Online Features
Family Living
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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Safety tips for seniors: reducing risk, increasing peace of mind
(BPT) - If you’re just entering retirement, chances are you have many years of good health and independence ahead. But the normal aging process still brings limitations that we all need to prepare for - such as slower reaction times and declining vision - which can lead to accidents and injuries. Many accidents are pre...
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Five common credit report errors to watch out for
(BPT) - Everyone makes money mistakes. Some are harmless – like writing last year’s date on checks or buying a big-screen TV the day before they go on sale. Others can be downright harmful, especially when they could mean the difference between getting a good interest rate and paying thousands more in interest over the ...
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Knowing your health heritage: the familial link of diseases
(BPT) - Family members can have many things in common, including physical characteristics and personality traits. While some traits are obvious, like having red hair or blue eyes, some shared traits are not as obvious, such as the risk for developing a common medical condition, like high cholesterol, or a rare disease. ...
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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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Pregnancy can be a beautiful thing
(BPT) - The big news that a baby is on the way is a time for celebration, excitement and planning. Many couples choose to keep this information quiet for the first couple of months, so they can celebrate the upcoming change in their life together. But sometimes, morning sickness for the mom-to-be can let the news out of...
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A strong financial education makes good 'cents'
(BPT) - Millennials, also known as Generation Y or those born between 1978 and 1994, are money movers. They’re wielding more purchasing power, spending $200 billion annually, and are expected to outspend the baby boomer generation by 2017, according to Kelton Research. At the same time, they face an increasingly complex...
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Relax while planning your wedding with these financial and budgeting tips
(BPT) - Planning and organizing a large and complex special event can quickly overwhelm a bride and groom-to-be, especially if the couple has no previous experience or training in large event organization. In addition to all the details of the invite list, the location for all activities for the big day and the special ...
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How to manage money when you're between jobs
(BPT) - Though the U.S. economy has been gradually improving, job changes - both involuntary and voluntary - remain a fact of American working life. “It's also a fact that bills need to be paid whether you're employed or not,” says J.J. Montanaro, a certified financial planner with USAA . To help you cover expenses and protect your finances as you transition from one job to the next, Montanaro offers these tips. 1. Decide how to collect your final pay If leaving your job wasn't your ide...
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Money and marriage: Tips to achieve financial happiness
(BPT) - Fights over finances are a commonly known cause of stress and divorce, and a new survey indicates that while the average couple fights over money five times a year, they discuss finances reasonably fewer than two times a month. Every couple knows there are some topics you just don’t bring up – his mother’s dre...
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What parents need to know about concussions
(BPT) - Parents of young athletes know that along with the many benefits of participating in sports, there comes a certain amount of injury risk. And while most would agree that the benefits of being active and involved in athletics outweigh those risks, it’s important to make sure your child gets proper treatment if an...
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Autism Awareness Month gives new insight to children and families
(BPT) - Each April for the past four decades, National Autism Awareness Month has elevated awareness among the children, parents and friends affected by autism spectrum disorders. One in 88 children in the U.S. is affected by autism, Asperger’s or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), esti...
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national news

Candidates hold U.S. flags during a naturalization ceremony to become new U.S. Citizens at Convention Center in Los AngelesBy Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of U.S. immigration reform are hoping that the smooth and drama-free passage of their legislation through a Senate committee - a departure from almost everything that has happened in Congress over the past four years - will boost the likelihood of the bill winning full Senate approval. Even Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee who voted against the immigration bill on Tuesday, told Reuters TV that the "very fair" debate by the panel "does improve its chances. ...


Wed May 22 17:29:42 UTC 2013

Charles Taber opens the two-week old storm shelter that saved his life in the May 20 tornado in Oklahoma CityBy Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Tornado survivors thanked God, sturdy closets and luck in explaining how they lived through the colossal twister that devastated an Oklahoma town and killed 24 people, an astonishingly low toll given the extent of destruction. At least one family took refuge in a bathtub and some people shut themselves in underground shelters built into their houses on Monday when the powerful storm tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore. ...


Wed May 22 19:58:05 UTC 2013

Hagel takes part in a news conference on efforts to eliminate VA claims backlogs, at the U.S. Capitol in WashingtonBy Jane Sutton MIAMI (Reuters) - Military and civilian lawyers for prisoners at the Guantanamo naval base urged U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to improve conditions for detainees, putting more pressure on the Obama administration to make good its promise to close the camp. The plea from 18 lawyers representing "high-value" prisoners came before a speech by President Barack Obama on Thursday when he will address counterterrorism measures such as drone strikes and closing Guantanamo. ...


Wed May 22 21:30:47 UTC 2013
So, you're considering college but don't have the dough. Or maybe you're out of college now and still don't have the dough. You're not alone: In the past 30 years, the cost of a college degree has risen 1,120 percent and the number of people taking out loans to pay for it has skyrocketed. The [...]
Thu May 23 04:39:26 UTC 2013