Somali-Americans make political strides in Minnesota

Mar 8, 2017
Many say they’re feeling public scrutiny now more than ever.
Shep Harris, left, a lobbyist hired by the Coalition of Somali American Leaders, speaks with state Rep. Ilhan Omar in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Laura Yuen | MPR News

Fear of visa ban puts Minnesota's Somali community on edge

Jan 25, 2017
President Donald Trump is expected soon to order a ban on granting visas to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.  The nations expected to be listed are Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia. Minnesota is home to the nation’s largest concentration of Somalis, and reports of a pending ban are making people tense.

In Somalia, wire transfers go underground

Mar 24, 2015
Banks' efforts to curb money laundering and terror financing may have backfired.

Piracy threat grows in Nigeria, West Africa

Jun 21, 2013
A new report out this week shows that while pirate attacks off the Somali coast have plummeted, there's a growing threat on the other side of the continent.

Somalia takes steps to rebuild its economy

May 7, 2013
Somalia has struggled with famine, piracy, and insurgency in the past several years. But recently, Somalia has been making some progress on economic rebuilding.

Report estimates 260,000 died in Somalia famine

May 1, 2013
Critics have blamed the U.N. for not reacting faster to the 2011 famine in Somalia because the international community feared that relief would be confiscated by Islamic militants.