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Reduce brain drain in your kids over summer
(BPT) - The second the school bell rings signaling that school’s out for summer, it seems that children immediately forget everything they’ve studied over the past nine months. When they return to school in the fall, playing catch up takes time. Studies show that this brain drain can result in as much as a few months’ ...
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Anthony Bourdain talks last meal on earth, advice for restaurateurs; old-school cocktails
(BPT) - TV’s best-fed hedonist, Anthony Bourdain, is keeping busy these days with his hit travel series “Parts Unknown,” his publishing career and an upcoming appearance at this year’s National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago. Love him or hate him, Bourdain is the biggest, baddest food d...
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Baby boomers and age-related eye disease
(BPT) - As the population continues to age at an unprecedented rate, the concern about age-related eye disease comes more into focus. According to the US Census Bureau, the population of adults over age 65 is expected to double by 2025, and the American Optometric Association (AOA) reports that the incidence of Age-R...
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A gift from the heart shows your love to Mom
April’s showers (or snow) have given way to May’s spring blossoms. The beautiful weather also means it’s time to do something truly out of the ordinary for Mom, and therefore deserving of the woman who not only brought you into this world, but fed you, clothed you and never forgot to kiss the countless bumps and bruises...
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Simple ways to save water, money and your landscaping this summer
(BPT) - With many states facing drought this summer , homeowners across the country will be looking for ways to save their landscaping while conserving water at the same time. Even if you’re not in a drought-affected area, it pays to keep conservation in mind when it comes to watering outdoors. Using less water is good...
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Avoid the summer slide: 7 fun, brain-stimulating activities for students
(BPT) - As summer approaches, many parents are worried about the summer learning slide, and with good reason. Students who do not participate in enrichment and learning activities during the summer break can lose roughly 22 percent of the knowledge and skills they gained during the previous school year, according to the...
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Digital apps make learning fun for young children
Today’s children grow up in a vastly different technological world than that of their parents or grandparents. While you may fondly recall a favorite storybook stored on your nightstand, many kids today are reading using their parent’s smartphone or tablet. Digital devices are becoming a regular part of a child’s life, ...
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Five tips for lighter, brighter summer eating
(BPT) - Simple, fresh and delicious – that’s summertime eating at its best. Less time in the kitchen means more time to enjoy the bright delicious flavors of just-picked berries, peaches, greens and other vegetables. “It makes sense to eat lighter in the summer,” says Chef William Tillinghast, culinary academic directo...
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Cut home entertainment costs without loss of shows
(BPT) - Families are always looking for ways to cut household costs. One area that provides a bit of budget-cutting flexibility is home entertainment costs. Americans are watching more TV than ever before, especially with the development of flat screen sets and high-definition TV (HDTV). Americans spend 34 hours a week...
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Make warm-weather chores a breeze with these tips
(BPT) - Warm weather brings everyone outdoors - grilling on the deck, playing on the lawn and savoring beautiful gardens. To create these beautiful outdoor spaces, the experts at Lowe’s offer four easy, affordable projects you can do yourself. Follow these tips to make sure your outdoor spaces are in tip-top shape by su...
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Simple ways to reduce excess sugar in your diet this summer
(BPT) - Warm weather offers many sweet delights, from trips to the beach and more free time, to seasonal foods and soirees with family and friends. Unfortunately, many of the foods we commonly associate with spring and summer are high in added sugars. Hidden sugar in summer foods can make it a challenge to regulate calo...
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Improving family connections with better hearing
(BPT) - Does this sound familiar? You tell your spouse all about the aggravating thing that happened at work today. He or she seems to be nodding in agreement, until you ask what you should do about the situation. Your spouse’s response? “Um – could you repeat that?” Beyond the emotional impact hearing loss has on you,...
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national news

People look at the destruction after a huge tornado struck Moore, OklahomaBy Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescuers went building to building in search of victims and thousands of survivors were homeless on Tuesday after a massive tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, wiping out whole blocks of homes and killing at least 24 people. The death toll was lower than initially feared, but nine children were among the dead, including seven who died at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit on Monday in the deadliest tornado to strike the United States in two years. ...


Tue May 21 18:29:30 UTC 2013

Rescue workers look through the rubble at Plaza Towers Elementary school in MooreBy Ben Berkowitz and Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) - Moore, Oklahoma, has had the bad luck of being hit by two highly destructive tornadoes, both in the month of May, 14 years apart. But the Moore that got struck on Monday is not the same as in 1999. Like a lot of towns across America and in the so-called "Tornado Alley," rapid growth has made it a bigger target, vulnerable to more damage. The tornado, with winds that may have topped 200 miles per hour, killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds more, with many of the casualties children from two schools that were destroyed. ...


Tue May 21 15:34:25 UTC 2013

General view of a landscape almost cleared of debris from a tornado in Joplin, MissouriBy Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Less than three hours after a deadly twister on Monday flattened a swath of Moore, Oklahoma, tornado warning sirens sounded in Joplin, Missouri, 215 miles to the northeast. While no twister touched down, the Oklahoma disaster and the sirens stirred painful memories in Joplin, which on Wednesday observes the second anniversary of one of the most catastrophic tornadoes in American history. "It brought back a lot of fear, especially since there was a chance that a tornado could hit here," Sarah Jo Radcliffe, a Joplin resident, said on Tuesday. ...


Tue May 21 17:13:55 UTC 2013
[Updated at 2:30 p.m. CT] MOORE, Okla. –As a hailstorm bore down on the devastated region Tuesday afternoon, first responders continued to sift through debris to try to find survivors and figure out how many people died in the massive tornado that ripped through southern Oklahoma City and other towns a day earlier. Twenty four [...]
Tue May 21 18:36:00 UTC 2013