Online Features
Seasonal
Don't let spring cleaning weigh you down: Here's how to spring forward
(BPT) - Spring is the time to shed your winter layers, dust off the cobwebs, open the windows and embrace the beginning of a new season. Aside from spending more time outdoors, the sunshine and warm weather often energize us to do the things we put off during the cold winter months, such as cleaning and organizing. Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be a daunting task. The key is to take small steps and designate time to complete them – don’t try to do it all in one fell swoop. Linda Rothschil...
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What to do when your drinking becomes a problem
(BPT) - There's no denying that drinking is a widely accepted element of social life in America. Cocktail parties, evenings out, formal functions, and even a drink or two with dinner are customary practices. However, alcohol abuse is a major problem in this country and, on a different level, many "social drinkers" proba...
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Suppress the sneeze: Tips to help prep your home for allergy season
(BPT) - The season of sneezing has made its annual return and that can only mean one thing for homeowners: preventative cleaning measures. Especially true for allergy and asthma sufferers, there is no better time to get a head start on prepping your home against unwanted allergens than the early weeks of spring. Accord...
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Warmer weather home updates that are easy on your wallet
(BPT) - As the weather turns warmer, most of us are experiencing cabin fever, anxious to escape to the outdoors. But has the harsh winter weather put a damper on your outdoor spaces? Don’t fret. You can easily spruce up your exteriors with a few easy and inexpensive home improvement projects. Here are a few fast fixes t...
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How to freshen up your spring cuisine
(BPT) - For food fanatics, spring is the perfect time of year to add fresh produce back into your recipes and meals. Using seasonal ingredients can really help capture and enhance the flavors of spring and bring your cuisine to life. Whether you’re using first yields from your garden or visiting the farmers market as s...
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Don't miss a beat this college basketball season
(BPT) - The college basketball tournament is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans across the country, so much so that workplace productivity takes a nosedive. According to a survey by MSN and Impulse Research, 30 percent of people spend three hours or more per day following the tournament during work – that’s almost half of the average work day! Whether you’re watching from your desk or from your couch, the following tips can help you stay in the know this season...
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Season's cleanings - tips to keep your home clean and clutter free
(BPT) - To get your home in tip-top shape this summer, start by breaking down your to-do list room by room. With a little planning, you can create easily achievable goals that will leave your house looking fabulous and you feeling refreshed. Restore beauty in the bath The bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms in t...
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Excellent Easter essentials [Infographic]
It wouldn’t be Easter without eggs! Did you know The Hershey Company is the No. 1 leader in producing egg-shaped candy for the season? As the reigning Easter expert, Hershey recently distributed a short survey to consumers across the country to find out how they incorporate eggs into their Easter activities.
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Finding inspiration in basketball
(BPT) - If you love March basketball, here’s how to use the time and energy you spent on choosing a winning bracket to live your own hoop dreams. Step 1: Put down the remote. If you enjoy the game enough to watch others play, it stands to reason that basketball will be an enjoyable way for you to get cardiovascular ex...
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What's more kissable this spring break? [Infographic]
Guys, don’t let stubble come between you and the finish line this spring break. Gillette recently conducted a 16-city live social experiment to determine what kind of kiss women prefer – with or without stubble. The results are in, and 85 percent of women across the country prefer to kiss a guy who’s smooth shaven. Furthermore, two out of three women said guys will have better luck with them if they are smooth shaven. Therefore, to help guys achieve the look most appealing to the ladies this...
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From golf to fishing: America's ultimate destinations for active travel
(BPT) - The word “vacation” means different things to different people. For some, it’s lounging poolside and sleeping until noon. Others, however, savor the opportunity to get outside, try some new activities and indulge in their favorite pastimes for days on end. If you’re one of the latter group, there are few better ...
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How to recharge your resolutions
(BPT) - Many find that the new year is a time to wipe the slate clean. In fact, 45 percent of Americans made New Year’s resolutions, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology from the University of Scranton. But while it is easy to make resolutions, the hard part is actually following through with them. By the first few weeks of the new year, nearly two-thirds of Americans who made resolutions will have already broken them the journal also states. Avoid becoming a failed resolution st...
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national news
After court rules, California gay marriage fight may go on

A man carries flags at a rally in support of same-sex marriage at the State of California Supreme Court in San FranciscoBy Peter Henderson SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The fight over legalizing gay marriage in the most populous U.S. state may go back to the ballot box in 2014 with California voters asked once again to settle the matter even after the Supreme Court's expected ruling this month on the issue. Experts believe the top court is unlikely to proclaim a national right to same-sex marriage in its decisions. The court is set to rule on a challenge to California's ban on same-sex marriage and on a provision of federal law denying certain benefits for married same-sex couples. ...


2013-06-19 00:11:14 -0500
Analysis: Hospital investors sold on U.S. health reform despite bumps

A Tea Party member reaches for a pamphlet at a "Food for Free Minds Tea Party Rally" in LittletonBy Susan Kelly CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. hospital operators have been on a tear this year, on average posting triple the gains of the broader stock market, as investors tallied up the benefits of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform. While some on Wall Street have held back amid signs of trouble as U.S. states prepare to implement the reform law, long-term investors still see more reward than risk on the horizon for hospital stocks. They expect company earnings to strengthen as more Americans gain insurance coverage and hospitals lose less money treating the uninsured. ...


2013-06-19 00:05:37 -0500
Massachusetts police search NFL player's home in homicide probe: report

Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez talks on a phone during media day for the NFL Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis(Reuters) - Massachusetts State Police searched the home of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Tuesday as part of a probe into a suspected homicide, according to ABC News. Hernandez was initially uncooperative with police after the body of a 27-year-old man was found in an industrial park near his home in North Attleborough on Monday, ABC News said, citing unnamed law enforcement sources. A police spokesman confirmed there was a homicide investigation under way in North Attleborough, but declined to give further details. ...


2013-06-18 22:07:10 -0500
Journalist Michael Hastings dies in car crash at 33
Michael Hastings, the award-winning journalist whose explosive 2010 Rolling Stone profile of U.S. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal ("The Runaway General") led to McChrystal's resignation, died Tuesday in an early morning car accident in Los Angeles, the magazine said. He was 33. "Hard-charging, unabashedly opinionated, Hastings was original and at times abrasive," Rolling Stone, where he [...]
2013-06-18 19:23:00 -0500