News Quiz: Strength of numbers
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BC-NXT-NEWSQUIZ:MCT (578 words)
1. The Black Forest Fire is the most destructive wildfire to befall the state in its history, resulting in the destruction of 480 structures and two deaths, but as of Monday was 75 percent contained? In which state is the fire almost out? A. California B. Idaho C. Montana D. Colorado 2. A quarter of a million civilians have erupted on the streets of major cities across Brazil, throwing a ...

Jun/18/2013 06:39 PM

Trivia Quiz: 'White House Down'
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BC-NXT-TRIVIA:MCT (569 words)
The White House is a symbol of America's democratic pre-eminence, with all its presidential influence in world affairs, and perhaps the most secure building on the planet. Despite this, it's about to get wrecked for the third time this year. Following in the footsteps of "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," and "Olympus Has Fallen," Roland Emmerich will take on White House destruction (again) in what's ...

Jun/18/2013 05:02 PM

Study shows online courses don't help with students' success rate
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BC-NXT-ONLINE-COLLEGE:SE (978 words)
SEATTLE - It's one of the most hyped ideas in higher education today - the hope that college courses taught online can drive down the cost of a degree, and make it easier for working students to complete their college educations. But a new study comparing the success rates of online and traditional, face-to-face courses taught at Washington state's community colleges shows more students drop ...

Jun/18/2013 04:10 PM

Rules changing for workers' time off at more companies
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BC-NXT-PAIDTIMEOFF:AT (501 words)
More companies are opting for paid time off, or PTO, plans for workers, combining vacation, sick leave and personal days into one lump sum, according to a new by the Society for Human Resource Management. The society, which surveyed 518 human resource managers for its annual employee benefits update, found 52 percent of employers are providing PTO days, up from 42 percent in 2009. For those ...

Jun/18/2013 03:56 PM

Cancer clusters or chance? Today's chemicals may prove culprit, if anyone's watching
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BC-NXT-CANCERCLUSTERS:PH (1540 words)
At the chemical plant in Toms River, N.J., nylon stockings would melt on the legs of secretaries sent on errands to production buildings. Noxious, colored smoke rose from the plant'sstacks. Its effluent tinted the river, and fish caught there had a strange taste. At a nearby kids' swimming hole, a guy who took a dip came out with purplish foam clinging to his body. So when the children of Toms ...

Jun/18/2013 03:35 PM

Ken Burns to focus next documentary on cancer
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BC-NXT-KENBURNSONCANCER:MCT (910 words)
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has a variety of projects in development - from "Jackie Robinson" (2015) to "Country Music" (2018) and "Ernest Hemingway" (2019) - but perhaps the most personal endeavor of his career will be unveiled in 2015. The 59-year-old announced earlier this month that he's partnering with Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of ...

Jun/18/2013 03:29 PM

It's like watching hair grow! (and removal is easy)
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BC-NXT-MUSTACHETATTOOS:MCT (429 words)
If you have ever been at a Fourth of July function and thought that the only thing missing was facial hair with a twist of Americana, StacheTats has you covered - literally. The Arizona-based StacheTats, home of the "Original Temporary Mustache Tattoo," was founded in 2012 by Arthur Jaffee and Trace Adams, former football walk-ons for the Colorado Buffaloes. StacheTats' website says the ...

Jun/18/2013 03:03 PM

Driving you nuts: Movie quote
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BC-NXT-DRIVINGYOUNUTS:MCT (348 words)
Don't you just hate it when you can almost remember something, but then it slips away? And then it nags at you until you get it settled? Well, we're here to create that experience for you. Here's a quote from a movie that was popular sometime in the past 100 years. You can figure out which movie it is, or you can just keep whispering the words to yourself all day long trying to link them to ...

Jun/18/2013 03:03 PM

Stargazing: Roads to fictional Smallville lead to Kansas
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BC-NXT-STARGAZING:KC (1118 words)
The new Superman movie leaves no doubt where the Man of Steel nurtured his super morals. Clark Kent, played by Henry Cavill, wears a Royals T-shirt in one scene and watches a KU football game on TV in another. His dad, played by Kevin Costner, mentions Kansas State, and when we first meet the super schoolboy, his teacher is quizzing him on Sunflower State history. "Clark, I asked you, who ...

Jun/18/2013 03:03 PM

Reviews of recent and upcoming DVD releases
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BC-NXT-DVDREVIEWS:MCT (1540 words)
"Quartet" (PG-13, 2012, Anchor Bay) Dull moments are rare as is in Beecham House, a retirement home for musicians that, consequently, is a haven for retirees whose mouths, egos and gifts of self-expression haven't much aged at all. Still, what's the harm in a little more excitement? It's on the way in the form of Jean (Maggie Smith), an opera singer who not only achieved significant fame as a ...

Jun/18/2013 03:03 PM