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Rel v. Pacific Bell Mobile Services

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed the dismissal of a proposed consumer class action lawsuit because the plaintiffs had failed to bring the case to trial within five years, as required by the California Code of Civil Procedure. It did not matter that the class claims had been dismissed within five years.




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Fresno County Employees' Retirement Association v. Isaacson/Weaver Family Trust

(United States Second Circuit) - Rejected an objecting class member's challenge to the amount of attorney fees awarded to a law firm that represented the class in a shareholder lawsuit. Raising what the court described as a novel issue, the objector contended that the lodestar fee must be unenhanced because the action was initiated under a statute with a fee‐shifting provision.




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Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. v. Jackson

(United States Supreme Court) - On a question of civil procedure, held that a third-party counterclaim defendant -- that is, a party brought into a lawsuit through a counterclaim filed by the original defendant -- may not remove a class-action counterclaim from state court to federal court. Justice Thomas, joined by the four liberal justices, delivered the opinion of a 5-4 Court in this debt collection lawsuit.




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NEI Contracting and Engineering Inc. v. Hanson Aggregates Pacific Southwest Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Held that an engineering company could not proceed with a class action lawsuit alleging that its former concrete supplier unlawfully recorded cellular phone users' calls without their consent. Affirmed an order decertifying the class on the ground that the class representative lacked individual standing.




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International Duo Channels Past And Present To Win Best Rock Act At World’s Largest Indie Music Awards

Follow No One, Colorado-based Vocalist Rich Hall And Portuguese Guitarist Pedro Murino Almeida, Won Best Rock Act At The 2019 JMAs In Dollywood.




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Internationally Acclaimed Soul Artist CORNELL “CC” CARTER To Release New Single “I SEE LOVE” From Upcoming Album ABSOULUTELY

CC Is Now Set To Unleash His Highly Anticipated New Single “I SEE LOVE” On All Digital Services August 9, 2019.




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NoFaceNors Releases New Full-length Album 'Nacho Pack Vol. 1'

The Music Artist Known As NoFaceNors Has Released His Latest Full-length Album, “Nacho Pack Vol. 1.”




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Black Sky Capital, LLC v. Cobb

(Supreme Court of California) - Interpreting Code of Civil Procedure section 580d, the California Supreme Court held that a creditor holding two deeds of trust on the same property may recover a deficiency judgment on the junior lien extinguished by a nonjudicial foreclosure sale on the senior lien.




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Internationally Syndicated Radio Show And European Academy Of Country Music Announce Year End Chart

"Whiskey And Cigarettes" Country Radio Show, In Association With The European Academy Of Country Music (EACM) Has Announced Their Top 30 Of 2018 Year-end Chart. The Show Is Syndicated On More Than 25




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Bevis v. Terrace View Partners, LP

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed most of a judgment against a mobile home park. The residents contended that the park breached their contracts and violated various laws, and a jury rendered a verdict in their favor. However, the California Court of Appeal held that the award of damages could not be sustained under any of the theories of liability presented to the jury.



  • Property Law & Real Estate
  • Consumer Protection Law
  • Contracts
  • Property Law & Real Estate
  • Consumer Protection Law
  • Contracts

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Nautilus Insurance Company v. Access Medical, LLC

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Certified Question. The panel certified the question of state law to the Nevada Supreme Court asking whether an insurer is entitled reimbursement of costs already expended in defense of its insured where a determination has been made that the insurer owed no duty to defend and there was an agreement requiring reimbursement, but with no reservation of rights.




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Apache Deepwater L.L.C. v. W & T Offshore, Inc.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Affirmed. The jury award of more than $43 mil. for the breach of a Joint Operating Agreement relating to the plugging and abandonment operation of offshore oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico was affirmed because the application of Louisiana Civil Code and interpretation of the contract was appropriate. No bad faith offset entitlement was found.




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ZipX Donates 5,000 Face Masks To Government

ZipX Bermuda has donated 5,000 face masks to the Bermuda Government for the island’s frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. A spokesperson...




