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Green Living
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Home tech: affordable and uncomplicated ideas to add enjoyment to your home
Did you know it's almost the year that Michael J. Fox went "back to the future?" While we don't have hover boards or flying cars, our innovations have changed drastically since 1985, especially when it comes to technology in the home. Now there are many affordable innovations that are simple to use and can add unique ben...
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How to 'green' your home in 48 hours
Our lives are more hectic than ever. With everyday maintenance tasks depleting your free time, you may think it's impossible to fit in bigger home improvement projects. It's time to change your mindset and re-evaluate your home improvement to-do list.
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Go green and save on heating with pellets
We've all been bombarded with the buzzwords: eco-friendly, renewable, green, sustainable - the list goes on. We turn off the lights, recycle and even swing by the local farmers market, but what else can we do? Are there any other practical solutions to help our environment? Maybe some that don't require solar panels or s...
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Great ways to 'green' your holiday season
With trees dressed in fall finery and homes adorned in holiday hues of silver, gold and red, fall and winter are colorful times. This year, why not "green" your holiday by adopting some eco-friendly traditions? From making holiday meals with organic ingredients to wrapping gifts in recycled paper, it's easy to find ways ...
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Become a produce professional: healthy eats from farm to family
Local. That's the buzzword when it comes to healthy eats these days. From the farm to the city, locally grown goods are keeping menus fresh and food lovers satisfied. This trend is on the rise in hot-spot restaurants around the nation and now it's never been easier to make fresh, culinary magic happen in your own home. H...
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Clean Water Act celebrates 40 years of water improvements
The Clean Water Act was established 40 years ago with the goal of protecting waterways and ensuring homes and offices receive clean drinking water. As the legislation marks its 40th anniversary, water officials and water consumers alike are looking back on the accomplishments and planning for new ways to continue water q...
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Green living project: Revamp your kitchen pantry to avoid waste and save money
For a basic green living project with benefits to your wallet and the environment, consider revamping the kitchen pantry. The cupboard is the starting point for most kitchen activity and is more than just a storage space. Develop good buying habits and build a strong foundation and you can avoid the waste of food and mon...
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Tips for a sustainable school year
Many of us are trying to live more sustainable lifestyles by wasting less, recycling more, and purchasing products made with recycled materials. What about our kids at school? Does back-to-school shopping - which doesn't really end when the kids are back to school - offer an opportunity to teach our kids a thing or two a...
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Three ways to give energy savings the green light in your home
"Red means stop, green means go" - we learn that axiom as children. When it comes to home energy costs, however, going green can help homeowners put a stop to runaway utility bills. And maximizing your home's use of natural light - call it "green lighting" - is a great way to boost your home's energy efficiency.
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Driving green for dummies: It's easier and cheaper than you think
Green driving is easier and more important than many people think. It's important because, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, highway vehicles account for 28 percent (1.5 billion tons) of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions each year. The good news is that you don't have to buy a new car or dramatically change y...
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Plumbing primer: The most important system behind your home's drywall
Do you know what's behind the drywall in your home? Typically, when builders construct a house, they conceal electrical wiring, air ducts, insulation, home networking wires and plumbing within the walls. It's important for all those systems to be well-made and high-functioning, but in the case of plumbing it's especially...
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Garden now to refresh your outdoor space for entertaining
This summer gardens and outdoor green spaces often look limp and lifeless due to lots of hot, sunny days and limited precipitation. No need to despair, just a few simple tips can help to rejuvenate any outdoor space well into fall - and be water-wise as well.
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national news

Boy Scouts statue titled Trail to Manhood outside the National Scouting Museum in IrvingGRAPEVINE, Texas (Reuters) - The Boy Scouts of America approved a proposal on Thursday to end a ban on openly gay scouts that has been in place throughout the organization's 103-year history, the group said in a statement. The vote by more than 1,400 members of the group's National Council came amid intense lobbying by gay-rights activists and members of conservative organizations. The change does not remove the organization's ban on gay adult leaders. (Reporting by Marice Richter; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)


Thu May 23 17:19:53 UTC 2013

U.S. President Barack Obama pauses during speech at the National Defense University in WashingtonBy Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he directed Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a review of Department of Justice guidelines for investigations that involve journalists and report back by early July. Obama has come under criticism for his administration's pursuit of journalists who have reported leaked material. In recent weeks, it emerged that the Justice Department seized Associated Press phone records as part of a probe into leaks about a 2012 Yemen-based plot to bomb a U.S. ...


Thu May 23 17:52:12 UTC 2013

FBI personnel walk through the complex surrounding the apartment, where Ibragim Todashev was shot and killed by FBI, in OrlandoGROZNY, Russia (Reuters) - The father of a Chechen immigrant killed during questioning over his links with one of the Boston Marathon bombings suspects said on Thursday he plans to travel to the United States where he thinks his son was tortured and killed. Ibragim Todashev, 27, was killed by a federal agent in his apartment complex when he became violent during questioning over his ties to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of two brothers suspected of planting two bombs at the marathon on April 15. ...


Thu May 23 16:23:25 UTC 2013
[Updated at 5:40 p.m. CT] DALLAS – The Boy Scouts of America, one of the country’s largest and oldest youth organizations, decided Thursday to break 103 years of tradition by allowing openly gay members into its ranks. The controversial move was approved by more than 60 percent of the approximate 1,400 votes cast by the [...]
Thu May 23 17:14:38 UTC 2013