Social Issues

Virginia is quickly emerging as a key in the same-sex marriage fight
This purple state was once perceived as unfriendly and even bordering on hostile to gay rights. That's changed after a seismic political shift in the top three elected offices, from conservative Republicans to liberal Democrats who support gay marriage.
Same-sex couples in Utah made eligible for federal benefits
Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday that the federal government will recognize the 900-plus same-sex marriages that took place in Utah during the two weeks when such unions were legal. That means those couples will be eligible for all federal benefits.
Feds recognize same-sex couples in Utah
Attorney General Eric Holder is recognizing the marriages of more than 1,000 same-sex couples in Utah that took place before the Supreme Court put those unions on hold.
With White Bear as poster child, Minnesota tests new approach to limited water supplies
A new effort involving just about anyone who flushes a toilet from Lino Lakes to Woodbury is about to eclipse the scattered sprinkling limits and water-saving campaigns to rescue a shrinking White Bear Lake. And that could be just a first step in getting Minnesota residents, businesses and others to think differently about how they use water.