Online Features
Seasonal
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'Summer-ize' your home to look and smell wonderful in warmer weather
(BPT) - The three R’s aren’t just reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmatic. In the summer, they refer to “reorganizing,” “restyling” and “reviving” your home. It’s the perfect time to bring a summery, comfortable feeling to your home’s interior. Luckily, you don’t need to redo every room or throw out all your furniture to get a ...
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From your closet to the catwalk: DIY ideas to make your wardrobe runway-worthy
(BPT) - It’s the cycle of fashion – trends are always recycling, returning and changing. Save time and money by transforming your existing wardrobe into stylish, on-trend pieces with a few simple tricks. Do-over your denim Shorts are a fashionable warm weather staple – and a great way to show off your tan. Make a pers...
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Surviving summer vacation: 5 tips for an enjoyable season with family
(BPT) - With summer ahead, parents are busy making plans for camps, sports and vacations. This time of year can be challenging, but there are ways to make it more enjoyable. Learn to love this summer with your family using these five easy tips: 1. Eat foods that keep you going Nutrition has a way of impacting almost ...
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Simple ways to give meals a boost of flavor
(BPT) - Flavor is a top priority whether you’re cooking for a gathering or simply putting food on the table for a weeknight meal. Great tasting food can do a lot: turn a party into a success, make guests rave and even get the kids to clean their plates. Luckily, you don’t have to be a five-star chef to give your meals a...
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Effortless entertaining: Tips for hosting the perfect al fresco dinner party
(BPT) - Whether it’s in the backyard or on a rooftop, summer is an ideal time to entertain outdoors. The long days and warm nights create the perfect backdrop for a relaxing get-together with family and friends. While most love the idea of entertaining, 62 percent wish they did so more often, according to a national su...
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Melanoma facts [Infographic]
Melanoma is the most serious and deadly form of skin cancer, and metastatic melanoma is when the disease has spread to other parts of the body. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2013, there will be more than 76,000 new cases of melanoma and close to 9,500 deaths in the United States from the disease. Approximately half of all people with metastatic melanoma have a BRAF mutation, which is an abnormal change in a gene that can enable some melanoma tumors to grow and spread. Melan...
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Summer sandals: Pairing what we want with what we need
(BPT) - While stylish for men and women, you may be surprised to learn wearing most flip-flops can hurt or even injure your feet. The flip-flop, an icon of summer, has for decades been the easy choice for warm weather and weekends on the go; however, it isn’t always the most supportive or healthy choice. Though we’ve c...
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After the rubber hits the road: What becomes of expired truck tires?
(BPT) - If current oil prices, motorist demand and refinery production trends continue, gas prices should drop to between $3.20 and $3.40 per gallon by mid-summer, according to AAA. This is good news for everyone, as the height of travel season quickly approaches. With the majority of travel being done using cars, there...
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Tips to protect your pet - and your home - from fleas and ticks
(BPT) - Fleas and ticks are on every pet owner’s radar when warm weather flourishes. This is the season when both pets and people are itching to get outside, but without proper protection, four-legged friends can end up itching even more. However, if fleas and ticks take hold, and an infestation starts, this seasonal co...
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Four simple, smart ways to save toward summer travel
(BPT) - Americans may still be cutting back in other areas, but when it comes to summer travel they’re willing to start spending again. Economic uncertainty aside, 78 percent of Americans plan to take a vacation this summer, and one in four of them plan to spend more this year on summer travel, according to a recent su...
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Tips for the perfect summer evening in
(BPT) - For many, Memorial Day is the official start to summer - and its flurry of travel and outdoor activity. Sometimes, after a long week at work or a vacation road trip, all you want to do is unwind in the comfort of your own home.  What’s better than dressing down in those yoga pants, kicking back and reveling in ...
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Massage tips to help ease your over-active muscles
(BPT) - Now that summer has arrived, you are beginning to engage in more outdoor activities, including running, hiking, biking and recreational sports. After being less active during the winter and spring, however, you may experience aches and pain in muscles, and massage therapy can help to alleviate discomfort natural...
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national news
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
FBI says it uses surveillance drones on U.S. soil

Robert Mueller gestures at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee at an oversight hearing about the FBI on Capitol Hill in WashingtonBy David Ingram WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States uses drones for surveillance in some limited law enforcement situations, FBI Director Robert Mueller said on Wednesday, sparking additional debate about President Barack Obama's use of domestic surveillance. The acknowledgement came in response to questions from U.S. senators who said they wanted to know more about the federal government's increasing use of unmanned aircraft. "Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on U.S. soil?" Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa asked during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. ...


2013-06-19 17:19:45 -0500
Arizona killer who asked for speedy execution found dead in cell

One of two men arrested for a string of fatal shootings appears in court in PhoenixPHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona death row inmate who wrote to the state Supreme Court asking for a speedy execution died on Wednesday after being found unresponsive in his cell, authorities said. Dale Hausner, dubbed the "Serial Shooter," was sentenced to die by lethal injection four years ago for gunning down four men and two women during a 14-month shooting spree. He and an accomplice were arrested in August 2006. ...


2013-06-19 18:51:26 -0500
New Colo. wildfire prompts evacuations of homes

Jeremy Beach wipes away a tear as he sees his home off Ravine Drive West for the first time since the Black forest fire started last week, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Residents were allowed back into the area for a short period of time to view the properties that sustained the most damage from the fire. The Black Forest Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history, has destroyed 502 homes and charred more than 22 square miles. It was 85 percent contained Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Michael Ciaglo) MAGS OUTEVERGREEN, Colo. (AP) — A new wildfire in the foothills southwest of Denver forced the evacuation of dozens of homes Wednesday as hot and windy conditions in much of Colorado and elsewhere in the West made it easy for fires to start and spread.


2013-06-19 19:47:58 -0500