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Warwick Academy Produce Face Masks

Warwick Academy, in partnership with Lir Bermuda, has created a line of masks for students, staff, and frontline workers. A spokesperson said,...




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Government Feedback Forum For Covid-19

[Ministerial statement by Minister Jamahl Simmons] Mr. Speaker, Today I would like to provide this Honourable House with an update on the very...




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Anti-Vaccine Groups Take Lead Role In California Stay-At-Home Order Protests

By Sammy Caiola

Where jobs and the economy were at front of mind during last Friday's protest at California’s Capitol, Thursday’s demonstration against the stay-at-home order also focused on closed churches and government-mandated vaccinations.

The microphone passed from person-to-person, who each attempted to encourage the few hundred within earshot. One woman said she was honored to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those in attendance. The next person to speak took the microphone and said a prayer.

People who oppose mandatory childhood vaccinations have been a driving force in recent protests against California’s stay-at-home orders. Many who are passionate about the issue say they haven’t vaccinated their children yet. 

“I don’t vaccinate my children because I’ve done research on it and from experiences,” said Yvette Apfel of Modesto. “A lot of the people who don’t vaccinate because of experiences and that is not taken into account when they give their account of what’s happened.” 

Generally, concerns about childhood vaccines stem from the debunked belief that vaccines can cause autism or otherwise injure children. 

Democratic state Senator Dr. Richard Pan, who has authored several of California’s major childhood vaccine laws, said the messaging at these COVID-19 protests parallels what he’s seen from vaccination opponents in the past.

“We call them the anti-vaccine movement because they came out to oppose vaccination,” he said. “There’s no vaccine for COVID-19, but they’re also opposing essentially every public health measure we have that will allow us to resume our activities safely. So they’re opposed to the stay-at-home orders.”

At a hearing of the state’s Special Committee On Pandemic Emergency Response Wednesday, some people spoke up against public health measures such as contact tracing and testing.

He says he’s heard them preach the concept of “natural immunity,” which comes with a dangerous implication that everyone should acquire COVID-19.

“We often talk about ‘community immunity’ in relation to vaccination, because vaccines are safe,” he said. “So getting a vaccine doesn’t cause people to get hospitalized and die in the process of achieving it. If you try to achieve it through ‘natural immunity,’ you are talking about a lot of suffering and death.”

This is not the first time California’s been an epicenter of the anti-vaccination movement during the past few years.  

In 2015, California became one of the first states to eliminate “personal belief” vaccine exemptions for students attending public and private schools. These were previously allowed for families that opposed vaccination on religious, moral or other grounds. Under Senate Bill 277, only children with a medical exemption form signed by a doctor can opt out of mandatory vaccines.

As the bill moved through the Legislature, large crowds of vaccination opponents descended on the Capitol for rallies and public hearings. Pan received violent threats from people who feel the government should not have the authority to require vaccines for kids.

In 2019, Pan’s office raised the alarm about doctors who were reportedly writing false medical forms for children who did not meet the federal criteria for an exemption. After the personal belief ban took effect in 2016, the rate of kindergartners with medical exemptions quadrupled, according to the California Department of Public Health. 

Pan authored Senate Bill 276 to give the state final say on medical exemption forms. Hundreds of opponents packed into the halls of the Capitol to protest. Several weeks later, an opponent shoved Dr. Pan

California Gov. Gavin Newsom ultimately signed the bill, with some changes. It takes effect January 2021.

Now, vaccination opponents seem to be mobilizing again, not around childhood immunizations but around the idea that the government can require people to vaccinate themselves.

On social media, some Californians have said they will not get vaccinated for COVID-19 when that immunization eventually becomes available. They’ve expressed concerns about the safety of vaccines developed during a crisis response. Some at the protest Thursday said they were worried the vaccine would be used as a tracking device.

“I think it’s more to the whole government issue about the vaccine being a tracer,” said Mary Paris, an unemployed nail salon worker from the Bay Area who drove to Sacramento for the protest. “Whoever gets it, then we’re gonna separate you. So I really think this go-around I’m not gonna do it.”

