistan: to finish school and go to college.
Minnesota man pleads guilty to killing Red Lake tribal officer
Red Lake officer Ryan Bialke was shot and killed in the line of duty last summer.
Dead family at northern border shows Border Patrol's tall task
Illegal immigration is a constant issue in the United States, focused on the southern border. In the north, far fewer agents patrol a vast and often treacherous landscape.
Meals program in Willmar offers a window into investigation
The owner of a local restaurant contradicts FBI allegations and says disadvantaged families were served by the thousands.
Meal distributors in probe have history of legal troubles
Three prime contractors are at the heart of criminal conspiracy, according to the FBI.
Twin Cities speakers honor MLK's legacy with call to action
As people across the Minnesota honored King's legacy Monday, local leaders encouraged citizens to continue his push for civil rights nearly 54 years after he was assassinated in Memphis.
Hundreds gather to honor American Indian leader Clyde Bellecourt
As American Indian leader Clyde Bellecourt was dying, Lydia Caros sent him a card expressing how lucky he was to look back on a life…
Afghan interpreter questions cost of war as he works at MOA
Grateful to be in the U.S., Khyber Sakhi is still angered at the Americans' exit from Afghanistan and saddened by the fate of his country.
Afghan interpreter's journey to state: 'I had no other options'
Khyber Sakhi is among nearly 21,000 Afghans whose support for the U.S. mission allowed them to come here on a Special Immigrant Visa, often sharing the trauma of returning veterans but lacking the same support.
Bloomington immigrant family welcomes friends who fled Afghanistan
The Mulakhails, who have lived in the U.S. for three years, host their friends in their small apartment until the new arrivals get on their feet.
For Afghan immigrant in Minnesota, friendship forms with English tutor
Afghan family, volunteer tutor forge friendship through English lessons.
At George Floyd Square, hopes for major change in Minneapolis policing fade with the darkness
Polling numbers heading into Election Day showed a city divided about the future of public safety.
Passenger recounts chaos before Winston Smith was fatally shot
The woman who was with Winston Smith Jr. on the day he was shot and killed by members of a federal law enforcement task force detailed his final chaotic moments in the front seat of a vehicle, according to an interview she gave to investigators.
Winston Smith's family calls for independent investigation
Family members of the man killed by a U.S. Marshals Service task force atop an Uptown Minneapolis parking ramp said the state's investigation was flawed.
Honduran sisters in Rochester allege mistreatment at southern border
Now in Minnesota with mom, they detail being held in cage and kicked.
Mpls. coalition aims to advance healing for Native families with ties to U.S. boarding schools
Recent findings of hundreds of unmarked graves near Canadian boarding schools for Natives has spurred hope of a similar reckoning in the U.S.
Poll: Many Minnesotans approve of Afghan pullout, not Biden job
Nearly half of voters polled said U.S. military invasion wasn't worth it.
Bloomington family helps newer Afghan arrivals as they build life in U.S.
The Mulakhails believe it's their duty to help those now fleeing the Taliban.
In Minnesota, Afghan woman struggles to help stranded relatives
From Blaine, she imagined how hard it would be for them to start over, having been upper class in Kabul.
L.A., Atlanta wrestle with calls for permanent police reform
More than a year after George Floyd's killing, Los Angeles' commitment to lasting change is being tested.
Winston Smith raised phone, not gun, says woman in car with him
Their claim contradicts that of authorities, who say he was shot after showing a weapon.
Death of Winston Smith puts spotlight on low-profile agency
Amid a national push for police accountability, critics now are questioning the often-secret actions of the U.S. Marshals Service, including why and how it oversaw the operation that resulted in Smith's death in Minneapolis.
'It could have been me,' witnesses to Sunday crash at protest site say
Sunday's episode shocked protesters and gave them a renewed determination to keep pressing for racial justice in policing.
George Floyd's friends seek to build a living legacy in his hometown
In Houston's Third Ward, his presence is everywhere.
