All Society
Slender Man stabbings: Why are we so fascinated by horror?Police say a gruesome attack by 12-year-old girls on a friend was to please the Slender Man – a mythical, online monster linked to a horror site. His popularity touches on deeper questions about why people embrace the disturbing.
FBI manhunt via social media? Citizen sleuthing is a double-edged sword.A cache of explosives in a San Francisco apartment prompts an FBI warning and request for help. The missing man posts an apology to friends. The public responds to all of it, posting and Tweeting.
‘Shoulder-shaming’ girls at Utah high school: Why the big coverup?Officials at a Utah high school added Photoshopped clothing to cover bare clavicles and shoulders in the yearbook photos of at least seven girls, bringing tears and charges of misogyny.
Drugs for treating heroin users: a new abuse problem in the making?Evidence is mounting that certain drugs used to treat heroin users are themselves being sold on the streets – and may even be a 'gateway' to heroin or opioid use. As some experts herald their value for treating addiction, others ask if the 'cure' is making things worse.
Santa Barbara killings: Is the Hollywood debate worth having again?While trying to draw a straight line between Hollywood and violence is simplistic and potentially counter-productive, say some experts, it is also important not to dismiss the relationship out of hand.
- 'Slut-shaming': When women sling the word, it’s often about status, not sex
While girls learn early how hurtful and damaging the term can be, often it's women who wield the weaponry of 'slut-shaming,' though for complex reasons, a new study says.
Progress WatchHomelessness declines as new thinking fuels 'giant untold success'Homelessness in America has declined 17 percent since 2005 as states reverse the old prevailing wisdom. Now, moving into a home can be the first step off the streets, not the last.
Support for same-sex marriage reaches a 'tipping point'Polls now show unwavering majority support for same-sex marriage in the United States as federal judges rule against state bans on such unions, a trend particularly popular among younger Americans.
New Boy Scout boss Robert Gates says scouts need a 'blunt talk' about homosexualityFormer Defense Secretary Robert Gates has taken over as head of Boy Scouts of America at a time when scout enrollment is dropping and the organization faces challenges about gay rights.
Children of rape: What help for mothers raising these youngsters?Society rarely talks about children conceived as a result of rape. But recent high-profile incidents, like the one involving 'Jane Doe' in Santa Ana, Calif., this week, have put these children in the national spotlight.
California kidnapping case: Why didn't woman seek help years ago?The woman who told police she was kidnapped at age 15, sexually abused, and forced to marry her abductor, reportedly had a car and Internet access. But captors can have a powerful emotional hold, experts say.
Census Bureau charts urban boom: secrets of America’s fastest-growing citiesThe rapid growth of small cities recorded by the Census Bureau is evident across the United States, though the factors driving that growth vary from region to region.
'American Idol' finale: what live hit shows do for the networks, and viewersLive song-and-dance competition shows like 'American Idol,' which is broadcasting its season finale Wednesday night, are getting a bit long in the tooth, but they can still deliver impressive ratings.
Chipotle: Mixing guns and burritos is 'intimidating,' so please disarmThe Chipotle chain, in a policy change, asks customers 'not to bring guns into our restaurants.' More corporations are being prodded to articulate their positions, as gun control activists counter moves by more states to allow 'open carry.'
Ousted NY Times editor Jill Abramson tells grads: 'Show what you are made of'Jill Abramson, in her first public talk since being fired by The New York Times, tells the Class of 2014 at Wake Forest: 'I'm in exactly the same boat as many of you – a little scared, but also excited.'
Cover StoryBuilding a better parentMore groups are tutoring parents on how to raise children, as a key to curbing everything from poverty to joblessness. But, with kids, there’s no simple how-to manual.
Town's top cop, 82, uses racial slur to refer to Obama. Is his age to blame?The N.H. town is seeking the resignation of the police commissioner, just the latest older white man to make a publicized racist remark. But blaming age just avoids the need to confront racism, experts say.
'Prom draft' girls should stand up to boys ranking them, experts sayIn the 'prom draft' tradition at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, Calif., boys reportedly rank girls and then get a draft position from a lottery to select a prom date from the pool.
Hollywood's snub of Brunei-owned hotels over sharia law: Will it backfire?Brunei's move to adopt a sharia-compliant penal code set off protests at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air. But Hollywood protests may serve only to shore up the sultan's credibility at home, analysts say.
On National Day of Prayer, growing ranks say 'reason' should have its day, tooAfter being mostly ignored since it was first proclaimed in 2003, the 'National Day of Reason,' a secular alternative to the Day of Prayer, is getting at least a modicum of official recognition.
