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Technology can turn $25 into a family giving tradition
Technology has been connecting families for generations. The invention of the phone let us hear voices of loved ones far away, and the creation of the Internet helped us to see them. Today, those same technologies that we’ve used to bring our families closer together are helping us to connect with and support families w...
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Organ donation: gift of a second chance at life
(BPT) - While organ transplantation is a remarkable story in the history of medicine, the need for organs is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation. Any way you figure it, the math doesn’t add up to a promising picture. In 2012, there were more than 115,000 people in the U.S. awaiting an organ tra...
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Naval ROTC pays for college and guarantees a career following graduation
(BPT) - College students interested in the Navy can focus on their academic careers while eliminating much of the financial burden of paying for school. With more than 160 colleges and universities across the United States offering Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) programs, students have many opportunities ...
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How to support your friend in a split
(BPT) - When a marriage ends in divorce, it’s not just the couple who is involved. Friends and family members are also part of the process and often play many different parts – from objective confidant to reliable “vent-ee.” If you’re suddenly or unexpectedly thrown into this role, what help are you prepared to offer? S...
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Tips to navigate the real estate landscape and find the perfect home
(BPT) - For most Americans your home is the biggest ticket item you will ever purchase. It’s no wonder that people can take months, and sometimes even years, to find the perfect home. When you walk into a house that’s on the market, many times the homeowner or real estate agent has “staged” it to ensure that you focus o...
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DIY for your IRA: What you should know about self-directing
Ups and downs in the current market and recent corporate and banking scandals have prompted many people to seek ways to have more control over their retirement funds. Self-directed IRAs allow consumers to use their knowledge and expertise to invest in assets beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds. While self-directed IRA...
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Tips to select the right camp for your child
(BPT) - Soccer camps, wilderness camps, chess camps, language camps – whatever interests your child, there’s a camp for him or her. Whether you’re looking for a local day camp or an overnight experience far from home, the key to finding the right camp involves research. That means not only learning about all the option...
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Laser spine surgery helps seniors find relief from lumbar spinal stenosis
(BPT) - Two recent clinical studies bring good news to the aging population. If you have lower back pain, burning pain or numbness in your legs you are probably one of the many people suffering with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) – a condition affecting a vast majority of the over-60 age group – and this good news app...
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What happens to a business when the power goes out?
(BPT) - Losing power leads to instant anxiety: when will it return? Aside from the absence of everyday luxuries like turning on the TV or connecting to the Internet, you may worry about the food in the fridge spoiling, and wonder when you’ll be able to take a hot shower. While these types of events present real problems...
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Getting girls excited about science and math
(BPT) - “My research experiences have shown me that, in spite of what statistics say about women in science, any girl with a passion for exploring unanswered questions can and should be persistent in pursuing that work,” says Sara Volz, 17. “Being female should not hold anyone back from science or engineering.” Volz wo...
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Tips for parents to protect kids from cyber bullying
(BPT) - Bullying has been present in schools since society started educating children in groups. In the old days, the bully’s weapons of intimidation might have been simply stealing another child’s lunch money, or shoving a victim down on the playground. Modern bullying is a high-tech type of antagonism – one that can r...
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Financial planning insights for the LGBT community
(BPT) - Over the last decade, many companies have paid increasing attention to the buying power and consumer habits of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) market. But until recently, little attention has been focused on the financial experience of LGBT individuals. The groundbreaking “LGBT Financial Experience 2012-2013 Research Study” by Prudential Financial takes an in-depth look at the financial challenges and concerns of LGBT Americans, and provides eye-opening insights fo...
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national news
Lawmaker, university spar over 'control' of Chinese dissident in U.S.

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng speaks to journalists following an appearance in New YorkBy Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressman who has been blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng's main champion in Washington said people working for New York University have tried to keep him from meeting Chen, barging into a meeting on Capitol Hill and pulling Chen out on one occasion. U.S. Representative Chris Smith, an outspoken supporter of Chinese dissidents since the 1980s, described repeated instances of various people he says were from NYU interfering in his attempts to meet with Chen. ...


2013-06-19 23:07:17 -0500
North Carolina governor signs law aimed at restarting executions

North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate, former Charlotte Mayor McCrory meets supporters during U.S. presidential election in CharlotteBy Colleen Jenkins WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - North Carolina's governor, hoping to resume executions in his state, on Wednesday signed the repeal of a law that has allowed death row inmates to seek a reduced sentence if they could prove racial bias affected their punishment. The Racial Justice Act, the only law of its kind in the United States, had led to four inmates getting their sentences changed to life in prison without parole after taking effect in 2009. ...


2013-06-19 20:20:27 -0500
Stop force-feeding Guantanamo prisoners: Senator

A selection of lunch meals offered to detainees are displayed in a food preparation area at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo BayBy Jane Sutton GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein urged the Pentagon on Wednesday to stop force-feeding hunger-striking prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and called the practice "out of step" with medical ethics and international norms. Feinstein, a California Democrat who chairs the Senate intelligence committee, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, saying the Guantanamo force-feeding policy was also out of synch with policies in the civilian federal prisons. ...


2013-06-19 18:07:32 -0500
Lawyers for accused Colorado gunman barred from psychiatric exam

James Holmes sits in court for an advisement hearing at the Arapahoe County Justice Center in CentennialBy Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Lawyers for James Holmes, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing 12 moviegoers in a Colorado theater last year, cannot be present during his court-ordered psychiatric examination, the judge in the murder case ruled on Wednesday. Arapahoe County District judge Carlos Samour Jr. rejected a motion by Holmes' public defenders, who argued that they should be allowed to attend the exam - especially since prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against their client. ...


2013-06-20 00:06:51 -0500