Mary Beth Keane’s 2019 novel Ask Again, Yes was an instant New York Times bestseller, and is now out on paperback. The book follows the families of two New York City police officers who live next door to each other in a suburb north of the city – and a tragedy that divides them and their children over four decades.

Since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, rage that had accumulated over centuries of racial violence spilled into the nation's streets. From Atlanta , Macon and Savannah to London , Amsterdam and Paris , protesters are flooding streets that, only weeks ago, stood nearly empty due to fears of COVID-19. The crowds are unprecedented in their size , diversity and condemnation of police brutality and systemic racial injustice. Despite early property damage , largely peaceful protests have gained momentum over the course of the last week.

While protests set off by the killing of George Floyd show no signs of letting up, another quieter protest has been stirring at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Irwin County, Georgia. There, a group of detainees staged a hunger strike and protest over video chat to raise the alarm over a lack of precautions against the spread of COVID-19 inside the detention center.

In the weeks since protests against police brutality began in Minneapolis, calls to reform, defund or abolish the police have been escalating. Demands for reform or cuts to police budgets aren’t new among activists, but a pledge by the Minneapolis City Council to “ dismantle ” the police department is unprecedented. The mayors of Los Angeles and New York City have also announced that they would both divert city funds from police departments to social service budgets. Practically speaking, what would it mean to “defund” the police? On Second Thought sat down with Cedric Alexander, former police chief of DeKalb County, and Michael Leo Owens , associate professor of political science at Emory University, to dissect the history and meaning behind the language of the protest movement.

Today, in celebration of Juneteenth, Power Haus Creative has organized what they’re calling the “ Juneteenth Takeover ” – in which 19 Atlanta artists will display their work on the exterior of the historic Flatiron building in downtown Atlanta. Carlton Mackey and Melissa Alexander are two of those artists.

When COVID-19 hit Savannah, city leaders were particularly concerned about the homeless population — or “roofless people,” as 3 rd District Alderwoman Linda Wilder-Bryan prefers. Her drive to help people who couldn’t get into shelters led to a proposal for “ Dundee Village .” Now, plans are underway for a safe and sanitary complex of tents – which will later be converted to livable shipping containers – to house people displaced by the pandemic and at risk of contracting COVID-19 on the streets.

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 and international scale, but affect lives in every American city and town. Outside of Atlanta’s national spotlight, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson is working to address these issues head-on.

John Lewis has gotten into a lot of trouble in his life. The now 17-term House Representative from Atlanta has been arrested 45 times – five as a U.S. congressman. One of the original Freedom Riders , Lewis trained in nonviolent resistance, but faced a lot of brutality during his time as a young activist in the civil rights movement. He suffered harassment and attacks during lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville, his skull was fractured by a blow from a Klansman in 1961, and he was badly beaten after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on Bloody Sunday .

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Parents of younger school-age kids are also making some tough decisions after President Trump said last week that he would put pressure on governors and other officials to open schools in the fall. So with no clear guidance on how to reopen safely, school districts and families have been scrambling to figure things out for themselves. For students living with extended family like grandparents, the question of returning to school is even more fraught. Because of age or preexisting conditions, those family members are most vulnerable to the most serious effects of the virus. Some 2.4 million children in the United States live in a household headed by grandparents. Keith Lowhorne is a grandparent caregiver for his three grandchildren, ages 6, 5 and 3. He's taking care of them along with his wife, and they live just outside of Huntsville, Ala. And he is with us now. Hello, Mr. Lowhorne. Thanks so much for joining us. KEITH

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Distance learning in the pandemic highlights a problem that experts have warned about for years - some students have good access to the Internet, and others do not. It's called the digital divide. Many districts are about to start the school year with more distance learning, so how can they narrow that divide? Rachel Martin spoke with Nicol Turner Lee, who studies it. RACHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: When you look back at those two, sometimes three, months that students in this country were doing distance learning, what worked and what didn't? NICOL TURNER LEE: You know, I think, generally, I am in agreement with some of the folks that have looked at this short period time as somewhat of an abject failure for our children. What worked was that, you know, schools had the attention of their households to figure out what to do during a time of crisis. What didn't work was that schools were not necessarily ready to move to an online

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: School - parents, students and teachers are wondering, what will it look like this year? Will doors actually open, or will students be back on their computers for classes or a mix of both? In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper says he'll make an announcement this week about what his state's schools should do. Teachers like Tamika Walker Kelly are waiting. She teaches elementary school music in Fayetteville, and she's also the president of the North Carolina Association of Educators. She joins us now. Thanks for joining us. TAMIKA WALKER KELLY: Thank you for having me. MCCAMMON: I'd like to start with what you and other teachers in the state are hoping for. What do you want to see happen this fall? WALKER KELLY: So many educators around our state - and, I would say, nationwide - are really concerned about re-entering schools in a safe way. Our safety of our educators and our student is the No. 1 priority of many of us. And so we

On Monday, Los Angeles and San Diego public schools announced they will be starting the school year remote-only in August as coronavirus cases rise in Southern California. "The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control," a joint statement said. On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 3,322 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths. Local health department data show a rebound in hospitalizations compared with May. Los Angeles Unified School District did not detail when, or under what conditions, schools might be able to open for in-person learning, even on a part-time or staggered schedule. San Diego Unified School District promised a " public assessment " by Aug. 10 of how soon they might return to physical classes. The Los Angeles system is the nation's second-largest school district, and the decisions together affect more than 700,000 students and their families. They come amid pressure from the federal

A Distant Shore has just been released in an expanded version by Cherry Red Records, along with demos for songs that would eventually be released on Everything but the Girl's debut album. Tracey Thorn's classic 1982 indie album has long been a favorite of artists from Björk to Massive Attack, and is constantly rediscovered. In 2013 Thorn spoke about the album to the Guardian [archive link] and also wrote about the circumstances of its writing in her memoir Bedsit Disco Queen, excerpted here.

