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Homegrown toy startup Jammbo eyes a revenue of Rs 150 crore in FY25

Jammbo, founded in 2023, presently has about 50 products in its portfolio, focusing on ride-on battery toys such as electric cars and bikes. It aims to expand its portfolio to over 200 products by the end of the current fiscal year. The startup has set up its global presence by entering the UAE market. Further, it plans to expand to the U.S. and the U.K. markets this fiscal.




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MoS Prasada suggests toy industry to support artisans, nurture creativity

Union Minister calls on domestic toy industry to back artisans and foster creativity at Toy CEO Meet. Global players like Walmart and Amazon join hands for collaborations. Government measures boost local manufacturing. Stakeholders discuss investment opportunities in India's growing toy market.




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FirstCry set to file final papers for $3-3.5 billion IPO

FirstCry, a baby and mother care product retailer, will list likely at a $3-3.5 billion valuation, sources in the know told ET. FirstCry's IPO will be the second major new-age company to debut on Dalal Street this year, after Ola Electric. The company's offer size remains the same as mentioned in its draft papers.




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IPO-bound FirstCry reports 15% jump in FY24 revenue to Rs 6,481 crore, losses down 34%

FirstCry reported a 15% increase in operating revenue to Rs 6,481 crore and reduced losses by 34% in FY24. The Pune-based firm's international business, which is seeing faster growth than domestic operations, reported a revenue of Rs 753 crore, growing by over 50%. The firm plans to use a significant portion of its IPO proceeds for expansion in Saudi Arabia.




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FirstCry IPO to open on August 6 to raise Rs 1,666 crore

The IPO of Brainbees Solution, known for its kidswear brand FirstCry, will open on August 6. It comprises a fresh issue of Rs 1,666 crore and an OFS of up to 5.4 crore shares. The anchor investor round will commence on August 5, a day before the IPO. The price band will be announced later in the week, as per the company's red herring prospectus RHP filed with Sebi.




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FirstCry: Meet the man behind the baby products business that grew into a giant

Founded by Supam Maheshwari and his colleague from a previous business, Amitava Saha, FirstCry has been the darling of investors which include SoftBank, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, Premji Invest, Mahindra & Mahindra and TPG Growth.




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Baby food startup Bebe Burp raises Rs 8 crore in Pre Series A funding

Baby food startup Bebe Burp shared that it will utilise 60 per cent of the fund for growth, 20 per cent for operations, 10 per cent for product development, and the remaining for team building for a coherent production.




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Funding cycles come and go; great teams persist, compound value for shareholders: FirstCry’s Supam Maheshwari

We'll continue to invest in our brand, technology, products, and grow our offline online touchpoints. We are going to open around 350 stores over the next three years and grow our multi-channel competitive strengths. We will also enhance our in-house brands and their distribution through pharmacies and grocery stores. We also plan to invest in manufacturing, international markets and Globalbees, our brand aggregator platform,Supam Maheshwari, cofounder and CEO of FirstCry said.




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FirstCry's parent Brainbees raises Rs 1,886 cr from anchor investors

According to a circular upload on BSE, Brainbees Solutions allotted 4.05 crore equity shares to 71 funds at Rs 465 apiece, which is also the upper end of the price band. This takes the transaction size to Rs 1,886 crore. The IPO, with a price band of Rs 440-465 a share, will open for public subscription on August 6 and close on August 8.




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We were at it for 14 years: FirstCry CEO Supam Maheshwari on stellar market debut

“Subscription, oversubscription, listing gains, do not matter much to me, personally. What matters is this milestone of launching the IPO, which gives a feeling of accomplishment to all our families, and extended families. I am sure performance will always proceed when it comes to the outcome in terms of numbers on the stock market. So, that is okay,” Supam Maheshwari, cofounder and CEO of the Pune-based company, told ET on the sidelines of the listing ceremony.




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FirstCry logs 17% rise in revenue, lower loss in Q1 FY25

Floods in the UAE and early Eid, which saw festival season purchases being advanced to early April, hit order volumes for Brainbees Solutions, the parent firm of the baby and mother care product retailer. However, order volumes are now back on track, said CEO Supam Maheshwari.




