You may not have noticed, but the Ann Arbor Climate Corps has been quietly working this year to combat the affects of climate change and help the city achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. The program is designed to increase the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability’s outreach capacity and help residents take action toward that end. WEMU's David Fair talked it over with Ann Arbor Climate Corps program manager, Maggie Halpern.

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.

It's time to talk some trash! The 3rd annual Trash Talk Tour in Washtenaw County is right around the corner. Trash Talk Tour co-organizer and zerowaste.org executive director Samuel McMullen joined WEMU's David Fair with a special brand of "trash talk."

Some of Ann Arbor's streetlights can be distractingly bright. New LED lighting is helping with the city’s A2Zero Climate Action plan, but some worry over increased light pollution. WEMU's David Fair talked with Ann Arbor City Council member Dharma Akmon about how the city can move forward while addressing sustainability and accommodating public concern.

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.

Washtenaw County has elected its next Water Resources Commissioner. Evan Pratt decided against running for re-election after serving four terms. Former Saline Mayor and State Representative Gretchen Driskell won the race. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the priorities and challenges of the new job.

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

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

Beginning September 20, 2024, Amazing Facts International will present Prophecy Odyssey: You Can Know the Future with speaker Pastor Doug Batchelor. This evangelistic Bible series features 16 timely, power-packed presentations that will be broadcast in front of a live audience at the Manhattan Center in New York City, the “capital of the world,” during a time of great global upheaval.

It can also be seen around the world on AFTV, Hope Channel International, 3ABN, Facebook, Roku, YouTube, SUMtv, and SUMtv Latino. Additionally, you can watch Prophecy Odyssey on many satellites around the world, including HotBird (Europe, Middle East, and North Africa), Galaxy 19 (US), IS20 (Central and South Africa), VAST (Australia), and Freeview (UK).

Prophecy Odyssey is approaching fast. It’s not too late to register to be an event host, invite your friends, or sign up to be a Manhattan Missionary!

Devastating events across our sin-darkened planet—financial collapse, natural catastrophes, international conflicts, political strife—are causing many to feel anxious about what the future holds. But the Bible provides hope-filled answers to life’s deepest questions and prepares hearts for the soon coming of Jesus.

[PQ-HERE]Says Pastor Doug, “Communicating the most pertinent prophecies of the Bible is our goal. I believe these unique multimedia presentations will challenge what most people think they know about the world and their purpose in it. Our message is that God’s final prophetic Word will soon come to pass. Are you ready for it? Together, we’ll learn the what, the when, the why, and the how in a way that will prepare us for what is coming to our planet.”

Prophecy Odyssey will be a series like no other, leading viewers to the key prophecies of Scripture—where God gives vital but assuring messages that will change lives for eternity. Pastor Doug will also offer a clear understanding of our world’s current events and why they are happening—and why it all must culminate with the Second Coming.

The first three nights will get off to a quick and fascinating start … 

Night 1: Friday, September 20, 7:00 PM ET — Signs of the Coming King
Unmistakable signs signal Jesus’ soon return—and are you ready for it?

Night 2: Saturday, September 21, 7:00 PM ET — The Prophecy of History
What is the most comprehensive prophecy in all of the Bible?

Night 3: Sunday, September 22, 7:00 PM ET — The Arch-Villain of Prophecy
There is a fiendish effort to turn us away from understanding prophecy.

Other topics to be covered include the truth about hellfire, the afterlife, the millennium, the mark of the beast, the USA in Bible prophecy, and many more eye-opening revelations.

Get Active!

Would you or your church like to be part of this extraordinary opportunity to bring Bible prophecy to a world lost in spiritual darkness? We may not have many more chances to share every aspect of these messages openly, so please prayerfully consider hosting the event at your church or even your home.

Bible lessons are also being developed for this series, with plans for them to be available for sharing at your event. We’ll also make advertising easy. Let’s lead viewers into an eternal, joyful relationship with God together!

Mission Manhattan

We’re also inviting people to be part of this evangelistic project through Mission Manhattan! You will receive free AFCOE training, distribute literature, and do music and health ministry on the streets of Manhattan to raise interest and invite the community to the Prophecy Odyssey meetings in the evening. Training and literature are free, but you will need to cover travel, lodging, and meals. More information here.

