Social Issues

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.
Writer Jill Filipovic says that condemning premarital sex and promoting abstinence are not working. Lasting, loving relationships are made through intimacy, she said.
Rising Chinese cities: Are they learning from American mistakes?
When Foreign Policy unveiled its list of the world's most dynamic cities, one trend stuck out: 40 percent were in China. With a car-focused approach, some urban designers warn that China is making the same mistakes the United States did in the 20th century.
The Week in Commentary
A summary of the past week's commentaries and some of the comments we received in response.