When Kevin Xiong was living in North Carolina several years ago, he was sure he was the only gay Hmong person in the world.

Then in 2005, a Google search led him to Shades of Yellow, a Twin Cities-based group of Hmong gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer folk — most of whom had also at one time believed they were alone. “That’s pretty much everyone I’ve talked to,” Xiong says. “Everybody thought they were the only one.”

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The first rule of refugee mental health is that you don’t talk about refugee mental health.

Sue Johnston calls it “the M word” and says, “If you say ‘mental health,’ what they hear is mental illness.”

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These four lawyers spend their lives toiling to keep a righteous balance between the needs of the environment and the demands of business and government. (Joel Reynolds; Les Lo Baugh; Greg Wilkinson; Lawrence Riff)

Is Starbucks Coffee Actually That Good? (June 1, 2009)
Starbucks and McCafe Bring it On with New Ads (May 6, 2009)
McCafe Moves in For the Kill (April 20, 2009)
Starbucks No Longer a Luxury? (March 24, 2009)
Coffee Rivals Fight Breakfast War (February 6, 2009)
McDonald’s ‘McCafe’ Picks Up Steam (December 10, 2008)

Companies Watch Their Water (March 2, 2009)
Trimming the Fat Off of Food Packaging (April 15, 2009)
Reusable Bags are Edging Into Mainstream (April 9, 2009)
Shoppers Still Buy Green Despite Recession (February 18, 2009)

Who produces that delicious tomato that shows up on your salad plate? What are some of the issues faced by women farm workers in the fields or processing plants? Minnesota, like the rest of the nation, is reliant on immigrant workers to help plant, tend, harvest, package and deliver our food.

The Problem with Overemphasizing Local Foods (May 26, 2009)
So What the Heck Does ‘Local’ Mean Anyway? (May 20, 2009)
At Chipotle, Local is More Than Just Talk (May 19, 2009)
Frito-Lay Embraces Local Movement, But Movement Does Not Embrace Frito-Lay (May 18, 2009)