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Cool ways to enjoy your outdoor spaces through the dog days of summer
(BPT) - When warm weather arrives, does your family head outdoors to enjoy your patio or deck? Do they then turn around and head right back into the air-conditioned comfort when summer sun and temperatures make outdoor living spaces too hot to handle? “In many areas of the country, the window of opportunity for enjoyin...
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Ask the pharmacist: How to avoid medication misfortune during a natural disaster
(BPT) - Whether it’s plywood, bottled water or generators, Americans gather the necessary supplies and seek the appropriate shelter if confronted by the wrath of Mother Nature. Regardless of the disaster – hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires – lives can be turned upside-down in an instant. Some of the most commonly overloo...
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Technology makes it easy to work from home and enjoy summer to the max
(BPT) - No one wants to see a cloud on a sunny summer day, but when it comes to how technology can make your life better, a different type of cloud can actually brighten your day. Cloud storage – often referred to as just “the cloud” – makes it easy to work at home or from anywhere, plus it makes it a snap to plan summe...
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Hammer-swinging singles [Infographic]
As more single people buy homes, they're tackling at least half the DIY work themselves. But they're working on different areas of their homes. Typically, men are working on dining room and basement remodels, while women are remodeling bathrooms.
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Three ways to bring added entertainment to your outdoor experiences
(BPT) - There’s a reason it’s called the “great” outdoors. Nothing can quite compare with the beauty and majesty of wild places. When summer rolls around, the urge to explore grows for many people, inspiring millions of travelers to camp, hike and tour the country’s natural wonders. Modern outdoor enthusiasts have disco...
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Add years to your pet's life with expert tips
(BPT) - Few things in life are as special as the unconditional love and loyalty a pet provides. With 78.2 million owned dogs and 86.4 million owned cats in the United States, according to The Humane Society, it’s obvious Americans enjoy having pets. What might not be so apparent is how best to care for them. When it com...
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Father's Day gift guide for the outdoorsy dad
Year after year, moms and children are faced with the same question: “What are we going to get dad for Father’s Day?”  Finding the right gift can be stressful and the department stores filled sky-high with matching tie and sock combinations are less than helpful. This Father’s Day, take the guesswork out of gift-giving...
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Navigating a lung cancer diagnosis
(BPT) - Far too often, people make the mistake of assuming that lung cancer only affects people who smoke, but the disease can affect anyone. In fact, approximately 10 percent of patients with lung cancer have never smoked and approximately 50 percent of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients have already quit smoking. U...
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Create an outdoor space that 'wows'
(BPT) - Whether you own a cozy cottage or mega mansion, as a homeowner, you likely embrace the outdoor living trend. But when you look at your deck or patio, does it leave something to be desired? By taking a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, you can affordably create outdoor spaces that enhance the style and functionality...
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100 percent live like they mean it, 61 percent invest like they do [Infographic]
Charles Schwab surveyed 1,000 Americans who express a significant degree of personal ownership in their everyday lives, and found that a majority are also highly engaged in investing: nearly two-thirds (61 percent) are actively involved in their portfolios.  Though a majority of those surveyed also grab hold of the wheel when it comes to investing, a sizeable number of go-getters in life say they are not actively involved in their investment portfolio, revealing a dichotomy between how they...
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PTSD: Not just a military problem
(BPT) - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. While it is often closely associated with combat veterans and other members of the military, the fact is PTSD can affect anyone who experiences a traumatic event. During the past year, many communi...
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The skinny on summer snacking [Infographic]
Americans love to snack, and summer snacking is among the most popular of American traditions. When the sun is shining and the weather is wonderful, we enjoy feasting on our favorite treats at ballgames, picnics and outdoor activities. Yet the desire for indulgent taste can often get in the way of making good nutritional choices, especially while out and about. Snack smarter this summer and nosh on snacks that will fill you up, but not out.
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national news

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

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

Ariel Castro enters the court room for a pre-trial hearing in ClevelandBy Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Prosecutors want to bring additional charges as soon as possible against a former Cleveland school-bus driver accused of holding three women captive in his home and torturing them for a decade, authorities said on Wednesday. Ariel Castro, 52, has pleaded not guilty to more than 300 charges against him including rape and kidnapping in connection with the imprisonment of Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32. The women were rescued in May from Castro's house along with Berry's 6-year-old daughter. ...


2013-06-19 10:37:11 -0500
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