Start planning now for this exciting outreach event! 

For more information about Prophecy Odyssey, visit prophecyodyssey.com. And keep watching for more details as we get ready to share God’s truths with millions!

Amazing Facts International is excited to announce that the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) will hold its fall 2024 complete course in Granite Bay, California, beginning in August!

The three-month program aligns with Pastor Doug Batchelor’s upcoming Prophecy Odyssey evangelistic series in New York City in September. The class will help local congregations prepare for the reaping event through intensive training in outreach, including giving Bible studies, answering difficult Bible questions, organizing effective pre-work, discipling new believers, and much more.

However, the training provided for this series is not meant to benefit only our friends in NYC. Carlos Muñoz, AFCOE director, says, “We invite everyone, from everywhere, to come train and work for this event and learn how to replicate it in their local congregations. What you learn and practice here will help you grow your community of faith wherever you live.”

AFCOE is designed to help Christians from all backgrounds speak persuasively for Christ in public settings, develop a vibrant devotional life, confidently share their faith with others, and identify their specific calling in ministry. AFCOE can even teach you how to start and grow your own ministry.

Students will get winsome, empowering instruction from Pastor Doug and other experienced soul-winners, including Jëan Ross, vice president of evangelism; Carlos Muñoz; Daniel Hudgens, AFCOE assistant director; Dr. David Shin; Dwayne Lemon; Anil Kanda; and many more. Our instructors and guest speakers have excelled in their ministry fields and will give you a wider breadth of outreach and Bible knowledge.

Students will also go beyond the classroom to win souls for Jesus, working directly with Amazing Facts and churches to gain valuable outreach experience that will make an eternal difference. Says Pastor Doug, “AFCOE is about learning while doing. Students do real work in real communities and with real people, bringing real results for the Master.”

[PQ-HERE]

Is God Calling You?

Would you like to be a part of this amazing experience? Do you desire to become a better soul-winner, Bible worker, missionary, health evangelist, or whatever else God has called you to be? We invite you to learn more at afcoe.org today. Prayerfully ask God whether He wants you to receive this empowering, life-changing outreach training and win souls for Christ in these last days!

Quick Facts:

• Three-month outreach training course (August 15 to November 16).

• Classes are held in Granite Bay, California.

• Your AFCOE fee will cover airfare and lodging to New York City for Prophecy Odyssey outreach.

• Space is limited—housing enrollment deadline: July 18.

Apply today at afcoe.org!

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

There’s something especially thrilling about worshiping God with other devoted Christians, but that excitement is magnified when you realize you are part of something that is reaching people all around the world for Christ. Prophecy Odyssey was just such an experience for the nearly 2,500 people who attended the final weekend of meetings at the Manhattan Center in midtown Manhattan. 

Attendees came from all over the surrounding areas and as far away as Canada, Indonesia, England, and New Zealand to hear Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International, present the final meetings in the Prophecy Odyssey series. Their faith in God’s Word was reaffirmed through Pastor Doug’s powerful messages about end-time prophecy. Attendees were also treated to beautiful music presented by Jacqueline Jewel and Pastor John Lomacang. 

The audience thrilled as Pastor Bianel Lara, the personal ministries director for the Greater New York Conference, reported that there had already been 251 baptisms in connection with Prophecy Odyssey. (Since then, an additional 70 have been baptized or joined the church by profession of faith.) A Chinese church and a Spanish church have also been planted in Manhattan.

The excitement grew even further when Pastor Doug announced that the meetings had received 35 million views online (which have since increased to over 45 million), as well as having been broadcast live all around the world on 3ABN, and Hope Channel International. 

[PQ-HERE]At the end of Prophecy Odyssey’s final program on Sabbath morning, attendees and Amazing Facts staff joined hands and sang together: “Soldiers all are we to go where Jesus leads. … Heaven is our goal to save every soul. … Pray that we all will be there.” It was a Holy Spirit-blessed climax to the biggest series Amazing Facts has ever attempted.