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Diaper manufacturer Millennium Babycares raises Rs 122 crore from Bharat Value Fund

Millennium Babycares Ltd announced the closure of a Rs 122 crore private placement round with Bharat Value Fund (BVF), which acquired a significant minority stake. BVF is managed by Pantomath Capital and targets a corpus of Rs 2,000 crores. The funds will be used for market expansion in India and internationally.




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FirstCry shares tumble over 4% after GST department initiates investigation

Shares of FirstCry fell 4.5% after the GST department initiated an investigation at its Mumbai head office and Pune warehouse. The company assured normal operations, with no details on alleged violations.





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Are Podcasting 2.0 Micropayments Actually Worth It?

Podcasting 2.0 introduced a new way for your audience to support your podcast by sending micropayments. This is usually measured by satoshis (abbreviated as "sats"), which are one hundred millionths of a Bitcoin. As such a small portion of cryptocurrency, many people might wonder whether the effort is even worth the return.

The post Are Podcasting 2.0 Micropayments Actually Worth It? first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.





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11 Warnings about Using AI in Content-Creation (including podcasting)

AI has rapidly advanced for content creation. But should you actually trust it? With this potential comes some crucial warnings for using AI in podcasting.

The post 11 Warnings about Using AI in Content-Creation (including podcasting) first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.




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Warner Bros. Discovery Announces 7.2m New Max Subscriptions in Q3 Report

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has reported financial results for Q3, with highlights including 7.2m new Max subscriptions.




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Cinema Chat: 'MaXXXine' and 'Fancy Dance' open downtown, plus a bunch of special screenings throughout July!

When it comes to the 4th of July, fireworks and film go hand-in-hand! Both David Fair and Russ Collins are on vacation this week, so WEMU's Mat Hopson and Marquee Arts cinema programming director Nick Alderink meet up to chat about the newest films and special screenings coming your way this Independence Day weekend!




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Cinema Chat: The Michigan Theater hosts two 50th high school reunions, plus 'Cuckoo' and 'Borderlands' hit the big screen

Summer may be winding down a bit, but the summer movie season is still going! WEMU's David Fair meets up again with Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins to chat about the latest films and special screenings coming to a theater near you! Plus, the Michigan Theater is hosting not one, but two huge high school reunions!




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Cinema Chat: Take a trip to Broadway courtesy of Marquee Arts, plus 'The Crow' and 'My Penguin Friend' open downtown

After a week away, WEMU's David Fair returns to chatting about cinema with Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins. As they do every week, they deliver all of the details on new films and the many special screenings coming to Ann Arbor!




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Cinema Chat: 'The Critic' and 'Will & Harper' open downtown, 'Transformers One' hits the multiplex

Days are getting a bit shorter here in Michigan, but there's always time to catch a flick! WEMU's David Fair meets up again with Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins to chat about the newest films and special events hitting the big screen!




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Cinema Chat: 'Saturday Night' and 'The Apprentice' open at the State Theatre, plus a special screening of 'Eno' at the Michigan Theater!

We just wrapped up a fantastic fall fundraiser a few days ago, so let's celebrate with a good movie! WEMU's Mat Hopson steps in for David Fair this week to chat about all of the cinematic offerings coming soon to your favorite movie houses with Marquee Arts executive director, Russ Collins!




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Cinema Chat: Scary screenings for Halloween Night, plus 'The Goldman Case' and 'My Name is Alfred Hitchcock' open at the Michigan Theater

What's your favorite scary movie? WEMU's David Fair and Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins meet up to inform you of tonight's special screenings for your Halloween viewing pleasure! Plus, you'll get details on some new films opening downtown and at the multiplex, too!




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How can I fix the way Microsoft Zira pronouces certain words?

Is there a way to change the Microsoft voice Zira so she stops saying "Mississippi" when the word miss is used as a title or with a period at the end of it? I found two files (MSTTSLocEnUS.dat and MSTTSLocEnCA.dat) in the folder C:WindowsSpeech_OneCoreEnginesTTS that contain the text "mississippi" but they are both dat files and when I open them in Wordpad or Notepad, I cannot find the text. I looked in Windows Speech options and there is no place to fix pronunciations. I am using Windows 11 and it does not seem to happen when I use the David voice, only the Zira voice.




