A Brief History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and it may conjure images of picnics, barbecues or just a lazy day off. But originally the holiday was charged with deeper meaning—and with controversy. The exact origins of Memorial Day are disputed, with at least five towns claiming to have given birth to the holiday some time near the end of the Civil War

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Poll: Favorable opinions of Cheney rise

As Dick Cheney prepares to give a major speech on the battle against terrorism, a new national poll suggests that favorable opinions of the former vice president are on the rise. But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Thursday morning, indicates that a majority of Americans still have an unfavorable opinion of Cheney. Fifty-five percent of people questioned in the poll say they have an unfavorable opinion of the former vice president

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Obama faces Notre Dame speech backlash

University of Notre Dame senior Emily Toates, like many in the Catholic faith, is angry over her school’s decision to give President Obama an honorary degree at this weekend’s commencement. She’s doing something about it: skipping the event. “I do not feel comfortable going and celebrating him as the university hands him an honorary degree — in a sense honoring his policies,” Toates said.

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Welcome to the ‘weisure’ lifestyle

The line dividing work and leisure time is blurring right before our eyes, says one expert, and it’s creating a phenomenon called "weisure time." Many who haven’t already abandoned the 9-to-5 workday for the 24-7 life of weisure probably will do so soon, according to New York University sociologist Dalton Conley, who coined the word. It’s the next step in the evolving work-life culture.

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CNN poll: Generations disagree on same-sex marriage

A new national poll suggests a majority of Americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages, but the survey indicates a vast generational divide on the issue. Fifty-four percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday say marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, with 44 percent suggesting they should be considered legal.

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