A Massive Project

“From the outset, this project terrified me,” says Pastor Doug. “It was one of the most complicated and expensive programs Amazing Facts has ever taken on, so it was definitely a faith venture. But by God’s grace, Prophecy Odyssey went exceptionally well. I know that its success was in response to many prayers, careful planning, and hard work.”

Hosting an evangelistic series in New York City required extensive planning and a huge budget. Planning began over a year and a half ago and has involved marketing campaigns, preparing to record and broadcast in 4K, producing a new series of Bible studies, coordination with local churches, and more. It was a project that stretched every member of the Amazing Facts team. 

The marketing team put together strategic advertising that included targeted email blasts, promotion on social media, and placement of television and radio spots in New York City and the surrounding areas. They also enlisted the enthusiastic help of local church members. All the effort paid off in high attendance at the nightly local meetings. 

The media team’s planning yielded meetings that ran smoothly and were visually compelling. The huge LED screen created an engaging backdrop, and the use of augmented reality allowed life-size illustrations to magically appear on stage beside Pastor Doug. 

“The media team captured not just images but lives and emotions,” says Pastor Doug. “From the bustling streets of New York City to people’s expressions each night, the images they captured wove a visual tapestry that touched hearts. Their dedication, adjusting lights and sound, running cables, and managing effects and graphics transformed mere pixels into messages of hope.”

The live broadcasts in English and Spanish were sent via the internet to 3ABN, Hope Channel International, AFTV, YouTube, and social media, enabling millions worldwide to watch simultaneously. The meetings were also translated into 16 additional languages using artificial intelligence technology and are available at prophecyodyssey.com.

New York City to the World 

“We chose New York as the base for this global broadcast because it is the world’s most recognizable city,” explains Pastor Doug. “We felt that filming here would provide the perfect platform for reaching around the world.”

But New York is far more than just a great location for recording a series about end-time events. It is also a city deeply in need of Jesus. “New York City is such a melting pot of people from all over the world,” says Wayne Leman, Prophecy Odyssey producer. “We felt that God was leading us here because it was a place where we could reap a great harvest for the Lord.”

Adds Pastor Doug, “I grew up here in New York, so to come back here again and share the gospel in my hometown is really close to my heart.” Pastor Doug has preached in New York several times. He preached the Millennium of Prophecy series in 1999 and Day to Remember in 2001, just two months after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

To ensure that Prophecy Odyssey reached as many people as possible in New York City, Amazing Facts worked with the local Sabbath-keeping churches to hire 18 individuals who gave Bible studies in the weeks leading up to the series. The Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) also moved to New York for the duration of the meetings. AFCOE classes were provided free of charge to local Sabbath-keepers and anyone else who wanted to come learn how to share their faith effectively. About 100 people traveled to New York to be Manhattan Missionaries, joining the 26 AFCOE students in creative city evangelism. Their enthusiasm for sharing Jesus motivated a variety of outreaches, including prayer ministry, street preaching, and music ministry. 

God blessed their efforts with numerous divine appointments. Jeffrey Cook, an AFCOE student from California, was led to a street sweeper just moments after praying for God to lead him to the right person. “He was so grateful for prayer,” says Jeffrey. “He said he had never had anyone pray for him before. He started telling me his whole life story and how he had been planning to do something really bad to the guy his girlfriend was cheating with that night. It gave me goosebumps when he said that. I know God needed me there right then.”  

Just the Beginning of God’s Stories …

Space does not permit us to tell all the stories of how God used Prophecy Odyssey to touch individuals with His grace. But perhaps a few will give some idea of the impact these meetings are already having: 

• James, a security guard at the Manhattan Center, requested prayer to stop smoking near the beginning of the meetings. His desire for tobacco disappeared, and he requested Bible studies.

• Margaret came from England to bring her best friend to the meetings. “I realized I’d never shared the gospel with her,” she says.

• Wendy had a dream about rescuing people by the Statute of Liberty right before hearing about the Manhattan Missionary program. “I knew God needed me to come,” she says. “God definitely set up some divine appointments for me.”

