It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the local neighborhood mall, or any mall for that matter. Malls are the one-stop shopping spots for people jonesing for a retail fix.

The flu season has started, and winter's colder weather, as well as being cooped up inside makes us more susceptible to coming down with the virus. The flu bug can spread easily, leaving its victim out of work for days at a time.

Recently, Cpl Ronald Francis, a 20-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was forced to turn in his uniform after being caught on video smoking a joint on duty. The problem is, he was doing it legally.

Los Angeles - Too many women put up with men that are — well, let’s just say dogs! But author and PR specialist, Tany Soussana, thinks that putting up with a dog is great, as long as it has four legs.

Chicago - The nation’s first attempt to control what people consume ended throughout the nation on Thursday 80 years ago. Some states had ended it earlier, just as some had started it earlier.

Chicago - Today bullies still exist in an alarming number of schools. Disabled people are often targets. One girl, however, is positively fighting back with many methods.

Hempstead - The principal of a Texas middle school who tried to ban Hispanic students from speaking Spanish has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Houston - Former World War II vet and 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush was honored on Tuesday with the LBJ Liberty and Justice for All Award for his civil rights work and bipartisanship particularly in regards to his post-presidency.

Are you a people person or do you prefer to keep your counsel? Do you want to train for a profession or end up in a dead end job? If you answer yes to any or all of the above, this one is for you.

Today is Cyber Monday, another industry-created day of hot deals. However, I have no plans to point my browser to retailers and let my mouse do the shopping.

Decorating the Christmas tree is an activity enjoyed by the whole family, and in Virginia and other parts of the South, tradition holds that on Christmas Eve, Mom or Dad will add one last ornament, the Christmas pickle, to the tree before going to bed.

San Francisco - The aftermath of the Recession has given rise to housing and homelessness in San Francisco. A city renowned for its openness and compassion must now figure out what to do about people living in their RVs or campers.

It happened: That moment where the timing of today's date (Dec. 1) caught me completely off guard. It's December and like so many who can relate, I'm already feeling the time crunch, with Christmas only a few weeks away.

New York - At least four passengers died and dozens were injured in the derailment of a speeding train in the Bronx. Some passengers were thrown from the Metro-North Train.

For some reason, certain businesses in Spain have decided to follow the US tradition of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in trying to get shoppers to spend plenty of "dinero" before the festive season.

Thanksgiving in America hasn't always been a day of over-eating, football and shopping, as it is today. It's a shame that it has become so consumer-driven like it has, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. But Thanksgiving is more than just a word.

New York - Despite worries that high winds would ground floats and balloons at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, it was kid-friendly fun as usual as the Parade snaked along the streets of New York Thursday afternoon.

Wilcox - Working with elderly dogs, we have seen how dog cognitive dysfunction syndrome is something that occurs on a daily basis. The majority of our dogs we care for are elderly, about 11 to 26 years of age.

A lesbian couple, Patricia Ewert and Vernita Gray, have become the first same-sex couple in Illinois to marry. The state isn't set to become the 16th U.S. state to allow gay marriage until June 1 but a judge allowed their case as Gray is dying of cancer.