PolitiFact investigated the claims about government tracking in vaccines in April and found them to be false. They also looked into claims some about the Bill Gates Foundation related to vaccines and tracing and found them to be false, saying "There’s no evidence that implanted microchips are being contemplated in a serious way to fight the coronavirus."

A look by Reuters at the claims about “tracing” and Bill Gates found the technology being referred to is not a microchip or implant that would allow an entity to track your whereabouts. Instead it is a die that would provide patient vaccine records for doctors and nurses in places without  medical records. 




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Dachauer v. NBTY, Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Held that makers of vitamin E supplements did not violate California laws against false advertising. A consumer alleged that the product labels made untrue health claims. Affirmed summary judgment against a proposed class action.




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Bevis v. Terrace View Partners, LP

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed most of a judgment against a mobile home park. The residents contended that the park breached their contracts and violated various laws, and a jury rendered a verdict in their favor. However, the California Court of Appeal held that the award of damages could not be sustained under any of the theories of liability presented to the jury.



  • Property Law & Real Estate
  • Consumer Protection Law
  • Contracts
  • Property Law & Real Estate
  • Consumer Protection Law
  • Contracts

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Craftwood II, Inc. v. Generac Power Systems, Inc.

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Revived businesses' claims that they were sent unsolicited fax advertisements in violation of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Reversed a dismissal, in a case raising issues of standing to sue.




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Aldaco v. RentGrow, Inc.

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Held that a consumer reporting agency lawfully disclosed the plaintiff's decades-old criminal record for battery to a landlord when she applied to rent an apartment. Affirmed summary judgment against her claim under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.



  • Landlord Tenant Law
  • Consumer Protection Law

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Contraception and Faith

A compilation of the past three weeks of posts about contraception.

I've been interested in the topic of contraception and faith for quite some time, both in light of my own unwillingness to think about contraception in theological terms in the early years of my marriage (an unwillingness I have observed in others as well), and also in the way decisions about contraception spill into the public square. As the series comes to a close, I wanted to recap the series of posts that provide personal stories and comprehensive views on contraception

Are Christians Afraid to Talk about Contraception?

As I wrote in this introdution to this series, "I hope that this range of voices and perspectives will aid us in thinking through these decisions in a way that brings God into the conversation. I hope they will provoke civil disagreement and growth. I hope they will expose our fears and open us up to life-giving possibilities."

Contraception Saves Lives, Rachel Marie Stone

Here, Rachel's experiences as a doula in Malawi prompted her to take a second look at Margaret Sanger, and, more importantly, to consider the social good of providing contraception for women who want to be able to limit the number of children they conceive.

Questioning Margaret Sanger, Amy Julia Becker

Rachel's post set off a storm of internet disagreement. I responded to the storm with both an apology for the confusion the post provoked as well as a plea to consider the central claim that contraception can save lives.

A Doctor's View on Hormonal Contraception, Dr. Emily Gibson

Many Christians worry that hormonal contraceptive methods work as abortifacients. Dr. Emily Gibson considers the ethical and personal questions that arise with the advent of hormonal contraceptive methods.

Why I Have Seven Children, ...

Continue reading...




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Nine Favorite Posts from Thin Places

The best of faith, family, disability, and culture as I say goodbye to blogging.

One of the wonderful aspects of blogging is that I get to write about pretty much anything that is on my mind and might connect with readers. Over the past 15 months of blogging for Christianity Today, I've written or edited nearly 200 posts. As I wrote last week, many posts soar to the top of the charts for predictable reasons (i.e., the word sex is in the title or it relates to pop culture). In highlighting the "best" posts of this blog, I didn't only pay attention to the number of pageviews they garnered, but also to the ideas contained within. Here are my nine favorites posts:

The Problem with Quiet Times

As a mother of three small children, when I stopped having disciplined set apart time with God, my faith grew.

