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Homecoming queen Scarlett Lenh puts transgender issues front and centerSand Creek High School in Colorado Springs has a new homecoming queen: Scarlett Lenh, who used to be Andy Lenh. Transgender issues now touch virtually all aspects of American society as people like Scarlett gain greater acceptance.
FocusWas Ferguson the beginning of a new civil rights era?Ferguson became a Selma-like moment for the 2010s 鈥� to the extent the stark images caused a nation to stop and reflect on the state of racial relations in America. Moreover, a new generation of activists, who were not weaned on the nonviolence of the Civil Rights Era, is coming to the fore.
FocusHow many 'other Fergusons' are there?To some extent, that鈥檚 a question answered only under the stress of events. But numbers tracked by the US Census Bureau hint at stark racial imbalances that persist.
'Why I Stayed': Ray Rice video rekindles US debate on abusive relationshipsOnly Janay Palmer can say why she stuck with Ray Rice, but experts say women stay in abusive relationships for many reasons, including love and fear. Another question: Why do men use violence?
The two men who helped turn Sept. 11 into biggest day of charitable serviceAcross the country, more than 40 million Americans are expected to participate in Thursday's federally established National Day of Service and Remembrance.
With Ray Rice video, a shift in how America views domestic violencePublic attitudes toward domestic violence have long viewed the issue as a largely private affair. But with the Ray Rice video, a nascent societal shift is gathering steam.
Cover StorySmoke jumpers: Firefighters from the skyAmerica's elite and invisible smoke jumpers parachute in at the first coil of smoke. Meet a man with 700 jumps.
Dress-code flap: Does embarrassing students with 'shame suit' violate their rights?It鈥檚 common for schools to set dress-code policies. But how to enforce those policies 鈥� and whether embarrassing students is an appropriate option 鈥� is a matter wide open for debate.
How does your state do on gender equality?WalletHub compared metrics聽for men and women in 10 key areas, including number of lawmakers in state and federal government, pay, number of executives, unemployment rate, life expectancy, and educational attainment.
5 Pointz down: NYC demolishes storied graffiti shrineFor decades, 5 Pointz was a mecca for spray-paint artists, deemed vandals at the time but, later, welcomed into mainstream museums. Demolition began last week.
Attention teens: Later school start time gets thumbs up from big organizationThe American Academy of Pediatrics is urging schools to start their classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to help teenagers get more sleep. Some 40 percent of high schools begin before 8 a.m.
Dude who stopped Starbucks kindness chain: Grinch or just grumpy?The guy who stopped a 'pay-it-forward' chain after over 700 acts of kindness says he鈥檚 calling Starbucks out for taking advantage of a marketing stunt.
Ferguson: How the balkanization of greater St. Louis fueled the strifeThe convulsive aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., has raised questions about poverty and race in America. But it can also be seen as a long-delayed reckoning with balkanized racism around St. Louis.
Ahead of march for chokehold victim, New York leaders and clergy come togetherThe New York mayor, police commissioner, and leaders of Jewish, 海角大神, and Muslim communities met Wednesday to address the tensions in minority neighborhoods, following an alleged chokehold death by police last month.
In Ferguson's wake, outcries arise about police shootings in other citiesThe cases of young black men killed in California and Ohio come under local scrutiny, fueled in part by the national focus on Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Mo.
The Met averts shutdown: Does opera have to be grand to survive?After months of wrangling, the musicians鈥� union and Met鈥檚 management came to terms on how to cut costs just in time for the 2014-15 season to open in September. Meanwhile, on a smaller scale, bohemian opera prospers.聽
Poll: Ferguson police response 'has gone too far,' more Americans saySome 40 percent of respondents to a Pew Research Center survey said the police response 'has gone too far,' while just 28 percent favored the view that the response has been 'about right.'
In Ferguson, calm among protesters 鈥� but with an edge as police name shooterSome say that moves like a shake-up in police command aren鈥檛 enough to tamp down the deep sense of injustice and conspiracy ringing in Ferguson, Mo., after the death of Mike Brown.
Can 'political junkie' Chuck Todd revive 'Meet the Press'?NBC's 'Meet the Press' has been losing market share to rival Sunday TV talk shows on ABC and CBS. NBC hopes to reverse that by replacing host David Gregory with Chuck Todd.
Ferguson: People unite to meet children's needs, from food to counselingThe Ferguson-Florissant School District pushed back the start of classes from Thursday to Monday. When school starts, extra counselors will be on hand, and handmade signs will welcome students back.