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Kara McDermott

Stories

  • Australia: Why Boat People Risk It All

    Every month, thousands of migrants undertake a perilous journey across the Indian Ocean to try to reach Australia's shores. Many are fleeing troubles in countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Sri Lanka. The issue of asylum seekers has been prominent in the Australian general election campaign, with both main parties pledging tough policies to stop the influx.

  • Battle for Syria Christian Town Of Maaloula Continues

    The diplomatic wrangling over Syria's chemical weapons stockpile has grabbed all the international headlines. But fighting on the ground continues to upend the lives of Syria's civilians. Last week, armed rebels entered the ancient Christian town of Maaloula. The civilians who live there – half of them Christian, the other half Muslim - fled. The BBC’s Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen has been with Syrian army units trying to recapture the town.

  • More Teachers Pay To Stock The Classroom Supply Closet

    You might consider office supplies provided by your employer a given -- but not if you’re a teacher. A survey this year by the National School Supply and Equipment Association found that virtually all teachers -- 99.5 percent -- use their own money to buy basic classroom supplies. Last school year, teachers shelled out an average of $485 over the course of a year.

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    Burn Ban Relaxed In Western Washington

    A burn ban issued by the Department of Natural Resources in late July has been partially lifted in Western Washington. Recreational fires in approved fire
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    Burn Ban Issued Across Washington State

    The Department of Natural Resources issued an updated burn ban to include all lands protected by the DNR in Washington state. The ban will be in effect
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    Fisheries Officials Say To Leave Seals Alone

    In the Olympia area, a woman reported a weeks-old harbor seal pup is on a railroad trestle on the Woodard Bay beach. Its mother was gone and it was crying.