• “It’s so exciting to be here,” says David, who attended the final weekend with his wife, Malena. “I was 17 when I came to Millenium of Prophecy 25 years ago. I was a rebellious teenager then, but Pastor Doug’s messages have been an anchor for me. We’re thrilled to be a part of what God is doing here.”

• Debbie learned about Prophecy Odyssey on Facebook. “I knew I had to come,” she smiles. “Pastor Doug makes it easy to understand the Bible.”

• Darien wandered into Times Square and was drawn in by the street preaching and music. He listened for an hour and then spent all afternoon with the missionaries before coming to the evening meetings. 

• Mark took a flyer from a Manhattan Missionary and immediately recognized Pastor Doug. “I used to listen to him all the time,” he said, “but I haven’t been to church in a long time. I know God is calling me back.” 

Pastor Doug says, “We know that God will continue to use Prophecy Odyssey to touch lives for years to come. We often hear stories of people who had our materials sitting around for years before they watched them and were converted. Now that Prophecy Odyssey is online, God will guide people to them and answer their prayers for truth through them.”

Thank you for your prayers and generous support of Prophecy Odyssey. Your devotion to God’s work is enabling the Holy Spirit to write tens of thousands of stories of healing and hope!

Archived broadcasts of Prophecy Odyssey are available at prophecyodyssey.com.

Featured candidates are Peter Aman, Keisha Bottoms, Vincent Fort, Kwanza Hall, Ceasar Mitchell, Mary Norwood, Michael Sterling, and Cathy Woolard. Moderated by Rickey Bevington of Georgia Public Broadcasting and Denis O’Hayer of Atlanta Public Broadcasting. Recorded January 25, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Several hundred climate scientists and public health professionals descended on the Carter Center in Atlanta today. It was for a climate and health conference organized by former Vice President Al Gore.

An Atlanta entrepreneur is the subject of a new documentary television series premiering Tuesday on Viceland. On Sunday, about 100 Atlanta Film Festival audience members gathered at Dad's Garage Theater for a somewhat surprise screening of the Ondi Timoner project. "We planned this 48 hours ago," said Timoner. "It makes perfect sense for us to be here because Jimmy's from Atlanta." Timoner's camera follows Jimmy Stice, a small staff of mostly Americans, and a few hundred millennial interns who are building a sustainable town called Kalu Yala from scratch in the middle of the jungle. Kalu Yala means "sacred village" in the Kuna language. "We're building a town to look for the best ways we can live in terms of compassionately treating each other in a global community. Access to food access to healthcare access to socioeconomic mobility that's actually beneficial to the environment," said Stice in the show’s trailer . The 10-part series promises plenty of drama documenting young Americans

When the Atlanta Braves announced their move to the suburbs in 2013, some skeptics foresaw an exodus of residents fleeing game day traffic and crowds. Four years later, Cobb County home sales are outpacing other metro counties.

On Friday April 14, GPB Atlanta broadcasted “All Things Considered” live from SunTrust Park, the Atlanta Braves' new baseball stadium in Cobb County. It was the first home game of the season for the Braves and the first time fans would experience the new $1.1 billion stadium complex. In the show we’ll take a look at important moments in Braves history, at the mixed-use development around SunTrust Park called “The Battery” and, of course - talk about traffic.

Tupac Shakur is one of the most famous rappers in history. Until his murder in 1996 at the age of 25, Shakur was a figurehead of the West Coast rap scene. So Tupac Shakur’s connection to Georgia might surprise you.

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. I've never come across a moderate Benny Sings fan. The Dutch singer-songwriter and producer has maintained a cult following for over 15 years and performed in the United States for the very first time at the Tiny Desk back in 2016. He's released a couple of singles since we've transitioned to Tiny Desk (home) concerts and I felt it was the opportune moment to ask him to take part. Recorded at his studio in Amsterdam, the set list reads like an inventory of quarantine essentials, opening with "Apartment" from last year's Free Nationals LP and closing with "Music." The hook reminds me that I'm not the only one who continues to seek refuge in song. He sings, " Music help me through this / I can't do this on my own / But music