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Virginia Democrat To Propose Bill To Require Identifying Information Of Officers

Rows of armed agents were deployed around the protests in Washington, D.C. this past week, but it was not obvious who they were: They had no name tags, no badge numbers and no emblems to identify which agencies they worked for. Their arrival sparked shock and alarm. Now, Democratic lawmakers are calling for legislation that would make it illegal for these officers to not identify themselves. In the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are cosponsoring a bill that would require officers to identify themselves while "engaged in crowd control or arresting individuals involved in civil disobedience or protests in the United States." In the House, Virginia Democrat Don Beyer, whose district is just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is working on similar legislation. "How do we tell these alleged federal police officers from white supremacist militia groups?" Beyer said in an interview Sunday with NPR's Weekend Edition . "How do you ever




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As New Zealand Police Pledge To Stay Unarmed, Maori Activists Credit U.S. Protests

Although New Zealand is about as far — in miles, at least — as you can get from Minneapolis, protests have erupted there over the killing of George Floyd. The Indigenous Maori people in particular have pushed back against police use of force, which disproportionately affects them. At first glance, the context seems quite different. New Zealand police don't usually carry firearms. The reason goes back to the 19th century British aversion to creating a police force too much like a military. In general, if New Zealand police officers need to use a gun, there is one in a lockbox in their car that they can use with a supervisor's permission. But after a white nationalist gunned down 51 people in two mosques last March in Christchurch, New Zealand's police introduced a pilot program to send heavily armed police teams on patrol in three communities. One of these communities was around Christchurch. The other two were far away in counties near the city of Auckland. The police said it would




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'We're Not Racist': French Police Say They're Being Unfairly Criticized

French police say they are being stigmatized during protests in France against police violence in the wake of George Floyd's death. On Thursday, police gathered in front of precincts across the country and threw down their handcuffs in a symbolic gesture against what they say is unfair criticism. "The police in France have nothing to do with the police in the U.S., and we're not racist," said Fabien Vanhemelryck, the head of the main police union in France, as he joined dozens of police officers demonstrating Friday morning along the Champs-Élysées. Just days after Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, more than 20,000 Parisians defied a ban on gatherings during the pandemic to demand the truth about the death of a black Frenchman named Adama Traoré while in police custody in 2016. The protesters said the French police, like their American counterparts, are endemically racist, a charge denied by many top officials in a country that likes to consider itself colorblind




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Law Professor On Misdemeanor Offenses And Racism In The Criminal System

The police killings of George Floyd , Eric Garner and other black men and women began with allegations of a minor offense, such as passing a counterfeit $20 bill or selling individual, untaxed cigarettes. Misdemeanors — these types of low-level criminal offenses — account for about 80% of all arrests and 80% of state criminal dockets, says Alexandra Natapoff, a law professor at the University of California at Irvine and author of Punishment Without Crime . "It's surprising to many people to realize that misdemeanors — these low-level, often chump-change offenses that many of us commit routinely without even noticing it — make up the vast majority of what our criminal system does," Natapoff tells NPR's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered . "The offenses can include everything from traffic offenses to spitting, loitering, trespassing, all the way up to more serious offenses like DUI or many domestic violence offenses," she says. "It's ... the vast majority of ways that individuals




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NYC To Crack Down On Mystery Fireworks That Are Fraying Nerves And Disrupting Sleep

As mysterious displays of fireworks continue to be set off across the country – in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles – residents in New York City say the nightly cacophony is driving them nuts. "It's kind of been a bit all-consuming to be honest," said Brooklyn resident Eric Anderson, 33. "I go to bed hearing it. I get woken up hearing it, and then on my Twitter feed all anybody is doing is talking about it." In New York City, the police department said there were 54 fireworks complaints in the first half of last year. In the same period this year, there have been more than 11,000. It's illegal to set off your own fireworks in New York, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the city is going to crack down on suppliers. "We're going to start a huge sting operation to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base," he said. Last week he appointed a task force made up of officers from the New York City Police Department, fire marshals and members of the Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal




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OST Full Show: Spotlight On Savannah — Weathering Worldwide Crises On The Georgia Coast

America’s mayors have taken center stage in 2020. Big city mayors feuded with state and federal officials over COVID-19 protections and resources, and have been praised — and condemned — for their handling of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. These crises may be unfolding on a national scale, but affect lives in every American city and town. With Atlanta officials already in the national spotlight, On Second Thought turned to local leaders in Savannah — Georgia’s first city and the state’s largest coastal municipality — to see how they are responding. We begin with Savannah Mayor Van Johnson , who took office in January of this tumultuous year. He shed light on his decision-making processes and vision for the city’s future.




