Family and Marriage News
Coverage of family life, marriage, parenting, and cultural issues shaping households across America, with clear reporting and thoughtful analysis.
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- Opinion
What Americans Really Think About Relationships, Cohabitation and Marriage
What do Americans think about marriage and relationships? And do these attitudes line up with what research shows is best for relationships? A new, nationally representative survey of Americans ages 18-60 by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture helps answer this question. What Americans Say about Cohabitation The Austin Institute survey…Rachel Sheffield -
- Opinion
Why the Supreme Court Might Agree to Hear a Same-Sex Marriage Case After All
Last month, the Supreme Court surprised the national news media by refusing to hear any of the seven same-sex marriage cases that had been pending. Following that denial of review, the status of same-sex marriage appears to be based on an odd sort of federalism. If you live in a region of the country governed…Andrew Kloster -
- Opinion
In 2 Charts: Why the ‘War on Poverty’ Should Be Renamed the ‘War on Marriage’
"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage." Sort of. I grew up singing the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" jingle with my elementary school friends during recess. Now many of those same friends have the baby in the baby carriage and a boyfriend. They aren't alone. >>>REPORT: How Welfare Undermines Marriage According…Kelsey Lucas -
- News
Family Gets Relief From Obamacare’s Mandatory ‘Abortion Fee,’ but Pro-Lifers Aren’t Rejoicing Just Yet
A pro-life family won’t be forced by Obamacare to pay for others’ abortions through a “secret fee” after all. Barth and Abbie Bracy, who have four children, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against government officials, arguing that they failed to offer health insurance plans that didn’t cover elective abortions. The Connecticut couple voluntarily dismissed…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
‘We Do Not Quit in This Family’: Vietnam War Draftee Retires After 42 Years in Army
The last continuously serving Vietnam War draftee, who remained on active duty for 42 years, has retired. According to the Army Times, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph Rigby served since he was drafted to fight in Vietnam at 19. According to the Times, when Rigby was drafted, he joked about moving to Canada. His mother was…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
Giving Thanks for Opportunities Afforded by the Family
As Thanksgiving approaches, one iconic image comes to mind: Norman Rockwell’s painting of a family gathering for that holiday feast. The title of that work, created in the 1940s, has special significance—“Freedom from Want.” In those days, viewers readily understood the link between family and financial well-being. Just as important as the feast on the…Collette Caprara -
- News
Candidate for Governor Says She Wasn’t Fired by Her Family, but ‘Downsized’
MADISON, Wis. — Responding to allegations she was fired from her family’s firm in the 1990s, Mary Burke now says she was a victim of downsizing at Trek Bicycle Corp. “We reorganized and eliminated the position that I had, and I left that organization in charge of two other people who reported directly to the…M.D. Kittle -
- News
Duck Dynasty’s Sadie Robertson’s Powerful Words: Faith Has ‘Carried’ Family ‘This Whole Way’
On “Dancing with the Stars” Monday night, 17-year-old Sadie Robertson talked about how important her family and her faith in God were to her. “My family would not be where we are without our faith. That’s what’s carried us this whole way,” the Duck Dynasty star and daughter of Willie Robertson said. “We put our…Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
Newly Pregnant Blake Lively’s Refreshing Perspective on Family
Actress Blake Lively creatively announced her pregnancy today on her lifestyle website, Preserve. The announcement came in the form of a photo essay focused on family with a few photos hinting at what was to come at the end – an ethereal photo of Lively cradling a tiny bump. The Preserve editorial team wrote a…Ericka Andersen -
- Opinion
School Board Tells Homeschool Family Their Curriculum Must Be ‘Guided’ by Common Core Standards
For many public school students, Common Core national standards and tests are being implemented in their classrooms this school year. Yet parent opposition has been vocal over the past few years, 60 percent of the public opposes Common Core, and teacher support for the standards has dropped precipitously over the past year from 76 percent…Chris McNutt -