It's dark, it's late, you're drunk, and you're ready to admit to MetaFilter that you're really a famous cult filmmaker. But if you're not sure, follow this handy flowchart by Adam Fromm: Which Contemporary Film Snob Director Are You? It's funny, it's clever, it's easy to navigate, it's a giant JPG image.

Here's a discussion on the Criterion Collection subreddit about an earlier version of this flowchart.

P. S. I am Agnès Varda.

In a place where an act as simple as reading the Quran can be an act of defiance, the Taliban has banned women from hearing other women's voices in its latest attempt to impose their version of Islamic law on Afghanistan, including mandating that women refrain from performing Takbir—an Islamic expression of faith—and from reciting the Quran aloud, even in the presence of other women.

The UN and Amnesty have stated that the oppression of Afghan women, made prisoners in their homes, unable to speak, has erased women from all spheres of life. Girls born in the 20 years free of Taliban rule went to school and learned of their mothers' experience of repression, only to lose the ability to attend school with the Taliban's return in 2021. Women lost their ability to work, learn, travel alone, or receive healthcare and became "faceless, voiceless shadows" in a brutal apartheid against women.

What makes the Taliban's ideology so uniquely repressive of women?

"What sets the Taliban apart from other Islamic groups," Moheq added, "are the tribal codes of Afghanistan also embedded in the Taliban's ideology." A fundamental part of the tribal codes is defining a narrow place for women: They exists as the property of men and for the honor of men. For example, Moheq explained, "the rape of a woman is not seen as wrong because she was raped, but because she represents the honor of a man," and that is what was violated.

The Taliban's ideology was strong enough to draw manpower from the country's tribal areas for long enough to outlast the United States and the Western-backed government in Kabul. In return, as the primary manpower of the Taliban comes from tribal areas of the country, they further reinforce the Taliban's conservative culture, including the continued exclusion of women.

Among more than 7,500 Afghans living in the country with access to mobile and internet services, the survey found, 66% said they agreed or strongly agreed that human rights for women were a top priority for the future of Afghanistan. Nearly half, or 45% of those, strongly supported the Taliban's control of the country.

There were two major assumptions about Latino voters throughout the presidential campaign: (1) a record number of Latinos would show up on Election Day to oppose Donald Trump's candidacy and (2) the anti-immigration rhetoric that launched Trump's campaign would push conservative-leaning Hispanics to flee the Republican Party. Neither of those assumptions entirely panned out as expected. Prediction 1: The Surge? True. A record number of Latinos did vote this November. But the truth is complicated. The official national exit poll, the one commissioned by the big media organizations, suggests the Latino share of the electorate was higher than ever before — about 11 percent, compared to 10 percent in 2012. "It's very possible that the Latino vote, while reaching a record, may have been swamped by other groups of voters," said Mark Hugo Lopez, the director of Hispanic Research at the Pew Research Center, pointing to states like Florida which Trump won. We won't know the percentage of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFYXOgXqoe4 Elections aren't exactly cozy, even in the best of times. This one, though, felt worse for a lot of people. No matter where your allegiances lie, 2016 has been the emotional equivalent of a dumpster fire. But it wasn't all unbearable. Here and there, lighter moments emerged to provide comic relief — or even a small burst of joy. Here are 10 of them, in no particular order. 1. Bill Clinton at the DNC balloon drop When the balloons fell from the rafters on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine had a lot to feel triumphant about. The Democratic Party seemed to be uniting around Clinton as its candidate. But as the Philadelphia arena filled with red, white and blue globes, no one seemed to enjoy it quite as much as Bill Clinton, who looked up with childlike wonder. 2. Trump's "Hotline Bling" Back in November 2015, when Donald Trump was still in his campaign's relative infancy, he

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

I'm eager and willing to share my nearly 20 years of industry experience to help other Artist,Producers, and Writers Grow. I will offer truthful feedback and advice on how you might make your project better. I will listen to everything you send me and respond immediately. If your material is what I'm looking for I'll be swift to put my experience to work for you.

Brian Keith is a Artist/Writer/Producer/Musician with 17 years of Industry Experience. He's worked with some of the biggest names in the business as both a producer and music director. He is the C.E.O of 2039 music Group based in Cincinnati, OH.

Legendary producer/engineer Ron Nevison whose credits include The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Bad Company, Barbra Streisand, Jefferson Starship, Chicago, Styx, Heart, Damn Yankees, Thin Lizzy, and more is seeking new artists or bands to produce, as well as songs for Upcoming Projects.

