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More Non-Traditional Families Emerging in U.S

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Studies by the Pew Research Center and U.S Census Bureau indicate that marriage is becoming obsolete. According to Associated Press, data shows that marriage rates are at an all-time low, where only 52 percent of adults over the age of 18 are married.

Perhaps the definition of family is changing. About 29 percent of children under the age of 18 now live with a parent or parents that are unwed or no longer married. When asked what constitutes a family, AP reported that 80 percent of people surveyed thought unmarried couples with children or a single parent with children were a family. About 60 percent of people surveyed said that a same-sex couple with children should be considered a family. Non-traditional families seem to become more accepted in society as well.

Texas Teen Pregnancies And Family Law

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The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that every 10 minutes, a teenager in Texas gets pregnant. This leads to a Texas teen giving birth every 10 minutes and a Texas teenager getting an abortion every 48 minutes.

Numerous consequences are often associated with teen pregnancies, including teen moms becoming less likely to finish high school after having a child. Teenagers with children are also more likely to live in poverty and abuse alcohol or other drugs. This is perhaps one reason why the students at St. Edward's University recently called for the elimination of abstinence-only education in schools in an opinion piece. Instead, Hilltop Views encourages education to students that focuses on the dangers and consequences of unprotected sex, STDs and unplanned pregnancies.

NH Newspaper Refuses To Print Gay Marriage Announcement

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Same-sex marriage is currently illegal in the state of Texas, so few gay couples in the state would probably ask a Texas newspaper to publish a marriage announcement. In the state of New Hampshire, gay marriage is legal, so it could be considered a reasonable request for a publication in the state to announce the occasion of a wedding.

CNN reports that the New Hampshire Union Leader, the largest daily newspaper in Manchester, refused to print a wedding announcement for Greg Gould and Aurelio Tine, two men that will be getting married this weekend in the state. In a statement Publisher Joe McQuaid wrote, "This newspaper has never published wedding or engagement announcements from homosexual couples. It would be hypocritical of us to do so, given our belief that marriage is and needs to remain a social and civil structure between men and women and our opposition to the recent state law legalizing gay marriage."

Observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Texas

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. So across the country and across the state, many individuals and organizations are looking to recognize the many victims of domestic violence this month. FOX News reports that in 2008, 136 women were murdered in Texas by their intimate partners. This number represents 39 percent of all women that were murdered during that same year.

Census Bureau Statistics Show Marriage Rates at All Time Low

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It looks like many men and women across the United States are choosing to stay single and not rush into a marriage. CBS News reports that statistics released by Census Bureau show that marriage rates among young adults have declined by more than 10 percent over the last decade.

With such a steep decline, marriage rates are at the lowest that they've been at since records first started being collected by the Census Bureau more than 100 years ago. Instead of marriage, CBS News reports that many non-married couples in the U.S. are choosing to get into cohabitating relationships.

Weird Marriage Laws: Who Can Officiate Your Wedding?

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Woman's Day recently reported on 10 obscure marriage laws that exist in the United States, including laws dealing with marriage customs, divorce, or rules that are simply outdated. For example, the state of Kentucky has a law that says you can't marry the same spouse more than three times while the city of Hartford, Connecticut states that a man cannot kiss his wife on Sundays.

Many Houstonians will cross the Texas/Louisiana border to get married in the exciting city of New Orleans. With a marriage ceremony, many couples choose to get married by a religious figure or judge. Some people in various U.S. states may even ask a friend or family member to become certified by an ordination so that he or she can perform a wedding ceremony. But not just anybody can perform a wedding ceremony in New Orleans.

Houston Mother Has Quintuplets Birth

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CBS news reports that 30-year-old Veronica Real-Mayorga gave birth to quintuplets in a Houston hospital last Saturday after 29 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. While the five babies were born 11 weeks early, the average gestation period for a quintuplets birth is just 28 weeks -- quints are almost always born premature.  The babies were all born between 2 1/2 and four pounds.

Sandra Bullock Gets Restraining Order Renewed

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Academy award winning actress Sandra Bullock has requested that her restraining order be renewed in Los Angeles, claiming that a man has been stalking her for the past seven years. According to the Vancouver Sun, an attorney filed the motion earlier this week for Sandra Bullock to keep the protective order against Thomas James Weldon, which she first obtained in 2003.

Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston Announce Their Engagement

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America's most famous teenage mother Bristol Palin announced through media tabloids that she's engaged to the father of her baby, Levi Johnston. CNN reports that the 19-year-old informed the media of her engagement without the approval of her mother. How's that for a happy family?

The onetime vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was no fan of her grandson's father after the dramatic child custody battle between the teens, but she stated on CNN that she will accept Bristol's decision.

ABC Demands Ring Back From Vienna Girardi

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Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi, who became engaged on the most recent season of The Bachelor, are no longer engaged and recently split up. The show's producers seem to be so upset by the breakup that they're asking Vienna to return her $50,000 2.72-carat diamond and platinum ring.