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MeFi: "The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter."

The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time ...just what it says on the tin.

Before the onslaught of end of the year Best-Of lists, here is a solid top 100 for your palaver pleasure.

Big bonus points to Paste Magazine for publishing it on a single web page, rather than over a 25 page ad-filled link schmozzle.




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Bernie Sanders Says Trump Won Because Democrats Are Out Of Touch

Bernie Sanders thinks he has a pretty good idea why Hillary Clinton and Democrats lost in the 2016 election. "Look, you can't simply go around to wealthy people's homes raising money and expect to win elections," the Vermont senator, who gave Clinton a surprisingly strong run for the Democratic nomination, told NPR's David Greene in an interview airing on Morning Edition. "You've got to go out and mix it up and be with ordinary people." That picks up on a criticism of Clinton devoting too much time to fundraising — and not enough to on-the-ground campaigning in traditionally Democratic states, like Michigan and Wisconsin. In the general election, Clinton never visited Wisconsin after she became the nominee and visited Michigan late in the game. The two Upper Midwestern states swung narrowly to Trump: Wisconsin by slightly more than 20,000 votes and Michigan by slightly more than 10,000. During the primary, Sanders boasted of his small-donor donations. "The Democratic Party swallowed




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Scratch Pad: Craigslist, Oblique, Overload

I  do this manually at the end of each week: collating recent comments I’ve made on social media, which I think of as my public scratch pad. I find knowing I’ll revisit my posts to be a positive and mellowing influence on my social media activity. I mostly hang out on Mastodon (at post.lurk.org/@disquiet), and I’m […]




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Song Critique by a Killer Pro In The Know....Have You Got A Hit Or Not?

I can help you understand the essential elements required for a" Hit Song". I will bring my considerable experience to bear on assessing the strengths and weaknesses in your music submissions and guide you towards that elusive Hit. I can help you become a better song writer as I enhance and redefine your creative song writing abilities.

Successful / "Hit" songwriting... is the very foundation of the music industry. It is all about "The Song...You Cannot Polish A Turd'. The difference between a great song ...and "a hit song" can be in fact be tiny. The trick is knowing how to build on the core idea...and find true clarity in its content.

Discover the perfect balance between the key elements needed for success which is a top quality melody and lyric combined with solid structure and arrangement.

NB Positive critique is my watch word and no musician will be harmed in the honing process :-)

- KILLERSONGS




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Creative Process and Career Coaching - Trey Gunn

I have many decades of experience in developing one's original voice. Both as an artist and as a coach to musicians and artists. In addition to 11 solo recordings, I've worked with King Crimson, David Sylvian, Vernon Reid, Brian Eno, TOOL, Steven Wilson and Puscifer. I can listen to your music through, both, your ears (to hear if you are reaching your musical aims) and my ears (to hear how the piece matches up with my experience as a player/producer.) I will give advice, opinions, critiques, commentaries, articulations and 'the works' about where you are heading. When you send me a track please include some information about you and where you are heading. This is necessary for me to know how to help you and offer the right kind of critique. Additionally I run my own record label (7d Media) and am a fully independent musician (recording, performing/touring, producing, licensing, composing and more.) All of my experience and advice is available to you. for much information about my process go here: www.treygunn.com/coaching




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Robomagic is seeking incredibly compelling acts with amazing music people have GOT to hear

Robomagic is seeking charismatic, amazing new acts (solo or groups) with infectious music people want to hear. Acts should have an eye toward working hard to make it in the music business and come to the table ready to get involved with experienced teams that know how to make it happen.

Acts can be based anywhere but relocation to London may be necessary, depending upon a range of variables and circumstances. But if you've got the goods, we'd got the team, the know-how, and the resources to help make it happen.

We look forward to hearing your best material.

- Rob Hallett - Founder / President - Robomagic




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Seeking Cross-Genre Music for Release and Sync Placements

We are looking to add some cross-genre material to our catalog. We are hoping to find brave compositions combining two or more genres, like in the following examples:

- Jazz meets Hip-Hop
Guru ft. Donald Byrd - Loungin’
- Rock meets Electronica
The Prodigy & Tom Morello - One Man Army
- Classical meets Pop
Woodkid - Run Boy Run
- Electronica meets Classical
The Glitch Mob - Fortune Days

Please note that we are not looking for copies of the referenced tracks, they are listed only as great examples of combinations of two or more genres. Filter Label is notorious for discovering new talent and setting new music trends, so please submit your best material and surprise us with what could be the next big thing. Songs with uncleared samples WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please submit only professionally recorded and mastered songs.

