Every week, Alliance for a Better Minnesota will highlight the important work being done in the progressive community. Focusing on issues that impact Minnesotans’ lives, this important work helps Minnesota continue moving forward.

Twin Cities Attracts International Students: A new report found that foreign college students often come to the Twin Cities, as it’s ranked in the top 20 metro areas for international students in the U.S. Over 11,600 students were registered with a F-1 Visa between 2008-2012 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, and studies show that nearly half of visiting students decide to stay in the Twin Cities after graduation.

BP Justice: It’s been four years since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and the companies responsible are finally being held accountable. A federal judge ruled that BP was “reckless” and “grossly negligent,” and the ruling could expose BP to a massive $18 billion in fines.

Court Strikes Down More Gay Marriage Bans: The U.S. Court of Appeals rejected proposals from Indiana and Wisconsin to ban same-sex marriage this week. The judge who wrote the opinion, who was appointed by Ronald Reagan, said that there was “no reasonable basis” for forbidding same-sex marriage.