Blog Posts by Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine

A new publication aims to teach kids about conservative values.For parents worrying that their teens are too influenced by liberal ideas like birth control, racism, and "Glee," there's a new glossy magazine in town offering to set them straight. Introducing: "The Conservative Teen."

"Do you have a teenage child or grandchild? Are you concerned about their future and the kind of America they will inherit?" asks publisher William R. Smith on the magazine's website. "The liberal agenda has long dominated our educational institutions, news media, and entertainment industries and so it's imperative we counter by teaching our teen children conservative values."

Not much is known about the publisher, William R. Smith. It's the same name as the man who narrowly won Ohio's 2nd district in the democratic primary earlier this month, backed by the "Victory Ohio Super PAC," which conducted robocalls on his behalf and is not registered with the Federal Elections Committee, but it seems odd that a 61-year-old long-distance trucker in Ohio who ran as a Democrat

Is Katniss a conservative heroine or a liberal one?In the post-apocalyptic future of "The Hunger Games," the country is ruled by a totalitarian, fascist government that pits its citizens against one another in a constant reminder of the power it has over its people. But in real life, its themes are striking a chord with people on both sides of the political aisle, and liberals and conservatives alike are claiming that it underscores their political values.

Liberals seem drawn to the story's environmentalist warnings, strong female protagonist, and the rebellion against the power-hungry, arrogant elite.

The environmental issues in the book are clear: Panem itself rose from the ashes of North America after global events caused seas to rise and land masses to shift, and citizens living in impoverished districts must turn to nature in order to survive. But the 99 percent is more concerned about oppression than the environment. Actor and Occupy Wall Street movement supporter Penn Badgley, who accompanied his girlfriend Zoe Kravitz, to the

Karilyn Bales speaks with NBC The wife of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who was formally charged on Friday with 17 counts of premeditated murder for the deliberate killing of 17 Afghan civilians, told "The Today Show" on Monday that she doesn't believe her husband committed the crime.

"I just don't think he was involved," Karilyn Bales told NBC's Matt Lauer.

Bales turned himself in after leaving his base on March 11 and shooting civilians at two separate locations. The victims included nine children and a pregnant woman; Bales is also accused of attempting to burn the bodies of the victims. His lawyers told Reuters that Bales "really doesn't have any memory" of the shooting.

"He loves children, he's like a big kid himself," his wife said. "I have no idea what happened, but he would not ... he loves children, and he would not do that."



Bales is being held at a U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His wife and their two children, ages 3 and 4, are under military protection on the base at Joint Base

At least five top officials have recently resigned from the Susan G. Komen foundation.At least five more top officials have resigned from Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the wake of the breast-cancer charity's public battle with Planned Parenthood earlier this year.

"Obviously, we know some folks are upset. We've certainly seen that," Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun told The Associated Press. "We know people have been upset by recent events, but most really do recognize the importance of our work."

[Related: Can the Susan G. Komen Foundation recover from its Planned Parenthood missteps?]

Komen Vice President Karen Handle accepted responsibility for the decision to defund Planned Parenthood and resigned in the immediate wake of the controversy in early February

"I fully acknowledge that I was involved in this. I fully embrace that I was the lead in developing alternatives and working through the process," she said in an interview at the time, during which she also accused Planned Parenthood of "hijacking" the breast-cancer charity.



About a month ago, Chris McDonald,

How much would Don Draper spend in 2012? (Photo: AMC)Devotees of AMC's hit show "Mad Men" know that session five, which launches with a two-hour-long premiere this weekend, opens with darkly mysterious Don Draper in a new stage of life. But we're betting that some things will stay the same. Steamy affairs. Whiskey and cigarettes. Workplace drama. And plenty of awesome 1960s references.

PHOTOS: "Mad Men" era advertisements

What would your pet like to listen to?I'd like to think that my big, old black lab would enjoy a little old-school funk (he was named for trumpet legend Maceo Parker). And, given that he's grown up with a house full of kids, I think he might be willing to put up with a bit of The Backyardigans as well. But University of Wisconsin-Madison animal psychologist Charles Snowdon says that, when it comes to pets and music, I'm dead wrong.

While research shows that animals do have the ability to enjoy music, "We have a very human tendency to project onto our pets and assume that they will like what we like," Snowdon told Life's Little Mysteries. "People assume that if they like Mozart, their dog will like Mozart. If they like rock music, they say their dog prefers rock."

What they do like, he says, is music that's made especially to their ears -- that is, using the sounds with which a given species is already familiar. Just as our parents thought the music we loved as a teen just sounded like horrible, grating noise, our pets

Treyvon Martin, shown here in an undated family photo, was shot and killed in Florida on Feb. 26. Thousands of people gathered in New York City on Wednesday for the "Million Hoodie March" in support of the family of Trayvon Martin, 17, who was shot and killed by a self-appointed Neighborhood Watchman as he returned to his father's girlfriend's home in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, on February 26.

Trayvon's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, attended the march, where his father told supporters that his son, who was wearing a hoodie and described as "suspicious" when he was killed, "did not deserve to die."

"My heart is in pain, but to see the support of all of you really makes a difference," his mother told the crowd.

The teenager had gone to buy snacks and was on his way home when he was pursued and confronted by George Zimmerman, AGE, who was carrying a licensed concealed weapon. After calling 911 and being told not to follow Trayvon, Zimmerman shot the unarmed teenager once in the chest, killing him. Though 80 pounds heavier than the teen, who was carrying a

Mitt Romney, a.k.a. Javelin, and Rick Santorum, a.k.a. Petrus.The Secret Service called Senator John McCain "Phoenix." His wife, Cindy, picked the name "Parasol." President Ronald Reagan's code name was "Rawhide" -- pretty fitting, considering his past experience acting in Westerns. President Bill Clinton was "Eagle."

Mitt Romney would like to be called "Javelin," which is the name of one of the cars produced by the American Motors Company when his dad ran the place (and one of the first cars Romney ever had). And Rick Santorum? He's picked "Petrus."

"Yeah, that's the name, Petrus," he chuckled when Fox News' Greta Van Susteren asked him about it.

"Petrus is the Latin word for Peter, and you've heard me talk repeatedly about my grandfather, his name was Pietro," he explained. "I didn't think Pietro would work. It's a name, and I didn't want a name, and so I thought Petrus, which is the Latin word for 'Peter' and for 'rock,' was a more apt name than the Italian name for Peter." It's also a reference to Santorum's religious roots: St. Peter was