We are proud to have a unique business model and an artist-friendly agreement. The music released on Filter Label is instantly included in our catalog for licensing placements which is sent out to top music supervisors and agents.

The songs by our talented artists can be heard in The OA, Exatlon, The Matrix Revisited, CSI, Nikita, on ads for McDonald's, Nike, Philip Morris, Nestle Wagner, Bank Millennium, in shows on MTV, CNN, Nat Geo, NBC, Al Jazeera, Esquire, Channel 4 and almost every major TV network in the world.




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Take me to the creepy crawlies!

My new partner loves reptiles, insects, amphibians (birds too...no hard limits) and this discovery has sent me on a journey of exploration. Similar to the Narcisse Snake Dens or the Montreal Insectarium, where in the world is a guaranteed cool critter experience? North America would be most accessible right now, but years ago I went to Costa Rica and saw so many amazing critters, I would love to look ahead to future travel to places like that. Open to museums, dedicated bug tours, unique migrations, enthusiastic naturalists, etc. We are not likely to spare the resources for a full-on African safari, Okavango boat tour or Amazonian adventure, but share what you know. Also down with your favorite wow-factor videos of such things.




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Safe way to make transcribed audio notes while I'm driving

I often have thoughts or ideas when I'm in the car, but I have no easy way to capture them. I have an iPhone, but I don't want to fiddle with it while I'm driving. I'm seeking an app (or possibly a standalone device) that I can safely use while driving. Is there some app that is voice-activated (i.e., without unlocking the phone) and will transcribe short memos? Ideally, I'd like those transcripts to be available in some cloud site, so I can access them via a web browser on my office computer or home computer.

I'd even consider buying a standalone recorder that I can activate just by pushing a button. I looked on Amazon, but I didn't really see anything that can make transcripts and upload them to a cloud site. Just the audio files might work, but it would be much better for me to have transcripts that I can easily access from a computer.




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Tried and Crucified

Mark 15 is the heart of the Passion Narrative. It presents the trial of Jesus, His condemnation, the mockery by the soldiers, His crucifixion, and then His death and burial. The events in this chapter are presented in stark, crisp detail, likely because the author let the facts speak for themselves. This week, from the question of Pilate, “ ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ” to the mocking soldiers to the sign above the cross to the mocking of the religious leaders, “ ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save’ ” to the unexpected appearance of Joseph of Arimathea, the chapter is filled with painful ironies that nevertheless reveal powerful truths about the death of Jesus and what it means.




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Issues of the Environment: UM study shows rooftop solar installations will increase in value

It can be expensive to install rooftop solar panels, but they do pay for themselves over time. Not only does it save on energy costs, but a new University of Michigan study says the value of rooftop solar panels will continue to increase. It will also be vital as the climate continues to warm, and we will need more energy to keep cool. WEMU's David Fair was joined by U-M Energy Systems Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Craig to learn more about the research.




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Issues of the Environment: Washtenaw County continues work to increase electronics recycling

America sure loves its electronics! The technologies continue to improve and there can be no question; it has made life more convenient. However, these items contain a number of contaminants and are an environmental hazard. WEMU's David Fair talked with Washtenaw County’s Director of Public Works, Theo Eggermont about increased efforts to recycle used electronics.




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Issues of the Environment: Washtenaw County Conservation District offering 'cover crop' program for local farmers

The first frost of the season probably isn’t too far away. Properly preparing the agricultural soil for next spring and summer is a matter of timing. Getting the cover crops in place is essential before a hard freeze occurs. The Washtenaw County Conservation District is working to make it convenient and effective for local farmers. Conservation technician Matt Dejonge explained it all in his conversation with WEMU's David Fair.




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Issues of the Environment: Wildlife and human overlap to increase significantly around the world and in Washtenaw County

The world population is going up, and human-wildlife overlap is increasing. That can lead to negative outcomes, including spread of disease and species extinction. There can be benefits, too, but it will require some planning. That's the focus of a new study out of the University of Michigan. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Associate Professor in Conservation Science Dr. Neil Carter about the study and what can be done right here in Washtenaw County.




