Online Features
Travel
41V7_15671638_web.jpg
Top national parks for families
Each year, hundreds of millions of people visit the 397 destinations that comprise the country's National Park System. Summer is the ideal time to explore many of these parks, as the kids are out of school and activities in the parks are in full swing. Here are four national parks that are worth putting on your family's ...
full story
DK2D_15555887_web.jpg
Explore a world of exotic natural beauty on a Costa Rica vacation
Explore a world of exotic natural beauty on a Costa Rica vacation Laying on the beach and relaxing away your vacation days definitely has its appeal. But those who want to pack a little more into their getaway might just find that a Costa Rica vacation is the perfect solution. A Costa Rica vacation puts some of the...
full story
5WL2_15085345_web.jpg
See the jewels of the Mediterranean on an Italy cruise
From the countryside to the capital, Italy draws travelers in with its beauty, history and zest for living. But what about the Italian seaside? That's where you'll find spectacular scenery, unique lifestyles and cultural richness, all with a dash of fresh sea air and the opportunity to indulge in delicious seafood dishes...
full story
K7QE_1556057_web.jpg
The secret to a great, low-cost summer vacation: Get outside
Fresh air, sunshine, activities for the whole family, and new sights to see: outdoor vacations offer many advantages, including the opportunity to do more for less money.
full story
6ONE_1425470_web.jpg
Five Asia travel destinations that aren't to be missed
A wall that stretches across the biggest country in the world, some of the world's largest and most well-known ancient palaces and even elephant rides - Asia offers some of the most unique travel experiences imaginable. For Americans, Asia travel means seeing a world completely different than their own and embarking on t...
full story
69RA_15599604_web.jpg
Vacations are back: Tips for making a trip affordable and simple to plan
Vacations are back: Tips for making a trip affordable and simple to plan (ARA) - Ask anyone within five feet of you whether they'd like to take a vacation, and you can bet every answer would be "yes." But wanting to and doing are two very different things. People's hectic schedules built on jobs, home and family life, a...
full story
Spring's greatest showcase: the Centennial National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.
Spring's greatest showcase: the Centennial National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. (ARA) - There's nothing more beautiful than the coming of spring after a long winter. As grass grows green and the air warms, nature puts on a spectacular show that manages to impress year after year. Nowhere is spring's beauty more vibrantly on display than at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Celebration in Washington, D.C. This year marks a storied and once-in-a-lifetime event, the 100 year...
full story
HDZ4_15494479_web.jpg
Bring the whole family: Intergenerational travel emerges as a trend
Bring the whole family: Intergenerational travel emerges as a trend As much as travel is about having a great experience and living in the moment, it's also about creating memories. Why else would you take hundreds of snapshots and weigh your suitcases down with souvenirs to display and use at home? The memorable moment...
full story
4KYI_1554557_web.jpg
Yellowstone tours bring you to the best of the American West
Yellowstone tours bring you to the best of the American West Go anywhere in the world, and you'll meet people under the spell of the great American West. The grandeur of the views, the unspoiled stretches of wilderness and the rugged friendliness of the people you'll meet seem to cast a spell that it seems no one is imm...
full story
A1A6_15550651_web.jpg
Explore America's wild frontier on an Alaska tour
Explore America's wild frontier on an Alaska tour North America is rich with natural beauty and a diversity of landscapes nearly unmatched around the world. Out of all the scenic places to visit within the United States, Alaska holds a special allure as one of the last truly wild places left to explore - a land of soari...
full story
H2J_15553604_web.jpg
Explore the ends of the earth on an Antarctica cruise
Explore the ends of the earth on an Antarctica cruise Traveling cross-continentally may take an adventurous personality, but travel to Antarctica truly requires the spirit of an explorer. In the past, the icy continent was a destination visited almost exclusively by professional researchers, scientists and explorers. Bu...
full story
4X9P_14535882_web.jpg
Charm to spare: Holland cruises show you another side of a favorite destination
Vacations are meant to be relaxing, but sometimes a high-speed, multi-country tour can leave travelers feeling harried. Luckily, there's an easy fix for the moving-too-fast syndrome: sitting back and gliding along the rivers through some of Europe's most charming destinations on Holland cruises. Also known as the Netherl...
full story
national news

Jodi Arias listens as the verdict for sentencing is read for her first degree murder conviction at Maricopa County Superior Court in PhoenixBy David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The foreman of an Arizona jury that deadlocked over whether Jodi Arias should be put to death for murdering her ex-boyfriend believes she was mentally abused, but said on Friday that had not been enough to excuse her crime. Arias, a former waitress from California, was found guilty this month of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home in June 2008. He had been stabbed 27 times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. ...


Fri May 24 16:47:37 UTC 2013

Evanston police officer holds a firearm that was turned in as part of an amnesty-based gun buyback program in Evanston, IllinoisBy Joanne von Alroth SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (Reuters) - The Illinois House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to allow residents to carry concealed guns, taking the state one step closer to joining all others in allowing some form of carrying guns in public. Illinois is the only state in the nation to ban most people from carrying a concealed gun outside the home. Lawmakers acted on Friday after a federal appeals court in January struck down the ban, saying it violated the right to bear arms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. ...


Fri May 24 16:13:13 UTC 2013
By Ronnie Cohen (Reuters) - Federal authorities approved a Nevada hospital's proposal on Friday for correcting deficiencies that led to newly discharged psychiatric patients being bused out of state without adequate plans for continued care. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also said it would conduct unannounced inspections of Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas to ensure that procedures are in place and working to prevent further instances of so-called patient dumping. ...
Fri May 24 19:59:12 UTC 2013
From William Ray Fullmer: "My nephew, Sgt. Derek Tillman Roberts, spilled his blood on the sands of Iraq to extend the right to live free to the people of the Middle East. On June 14, 2007, Derek was killed by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk, placed by those too cowardly to face him on the [...]
Fri May 24 13:55:25 UTC 2013