news Archives

Help for Haiti

Assigning adjectives to the devastation brought on by the Haitian earthquake threatens to bankrupt the English language. Currently, reports are circulating that thousands are dead. Morgues are full and bodies are piled high along the debris-strewn streets. Scores more are likely still trapped, and hundreds of thousands of the country’s island residents are without the basic necessities of life.

The needs are breathtaking and nearly endless in scope and size. But along with our prayers, we might offer a very tangible contribution to the relief efforts by making a monetary contribution to one of the many excellent organizations on the ground in Haiti.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, news January 15, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Brit Hume and Tiger Woods

FOX News political commentator Brit Hume shocked some people over the weekend by offering the following advice to golfing legend Tiger Woods:

The extent to which he (Woods) can recover (from his extramarital affairs) seems to me depends on his faith. He is said to be a Buddhist. I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would be, “Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.”

Not surprisingly, public reaction was swift, mixed and spirited.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, pop culture January 11, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Brave Young Men and Women of Fort Carson

Just a few miles south of Focus on the Family sits the Army Mountain Post of Fort Carson. The base is home to several combat brigades and has taken some of the heaviest losses in the Afghan and Iraq wars.

My friend and colleague, Devin Knuckles, recently connected with a number of Army personnel on the base. He learned that in one unit alone, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 134 brave soldiers had given their lives over the course of the last few years.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: events, news, staff December 22, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Say It Ain’t So, Mr. President!

President Obama’s prime-time address from West Point tonight is big news, and understandably so. After months of intense speculation, he’ll be officially rolling out his revised strategy for the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Reports indicate that as many as 30,000 additional brave and courageous troops will be deployed to the volatile area.

It’s a serious subject and our president will likely deliver the news in somber fashion. Our prayers will follow these good men and women across the globe.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events, faith, news December 1, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Power of Ultrasound

With the national unemployment rate hitting 10.2%, the highest level in 26 years, it’s the rare individual who willingly quits a job without having another to take its place. But Abby Johnson said she really had no choice. And Abby Johnson didn’t have a run-of-the-mill job, either.

Abby is 29 years old and lives in Bryan, Texas. After she left the organization she had worked at for nine years, her employer filed what’s called a “restraining order of disclosure” against her, suspicious that she had absconded with confidential files.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, pro-life November 10, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Swing in the Favor of Life

There was some new research out last week that is good news for those committed to the preservation of life.

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are now evenly divided on whether or not abortion should be legal “in all or most circumstances.” A year ago, abortion advocates outnumbered pro-lifers by a margin of 54-41 percent. Today, that gap has narrowed to 47-45 percent, a difference within the poll’s margin of error.

In May, Gallup released similar findings, indicating that 51% of Americans identified themselves as “pro-life.” Some media reports have attempted to downplay this latest round of news, suggesting that historical data reflects a stronger or steadier level of support for legalized abortion.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, pro-life October 7, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Mother of All Moments

It could have been a scene straight out of central casting.

When injuries and motherhood caused highly acclaimed Belgian tennis sensation Kim Clijsters to retire from the sport in 2007, many of the pundits assumed she was just another star to have fizzled and faded away all too soon. Sadly, such is the usual trajectory of professional athletes. Of those who actually enjoy their moment in the sun, the time is almost always brief. High profile comebacks often produce headlines, but rarely do they result in historic championships.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, news, pop culture September 14, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Watch The Great American Panel Tonight

This is a big media day for me. I’ll be a guest on the “Hannity” show tonight on the Fox News Channel, 9 p.m. EDT. I’ll be one of the three participants in The Great American Panel. Sean likes to interact with a group representing a variety of ideological beliefs—so be prepared for lively exchange as we discuss the news of the day.

Also scheduled to appear on the panel are John Fund, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and Penny Lee, a Democratic strategist.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events, news September 3, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

High Cost of Healthcare Reform

Thursday’s broadcast last week featured a conversation between Tony Perkins (president of Family Research Council), our own Senior Vice President Tom Minnery and myself on the topic of managing the nation’s healthcare. As you may know, the nation is engaged in a vigorous debate whether or not the government should step into the health care arena—or leave health coverage to private providers.

It strikes me that regardless of whether you come down on the side of handing the healthcare system to the government or keeping it privatized, we need to acknowledge there aspects of the current system that require our attention.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, news, policy, pro-life August 3, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

On Michael Vick

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is back in the news. After having served 19 months in a federal prison and several months under house arrest for charges related to running a dog fighting ring, the suspended star of the Atlanta Falcons is a free man. But the fate of the 29-year-old Vick’s career rests in the hands of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. When asked last week how he planned to rule, Goodell was non-committal. The two men met last Wednesday to discuss the possibility of reinstatement.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, news, pop culture July 27, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura