Online Features
Home Improvement
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Greenest of the green: Top efficiency-boosting home improvements
(BPT) - Forget wondering who’s the fairest; when it comes to choosing home improvements that make your home look good – from the curb and to potential buyers – it may make more sense to ask “Who’s the greenest of them all.” Sustainable home improvements not only help reduce utility costs and boost owner satisfaction wit...
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Help your landscape defeat the heat and thrive this season
(BPT) - Most of us have heard the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers." While April has traditionally been a rainy period, giving way to the start of spring growth and colors, this coming season also could bring stifling heat that scorches landscapes or results in on-going water shortages. After more than two-thirds ...
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Take control and mitigate mold growth in your home
(BPT) - Damp, dark areas of the home, such as an unfinished basement, can often be trouble spots for homeowners hoping to increase their living space. Left unfinished, these areas of the home can potentially suffer significant damage, be prone to flooding or develop mold. When it comes to home improvement, homeowners ar...
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It's all in the details - how to accessorize your home exterior
(BPT) - When considering exterior home improvements, many homeowners go for updates such as the replacement of siding or windows. These projects can make the home look great while boosting energy efficiency, but no matter how much homeowners invest in siding or windows, it will only look as good as the trim used to comp...
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Simple ways to save energy at home in just minutes
(BPT) - Home is where the heart is. But it’s also a place where families can be more conscious of their energy use. While conserving energy helps save the planet, it also helps homeowners save money. According to Christine Ackerson, sustainability manager at LG Electronics USA, by adopting a green mindset and taking a ...
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Making the perfect outdoor living space in your backyard
(BPT) - As the weather begins to warm and the daylight hours get longer, your yard can quickly become the most important “room” of your home. However, you aren’t alone if your backyard looks outdated and lackluster. Weather conditions can be tough on outdoor areas, but with a few simple updates, you can create the perfe...
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Gas fireplaces get even safer
Whether it’s to provide heat on cold winter days or to set the mood on romantic spring evenings, a glowing fire creates an appealing home atmosphere during any season. Gas fireplaces are convenient and add real estate value, but recently, more homeowners have become concerned about safety. The burn risk of glass is one...
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Baby boomers: Bathroom updates that increase livability and home value
(BPT) - Baby boomers are a smart group when it comes to home updates. While embracing life today, they fully recognize that in the future, their homes may need upgrades to help them live well and stay safe. The bathroom naturally gets the most attention and for good reason – it’s one of the most frequently used rooms in...
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Deck DIY: Five tips to upgrade your outdoor living space for summer
(BPT) - From grilling and dining to simply relaxing, your home’s deck is frequently the center of family life during warm weather months. That’s why there’s no better time to give your outdoor living space the upgrade it deserves. Whether you’re building a dream deck from scratch – or sprucing up an existing space – he...
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Californians lead the way - again - in trend toward 'greener' backyards
(BPT) - From implementing stricter standards for vehicle emissions to creating a state-level agency to administer stewardship of the environment, Californians have always been at the forefront of the green movement. That commitment to the environment even extends to local backyards, where California homeowners are turni...
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Three stress-free tricks to refresh your home from floor to ceiling
(BPT) - Spring is the time of year for renewal. So, it’s no surprise that springtime finds most people planning to rejuvenate their spaces. Four out of five Americans have a room in the home in need or redecorating, according to a 2013 study by Homegoods. Unfortunately, all too often the decorating process is a source o...
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How to take advantage of home improvement tax rebates before time runs out
(BPT) - When U.S. lawmakers made a deal to keep the country from going off the “fiscal cliff” at the end of 2012, they reinstated a tax break of up to $500 to help homeowners earn money back for energy efficient home improvements. The tax credit included in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 is the first home impr...
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national news
Pentagon unveils plans for moving women into combat roles

U.S. soldiers from the NATO-led coalition force relax beside a basketball court as night falls at the Kandahar Air Field, AfghanistanBy David Alexander and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. military official declared "the days of Rambo are over" as the Pentagon unveiled its plans on Tuesday for integrating women into combat infantry positions following 12 years of war in which they fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan while barred from front-line fighting jobs. The plans, which call for gender-neutral job requirements like scaling walls and lifting 55-pound (25-kg) tank ammunition, will require more years of study, education and training before some services open combat jobs to women. ...


2013-06-18 19:08:19 -0500
U.S. says surveillance thwarted NYSE attack, Somali funding

A street sign for Wall Street hangs in front of the New York Stock ExchangeBy John Shiffman and Mark Hosenball (Reuters) WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence officials on Tuesday identified two of the more than 50 classified cases in which they say National Security Agency eavesdropping helped thwart terrorist plots including a planned attack on the New York Stock Exchange. The other, a San Diego money laundering investigation tied to financing for a Somali militia, is among the 27 cases cited in a Reuters report Tuesday in which the U.S. government filed public notice that it used a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant. ...


2013-06-18 19:28:15 -0500
Oklahoma executes man convicted of killing couple in robbery
By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma executed a man on Tuesday convicted of stabbing an elderly couple to death during a robbery in 2000 that netted about $73, some of which he and convicted accomplices used to buy tacos. James Lewis DeRosa was pronounced dead at 6:07 p.m. CDT (1907 ET) after a lethal injection, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections said. He was the second person executed in Oklahoma this year and the 16th in the United States. ...
2013-06-18 19:12:23 -0500
Journalist Michael Hastings dead 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 in an early morning car accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the magazine said. He was 33. "Hard-charging, unabashedly opinionated, Hastings was original and at times abrasive," Rolling Stone, where [...]
2013-06-18 19:23:00 -0500