Attorneys for woman in Winston Smith's car: She didn't see a gun
Activists demanded that law enforcement be more transparent and be held to account. The BCA reiterated its claim that Smith fired a gun before being killed.
Protesters take fight for police accountability to Uptown
Scrutiny over Winston Smith's killing comes as Uptown reels from a rash of business closures, lootings and crime — and the scars of a mass shooting last summer that killed one and injured 11.
Protesters gather for third night at site of Uptown police shooting
On Saturday night, a crowd converged on W. Lake Street outside the parking garage where Winston Smith was killed and blocked off the street.
3 fatally shot overnight in Mpls.; officer wounds suspect
The deaths of a man and a woman in separate incidents brought the number of homicides in the city to 37 for the year.
BCA: Man shot, killed by police had fired from inside vehicle
Authorities said there is no video of the shooting of the man identified as Winston Boogie Smith, 32, in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. Grief mixed with anger for his family.
Death is painfully familiar in Floyd's old neighborhood
The epidemic of deaths in Houston's Third Ward is even more painful after the killing of George Floyd, who was a mentor and friend to many.
In George Floyd's hometown, anniversary marked with prayers and resolve
The Houston neighborhood where Floyd spent much of his life marked the day with a deeply personal sense of hope and loss.
Nearly 1,200 miles away, reckoning has been constant for Floyd family
George Floyd's family and friends find themselves sorting what roles to take on as the world looks to them to make sense of his life, death and legacy.
Bystander, key witness still reckoning with Floyd's death
The trauma of what Donald Williams saw one evening on May 25, 2020, has yet to recede. "I look somewhere else and it's like I'm always remembering," he said.
George Floyd's Texas friend seeks solace in Minneapolis
She hadn't wanted to come to Minnesota, but she needed to make peace with her friend's death.
Chauvin verdict seen as moment of victory in a history of injustice
It was far from a unanimous moment of elation, but many racial equality advocates took a moment to soak in what they saw as a rare instance of justice for Black Americans.
Outside courthouse, protesters press for a guilty verdict
Angel Smith-El admitted that she had some anxiety waiting for the jury to reach a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin.Standing outside the Hennepin…
At Minneapolis shelter where George Floyd worked, pain runs deep
Frankie Powell still remembers how George Floyd would stop by the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center to joke and catch up with old friends.He cannot…
Retraumatized family of man killed in 2015 Brooklyn Center police encounter calls for change
Kevin Khottavongsa's father died in 2015 after Brooklyn Center police shot him in the back with a Taser.
Twin Cities business owners jolted, prepare again for unrest
Twin Cities business owners hurt during last summer's riots prepare again for unrest
Recovering clients see drug use stigmatized in Chauvin trial
For some men at Turning Point, where George Floyd attended a 90-day treatment program in 2017, the focus on his drug use is an example of how chemical dependency among African Americans can be disproportionately stigmatized and used to justify their mistreatment.
Activist turned Minnesota lawmaker 'unapologetic' about fighting racism in the shadow of Chauvin trial
Rep. John Thompson wants to use the legislative system to prevent another death in police custody.
Floyd's passenger emerges as complicated figure in Chauvin trial
Though Chauvin's attorney had told jurors that they would hear from passengers in the car who saw Floyd use drugs, Morries Lester Hall is avoiding testifying.
George Floyd's sister spends day volunteering, keeping her mind off trial
She gave away food at the Salvation Army food shelf on E. Lake Street. It was the type of service George Floyd knew well.
Trauma relived as Derek Chauvin's trial unfolds before the world
The world took a front-row seat to the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday.
Jurors will consider George Floyd's death — not issue of race
In a case that has become a flashpoint for racial justice in America, the testimony and evidence will focus on a narrow set of facts about the evening that then-officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd.
Chauvin trial marks defining moment in U.S. racial history
What began 10 months ago at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue has transformed into nothing less than an American reckoning on justice, racial equity, the role of law enforcement and the historical wrongs perpetrated on Black people.