Note that most projects will require funding which will be discussed in detail if we move forward.

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

Publisher urgently seeking songs for film and television placement. All styles. No demos. No samples. Must control composition and master rights. If your song is selected you will be offered an exclusive publishing agreement. Please submit through Music Xray.

Expressive Artists is a music publishing company with an emphasis on film and television placement. In the past year we've placed hundreds of songs in feature films, major network TV shows including, "S.W.A.T.," "No Activity," "What We Do In The Shadows", documentaries, podcasts and apps. Two of our Music Xray artists songs are featured in the upcoming major motion picture, "The Comeback Trail," starring Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones.

Pop-Up Music is a new music library/publisher providing music for Film,TV, Advertising and Gaming.

We are looking to add new songs to our ever growing library all genres new or old are welcome. Pop-Up Music is looking for music that is true to its genre.

If your songs excite us we'll be in touch to discuss some possible next steps.

Please only submit original material that is 100% owned by the writer (or writers).

Happy submitting

Audity Music, LLC is seeking strong pop and R&B music for the Korean pop music market. Audity has close relationships with the major record labels and music publishers in Korea, including S.M. Entertainment, JYP, YG. We receive high value and exclusive leads in the Korean market and have direct access to top A&Rs and decision-makers. If we like your song(s), they will make it to the right hands.

We are pitching music currently for urgent projects, including Girls Generation, SHINee, EXO, f(x), Lee Hi, Taeyeon, Taemin, Super Junior and many more. We offer prime access to these opportunities for our writers and producers as well as co-write opportunities with writers and producers with previous success in the K-pop market.

Please note: Although this DropBox will remain open for a while, we have urgent song leads monthly, so please do not hesitate to submit.

Audity Music, LLC is a progressive and forward-thinking songwriting/production, music publishing, music management and music consulting company. We currently operate out of Los Angeles, California, Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea.

Audity Music, LLC is seeking strong pop and R&B-leaning music for the J-Pop music market. Japanese is the second largest music market in the world, and not far behind America in terms of annual revenue. It is a unique and complex market that Audity has been able to explore thanks to our having been on the ground living there and in neighboring Korea. Audity has close relationships with the major record labels and music publishers in Japan, including AVEX, Sony, Fuji Pacific, and others. We receive high value and not easily accessible leads in the Japanese market and have direct access to top A&Rs and decision-makers. If we like your song(s), they will make it to the right hands.

We are pitching music currently for major projects in Japan. We offer prime access to these opportunities for our writers and producers as well as co-write opportunities with writers and producers with previous and current success in the J-pop market. Also, for the right writers/producers with the right credentials and talent, we have access to the largest J-Pop camp in the world which takes place in Sweden. We are looking to hear the best of the best in pop music. And, we are looking to hear your grasp of the J-Pop sound, which many Western writers find difficult to achieve. If you have undeniable Western pop music, it can be adapted for the J-Pop market. So, please just send your best! If we like it, we can discuss next steps and also help you develop your "J-Pop ear".

Note: Although this DropBox will remain open for a while, we have song leads monthly, so do not hesitate to submit through Music Xray. Please do not contact Audity Music directly.

Audity Music, LLC is a progressive and forward-thinking songwriting/production, music publishing, music management and music consulting company. We currently operate out of Los Angeles, California, Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea.

We are looking to expand our catalog with hot new Jazz music. We are huge fans of jazz in all its forms, from be-bop to the new, electronica infused tendencies. Please send what you think is the strongest part of your material and if hear something we like, we will ask for more. Please don't submit covers of standards or other people's music. No knock-offs! No demos! No concert recordings! We can only accept professionally recorded, produced and mastered music.

Below are a few examples of the type of music that would be a perfect fit for our catalog:

- Goce Stevkovski Septet - Monday
- Drew Paralic - Down In Soho
- Redman Mehldau McBride Blade - Right Back Round Again
- Nubya Garcia - The Message Continues

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 sync licensing which is available to our network of contacts in the film, TV and advertising industry.

Songs by our talented artists can be heard in Legacies, Shameless, The OA, Exatlon, The Matrix Revisited, CSI: Las Vegas, Nikita, in commercials for Samsung, McDonald's, Nike, Masterclass, Philip Morris, Nestle, Alkaloid, Bank Millennium, in shows on MTV, CNN, National Geographic, NBC, NBA TV, Al Jazeera, Esquire, Channel 4 and almost every major TV network in the world.

- Emil Hadji Panzov - Founder / CEO - Filter Label

We are seeking to expand our catalog with hot new Soul, Funk and R'n'B music. We are huge fans of The Heavy, Charles Bradley, Leon Bridges, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Michael Kiwanuka, Lee Fields... If you have anything similar, please send immediately. No knock-offs! No demos! Only professionally recorded, produced and mastered music will be accepted.

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 which is available to our network of contacts in the film, TV and advertising industry.

Songs by our talented artists can be heard in Legacies, Shameless, The OA, Exatlon, The Matrix Revisited, CSI: Las Vegas, Nikita, in commercials for Samsung, McDonald's, Nike, Philip Morris, Nestle Wagner, Alkaloid, Bank Millennium, in shows on MTV, CNN, National Geographic, NBC, NBA TV, Al Jazeera, Esquire, Channel 4 and almost every major TV network in the world.