Why We Still Go To Church

It's inconvenient and inefficient and sometimes doesn't even feel spiritual. But I'm glad we keep showing up.

Want a Better Devotional Life? Buy a Bird Feeder

What my grandfather and my son taught me about patience, love, and a gentle spirit.

The Serious Pleasure of Summer Reading

An argument for why reading matters, and a list of ten books—for kids and adults—to challenge and entertain.

How Christians Should Talk About Sex

"Although I want to hold out a biblical ideal of sex, I want to do so in very unbiblical terms." What Rolling Stone and Paul have taught me.

John Perkins: The Sin of Racism Made Ferguson Escalate So Quickly

In the wake of the events in Ferguson last summer, I had a chance to interview Christian civil rights leader John Perkins.

What Slowing Down Teaches You That Rushing Never Will

Although there have been a number of wonderful guest posts here, this is my very favorite: Elisa Fryling Stanford,mother of a ...

Continue reading...




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Rachael Sage Releases New Single, All Proceeds To Benefit Women's Cancer Research

Rachael Sage Has Released A New Single, “Bravery’s On Fire" After Revealing Cancer Diagnosis; All Proceeds From Single And Charity Shows To Benefit Women's Cancer Research.




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CoCo O’Connor Tops The Featured Acoustic Artists Of The Month

The Featured Acoustic Music Artists Of The Month Are: CoCo O’Connor, Rory Block And Joseph L Young




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Montreal Hip-Hop Collective Triple-R Release Debut Album “Red Rum Records” Featuring Tracks With Swollen Members, Doom Squad, Demrick, And More

Montreal Hip-hop Collective Triple-R Has Signed With Squash Comp And Released Their Debut Album “Red Rum Records”




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California Teen Killed By Drunk Driver Leaves Legacy In Worship Song

“I AM,” Recorded By 15 Year-old Lily Kelly Just Months Before Her Untimely Passing, Is Available Now At All Major Digital Outlets, Including ITunes, Google Play And Spotify.




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Impeachment Inquiry Update & California Democratic State Endorsement Convention Preview

Members of California’s Congressional delegation are center stage at the House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry hearings on Capitol Hill. The chair of the committee is LA area Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff. The ranking Republican member of the same committee is Fresno Rep. Devin Nunes. Other Californians are Democrats: Bay Area Rep. Jackie Speier and East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell. McClatchy DC reporter Kate Irby joins Insight. She follows the California Congressional delegation. 

California’s State Endorsement Convention is this weekend in Long Beach. One of the surprises is that candidates Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Former Vice President Joe Biden will not attend. What does this mean? 

On Saturday, Nov. 16, the California Democratic Party in conjunction with Univision will host a televised 2019 Presidential Forum from 4 to 6 pm PST. Confirmed candidates are New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Former Health and Human Services Secretary Julián Castro, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, investor Tom Steyer, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. CapRadio’s Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler provides a preview to this weekend’s convention.

 




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JIRGA Original Motion Picture Soundtrack By AJ True Nominated “Best Music” In The Film Critics Circle Of Australia Awards

The JIRGA Score Was Nominated ‘Best Music’ In The Film Critics Circle Of Australia Awards (FCCA).




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Welcome BlackFaceNaija To The Ordior Rights Management Roster!

Ordior Has Signed BlackFaceNaija For A World Wide Exclusive Publishing And Administration Agreement!




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Kerri Lowe Reaches Goal With Kickstarter Campaign For New Album

Lowe Discusses Her Decision To Return To Her North Carolina Roots After Years Spent In New York In This Interview




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Acid Jazz, February 29, 2020

Jazzanova, Thievery Corporation, Miles Davis, Rae & Christian, Steve Khan, John McLaughlin, and more!




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Acid Jazz, March 7, 2020

St. Germain, Tony Adamo, Digable Planets, Barrio Jazz Gang, Soul Rebels, Tony Lindsay, Purna Loka Ensemble, and more!




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Acid Jazz, March 14, 2020

In the mix this week - Eliane Elias, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner & Phyllis Hyman, Azymuth, Weldon Irvine, Les McCann and Ronny Jordan.




