Online Features
Travel
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Travel Italy: Five cities that capture the spirit of Italy
Italy has a spellbinding effect on travelers; they fall in love quickly and deeply with the landscapes, the food and the culture. While that can happen virtually anywhere you go in Italy, the ultimate experience comes with traveling around the country, taking in its surprising diversity and depth. If you're eager to trav...
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Travel tips for a joyful holiday season
You've managed to navigate the holiday crowds at the post office, the mall and the office party, but you still need to get over the river and through the woods to gatherings with family and friends. Before you hit the roads, rails or skies this holiday season, dash through these helpful tips to make your trip as jolly as...
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Take a journey through America's history on a Washington D.C. tour
While it's fun to explore the distant corners of the world, American travelers shouldn't miss the opportunity to experience the richly diverse and historic attractions of their own home country. A Washington D.C tour, for example, is an essential educational and inspirational experience. Exploring the nation's capital an...
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Add new experiences to your holiday gathering
If your family gathering needs a little spicing up this holiday season, consider adding new experiences to the plans, and making a new and fun tradition out of them.
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Tips for stress-free travel
Traveling is a wonderful opportunity to see the world, but it can come with stress that turns a vacation into an experience you quickly want to forget. Sticking to exhausting itineraries, eating an abundance of rich foods, and even planning a visit with family can turn an enjoyable vacation into a stressful experience. A...
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Tired of the ordinary? Check out Wisconsin's quirky museums
Whether it's mustard, accordions or angels, Wisconsinites have a unique way of taking a hobby and turning it into an exhibit hall. The state is home to an eclectic mix of museums that go beyond the ordinary and are the product of a passionate person with a vision so strong that erecting a museum is quite simply the most ...
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Three dangerous driving distractions that may surprise you
By now, almost everyone knows the dangers of texting or talking on a cellphone while driving. But phones aren't the only distractions drivers should be aware of. Experts say that anything that draws your attention away from the road can be a potential cause of an accident. That includes actions and situations as innocuou...
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Americans' weekend state of mind [Infographic]
According to a new national survey from Hampton Hotels, most Americans’ more positive, outgoing and friendly personality traits emerge during the weekend. In fact, one-third of respondents claim they are a “completely different person” on the weekends than they are during the week. To help maximize the positive emotional response that the weekend brings to most Americans, Hampton Hotels worked with Dr. Christine Carter, a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley to identify three simp...
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Must-have gear to help you get back on the road fast
Driving is a responsibility that can present unique challenges. Carrying some extra gear in your vehicle can help ensure you stay safe and are ready to aid others who run into trouble. Even if you have roadside assistance, it can take hours before someone arrives to help. That's why it's important to be self-reliant and ...
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Texting and driving don't mix
Are you like many Americans who make phone calls while they're driving? Or text a friend or family member when you reach a stoplight? Did you know that in doing so you could be breaking the law?
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Getting away from home for the holidays
Holiday travel can be rewarding on many levels, from the enjoyment of being with those you love in a great destination to the pleasure of letting someone else cook holiday meals and clean up after guests. Whether you're a single person looking to celebrate the holidays with friends, a family gathering members together fr...
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How to take the hassle out of holiday travel
While everyone else eagerly anticipates the upcoming holidays, you're feeling like a Grinch because you're stuck organizing the family's travel plans. Whether you're heading over the river, through the woods or completely across the pond, the hassles of holiday travel can make anyone become a Scrooge. But before you utte...
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national news

The winning Powerball number is shown after being drawn at the Florida Lottery studio in TallahasseeBy Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A single winning ticket for a record Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million was sold in Florida, organizers said late on Saturday, but there was no immediate word about who won one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history. The winning numbers from Saturday night's drawing were: 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball number of 11. The odds of winning were put at 1 in 175 million. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, a suburb of Tampa, according to the Florida Lottery. ...


Sun May 19 11:23:19 UTC 2013

City of Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson holds a news conference in Harrisburg PennsylvaniaBy Hilary Russ (Reuters) - In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's cash-hungry capital city, local political battles are waged much as they are across the United States: with big personalities and bare-knuckled verbal brawls. But unlike most cities, Harrisburg's financial troubles have thrust it into the national spotlight, most recently with a slap from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for fraud. Financing for a single incinerator has been driving the city toward insolvency since 2009. The $3.7 trillion U.S. ...


Sun May 19 09:30:28 UTC 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during dedication ceremonies at State Department in WashingtonBy Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When the Yemen-based branch of al Qaeda placed a bounty on her husband's head, Mary Feierstein learned of it from a friend who called and said, "You must be a mess!" U.S. Ambassador Gerald Feierstein was thousands of miles (km) away at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, without his wife and family on what is called an "unaccompanied" posting. He is one of more than a thousand U.S. diplomats on such tours of duty in danger spots around the world, part of a trend that is changing the definition of being a diplomat. ...


Sun May 19 04:53:32 UTC 2013
A series of 16 violent tornadoes ransacked north Texas this week, killing six people and flattening entire neighborhoods. Seven people who were reported missing early Friday morning have now been accounted for, but the storms aren't over yet. Severe thunderstorms are expected late Friday in Alabama and Mississippi, and the Plains and the Midwest face [...]
Fri May 17 19:53:22 UTC 2013