In addition to the tragic loss of life and widespread damage to homes and businesses, the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma this week have also taken a heavy toll on the area's animals. Thousands of local residents have pets that were killed or lost, possibly forever, while livestock and even wild animals have also been affected by the storm. Obviously, the deaths of dogs and cats can't compare to the human lives that were lost, but for pet owners the loss of animal companions is very real and still very painful.

The Obama legacy is already passing into history, but every American must hope that there is no deep scandal. Why? We are unlikely to impeach a President being termed out, but even the discussion would poison everything. Even if the President is guilty and shown to be guilty, there are large communities that will never be convinced he was not destroyed by a conspiracy.

While applying with the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status in 2009, an Iowa-based anti-abortion group was asked to provide information about its members' prayer meetings, documents sent by an IRS official to the organization reveal.

A fierce series of twisters tore through the northern part of the state Wednesday, killing six people, injuring 53, leaving scores of damaged and destroyed houses, including dozens constructed by Hood County Habitat for Humanity, part of the international nonprofit group.

Some American Christians scare me. Passionate blog posts about offensive words like "the voiceless" and beautiful photos of homemade clothing and inspiring essays about living off the land inspire me to make more informed choices. But they also make me nervous about my ignorance after years of being outside this milieu and evolving language. They leave me with a pressing question and, at the same time, provide part of the answer.

Three months prior to the election, both Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association received notification from the IRS that a review would be conducted for the tax year ending 2010. Graham says that in light of the subsequent revelations, "I do not believe that the IRS audit of our two organizations last year is a coincidence—or justifiable."

Before you go out and get that ‘must have’ summer outfit that’s on sale, consider how much blood there might be on it. How much suffering and death is required so that we consumers can get a good deal on our clothes? How about more than 1,000 deaths? The death toll in the massive factory collapse in Bangladesh is now at 1,127. After 19 days, authorities in Bangladesh are ending the search. There are perhaps twice that many injuries, many of them very severe. But change is coming to Bangladesh.

Franklin Graham complained to President Barack Obama today that IRS agents unfairly audited his two ministries, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse, in an attempt to intimidate them after the BGEA ran controversial election ads in Billy Graham's name.

This CNN video, featuring Ur's own Daniel Darling, gives some stats and background on where evangelicals stand. But like many other issues (immigration comes to mind), is there a divide between evangelical leaders and laity on gun control?

As worries about college costs rise, schools are forced to increase financial aid or face declining enrollment.