National

Megan Yurko and her horse, Beea. Now 16, Megan has been cowgirl barrel racing since the age of 6.

Sweet 16 And Barreling Toward Cowgirl Racing Fame

12:19pm January 17, 2014

by Allison Keyes

High schooler Megan Yurko won more than $21,000 last year in cowgirl barrel races. The sport requires circling three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern at top speed, and Yurko hopes she'll leave this weekend's world championship competition as the top ranked racer.

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The Bucking Horse subdivision in Fort Collins, Colo., will include a working CSA farm, complete with historic barn, farm house and chicken coop.

Forget Golf Courses: Subdivisions Draw Residents With Farms

10:00am January 17, 2014

by Luke Runyon

Across the country, a new model of housing development is springing up that embraces the local food movement. Farms — complete with livestock, vegetables and fruit trees — are now serving as the latest suburban amenity.

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A group gathers in a Ballston, Va., home for a supper club organized through the site Feastly. A new food trend gaining popularity in New York and other cities lets diners enjoy a meal prepared by a stranger in that person's home.

Sometimes A Perfect Stranger Is The Best Dinner Host

3:07pm January 16, 2014

by Arun Venugopal

A new food trend gaining popularity in New York and other cities allows diners to enjoy fine meals inside someone else's home. But the food is often just an excuse for what can essentially be a really great party with a bunch of people you've never met.

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National

Months After 'Blackfish' Release, Controversy Over SeaWorld Grows

9:11pm January 15, 2014

by Greg Allen

An anti-SeaWorld movement has unfolded online and on social media in the wake of the documentary about the death of an orca trainer at the park. Musical acts and schoolchildren have boycotted the theme park — but it's still drawing big crowds.

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Senate Committee Lays Blame For Benghazi With State Department

7:44pm January 15, 2014

by Tom Gjelten

The Senate Intelligence Committee has released a new bipartisan report on the 2012 Benghazi attack. The report finds that the attack was preventable. According to the committee, fault lies with the State Department for failing to provide adequate security or heed warnings about a deteriorating security situation. The committee claims that individuals associated with al-Qaida affiliates participated in the attack, but it stops short of saying the attack was pre-planned. The report also does not implicate the "core" al-Qaida leadership.

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Why The GOP Is Winning The Statehouse War

6:18pm January 15, 2014

In an increasing number of states, one party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office. While both parties have contributed to the trend, the Republicans have had a lot more success with it. Reporter Nicholas Confessore credits the foresight of GOP strategists.

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Janet Wertheimer does a back hyperextension exercise at Boston Sports Club in Wellesley, Mass. Regular exercise has helped control her chronic back pain.

Pain In The Back? Exercise May Help You Learn Not To Feel It

4:56pm January 15, 2014

There's evidence that many standard treatments for back pain — including surgery, spinal injections and painkillers — are often ineffective and can even worsen and prolong the problem.

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Women's Team Sports: Where Is The Love?

11:51am January 15, 2014

by Frank Deford

Commentator Frank Deford ponders why individual women's sports continue to be popular fare, while women's team sports simply never manage to attract much attention, let alone success.

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'Pretty Good' Budget Deal Looks Good Enough To Avoid Shutdown

9:01am January 15, 2014

by David Welna

The so-called "omnibus" package of all 12 annual spending bills has more money in it than what Congressional Republicans wanted, but less than what President Obama had asked for. There is some disappointment with the measure on both sides of the aisle, but this time nobody is talking about forcing another government shutdown.

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National

In California, Alarm Grows Over Shrinking Water Levels

6:33pm January 14, 2014

by Richard Gonzales

The drought in California has become so severe that cities are preparing to impose restrictions on water use in homes. In Northern California, the water level in Folsom Lake is so low that remnants of Gold Rush life, which have long been underwater, are now exposed and being collected.

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