Police misconduct cases weigh on former jurors
The experiences of jurors offer a window into the complex decisions facing the jury in former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial in George Floyd's death.
Mpls. pays $27M to settle suit with George Floyd's family
The civil case against the city is separate from the ongoing criminal trial of former officer Derek Chauvin. Attorneys for the family called it the "largest pretrial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in U.S. history."
30 years after Rodney King, friends of George Floyd see parallels in Chauvin trial
Video recorded by bystanders delivered images that shook the public then and now.
Next Step goes to the front lines of gun violence in Minneapolis, starting with the shooting victims
Advocate helps gunshot victims recover, avoid retaliation.
Lucky to land visas, family arrives in St. Paul at challenging time
As the pendulum swings back to a more open U.S. refugee policy, the trickle of families who arrived during the Trump era face unprecedented challenges finding work, schooling and assistance during a pandemic.
Biden acts to reverse immigration restrictions, open up new pathways to citizenship
The president acted to preserve DACA and reverse the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries.
Minnesota leaders on MLK Day call for 'bold social action'
The twin crises are opportunities for positive action, speakers said.
Veterans of George Floyd protests say police restraint is reserved for white people
Many Black activists recalled the tear gas and police projectiles fired at peaceful protests in Minneapolis.
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Veterans of George Floyd protests say police restraint is reserved for white people
Many Black activists recalled the tear gas and police projectiles fired at peaceful protests in Minneapolis.
Meet the immigrant-owned businesses coming back from the brink on Lake Street
Highland Plaza is home to several immigrant-owned businesses, all of whom plan to reopen.
George Floyd hoped moving to Minnesota would save him. What he faced here killed him.
A special report traces George Floyd's journey from his impoverished Houston neighborhood to a search for redemption in Minneapolis. Floyd didn't come here to change the world. He thought he was saving himself.
Enthusiasm for Kamala Harris is strong among Black women voters
Black women in the Twin Cities reflected on the historic nature of Harris' candidacy.
Interracial Twin Cities couple undertake own private reckoning with race in America
Married for six years, the Bengtsons live in "different worlds."
Election weighs heavily on Minnesota immigrants, refugees
The fates of thousands of immigrants and refugees hinge on the presidential election, as President Donald Trump looks to continue his rollback of programs that…
Riot-scarred business owners find sympathetic ear in Trump
Some Twin Cities entrepreneurs of color who suffered losses from the riots after George Floyd's death are wrestling with the political implications of Trump using their stories to blame Democrats for permitting the chaos.
Trump rally highlights tensions over race in Beltrami County
Discussions on race are happening against a backdrop of political divisions in a swing county that backed Obama and Trump.
Trump's 'good genes' comment at Bemidji rally draws backlash
Some heard echoes of language Nazis used to justify their genetic superiority and which led to the killing of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.
Immigrants fight end to temporary legal protections
Those holding Temporary Protected Status could lose their legal standing.
Minority-owned firms seek leading role in rebuilding businesses damaged in riots
Yet obstacles still exist for contractors breaking into a white-dominated field.
Once-bustling downtown Minneapolis is casualty of pandemic, looting
Nearly six months into the pandemic, downtown remains largely empty, with at least 85% of the area's workforce still at home.
Local activists head to Kenosha with lessons to share
Kenosha shooting leads some to Wisconsin, others to Hennepin Government Center
Mayor Frey asks Black community for help after Floyd killing, unrest
Aides pushed for him to have a more visible presence out in the community, and the mayor has vowed to expand his connections.
'They want to talk to somebody': Black therapists try to regroup after riots
Several Black therapists lost offices in riots as their clients needed them most.
With COVID-19 surging, 'cultural broker' seeks to bridge the divide for Karen refugees
Such navigators are hired as trusted members of their communities who understand the cultural complexities that affect public health.
Mixed feelings about Kamala Harris from Minnesota progressives
Minnesota progressives tepid, but other Dems applaud historic ticket.
