Online Features
Green Living
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Simple tips to save water, money and the environment
(BPT) - There are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses about 50 gallons of water per day at home. That means a family of four uses approximately 6,000 gallons a month. The following tips can help you save water, mon...
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Preserving our planet: How to celebrate the environment every day
(BPT) - Greenhouse gases are at an all-time high. Although some gases are naturally present in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, ozone, methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, human activities have created a new set of greenhouse gases (GHG) that are negatively affecting the ozone layer. GHGs are making it easier ...
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A bright idea: Tips to save money, energy with LED light bulbs
(BPT) - What could you do in 23 years? A lot, apparently – you could trip your way to an Oscar win like Jennifer Lawrence. Better yet, what about banking billions by 23 like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg? You could have a baby, send them to college and buy them their first (legal) libation … all before having to change a...
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Green gardening tools and techniques that really work
(BPT) - Americans have embraced recycling and are enthusiastic about cleaner energy sources. Yet when it comes to caring for their outdoor environment, many people still use less earth-friendly tools and techniques. So what’s standing in the way of Americans going green in their gardens and landscapes? One answer may b...
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Window checklist: 5 questions to ask your contractor before replacing windows
(BPT) - Summer’s a good time to tackle home improvement projects that will look great, but also save energy. Window replacement is one project that will help increase the energy efficiency of your home and improve curb appeal. There are often telltale signs a home may be in need of new windows, including air leakage, d...
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Tips for creating a greener outdoor living space
(BPT) - Outdoor living spaces remain a popular home improvement, but while you’re planning your patio or prepping your planting beds do you consider the impact these improvements might have on the environment? Creating a great outdoor space can be even more satisfying when you take steps to make your project as “green” ...
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Give your home a true green cleaning
(BPT) - When you clean your house, you really want it to be clean. Dirt, dust and germs are banned, and all appliances, floors and walls are scrubbed clean. But is your house really clean, or have you traded dirt and germs for caustic and toxic chemicals found in most conventional cleaning products? Even some so-called...
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Pellet stoves are awesome [Infographic]
Pellet stoves are good for your wallet and good for the environment. Fueled by biomass pellets, free-standing or insert pellet stoves are the cleanest solid-fuel burning residential heating appliance available.
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Popular remodeling trends for spring home improvement
(BPT) - It’s time to think spring which means fresh home updates. Spring home improvement projects will help you update your home, add comfort and save more of your hard-earned paycheck. “You can save time, money and stress by planning ahead,” says Kathy Krafka Harkema, Pella Windows and Doors expert. “Seek out expert ...
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Five environmentally friendly ways to keep your lawn looking great
(BPT) - Maintaining the perfect lawn is easier than you think and with the right tools, you can be both efficient with your yard work and eco-conscious. If it’s lush green turf that you’re after, but you also care about your carbon footprint, there are a few tools and practices that can help you have it both ways. Many...
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Four ways to drought-proof your yard
(BPT) - The past few years have not been kind to lawns and gardens across the country. The summer of 2012 brought severe drought to much of the Midwest and a good portion of the country continues to experience drought conditions . Homeowners have two choices in dealing with drought: try to water enough to keep grass an...
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Green home improvements that can make a real difference in home value
(BPT) - What your home is worth to you is one thing; what it’s worth to someone else may be totally different. If you want to boost the value of your home for yourself and in the eyes of others, one of the best ways to do that in today’s real estate market is to make green home improvements. Going green can mean a lot ...
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national news
Michelle Obama lays roses at bloodiest site along Berlin Wall

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha place flowers as they visit the Berlin Wall memorial in Bernauer Strasse in BerlinBy Sarah Marsh and Alexandra Hudson BERLIN (Reuters) - Michelle Obama and her daughters threaded roses through the narrow slots of a Berlin Wall memorial on Wednesday, honoring those who died trying to cross the Cold War barrier at a site which holds special poignancy in the once divided city. Accompanied by Angela Merkel's husband Joachim Sauer, who like the German leader hails from the former East Germany, President Barack Obama's family toured the Bernauer Strasse memorial where desperate residents of East Berlin once tried to jump from their windows into the western half of the city. ...


2013-06-19 10:24:45 -0500
Confessed killer says did not dictate deal to turn on 'Whitey' Bulger

Undated handout photo of Bulger holding Martorano's youngest son, John Jr., during his Christening ceremonyBy Daniel Lovering BOSTON (Reuters) - An altar-boy-turned-gang-enforcer told jurors at the trial of accused mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger on Wednesday that he did not set the terms of a deal with prosecutors allowing him to serve just 12 years in prison for 20 murders in exchange for details against his former boss. The witness, John "The Executioner" Martorano, was the first member of the ruthless Winter Hill Gang to testify against Bulger, who is on trial for charges including racketeering and 19 murders that occurred in the 1970s and '80s. ...


2013-06-19 10:25:54 -0500
FBI director says IRS tax exemption probe a top priority

Robert Mueller speaks before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee at an oversight hearing about the FBI on Capitol Hill in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than a dozen FBI agents are assigned to the criminal investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's added scrutiny of conservative political groups seeking tax-exempt status, FBI Director Robert Mueller said on Wednesday. "It's a high-priority investigation and it needs to be handled with care, but it also needs to be pushed aggressively because it's a very important case," Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing. ...


2013-06-19 10:57:49 -0500
TWA Flight 800 crash not due to gas tank explosion, say former investigators
The producers of an upcoming documentary on TWA Flight 800—which exploded and crashed into the waters off Long Island, N.Y., on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 people on board—claim to have proof that an explosion outside the Paris-bound flight caused the crash. And six former investigators who took part in the film say there [...]
2013-06-19 09:16:24 -0500