News & Updates

Mid-Week Reads: Gun Death Rates, Earned Sick and Safe Time

by | Jun 23, 2016 | Health Care

Every week, North Star will take some time out of our schedules to bring you our favorite reads from the past week.

Jeff Van Wychen

Compare These Gun Death Rates: The U.S. Is in a Different World

This article uses a variety of comparisons to illustrate the rate of gun homicides in the United States to those in other nations. On a per capita basis, gun homicides in the U.S. are five and a half times more prevalent than in the next closest “rich western country” (Canada) and over eleven times more prevalent than in most other nations in this category. The only nations that have a rate of gun homicides greater than the U.S. are those involved in some sort of civil crisis. For example, Mexico–which is in the midst of a bloody drug war–has a rate of gun homicides slightly higher than the U.S. Furthermore, these statistics include only gun homicides, not suicides or accidental deaths involving the use of a gun.

Stephanie Fenner

St. Paul Moves Forward on Earned Sick and Safe Time

St. Paul’s 70,000 could soon have access to earned sick and safe time, thanks to recommendations from a city task force. The proposal would require employers to provide workers with one hour of sick time for every 30 hours they work, with sick-time earnings capped at 48 hours per year; however they would be able to bank up to 80 hours.

Exploited Youth: Strengthening Child Labor Protections in Minnesota

At 10 PM, a 16-year-old clocked in to their shift. They spent the next 6 hours cleaning a meat grinder with a pressure hose. At 4 AM they clocked out. At 8:50 AM, their school day started. Though this scene may sound like an excerpt from Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel,...

The Misplaced Priorities of “Business” Leaders

Minnesota’s economy is under siege after the first month of a chaotic Trump administration. We’re in an on-again-off-again trade war with our closest neighbors, employers are planning  “recession-level” layoffs, the Executive Branch is unilaterally canceling contracts...

Diverting Dollars: The Danger of School Vouchers in Minnesota

The number of students receiving taxpayer money for vouchers to attend private or religious schools has surged in the US, growing from 12,000 at the turn of the century to over 1 million today. At the same time, evidence has mounted showing that these vouchers weaken...

Progress and Protection: Aligning AI Innovation with Worker Welfare

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the workplace, offering opportunities for innovation while presenting significant challenges for Minnesota’s workers. A recent survey highlights the disconnect between employer expectations and worker experiences:...

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