The Huffington Post - Read the Latest News from the U.S.

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As any frequent traveler knows, budgeting while away is a difficult task. Luckily, the fantastic website, PriceofTravel.com, is around to show travelers just what's worth it and what isn't.The site recently put together a list of the 10 cities in Europe where you get the most bang for you buck, a difficult task in much of that continent for American travelers.More...

Source: Best Value Cities In Europe For Budget Travelers (PHOTOS)

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A woman spent her last few hours sleeping on a sidewalk outside St. Brigid's Church on Avenue B.The Tompkins Square Park regular was found dead Sunday morning by a friend who said many knew her simply as "Grace."More...

Source: Homeless Woman Dies On East Village Sidewalk

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At the Democratic National Convention in August, 1996 Christopher Reeve said "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."Today his words could refer to the efforts of Zack Kopplin, a high school senior from Baton Rouge (LA) Magnet High School.  Zack has set his sights on overturning a 2008 Louisiana law that permits creationism to creep into public schools under the cover of scientific openness.  The law in question, Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA), professed to be about improving science education but it encourages teachers to bring supplemental materials, including those attacking evolution and promoting creationism, into their classrooms.More...

Source: Profiles in (Evolutionary) Courage, Part 4: Bringing Sanity to Louisiana Schools

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Through next week, Victoria Haschka will be rolling out a menu for an Oscars feast on HuffPost Food, offering an original recipe inspired by each of this year's 10 Best Picture-nominated films. See also her recipes for a Black Swan Blackberry & Chocolate-Smothered Panna Cotta and a Social Network Salted Red Bull Granita.  Next up, Toy Story 3.The movie:More...

Source: Oscars Recipe: The Fighter Raw Steak Crostini

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At least 65 people have died after a massive earthquake toppled churches and tall buildings in one of New Zealand's biggest cities.As CBS is reporting, Tuesday's temblor was the second major quake to hit Christchurch in five months, though it caused more damage than a considerably stronger September quake. Though rescue efforts are continuing, more than 100 people are thought to remain trapped in the rubble late Tuesday night. Some survivors have been able to send text messages or make phone calls from under the wreckage.More...

Source: New Zealand Earthquake 2011: Christchurch In Ruins After 6.3-Magnitude Temblor

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I have lived 43 years in cities. Although Darien, Connecticut, where I have spent the last 19 years, has 22,000 residents, it has a pace of life, values and amenities resembling New York City, where many Darien residents work.  Edward Glaeser recently published a great book entitled The Triumph of the City, which concludes that cities are one of humankind's greatest inventions. I agree.I love living in cities, the bigger the better, for many reasons:More...

Source: Rediscovering the Joys of the Urban Environment

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How much is a victory worth if you didn't win?Last Thursday Cassy Herkelman had to confront this question as she became the first female to "win" a match in Iowa's state wrestling tournament for high school students.  Her opponent, Joel Northrup, a favorite in the 112-pound weight class, defaulted rather than face a girl on the mat, citing his religious convictions.  None of Herkelman's other opponents refused to face her and she was eliminated after losing two matches. The other female competitor, Megan Black, also lost all of her matches, with no opponents declining to face her.More...

Source: Females Down for the Count

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I've always liked Michael Jackson's song, "The Man in the Mirror." Thanks to Google, it was easy to find the lyric to the chorus:I'm Starting With The Man In The MirrorMore...

Source: Peace With Who You Are

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As the battle in Wisconsin over union rights wages on, it's time the rest of us begin to have an adult conversation about what is truly transpiring.  With more and more states suffering skyrocketing budget deficits, there are many who are quick to scapegoat anyone that appears as an easy target.  In Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, New York and elsewhere, some in power would like to place the burden of responsibility on working folks and unions when they were not the ones responsible for the current fiscal situation.  And then there are others who will utilize this opportunity to attack anyone that raises a voice against injustice -- as I myself witnessed this week.Right now in Wisconsin, public laborers and everyday citizens are continuing their vocal opposition to Gov. Scott Walker in the most fundamentally democratic fashion:  peacefully protesting.  Already conceding to pay cuts and other setbacks the Republican governor has insisted upon, these workers refuse to give up their collective bargaining ability -- and rightfully so.  If you strip away the negotiating rights of members, what will be the purpose of unions?  And who will speak for the average laborer against corporations that already overwork and underpay them?  What voice will the workers of America have in a society where CEOs are often too busy fattening their own pockets instead of preventing rampant unemployment?More...

Source: Collective Bargaining: Time to Stop the Blame Game!

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Army veteran Waldemar Alameda, 40, served our country with distinction in multiple tours of Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan. Following 17 years of service to his country, Alameda became permanently disabled by an IED explosion while serving as a staff sergeant in Tikrit, Iraq in 2007. He was about two miles from his destination, Camp Speicher -- when he saw a hole in the road. He crept forward three feet from an artillery rigged with explosives. When it blew, his modified Hummer shielded him from shrapnel but not the blast.Mr. Alameda suffers from severe leg and back pain, and while he can walk short distances with a cane or walker, he typically has to use a wheelchair to get around. Additionally, he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury and often forgets things.More...

Source: Second Chances