Social Issues

State officials on Friday announced more than $134 million for affordable housing to help thousands of Minnesota families, homeless veterans, senior citizens and low-income people.
Barbie dolls wield power for collector, acceptance for girls
Robin Hickman has been called a St. Paul "treasure." She's a social activist, a TV and film producer, and a long-time leader in the African American community. But what makes Hickman most proud these days is her extensive multicultural doll collection.
A new Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Family of Tinuola Olateju hopes to prevent other suicides.
Veterans, Pentagon contend with sexual assault in military
Military officials say sexual assault in the armed services is dramatically underreported because most victims fear retribution. At least a third of Minnesota's female veterans and more than two percent of male veterans were sexually assaulted while in the service, according to the Veterans Administration.
Inconsistencies in Anoka parade's denial of gay youth group
Organizers of the Anoka Halloween Parade denied the request of a gay youth group to walk in the parade, claiming that the maximum number of "walking units" had been reached, but records show organizers did not submit a request for a parade license until today.
Gay youth group denied from Anoka Halloween parade
Organizers of an annual Halloween parade in Anoka denied a request from a gay youth group to walk in this year's parade.
As winter nears, food shelves aim to make harvest last
Many Minnesota food shelves are stocked this fall with foods they rarely offered two decades ago: squash, peas, watermelon, strawberries. That has some food shelf directors wishing they could make it last into the winter.
A visual timeline of the ongoing story of missing Somali men from Minnesota. The young men are suspected of being recruited and sent to fight in Somalia for terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.