Online Features
Family Living
ISHU_17871439_web.jpg
Make laundry safety a priority this summer - and always
(BPT) - Sunnier skies and summertime fun are just around the corner, and with them comes plenty of outdoor activities like long days at the playground, sporting events and barbecues. With so many options, the last thing most people want to think about is household responsibilities … but all that outdoor fun can add up t...
full story
G4GA_18060126_web.jpg
Boomers turning 65 face complex healthcare choices
(BPT) - Every day, about 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare. Not everyone will sign up, but it’s important to understand the importance of early choices when enrolling in Medicare for the first time. You can enroll in Medicare three months before turning 65, the month you turn 65 or up to thre...
full story
BS42_18086204_web.jpg
On the move? Use these packing tips and tricks
(BPT) - Let’s face it – moving is hard. Along with the stress of leaving a familiar place and adapting to new surroundings, moving means packing, loading, transporting, unloading and unpacking everything you own – as well as everything you forgot you owned. While relocation may never be completely carefree, there are w...
full story
17E3_17498986_web.jpg
Four health checks every woman must do - for herself and those she loves
(BPT) - American women spend more time taking care of their families, homes and jobs than themselves. With so much time invested in caring for others, women can overlook the importance of their own health. Yet, neglecting their own health needs can make it much harder for women to also take care of those they love. Wom...
full story
L043_1806495_web.jpg
Why a normal Pap test may not mean you are cancer-free
(BPT) - Many women know that getting a Pap test regularly from their health care provider is a good way to check for signs of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide. What they might not know is that a “normal” Pap result does not necessarily mean they are cancer-free. A recent study involving...
full story
4J4C_18043298_web.jpg
Time-pressed in the kitchen? Rediscover pressure cooking
(BPT) - There’s nothing like the smell of a home-cooked meal wafting through the kitchen for hours and hours – that is, if you have time to prepare such a meal. Since most of us don’t have that sort of time on a daily basis, many time-pressed cooks are rediscovering pressure cooking: an age-old cooking method that makes...
full story
F8Y4_16516336_web.jpg
Reduce brain drain in your kids over summer
(BPT) - The second the school bell rings signaling that school’s out for summer, it seems that children immediately forget everything they’ve studied over the past nine months. When they return to school in the fall, playing catch up takes time. Studies show that this brain drain can result in as much as a few months’ ...
full story
KEUJ_17294992_web.jpg
Digital apps make learning fun for young children
Today’s children grow up in a vastly different technological world than that of their parents or grandparents. While you may fondly recall a favorite storybook stored on your nightstand, many kids today are reading using their parent’s smartphone or tablet. Digital devices are becoming a regular part of a child’s life, ...
full story
2G8U_17461173_web.jpg
Avoid the summer slide: 7 fun, brain-stimulating activities for students
(BPT) - As summer approaches, many parents are worried about the summer learning slide, and with good reason. Students who do not participate in enrichment and learning activities during the summer break can lose roughly 22 percent of the knowledge and skills they gained during the previous school year, according to the...
full story
FR2B_1794896_web.jpg
Secrets to fear-free social media use
(BPT) - Many Americans love social media, but it scares them, too. While they are reconnecting with old high school classmates, viewing photos of a colleague’s new baby and chatting with a friend about a new job, social media users are also worrying about having their identity stolen from a social media site. That fear...
full story
1ASD_17978887_web.jpg
How to turn your backyard into the best vacation destination
(BPT) - It’s a widely known “secret” that family vacations aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. Traveling can be a costly hassle with too many negatives that overshadow the fun. That's why a growing number of Americans are rediscovering the fun that can be had at home, and taking steps to make their backyards as...
full story
2YRQ_18042273_web.jpg
Five things to do before sending your child to camp wearing hearing aids
(BPT) - Summer is approaching and many parents will be sending their children off to camp. If your child wears hearing aids and is set to attend a summer camp for kids of all abilities, here are five things you can do to help your child get the most from his or her summer camp experience: 1. Visit your child’s hearing ...
full story
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