Free Republic

THE BAD NEWS for newlywed Massachusetts gays and lesbians is that, under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government won't recognize their marriages. The good news is that by staying "single" in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, they could save a lot on taxes. Despite some reforms in 2001, many two-earner couples still pay a "marriage penalty," particularly if one spouse earns enough to hit the top tax bracket on his or her income alone. Same-sex couples are more likely to have dual incomes than heterosexual married couples. In Massachusetts, both partners work in 66 percent...

New fees, tacked onto an already lengthy waiting period for firearms permits, are putting a roadblock in front of frightened women seeking a non-lethal way to defend themselves, some officials say. An employee at AAA Police Supply in Dedham, which sells firearms and defense aerosols such as pepper spray, says the long waiting list to obtain the firearms identification card to carry pepper spray, coupled with the new $100 fee, is discouraging many women caught up in an abusive relationship or worried about a stalker. "I've had women crying in my store because they were under the impression their FID...