- Emil Hadji Panzov - Founder / CEO - Filter Label

We need more Singer Songwriter material in our catalog. We are seeking intelligent storytelling backed with masterful instrumentation. Something along the sound of Elbow, Fink, Feist or Bon Iver would be perfect. Please DON'T SUBMIT UNFINISHED DEMOS. We accept only professionally recorded and fully mastered material.

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.

We have hundreds of songs placed in ad campaigns (McDonald's, Nike, Bank Millennium, Nestle, Philip Morris), TV series (The OA, Exatlon, CSI: Las Vegas, Nikita, Top Boy), films (Loneliness, Sex and Compassion, The Matrix Revisited, Cherie, Mission: Wolf), and on network television (CNN, MTV, Channel 5, National Geographic, NBA, UFC), etc.

- Emil Hadji Panzov / Filter Label

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.

I don't want to get hosed buying a pretty label and sales pitch on the bottle. I don't mind buying more than one bottle to get a better price. I don't know what "should be" in good mayo but you do, that's why I came here for guidance. I know we all hate Amazon, plz go to the next question rather than telling me Bezos blows; I am aware.

My husband's (trauma-based?) anxiety runs to paranoia, and he occasionally makes angry and hurtful accusations at me. None of the accusations are true and are not really based in reality. Could this get better? My husband has been seeing a therapist who specialises in narcissistic abuse since spring of this year, following a set of realisations about past relationships and then decisions to cut contact with his best friend, his parents, and finally his only sibling. He tells me his therapist has tentatively suggested he may have cPTSD. Before he started therapy, he would in effect try to use me as his therapist and I have listened to him talk for many, many hours. I am sad that he has so few people in his life now but consider that he is better placed than I am to decide on the kind of relationships he should have with his family and friends.

My husband has also experienced IBS-related agoraphobia for about 8 years rarely leaving the house, and is entirely dependent on me financially. He came out to me, and my friends and family as bisexual early in the year. He is not engaging in any medical care except for his weekly therapist appointment on Zoom. We have sex very infrequently (and this is a mismatch for him) but otherwise have a very affectionate and loving relationship. He has always been supportive of me and been proud of my accomplishments inside and outside work. Before these very occasional accusations started happening, I felt generally like the character in Alanis Morrissette's Head over Feet.

He clearly has symptoms of anxiety including physical symptoms such as feeling dizzy and sometimes expresses paranoid thoughts about eg tradespeople that come to the house. Very occasionally he is angry at me. Sometimes this will be with a raised voice, other times with what feels to me like quite cold-blooded venom, sometimes it will be preceded by an obvious short period of silent treatment. It is always a long, confusing monologue, with vague insinuations and an insistence that I know exactly what he is talking about. He frequently claims that people say things 'subtextually' and sometimes specifically that I have clearly communicated something related to his insinuations 'subtextually'. Although I have never felt at risk of violence, when this anger happens I feel very physically frightened. I tend to remain silent, and my thoughts are focused on escape and the risks of escalation. I find his train of thought very difficult to follow, it is not concrete or specific and I am sometimes in panic mode. I am often very literal and am not sure that I really know what he means when he talks about things being 'subtextual'. Eventually he will make a specific accusation, or I will say something and that will lead to an accusation.

The accusations so far have been
•I am withholding sex deliberately to manipulate him
•I lack empathy and am manipulative
•I treat him badly in general and would be unhappy if he was no longer agoraphobic
•I have been having casual relationships with other people since we met 12 years ago
•I have at some point had a 'secret relationship' with a particular female friend.

The accusations are both unexpected and untrue.

After I have denied the accusation, eventually the anger will blow out and dissipate. There might follow another confusing monologue about his state of mind and the trauma he has experienced. Usually, we will then have a decent conversation (either immediately or the next morning) in which he provides some reasoning behind his accusation. They are generally based on very convoluted trains of logic and some snippet of a real-life event or comment. He interprets his accusations and my denials as a way of providing reassurance that I am not going to cause trauma like 'everyone else' has. He has some real sympathy for my being upset by them, but I am not convinced he understands how much they distress me. He has told me that wants me to have more empathy for his trauma and accept that he does not mean the accusations personally.

I find each anger and accusation event frightening at the time and destabilising afterwards. They have happened four or five times in this calendar year. Although I love him very much, I think that if they kept continuing, I would eventually want to leave. I am holding out hope that by continuing to work with his therapist they will stop at some point. Am I being wildly unrealistic? I recognise that I have a strong reaction to any anger. Is there anything I could do to reduce the impact it has on me in the meantime?

I unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to go to therapy for a very long time, and in the end, it was a friend of mine who convinced him, so my chances of talking him into any specific actions are low. But if he were asking for advice, what advice would you give?

In terms of my own real-life support, I have my own therapist that I have been seeing weekly for the past two years, mainly to help me cope with my husband's ill health and related issues. I am honest with my therapist about what is happening. One of my close friends also knows what is happening and I have a supportive colleague who knows some things. I have access to more than enough money to leave him in the short-term if I needed to and divorce would be expensive but not absolutely impoverishing.

I'm feeling out of my depth and could really use some support. My 16-year-old daughter recently admitted to drinking alcohol, and I'm grateful she trusted me enough to share this. But now, I'm facing an even more complicated situation. Last night she came home late with red eyes. I was asleep, and my wife became suspicious of smoking weed. The next day asked me to speak with her. I had a private conversation with her, where I asked about alcohol and other substances. She denied it. I promised her that she could tell me anything, and I'd keep it confidential unless her safety was at risk or if I felt I couldn't help and needed to find someone who could. I assured her that if it ever came to that, I'd tell her first before involving anyone else.

With that reassurance, she admitted to drinking. I'm grateful she opened up, but now I'm worried this may not be the first time, and I'm feeling deeply concerned.

• Family History: My father's drinking led to emotional neglect and abuse when I was growing up. This makes me particularly hurt, sad, and fearful about my daughter's safety and the potential dangers of substance use.
•. Daughter's Challenges: She has attention issues and dyslexia, making school and focus a constant challenge. I worry that drinking or experimenting with substances could worsen these struggles.
• Parental Dynamics: I haven't shared any of this with my wife yet. My wife has a very strict, zero-tolerance stance on substance use and has even threatened to abandon our daughter if she ever used drugs or alcohol. To be clear that's just intended to keep her in line. I don't believe it would ever come to that —but I feel stuck and unsure of how to handle this delicate situation.
•.Social Concerns: My daughter's friends are important to her, and I don't want to damage her social life or push her away. At the same time, I need to find a way to set boundaries and keep her safe.

My Questions:
• How do I support my daughter, maintain her trust, and guide her toward safer choices without isolating her socially or damaging our relationship?
• How do I handle this situation with my wife while protecting my daughter's trust and managing the volatility of our family dynamics?
• How can I manage my own fears, given my past experiences with emotional abuse and my daughter's learning challenges?

Any advice, support, or shared experiences would mean the world to me. Thank you for listening.

This week’s lesson focuses on Mark 14, beginning with the fifth Sandwich Story, which interlinks two opposite actions in relation to Jesus. This is followed by the Last Supper, followed by His struggle in Gethsemane. There He is arrested and taken before the leaders to be tried. The trial scene is linked with Peter’s denial of Jesus, forming the sixth and last of the Sandwich Stories in Mark. Again, two opposite actions occur, but by an ironic twist, they affirm the same truth. Throughout the narrative, two contrasting story plots march hand in hand. In a crisp style, Mark sets before the reader these clashing plots while revealing the triumph of Jesus.

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.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit NOEL KING, HOST: The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are being felt all over, even underwater. (SOUNDBITE OF WHALE SINGING) KING: That's a humpback whale singing in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Scientists are finding the oceans have been quieter as shipping traffic has fallen. Here's NPR's Lauren Sommer. LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: A lot of scientists have had to cancel their field work this year, but not Christine Gabriele. She can work all alone in a boat on Glacier Bay. On a cool rainy morning, she spots what she's looking for and captures it on her smartphone. CHRISTINE GABRIELE: Yeah, there are about five whales working this one little area, breathing when they're up. (SOUNDBITE OF WHALE BREATHING) SOMMER: They're humpback whales. GABRIELE: It looks to me like they might be feeding on some schools of fish. (SOUNDBITE OF WHALE BREATHING) SOMMER: Gabriele is a wildlife biologist with Glacier Bay National Park. For 35 years, the park service has been

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Here is a very brief history of American testing in the pandemic. The United States started out drastically short of coronavirus tests. The few people who got them had to wait many days for results. Then the United States engaged private companies to make up the difference. Mobile testing centers appeared in parking lots in many cities. Millions of people were tested. But now, as NPR has reported, most states are short of the testing numbers they need, and people getting tested report delays in getting results. Admiral Brett Giroir is on the line. He is an assistant secretary of health, and he has been in charge of the federal testing response. Admiral, welcome to the program. BRETT GIROIR: Thank you. It's good to be here with you this morning, Steve. INSKEEP: I want to quote Mick Mulvaney, President Trump's former chief of staff, who wrote, quote, "it isn't popular to talk about in some Republican circles, but we still have a

Anton Besenko is worried. He fears all the hard-won progress made in fighting the AIDS epidemic is on a collision course with the urgent needs of the coronavirus pandemic. "For people with HIV, it's double, triple the crisis since the start of the lockdown," says the Ukrainian AIDS advocate . "I have a bad feeling that organizations and governments are so concentrated on COVID that they are completely forgetting about HIV. For marginalized people, it's a question of life and death." Besenko is no stranger to health crises. After years of injection drug use, he contracted HIV (which he now lives with) and hepatitis C (which he's now cured). He got clean in 2004. Today, he works for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance Ukraine as a coordinator for harm reduction programs that help IV drug users get clean needles or safer alternative drugs like methadone. On July 10, he led a session at the 23rd (virtual) International AIDS Conference on the impact of COVID-19 on AIDS. Suddenly, he and

AILSA CHANG, HOST: Two female firsts in the Supreme Court are retiring. We're talking about the marshal of the court and the reporter of decisions. In 2001, Marshal Pamela Talkin became the first woman to oversee security. Christine Luchok Fallon has been at the court for 31 years, the last nine as the reporter of decisions. NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg reports. NINA TOTENBERG, BYLINE: Pam Talkin had been at the Supreme Court in the top security job for less than two months when 9/11 hit. Her first task that morning was to evacuate the building. But Chief Justice Rehnquist was in a conference room conducting his annual meeting with the chief judges from around the country. Talkin sent in a note to no avail. Finally, she walked into the room to get everyone out of there. A month later, the anthrax attack cross-contaminated all the mail in the Capitol complex. And this time, the court had to do something it had never done since the Supreme Court building opened in 1935.