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Acid Jazz, March 21, 2020

Miles Davis, Mocean Worker, Billie Holiday remixed, Donald Fagan, New Masters, and more!




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Acid Jazz, March 28, 2020

John McLaughlin, Wax Poetic, Steve Khan, Jazzanova, Quantic, Tower of Power, and more!




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Acid Jazz, April 4, 2020

Nightmares On Wax, Fat Freddy's Drop, Wilson Pickett, Greyboy Allstars, Ace of Clubs, Aguanko, Deodato, Eddie Palmieri, and more!




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Acid Jazz, April 11, 2020

Alice Coltrane, Collin Walcott, Bluey, John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, Brand New Heavies, Herbie Mann, Monty Alexander, St. Germain, and more!




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Acid Jazz, April 18, 2020

The Necks, Monty Alexander, 3 Brave Souls, Marcos Valle, Guru, 4 Hero, Gregory Porter, John Coltrane, Prima Loka, and more!




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Acid Jazz, April 25, 2020

Booker T, DJ Logic, Don Byron, Lenny White, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield, Lorenzo Tucci, and more!




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Acid Jazz, May 2, 2020

Sabrina Malheiros, Brand New Heavies, Gerardo Frisina, Tony Adamo, Greyboy, Jeff Parker, and more!




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Earl And The Steadies To Play In Seoul For "Back To The Retro" Party

One Of The Top Bassists In Canada, Earl Pereira Is Visiting Korea With Earl And The Steadies




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Nick Brodeur Wins Studio Package From ReverbNation

Laguna Beach Singer/guitarist Awarded Recording Time With Orange County Production House




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YG PLUS And Gracenote To Bring K-POP To Fans Around The World

Gracenote And YG PLUS To Make All K-POP Music More Searchable And Discoverable On Global And Regional Streaming Music Platforms And Services




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Jackpot Harvesting, Inc. v. Applied Underwriters, Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed the denial of a motion to compel arbitration of an insurance dispute. A company that sued its workers' compensation insurer over premium hikes contended that the case did not have to be arbitrated because the California Insurance Code invalidated the parties' arbitration agreement.




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Subcontracting Concepts (CT), LLC v. De Melo

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that an employee who filed an administrative wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner could not be forced into arbitration, because his employment contract's arbitration clause was permeated with unconscionability. Affirmed the denial of a petition to compel arbitration.



  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration
  • Labor & Employment Law

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Oxford Preparatory Academy v. Edlighten Learning Solutions

(California Court of Appeal) - Remanded for a redetermination of whether an arbitration agreement covered a dispute between a school and a consulting firm. Reversed an order denying arbitration.




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YPF S.A. v. Apache Overseas, Inc.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Upheld an arbitration award in a business dispute involving one company's sale of certain assets to another. Affirmed the district court's confirmation of the arbitration award.



  • M&A
  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration

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Lacayo v. Catalina Restaurant Group Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Dismissed part of appeal and affirmed part. Plaintiff filed a class action complaint against Defendant alleging wage and hour violations and a unfair competition law claim (UCL). Defendants sought to compel arbitration. The trial court granted Defendant’s motion as to Plaintiffs individual claims, allowed the arbitrator to decide the class action claims, and denied the motion as to the UCL claim. The appeals court found that the motion that granted arbitration could not be appealed and found no error in the denial of arbitration for the UCL claim.



  • Commercial Law
  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration
  • Labor & Employment Law

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Bring Country Back To That Classic Sound.. Brenda Cay!

Amazing County Music Artist Brenda Cay Harkens You To The Days Of Jeannie Riely, June Carter Cash And Brenda Lee, It’s Not Your Usual Lick Of




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B4U Kadak Brings Action-packed Blockbusters This September

E B4U Network, Popularly Known For Bollywood Music And Movie Channels, Has Recently Launched A New Film Channel B4U Kadak. The Channel's Performance And Viewership Has Grown So Much That It Has B