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The 2024 Amazing Facts Youth Conference Draws Record Crowd!

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

When COVID first shuttered churches in 2020, no one but God could have foreseen that it would lead to the largest-ever gathering at the Amazing Facts W.O.R.D. Center. Yet it did precisely that!

From June 12 to 15, 2024, a record number of youth attended Stand: Unshakeable Faith, the 2024 Amazing Facts Youth Conference—including setting a record one-day Sabbath gathering of 1,500 people, who gathered to hear Pastor Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International, present his message to young people, “Standing on the High Ground.” Watch archives of this and other 2024 AFY Conference presentations by visiting www.afyouth.com.

Many young people traveled long distances to participate in the conference, which was designed to help them develop a resilient faith in the face of secular culture and peer pressure. They were joined by thousands more online! We praise God that the Holy Spirit moved mightily, as hundreds of youth recommitted to living for Jesus in these last days of Earth’s history. 

Said Pastor Doug, “This youth conference gave me such joy and hope for the future of our church. It was absolutely thrilling to see so many young people come to hear the Word.”

Throughout the weekend, speakers explored what it means to stand firm for Jesus. Their messages focused on being filled with the Holy Spirit, watching and praying with Christ, being a part of the remnant, understanding God’s love story for us, and the role of trials in our growth. Along with Pastor Doug, speakers included Anil Kanda, Carlos Muñoz, Diamond Garcia, Anella Poljak, and Darcee Christensen.[PQ-HERE]


AFY: Humble Beginnings

Worried about the church losing youth to the isolation of COVID restrictions and social distancing, Tony Scarpino, a youth leader at the Granite Bay Hilltop Church, took their Sabbath School programs online. Those initial social media broadcasts became the seed of Amazing Facts Youth (AFY), a worldwide ministry that meets online twice weekly, prays earnestly for one another, and leads out in the conference. 

From those humble beginnings, God has worked mightily to grow and prosper the movement, including leading Amazing Facts to present an annual youth conference. “I am in awe of what God did at this year’s conference,” says Tony. “I saw families coming alive together. The little kids were vibrant, the youth were engaged, and the parents were involved. It was incredible!”

Attendees from as far away as Honduras and New York enjoyed the engaging presentations, united prayer, community outreach, and fellowship with like-minded individuals. Evening sessions, free meals served by the local church members, and an afternoon outing to an adventure park provided opportunities for fun and friendship. 

“This was a wonderful weekend for our family,” reflects Tamara from Dayton, Ohio. “As a mom, I’m always looking for ways to get my boys involved in things that will grow their faith.”

For the first time, this year’s conference included presentations designed for kids. Presented by Amazing Facts evangelist Daniel Hudgens, Amazing Adventures introduced younger children at the conference to the importance of the Bible, standing against sin, and walking with Jesus. The kids also enjoyed music and rousing Bible games.


A Place Where Youth Have a Voice

Over the past four years, Tony and others have helped mentor a team of dedicated youth who now run AFY’s weekly meetings. The youth team even chose the theme Stand: Unshakeable Faith for the 2024 conference and organized many aspects of the event. “The youth have a real voice here,” says Tony.

On the final night of this year’s conference, Pastor Anil Kanda urged the youth not to let the enthusiasm they experienced at the conference end with the event. He said, “God is going to need another generation to rise up and stand in the gap. I’m getting a lot of grey hairs, [and] Pastor Doug isn’t always going to be here. God is calling you to share His love with the world. He is not interested in how prepared you are. He is interested in how willing you are. He will open incredible doors if you are willing.”

His message hit especially hard for the youth, who are challenged by worldly entertainment and distractions unlike at any other time in history. Aleah, a teen from California, says, “The meetings explained exactly what I’ve gone through.”

Her friend Marissa was also blessed by the speakers’ messages, saying, “They have been really helpful to me. The speakers have shown me how necessary it is to spend time with God each day and how to make it a priority.” 

Sharing the gospel is an essential part of every AFY conference. On Friday afternoon, after specialized AFCOE training with Carlos Muñoz, AFCOE director, and other staff, over 200 energetic youth went into the community to give out biblical literature and pray with people. 

An hour later, they returned eager to share what God had done. “This was my first time going door-to-door,” said Shivani. “I was very nervous, but we gave out all our books and prayed for seven or eight people. I realized that a lot of people are hurting, so I’m thankful God gave me the courage to go out. It was a good experience.”