Public health experts generally agree that, in spite of improvements, the U.S. still falls short on the testing needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The official who oversees the country's testing efforts, however, maintains the U.S. is doing well on testing now and will soon be able to expand testing greatly using newer, point-of-care tests that deliver quick results. In an interview with NPR's Morning Edition , Adm. Brett Giroir pointed out the U.S. is currently conducting more than 700,000 tests a day. He argued that some parts of the country are already conducting enough tests to contain outbreaks. "We know that in areas of the country right now that have appropriate mitigation, that the testing we have is sufficient. We know right now that the testing we have is dense enough that we can detect very sensitively where there's going to be a problem," the assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services told NPR. A recent analysis for NPR by Harvard

When COVID-19 barreled into the U.S. this year the predominant public health advice for avoiding infection focused on physical isolation: No parties, concerts, or sports events. No congregating inside in bars or restaurants. No on-site family reunions. No play dates for kids. Just keep away from other people. Meanwhile, although social scientists supported that medical advice, they feared the required physical distancing would spark another epidemic — one of loneliness, which was already at a high level in the U.S. "You might expect this would make things much worse," says Julianne Holt-Lunstad , a neuroscientist and social psychologist at Brigham Young University. But several new studies suggest that huge increase in loneliness hasn't come to pass — at least, not yet. And the researchers studying the pandemic's emotional fallout say we humans may have ourselves to thank. "That sense of solidarity that people are feeling when they ... are collectively going through a challenge together

Copyright 2020 WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore. To see more, visit WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore .

The popular Potawatomi Trail is about to get an environmental facelift. The hiking and biking trail connects Washtenaw and Livingston Counties and is about to get about $500,000 in upgrades. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Pinckney Recreation Area park manager, Chuck Dennison, to learn what that is going to look like.

The Michigan fuel tax is no longer sufficient to fund needed road repairs and maintenance. As more electric vehicles hit the streets, the tax will raise less money, but the need for road and bridge revenue will only increase. Conversations are underway about alternative possibilities. WEMU's David Fair talks about what that might look like with Denise Donohue, CEO of the County Road Association of Michigan.

PFAS contamination has already been a significant concern. Now, there may be reason to add to the worry. A study funded by the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center finds there is an array of PFAS chemical profiles in rainwater falling over Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the center’s Erica Bloom about the findings and what it means to the environment and public health.

The Ann Arbor School District is transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels. The district was the first to sign up for DTE Energy’s MIGreen Power Program to get to 100% use of renewable energy, and the district will add four more all-electric school buses this academic year. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the Ann Arbor Schools' Director of Capital Programs, Jason Bing, about where the district is today and where it’s headed.

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.

Every five years, the Pathfinder Camporee draws church youth from around the world for an unforgettable time of worship, learning, prayer, and fellowship. This year was no different, with over 55,000 young people and sponsors attending the gathering, which was held in Gillette, Wyoming. 

And for the first time ever, Amazing Facts and Pastor Doug Batchelor, president, attended the weeklong event—which included hosting a booth and offering kids a chance to earn an exclusive honor badge.

Over the first few days, many young people crowded around the Amazing Facts booth and attended a special class called “Preach It!,” taught by Daniel Hudgens, evangelist and assistant director of AFCOE, who taught school-age kids how to share their faith. Says Daniel, “It was a delight to see so many young people realize that they preach a sermon every day by the life they live.” Those who attended received a free book and could get a Preach It! badge after returning home.

Amazing Facts also produced a commemorative puzzle that incorporated this year’s camporee theme, “Believe the Promise.” The colorful artwork consisted of events from the life of Moses and the Exodus.

Later in the week, a storm severe enough to produce a tornado warning doused the camp with rain and even blew down tents. No significant damage was done, but when the chance of more severe weather threatened to strike camp during the final Sabbath, Camporee leaders made the difficult decision to end a day early for everyone’s safety.

Since all official Camporee activities were canceled, most attendees began to pack up. Still, with nowhere else to go, many at camp decided to stay through to the end.

With no Sabbath programs scheduled, Pastor Doug asked Camporee leadership if Amazing Facts could use a tent and microphone to host a worship service for anyone who wanted to attend. He got approval on Sabbath at 8:00 AM! The Amazing Facts team jumped into action, driving through the campground with a megaphone to invite everyone to join in the impromptu Sabbath service.

Says Pastor Doug, “There were only three or four people in the tent when I walked in, but we got started anyway. Someone offered to lead out in a song service. Then, a Pathfinder group showed up and offered to do special music. By the time we finished, 500 people were in the tent worshiping Jesus! There was still time before lunch, so we opened it up for the kids to ask their questions about the Bible.”