- News
Family of 6 Says They’ll Go Uninsured Before Paying Obamacare’s ‘Abortion Fee’
Barth Bracy has devoted his life to his Catholic faith. He spent 15 years in the Philippines as a missionary, where he met his wife, Abbie. The two got married in 2002. Barth and Abbie Bracy reside in Dayville, Conn., with their four young sons, whom she home-schools throughout the year. Bracy commutes 45 minutes…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
How Chick-fil-A’s Family Values Keep Kiddie Customers Satisfied
Chick-fil-A, not shy about asking young Americans to “eat mor chikin,” is giving the Happy Meal a run for the money. Parents and caretakers rate the faith-based, fast-food chicken chain higher in “kid appeal” than McDonald’s, research shows. And although Chick-fil-A serves far fewer mouths a year than McDonald’s —with 1,800 locations nationwide compared with the…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Iraqi Boy, 2, Loses Most of Family as ISIS Terrorists Target Town
After escaping a terrorist-besieged Iraqi town with his family, 2-year-old Hasan was wounded when a suicide bomb went off near a mosque. The blast in the Kurdistan-controlled Kirkuk province, set off by the terrorist group Islamic State, or ISIS, was thought to have killed the boy’s entire immediate family. Today, three weeks later, the toddler remains in the…Josh Siegel -
- News
Family Could Lose Home Over Son’s Drug Possession
In March, Chris Sourovelis’ son was caught selling $40 of heroin to an undercover police officer. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department responded by raiding the Sourovelis’ north Philadelphia home, with guns drawn — one of them pointed at the head of the family dog — and found small amounts of the drug in the…Eric Boehm -
- News
Why One Low-Income Family Is Grateful for State’s School Choice Program
When the North Carolina Legislature approved a budget in late July that allocated more money for a new school choice program, it was the answer to one mom’s prayer. Kena Cooper’s son, Keenan, already had received a scholarship to a private school. He was chosen in a lottery of 4,200 students for 2,400 slots in a…Mary Tillotson -
- News
This Obama Insider Got Deep Discount for $14K Family Trip on U.S. Jet
It was off to the races for a top Obama administration official earlier this summer — and on the taxpayers’ dime. Attorney General Eric Holder took a one-day trip to Elmont, N.Y., for the Belmont Stakes. Cost to taxpayers: $14,440. But the nation’s lead law enforcement officer, who traveled to the Triple Crown race aboard a…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Q&A: Why Hahn Family Is Glad They Joined Hobby Lobby to Fight Obamacare’s HHS Mandate
Media coverage of the two Supreme Court cases challenging Obamacare’s HHS mandate for employers to provide workers with “free” coverage of abortion-inducing drugs largely focused on Hobby Lobby, the arts and crafts chain founded by the Greens, an evangelical Christian family. The case of another family-owned business also was heard by the high court, though…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Photo Bomb: Santorum Begs to Differ With ‘Modern Family’ Star
Rick Santorum says he doesn’t recall the tense interaction with actor Eric Stonestreet that the “Modern Family” star describes as occurring at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. In an interview last week with “HuffPost Live,” Stonestreet said he was surprised when Santorum asked to take a picture with him at a pre-party. On the ABC…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas Credits Family for Success
At the plate, Frank Thomas struck fear into the hearts of pitchers throughout Major League Baseball. At Cooperstown on Sunday, Thomas battled back tears during an emotional Hall of Fame speech crediting his family for his success. A consecutive two-time MVP, and one of the best hitters in baseball history, Thomas chose to celebrate his…Philip Wegmann -
- News
Government Regulation Threatens 119-Year-Old Family Cigar Business
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is one of a kind, literally. Founded in 1895 by Julius Caesar Newman, a Hungarian immigrant, the Tampa-based family business is the last of what was once 150 “Cigar City” factories. The business has outlasted 19 U.S. presidents, two world wars, a Cuban economic embargo that crushed many of its competitors…William Patrick