Welcome to the AFY Family

Edward, a psychology student, is a leader at AFY who has been an active member ever since the first Zoom meeting. Smiling brightly, he shares, “We’ve built relationships with each other and God here. I want people to know that regardless of who you are or what is going on in your life, you are welcome in the AFY family.”

Like many other members, Kyle wanted to follow God but had little practical experience. All that has changed through his participation in AFY. Today, he is strong in faith and active in ministry. He says, “Being a part of AFY has definitely changed me for the better. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. The community, the fellowship, the likemindedness—these people are my family.” 

That’s precisely what the team at AFY has been striving for. “We’ve invested years into these kids,” Tony says. “To see them grow as individuals and leaders is wonderful. And now to see AFY expanding to reach so many more youth—God is doing something really exciting!”

Says Pastor Doug, “I believe in the message of Joel 2:28, which reveals that our sons and daughters will play a vital role in the gospel work in the last days. That’s why I’m so thrilled to see our team training up the youth, these young men and women who will be part of the generation to fulfill this amazing promise.”

Plans are now being made for the 2025 youth conference. Visit afyouth.com to keep up to date. But you don’t have to wait to get involved in AFY. Check out these weekly events:


Hey, Let’s Pray: Mondays at 6:00 PM ET

AFY Live: Fridays at 6:00 PM ET





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193: What was previously my discretionary time

cortex has a new job and was hard to track down and we had a few months of missing each other. We found some time on August 14th and tried to play catch-up. Runs about 97 minutes.

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Banned Book Book Club by bwerdmuller (MeFi Post by Paul Slade)
Jessamyn's tips for dealing with haters
FLW inspired Bird Feeder by Marky
Infinite LP records from the Boston Public Library via archive.org by metatuesday
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Meta MeFi
Site Update by jessamyn
Happy birthday, Metafilter! by Melismata
MeFi24 in 2023 by jessamyn

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Jeopardy! contestants weigh 2nd shot at glory vs. crossing picket line by Etrigan
The Greatest Animated Series in the Surreal Sci-Fi Toilet Horror Genre by AlSweigart
Police Log: "Misdemeanors: blahblahblhablahb" by not_on_display
"For me, being an artist means being in community with others." by jessamyn
To be more specific, he's a surgeon. by Fizz
when you get your ass handed to you, just hand it right back by cortex
"A counterexample to established techno-utopian histories" by box
Design notes on the 2023 Wikipedia redesign by Etrigan
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New York Eater's Chief Critic Isn't Ready To Eat Out. Here's Why

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: Ryan Sutton is chief food critic for New York Eater, and he says he's not going to dine out - inside at tables while apart from each other, outside in the open air, anywhere under any circumstance at all. And he says you shouldn't either. Ryan Sutton joins us now from Long Island, N.Y. Welcome to the program. RYAN SUTTON: Thanks for having me, Lulu. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell us why you're taking this position to stick with takeout exclusively. You know, servers, bussers, overnight cleaning services - isn't it good to give the restaurants that employ them the business they need to stay afloat so that these people have jobs and income for their households? SUTTON: There's no denying that we're all in a very difficult situation right now. However, given that we have over, you know, 50,000 new cases, often every day, throughout the country, just from an individual moral standpoint, I simply can't bring myself to eat at a




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Fresh Scrutiny For Fox's Tucker Carlson As Top Writer Quits Over Bigoted Posts

Updated at 9:35 p.m. ET Monday The revelation that Fox News prime-time star Tucker Carlson's top writer had posted racist, sexist and homophobic sentiments online for years under a pseudonym has led to renewed scrutiny of Carlson's own commentaries, which have inspired a series of advertising boycotts. The writer, Blake Neff, resigned on Friday after questions raised by CNN's Oliver Darcy led to the posts becoming public. Carlson addressed the controversy on the air Monday night, saying Neff's comments were wrong and "have no connection to the show." After noting Neff had paid the price for his actions, Carlson also spoke about what he called the costs of self-righteousness. "When we pretend we are holy, we are lying," he said. "When we pose as blameless in order to hurt other people, we are committing the gravest sin of all, and we will be punished for it, no question." In an internal memo, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace called the postings




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Screenwriter Nicolás Giacobone On His New Book 'The Crossed-Out Notebook'

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14