[PQ-HERE]People then began asking if there would be a vespers service. “I honestly didn’t know if anyone would come to that since we’d already met in the morning,” Pastor Doug shares. “I guess my faith was small because a thousand people showed up that evening for a message, prayer, and singing.”

Pastor Doug reflects, “It started with an idea Friday night, and by Sabbath evening, a thousand people were worshiping together. The youth there were so hungry for spiritual connection. I believe God worked a little miracle to make it happen.”

By God’s grace, the severe weather never materialized. And for one Amazing Facts worker, the unexpected turn of events pointed to the promise found in Romans 8:28: “God took something the devil had meant for harm and turned it into something good. We serve an amazing God!”

From June 22 to July 6, 2024, Amazing Facts Oceania led an evangelistic and health outreach trip to Kenya. Providing medical and dental care, sharing the gospel in prisons and schools, and preaching at 20 outdoor sites. 

God blessed mightily—4,454 precious souls responded to His call and were baptized. One of the evangelists described the crowds as “very hungry for the Word of God!”

The medical team treated 5,000 needy people across 12 medical and dental clinics. They also provided medications and health education. Additionally, the team distributed 1,600 Bibles in Swahili and English and 83,000 Amazing Facts Study Guides. 

Prisoners eagerly responded to the messages of hope shared by the evangelism team. Nearly 225 prisoners gave their hearts to Jesus and were baptized. They were also thrilled to receive their own copies of the Bible. 

Students at public and Christian schools also responded eagerly to the gospel presentations. In one public school, 500 students eagerly accepted Amazing Facts Study Guides. At another public school, the entire student body rose to their feet to give their lives to Christ.[PQ-HERE]

Led by Ettienne McClintock, partner relationship manager at Amazing Facts Oceania, the team included 17 pastors, lay evangelists, and medical workers from Australia and New Zealand, who responded to our Lord’s commission to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Prior to the team arriving in Kenya, Amazing Facts Oceania had sponsored local evangelists to conduct evangelistic programs at 33 additional sites, making a total of 53 sites. The local churches are now discipling the precious new additions to God’s family at each location.

Divine Protection 

Satan did not want these meetings to take place. Severe monsoonal flooding caused damage across Kenya in the month preceding the evangelistic programs. Then, just as the evangelistic meetings were to begin, violent political protests broke out across Kenya against the government’s new tax laws. Dozens of people around the governor’s office in Nairobi were killed and hundreds more injured in the protests, making headlines around the world. Foreigners were particularly under threat. 

After much prayer, the team decided to proceed with the meetings despite the dangers. God answered dramatically. Above-average rainfall had been predicted for Kenya, but it did not rain for two full weeks while the team ran mass-scale outdoor evangelism—until the last person had been baptized. Then it poured!

God’s protection was also evident as thousands gathered to hear the gospel preached in the open air. One evening, while Ettienne was preaching, he heard the shouts and gunshots of an approaching riot. People were clearly nervous, but no one left when Ettienne asked the congregation if they wanted to go home. A noticeable peace settled over the huge crowd as Ettienne prayed for divine protection. The gunshots soon faded away. Many people made decisions for Christ that night.

Lives Renewed

God has promised in His word that “no weapon that is formed against you will prosper” (Isaiah 54:17), so in answer to earnest prayers, the work went on despite Satan’s best attempts to stop it. The mission produced a harvest of souls in Kenya that could only be possible through a God who works miracles in people’s hearts.

Alex had spent the last year sleeping on park benches while trying to get a job and an education. As the oldest son, Alex was expected to support his family, but his failure to even support himself had pushed him into alcoholism. At this low point, he heard music from one of the evangelistic meetings and came to listen. The message of hope from God’s Word drew him in, and Alex gave his life to Christ that evening. He is now preparing for baptism.

The Oceania team met Jabari the day he was released from prison. * He had been falsely accused and was on his way to murder his accuser and then commit suicide when he came across one of the evangelism sites. Jabari stopped to find out what was happening and met two team members. When they realized that two lives were in grave danger, they took Jabari aside and shared with him about God’s love and forgiveness. Jabari’s face began to soften, and he was visibly touched. He gave his life to God that evening and resolved to let God bring justice instead of trying to make it happen himself.

At one of the roadside medical clinics, a 22-year-old man named John arrived with a large stick in his hand. He was missing his two front teeth but had no apparent disability. “Why the stick?” the doctor asked. 

“I fell into bad company,” the young man responded in fluent English, “and was using drugs and alcohol. My family threw me out of home, so now I live by my stick. I catch rats with my stick, and I roast and eat them. My stick helps me dig out ground nuts to eat so that I can survive.”

John’s story deeply moved the doctor. He taught John how to live more healthfully (no rats!) and told him about Jesus—the Healer who welcomes him as a son, no matter what he has done in the past. John began to attend the meetings and was baptized at the end of the program.

A Renewed Commitment to Reach Australia

After two weeks of seeing God work miraculously in Kenya, the Amazing Facts Oceania team returned to Australia and New Zealand with a renewed commitment to sharing the gospel in their secular homelands. They are now launching a robust digital media and television campaign this month with a presentation called Kingdoms in Time, which focuses on the prophecies of the Bible that have all come true, with the final prophecies soon to unfold. 