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: One of the most famous actors in India has COVID-19. Big B, as he's called, is Amitabh Bachchan. Bollywood fans are praying for recovery, as NPR's Lauren Frayer reports. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Praying in non-English language). LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: At a Hindu temple in Bhopal, India, the faithful chant prayers for Amitabh Bachchan and his family. The 77-year-old Bollywood icon and his son were both hospitalized over the weekend with COVID-19. His daughter-in-law and granddaughter also tested positive and are isolating at home. The Bachchans are bigger than royalty. There's another Hindu temple dedicated to Amitabh Bachchan in Kolkata, complete with a life-sized idol of the actor on a throne. The sanctuary walls are plastered with movie posters. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken). FRAYER: "We're not fans, we're devotees," this man told local TV.

Here, in my neighborhood, life is a mix of re-revised rules for living and reality checks. Every day the local authorities publish new data on the where of illness. Daily a new national atrocity snaps a klieg light on us. Reading these days is a necessary escape from, and immersion into, reckoning. And so it is with Asako Serizawa's stunning and visceral debut, The Inheritors . Every page speaks to our current zeitgeist. Each character in these stories is occupied and occupier, trapped in a moral and existential crisis that's unnerving because it's evergreen, because the nature of human tragedy is our own making and the lessons we keep learning never seem to take. The book is a labyrinth of collected stories which follow a Japanese family's history over 150 years, beginning in 1868 and emerging into a future set in the 2030's, and connecting one family's multi-generational experiences living in a colonial and post-colonial world — in Japan, China, and the United States. The inheritors

Saturday Night Live 's Colin Jost knows there's something about his clean-cut image that rubs some people the wrong way. When he joined SNL as a writer in 2005, he worked off-camera — and didn't have to think about his looks. "When you're not on camera or on television, you don't really consider what you look like," he says. But all that changed when he began working on-air in 2014 as the co-anchor of the show's "Weekend Update." "Some people look at me and have sort of a visceral, angry reaction [to me]," he says. "You see it in our audience. When I get hurt or hit on camera — like when [castmate] Cecily [Strong] throws drinks in my face or throws up red wine on me — the audience really loves it." Jost's new memoir, A Very Punchable Face, describes his experiences growing up in a middle-class household on Staten Island . "Part of writing this book was being excited to talk about parts of my life and weird episodes in my life that I thought that would be entertaining for people," he

Copyright 2020 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air . TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. At a time when many Americans are still home and life seems to have come to a standstill, our film critic Justin Chang says it could be an especially good time to watch "Palm Springs," a romantic comedy about two people forced to repeat the same day over and over again. It stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. It's streaming on Hulu and playing in some drive-in theaters around the country. JUSTIN CHANG, BYLINE: "Palm Springs" was a hot ticket at this year's Sundance Film Festival, one of the last public events to take place before the movie industry shut down. I didn't see it there, but having caught up with it months later at home, I can't help but feel as though this breezily entertaining movie plays a little differently in the era of COVID-19. It's a comedy about isolation and repetition, which might not sound too appealing at a time when many of us are also leading lives of isolation

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. Considering how many of us have rearranged our lives to make the home-office lifestyle work, Diana Gordon's setting for her Tiny Desk (home) concert frames her music in a curated chaos that's all too relatable. Teetering towers of manilla folders, the Y2K kitsch of a slime green Apple iBook, clunky cardboard boxes and a Curb Your Enthusiasm coffee mug — it's just the right amount of cramped, mundane confusion to aid her creativity. Like the workplace props that flank her, an intriguing dose of neurotic mess makes Gordon's latest EP, 2020's Wasted Youth, feel so fitting for these unprecedented times. With her masked-up guitarist, Davin Givhan, helping to guide her, Gordon's nihilistic invincibility on "Rollin" and sonic

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Asterix the Gaul, which kicks off the first volume of Papercutz' new Asterix reissues, doesn't feel like the genesis of an international juggernaut. Sure, the 1959 cartoon is funny: Diminutive-but-crafty Asterix and his towering sidekick Obelix are Laurel and Hardy transplanted to 50 B.C., delivering gonzo comeuppance to the Roman soldiers who hope to bring all of France under Caesar's rule. But nothing about René Goscinny's goofy narrative or Albert Uderzo's hyperactive, deliberately lowbrow drawings portend what the Asterix series became: a half-century-spanning, globally-bestselling, nation-defining phenomenon. Asterix's enduring popularity has puzzled critics for decades, even as the series has racked up sales of 380 million books, been translated into 111 languages and spawned dozens of adaptations in various media. In France, Asterix is a treasured icon, the series' worldwide success a source of national pride. "Asterix is our ego," a Frenchwoman told The New York Times in 1996.

