Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
FACTS ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE BILL: Married Couples Pay More Than Unmarried Under Health Bill (The Wall Street Journal)
Some married couples would pay thousands of dollars more for the same health insurance coverage as unmarried people living together, under the health insurance overhaul plan pending in Congress.
The built-in “marriage penalty” in both House and Senate healthcare bills has received scant attention. But for scores of low-income and middle-income couples, it could mean a [...]
TIGER WOODS 101: If You Don’t Want To Get Caught, Don’t Leave Text Messages (New York Times)
There is a question that has crossed the mind recently of anyone who has sent a cellphone text message while cheating on a spouse: What was I thinking?
Text messages are the new lipstick on the collar, the mislaid credit card bill. Instantaneous and seemingly casual, they can be confirmation of a clandestine affair, a record [...]
The New Art of Alimony (Wall Street Journal)
Paul and Theresa Taylor were married for 17 years. He was an engineer for Boston’s public-works department, while she worked in accounting at a publishing company. They had three children, a weekend cottage on the bay and a house in the suburbs, on a leafy street called Cranberry Lane. In 1982, when they got divorced, [...]
Married & Happy With Children: Keeping Your Relationship Relevant
Novelist and screenwriter Nora Ephron once wrote, “When you have a baby, you set off an explosion in your marriage, and when the dust settles, your marriage is different from what it was.”
My husband, Greg, and I sure felt a big shift. After our two girls were born, our otherwise strong marriage faced more than [...]
Recession Bummer: Economic Woes Puts Divorce ‘On Ice’
Rhonda Brewster and her husband have decided they don’t want to be married to each other anymore. But while they’re ready to move on, they still can’t move out.
They don’t want to sell their home, in Huntsville, Ala., in a down market. They can’t afford two households until Ms. Brewster finds steady work. So for [...]
Obama To OK Benefits For Same-Sex Partners of Federal Workers
President Obama will sign a memorandum Wednesday granting health care and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees, two senior administration officials said.
The signing will take place in the Oval Office and follows sharp criticism of the president over a Justice Department motion filed last week in support of the Defense of Marriage [...]
Obama And Gay Rights Activists At Odds
In June, 2008, Michelle Obama came to Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria for a fundraiser with wealthy gay Democrats and spoke of civil rights struggles “from Selma to Stonewall.”
Nearly one year later, gay rights issues have taken on a renewed prominence. Recent shifts in states from Iowa to New Hampshire have upped the tally to six states [...]
Dating Advice: 7 Powerful Ways to Keep Your Love Alive
When we fall in love, we usually think that’s all we’ll need to be happy. However, when reality sets in and we have our first real argument, we get hit with the realization that our partner isn’t perfect.
In the beginning of a relationship we do our best to give our partner the benefit of the [...]
MIDDLE CLASS LIFE: Sex And Other Perks After The Children Leave Home
(OPRAH.com) — Jane Shure wasn’t surprised by her grief — the sense of deep loss, the resonating silence in the house — when her youngest daughter left for college; what shocked her was how quickly it dissipated.
When adult kids fly away from home, some empty nesters find they’re having more fun
“At first simply driving past [...]
Relationship Advice: 10 Ways to Reduce Your Divorce Risk
When you dream about a happily-ever-after, sitting in a lawyer’s office and dividing your assets isn’t usually part of the dream. Divorce isn’t 100 percent preventable, but there are steps you can take to avoid the nightmare scenario. And if you are already divorced, don’t be discouraged — just apply what you’ve learned in your [...]