Please pray that many will give their lives to Christ through this outreach in Australia and New Zealand. Please also pray for the thousands who accepted Christ in Kenya and for the many seeds of truth that were planted by the Oceania mission trip. 

To read more about the exciting outreach to Kenya and see many more pictures, click here.

*Jabari’s name has been changed to protect his identity.

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

Manhattan Center, Manhattan — Claudia wasn’t supposed to be in New York to celebrate her birthday with her family until next month. But her schedule shifted, and she ended up here, now. “I didn’t know about Prophecy Odyssey until I got here,” she says. When her mother told her about the series, she knew she needed to come and bring her cousin Paula, who has been searching for God recently. “Now I know why I’m here this week instead of next month!” 

Claudia, Paula, and Claudia’s mom came to Prophecy Odyssey last night and heard Pastor Doug explain who the antichrist beast is in Bible prophecy. The message was fascinating for Paula. “It answered a lot of my questions,” she said afterward. “I loved how clear everything was. And it was all presented so well.” She plans to come again tonight. 

Better than Dry

Patricia started drinking and smoking when she was just seven years old. By the time she was 13, she drank to blackout. She was also finding herself attracted to the same sex. “I was doing it to escape the pain of my dad’s abuse,” she says. “I was so angry with God. Why would he make me like this?” 

Over the years, she tried to stop drinking, but nothing worked. Eventually, she got involved with Alcoholics Anonymous. “They told me I needed to find my higher power, so I started seeking God.” Her search led her to look for things about prayer and the Bible on YouTube. 

One day, a sermon with Pastor Doug popped up in her feed. “What is this?” she wondered. But something told her to watch. Soon, Amazing Facts became her go-to. “I listen to it all the time.” 

Patricia’s excitement about God bubbles over. “I’m better than dry!” she smiles. “I’m seeking God! And He goes out of His way to show me that He loves me.” She hasn’t been in a relationship with another woman for three years. “It’s just me and God.” She gave her life to God in baptism this past weekend and is thrilled to be attending the Prophecy Odyssey and be part of the local church family.

160 Baptized Already

Patricia is not the only one who has been baptized because of Prophecy Odyssey. The local Sabbath-keeping churches have been working hard to prepare for the meetings. Eighteen Bible workers have been preparing people in the greater New York area for baptism. Their work has been extraordinarily successful. 

Pastor Lara, who has been coordinating the local effort, says, “About 160 people have been baptized in New York City already, but I am praying for 250 baptisms. I have no doubt that God will give them to us! We’ve been working hard, and God has been doing amazing things.” 

Pastor Lara is working closely with local congregations to ensure that every newly baptized individual is welcomed into the family of God and has a spiritual guardian who will help them grow in faith.[PQ-HERE]

New York Instead of Peru

Jason and Dee Patton had scheduled a trip to Peru to celebrate their seventeenth anniversary, but then they heard about Prophecy Odyssey and the opportunity to be Manhattan Missionaries. “We did the worst possible thing,” Dee grins. “We decided to pray about it.” It wasn’t long until a friend offered them a fully furnished basement in which to stay in New York.

They couldn’t be happier about their decision to reschedule their trip. On their first day of witnessing, they prayed with a man named Ani. He had just lost his job and was desperately searching for a new one. They kept in touch over the next few days and kept inviting him to come to the meetings. He showed up for the first time on Sunday evening. “Pastor Doug told people they would get a special blessing from being here,” Dee says. “And guess what?! Twenty-four hours after coming to the meeting, he got a job!” 

“This is totally God’s leading!” says Jason.

Prophecy Odyssey Reaching Millions Online

Prophecy Odyssey is also reaching people far beyond the borders of New York City. Already, the live broadcasts have been viewed 28.3 million times on Facebook and 1.9 million times on YouTube. 

Only God knows all the people who are being touched by the series, but the reports filtering back to us are thrilling. One viewer wrote, “I was suicidal as this series started. Watching has completely turned things around for me—and given me hope and something to look forward to and believe in. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Pastor Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International and speaker for Prophecy Odyssey, says, “What we are seeing now is just the beginning of all God is going to do through this series. Once they get on the internet, people will be able to watch them for years to come.” 

“It is always exciting to go where you see God leading!” adds Karen Batchelor, his wife. “We have been personally praying for these meetings for the past one and a half years. Meeting the people and sharing Bible truth is always amazing!”

Please continue to pray with us for all those attending Prophecy Odyssey in person and watching online. And thank you for helping to make these evangelistic meetings possible! 

How to Watch

Live broadcasts of Prophecy Odyssey are available at prophecyodyssey.com, AFTV.org, Hope Channel, and YouTube. Free Bible lessons and previous meetings are available at prophecyodyssey.com.

Random podcast bonus content! Jessamyn and I decided to do a mid-month episode to just chat about a couple media things we liked. Is it a FanFare podcast? I dunno! Will we keep doing it? I dunno! But it was fun and so here it is. We talk about V Rising, a survive-o-craft vampire game I have been very much enjoying, and about Severance, a TV show that we have both enjoyed tremendously. Runs just about an hour.

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