Online Features
Education
Celebrate the grads in your life with financial gifts
(BPT) - Do you have a child in your life who will be graduating this spring? Whether it’s from kindergarten or college, graduation marks the completion of one chapter in a young person’s life and the start of a new adventure. Honor your grad’s achievement by helping him or her save for the future with a digital U.S. Sa...
full story
A year-end report card on school cafeterias: Did they make the grade for improved nutrition?
(BPT) - Have school cafeterias made the grade when it comes to revising and changing school menus to meet the new USDA nutrition guidelines? Many health experts say yes, giving the country's more than 17,000 school districts an “A” for their efforts to add new recipes and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to thei...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
Staying at the top of your game
(BPT) - We feel our best when we do our best. At the top of our game is where we all want to be. This is as true in the workplace as it is on the basketball court. But to stay at the top of your game at work and in life, you need to stay primed – ready for that next big play. It requires staying alert; keeping your skil...
full story
Your first resume - dos and don'ts
(BPT) - If you’re heading out into the workforce for the first time, there’s plenty of prep work to do. An employer’s first impression of you could very well be your resume. Christine Pacheco, director of career services at The Art Institute of Colorado , and Kristin Frank, director of career services at The Art Inst...
full story
Nurses lead revolution toward improved health care delivery
(BPT) - The health care industry has evolved since a series of sweeping legislative reforms began to take effect in 2010. New policies and regulations, millions of new patients and the introduction of advanced technology have added pressure to an already complex system. As this transformation continues, health care lead...
full story
A tech refresh: Top reasons to buy a new PC
(BPT) - At 4 years old, your child is probably adorable. But your 4-year-old PC – not so much. More than 300 million computers around the world are more than 4 years old, including one-third of American PCs, according to research by Intel . Sixty-five percent of those are bulky desktops that are so far behind in terms ...
full story
Why independent learning is key to your child's long-term educational goals
One skill essential to children’s academic success is the ability to learn on their own. While teachers and parents play a key role in a child’s development, educational activities that encourage self-learning are equally important. Learning independently inspires children to become more confident and nurtures critical thinking and analytical skills. Giving children time to learn on their own taps into their natural curiosity and allows them to explore new ideas in a way that more structure...
full story
Budgeting 101: How new graduates can conquer entry-level income challenges
(BPT) - Spring is the perfect time for young Americans to take a look at their budgets and become financially fit. Not only is April Financial Literacy Month, complete with nonprofit organizations around the country offering free seminars and online resources, but millions of high school and college students are also preparing for graduation and the next phase of their lives. But are new grads ready for the financial challenges that lay ahead? The average student loan debt for borrowers in ...
full story
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 ...
full story
The evolution of accounting: new careers in the language of business
(BPT) - Numbers span all languages and cultures, creating what is known as the language of business: accounting. The earliest accounting records date back thousands of years to the use of an abacus, a rudimentary counting tool. As the workplace has progressed, so has the role of the accounting professional. This has bee...
full story
national news

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha place flowers as they visit the Berlin Wall memorial in Bernauer Strasse in BerlinBy Sarah Marsh and Alexandra Hudson BERLIN (Reuters) - Michelle Obama and her daughters threaded roses through the narrow slots of a Berlin Wall memorial on Wednesday, honoring those who died trying to cross the Cold War barrier at a site which holds special poignancy in the once divided city. Accompanied by Angela Merkel's husband Joachim Sauer, who like the German leader hails from the former East Germany, President Barack Obama's family toured the Bernauer Strasse memorial where desperate residents of East Berlin once tried to jump from their windows into the western half of the city. ...


2013-06-19 10:24:45 -0500

Undated handout photo of Bulger holding Martorano's youngest son, John Jr., during his Christening ceremonyBy Daniel Lovering BOSTON (Reuters) - An altar-boy-turned-gang-enforcer told jurors at the trial of accused mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger on Wednesday that he did not set the terms of a deal with prosecutors allowing him to serve just 12 years in prison for 20 murders in exchange for details against his former boss. The witness, John "The Executioner" Martorano, was the first member of the ruthless Winter Hill Gang to testify against Bulger, who is on trial for charges including racketeering and 19 murders that occurred in the 1970s and '80s. ...


2013-06-19 10:25:54 -0500

Ariel Castro enters the court room for a pre-trial hearing in ClevelandBy Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Prosecutors want to bring additional charges as soon as possible against a former Cleveland school-bus driver accused of holding three women captive in his home and torturing them for a decade, authorities said on Wednesday. Ariel Castro, 52, has pleaded not guilty to more than 300 charges against him including rape and kidnapping in connection with the imprisonment of Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32. The women were rescued in May from Castro's house along with Berry's 6-year-old daughter. ...


2013-06-19 10:37:11 -0500
The producers of an upcoming documentary on TWA Flight 800—which exploded and crashed into the waters off Long Island, N.Y., on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 people on board—claim to have proof that an explosion outside the Paris-bound flight caused the crash. And six former investigators who took part in the film say there [...]
2013-06-19 09:16:24 -0500