In polarized times some MN Democrats and Republicans find common ground
Minnesota Legislative Exchange makes time and space for lawmakers to connect.
Community Voices | Somali Americans in St. Cloud share impact of ICE
The Somali American Rights Coalition launches amid immigration enforcement surge, and a St. Cloud truck driver recounts his story of arrest and detainment.
When one mother was taken by ICE, another stepped in to donate breastmilk
Moms in Minneapolis are donating diapers, food and time to help families who have been ripped apart by ICE.
How Grand Rapids residents talk about firearms – with civility
A dozen people in Grand Rapids, Minn., all rooted in a community with a strong hunting culture., shared diverse experiences and opinions about firearms.
Prophecy and road map: How 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' can guide Minnesotans today
St. Cloud Pastor James Alberts II of Higher Ground Church of God in Christ reflects on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter as the state faces a surge of federal immigration enforcement.
We made the best of 2025! Here's the year in review
Check out Project Optimist's 2025 impact and look behind the curtain at our finances and future plans.
65% of college students feel lonely. Moorhead students share solutions
Minnesota State University Moorhead students – most of them LGBTQ+ – share stories of how they meet and overcome isolation.
Community Voices ⎸Project Optimist staff plan for the end — and it feels good
Life goals: Complete health care directives, draft a will, and enroll in life insurance in 2025.
There’s a surprising climate solution right under your feet
Mycorrhizal fungi help plants thrive, and sequester an enormous amount of carbon. But a new atlas shows that they need urgent protection.
How Rochester and Duluth respond to mental health and substance use calls
'Ultimately the goal for us is to not have law enforcement, police officers, involved with every single psych event or mental health crisis that goes on here in the city,' said Captain Jennifer Hodgman of the Rochester Police Department.
School maps show promise as safety tool. Here's how they work.
Digital maps can help first responders in an emergency, if local school officials allocate the money to keep the technology in place and commit to updating the maps.
Minnesota’s ‘red flag law’ is a year old. What have we learned?
Law enforcement agencies, family members, and courts in Minnesota slowly started to use the extreme risk protection order (ERPO), or ‘red flag law,’ since it went into effect in January 2024
How East African politicians are growing a coalition in St. Cloud
To explore the challenges and opportunities in local government for the Somali American community, St. Cloud Somali Community Radio and Project Optimist invited Hassan Yussuf, Abdi Daisane and Omar Podi to share their experiences and insights.
Winona residents call for zoning, funding, and empathy to spur needed housing
Winona residents see affordable housing as urgent and solvable, but success will require policy changes, creative housing models, and more community leadership.
“Waan u ducaynaa ” Caadada Muslimka xiliga geeridda.
In yar oo ka mid ah Soomaalidda Maraykanka ayaa buuxiya Warqadda Dardaaranak Daryeelka Caafimaadka. Wargayska Project Optimist ayaa la hadlay Qof ku taqasusay. si aan wax uga ogaano su’aalaha caadigga ah oo soomaaliddu ay qabaan markii ay buuxiyaan warqadan.
‘We pray upon them’: A Muslim take on end-of-life rituals
Few Somali Americans complete health care directives. Project Optimist spoke with an expert to learn some of the common questions Somali Americans have when they fill out the documents.
Duluth Community Garden Program wilted. Volunteers stepped in to save it.
“I couldn’t watch it die,” said Haley Diem, who co-chairs the board and helped reshape it into a volunteer-run organization with other supporters of the gardens.
Community Voices ⎸ Advance planning is one of the greatest gifts my dad ever gave me
“My brother and I didn’t have to wonder what Dad wanted: He told us himself, and we carried out his wishes,” writes Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten.