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Family Living
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Need some summer birthday party game ideas? Look no further
The beautiful days of summer are here again. The sun is out, the air is fresh, the grass is green and the opportunities are endless for fun-in-the-sun birthday parties. The three summer months – June to August – rank in the top five for most American births, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. So chances are good you’ll ...
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Experience an extraordinary life with diabetes
(BPT) - According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in 10 Americans is living with diabetes and one in three adults could have diabetes by 2050. While every case requires an individual treatment plan, with the right attitude and management, people living with diabetes have an opp...
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Play day: How time-pressed families can find more time for fun
(BPT) - It waits for no one, flies by and can’t be bottled, but it’s the one thing everyone would like more of: time. In today’s busy, hectic society it’s harder for families to find time together for fun, yet spending quality time together is key to the emotional health of the family unit and of individual family membe...
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How your unused airline miles can help a child
(BPT) - Helping a child in need may be easier than you think, by redirecting a common resource that often just goes to waste. Industry experts say Americans collectively are holding on to 9.7 trillion unused airline miles. Many people don’t have enough miles to qualify for reward travel. Others aren’t able to use the m...
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Safer flying strategies for travelers with peanut allergies
(BPT) - From bag-checking charges and unexplained delays to rude fellow passengers and flight attendants who are having a bad day, flying can be a huge hassle. If you’re among the approximately 1 to 1.5 percent of Americans living with a peanut or tree nut allergy, boarding a commercial airplane can raise concerns that ...
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National Infant Immunization Week: a reminder of the importance of vaccination for children
(BPT) - Immunizations have had an enormous impact in helping to improve the health of children in the United States, according the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While vaccination has helped to reduce many childhood diseases, some of these diseases still exist and could reappear if vaccination cove...
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Ease travel worries with three simple tips
(BPT) - Traveling has its fair share of challenges, from never-ending lines to unexpected layovers and uncomfortable flights. Fortunately, by incorporating just a few expert tips, traveling can be less stressful whether you are jetting off for business or pleasure.  New York City lifestyle expert, Justine Santaniello, ...
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Protect yourself from summer's backyard pests
(BPT) - Warm weather is here for the next few months, and that means you’ll be spending more time outdoors with family and friends – and more time with summer pests. Mosquitoes, fire ants, bees, wasps and yellow jackets are some of summer’s worst bugs. And those pests can be more than a mere nuisance. In 2012, the Cent...
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Tips for new Mother's Day and Father's Day traditions
(BPT) - Families have many special traditions to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Starting new traditions around these days is also common. If your family is looking for some new ways to enjoy Mother’s Day or Father’s Day this year, check out these tips and gift ideas that will help make your celebrations special: * Shop, dine or donate – Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are when we recognize parents for starting their families. This year, March of Dimes is launching the imbornto campa...
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The Modern Mom: Redefining Perfect [infographic]
What is the definition of a perfect mom? According to a survey by The Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., more than 90 percent of moms say there is not one definition of the perfect mom or that it means different things to different moms. Whether it’s balancing work and family life or deciding what to serve during mealtime, today’s mom creates her own kind of “perfect.” And now Quaker is providing a new option to help her customize the perfect breakfast for everyone in the fa...
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Survey: More parents pursuing college degrees, talking to children about higher education
(BPT) - Enhanced earning potential and more career opportunities are two of the many benefits of earning an advanced degree. Now, many mothers and fathers in America have discovered another benefit of going back to school – it is a great parenting tool. Parents are considering higher education not only to help them get ...
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Extend your car's longevity with these spring cleaning tips
(BPT) - The open road lies in front of millions of drivers who are ready to lower the windows and feel the warm breeze. Nothing curbs the excitement of a spring drive more than car issues that could have been avoided by simple maintenance to combat the lasting effects of driving through winter. Many people consider spr...
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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. ...


2013-06-20 02:08:46 -0500
Trial of 'Whitey' Bulger returns to evidence of murders

Reporters and television cameras are reflected in the glass doors as J.W. Carney, defense attorney for accused mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger, leaves the U.S. Federal Courthouse at the end of first day of Bulger's trial in BostonBOSTON (Reuters) - The trial of James "Whitey" Bulger on Thursday turns back to evidence of the 19 murders the alleged mob boss is accused of committing or ordering while he ran the ruthless Winter Hill crime gang in the 1970s and '80s. Family members of some of Bulger's alleged victims may take the stand to identify photos of their murdered relatives. Three days of testimony from star witness John Martorano - the first of Bulger's former lieutenants to take the stand - included chilling details of hits the now 72-year-old confessed killer described carrying out with Bulger. ...


2013-06-20 04:11:59 -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
10 Things to Know for Today

FILE - In a Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 file photo, gun violence protesters participate in a lie-in during an anti-gun rally at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. Nearly six in 10 Americans want stricter gun laws in the aftermath of last month's deadly school shooting in Connecticut, with majorities favoring a nationwide ban on military-style, rapid-fire weapons and limits on gun violence depicted in video games and movies and on TV, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. A lopsided 84 percent of adults would like to see the establishment of a federal standard for background checks for people buying guns at gun shows, the poll showed. President Barack Obama was set Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 to unveil a wide-ranging package of steps for reducing gun violence expected to include a proposed ban on assault weapons, limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines and universal background checks for gun sales. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:


2013-06-20 06:47:13 -0500