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Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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

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

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Over the weekend, we learned that a second whistleblower has come forward in the Ukraine affair. The anonymous individual is said to have firsthand knowledge of President Trump's dealings with Ukraine. NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas is here in the studio with more. Hey there, Ryan. RYAN LUCAS, BYLINE: Hello there. KELLY: So whistleblower number two - what do we know about this person? LUCAS: A lot remains a mystery, to be honest. The individual has been described as an intelligence official but remains, as you said, anonymous. He or she is being represented by the same legal team as the whistleblower who submitted the initial formal complaint to the Intelligence Committee inspector general, and it's that complaint, of course, that kicked off this whole Trump-Ukraine affair. One of the lawyers on the legal team, Mark Zaid, says this second individual has spoken with the inspector general. That means that this person

For decades, chef Charlie Hallowell was a culinary star around Oakland, Calif., as beloved for his restaurants' hip vibe, as he was for his passion for all the right social causes. Even the national critics raved about his creative modern California cuisine and his "cult following." Bon Appetit fawned, "Hallowell should run for mayor already." But in December 2017, as the #MeToo movement was boiling over, the man celebrated for his cool cocktails and organic, locally-sourced farm-to-table ingredients was suddenly splayed across the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle as a serial sexual harasser. Dozens of women accused him of everything from constant lewd comments to uninvited kissing on the mouth, long, handsy hugs – and more. Catalina del Canto, who worked for Hallowell as a cook and hostess, says he would come up behind her when she was stocking shelves in the walk-in cooler and press against her. And the crass sexual banter, she says, was constant. "He asked if I had a

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

There was a great battle at the cross. Pastor Doug tells of seven segments of Jesus' suffering and seven of His statements from the cross.

Unless you nurture it, reverence is lost and in losing reverence you lose the comprehension of what sin is and what salvation is. The nature of God is affected by our attitude about God and His holiness.

It's an old American fiddle tune. I'm obsessed with A minor.

Welcome to another week of the MetaFilter 2024 Fundraiser! Our community is mostly run by member contributions like yours and, as always, you can help the community by contributing directly to the site, via Paypal, Credit card or through our GoFundMe Campaign. But, seriously, we also want to have fun, don't we? To kick things off, we'd love to help us build our own Community Cookbook and prepare questions for the Ask Mods Anything Podcast... oh, and did you forget about the Pet Tax Wall? There's still time...

The Joy of MeFi Cooking: A Community Cookbook We'd like to hear all about your food adventures and traditions in this thread! Share your favorite dishes, the ones you can't stand, the ones you like but don't know how to cook and, of course, share any secret recipes you've concocted. Game Rules: 1. Use this thread to ask for recipes you are interested in and to talk about the food you love and miss. 2. Use this form to share your recipes for the cookbook. 3. Wait for the full recipe book and enjoy trying new recipes. Ask the Mods Anything 2.0: The podcast Want to know more about the ins and outs of the mod team? We want to make a podcast where Jessamyn will chat with Loup and ask questions directly from the community and you can vote on which questions get to be asked via one time contributions. Game Rules: 1. Use this form to submit your question (questions can be anonymous) 2. Wait for the next post to vote for your favorite questions.

A few updates about the MetaFilter Community Foundation

1) My previous post was mistaken about incorporation. Incorporation is going to happen soon with a boilerplate set of bylaws, and then the first board for the newly incorporated org will adopt the full bylaws after a round community feedback. 2) Some clarifications about the new structure, which came up in the last thread. -MetaFilter.com members Participate on metafilter.com Volunteer on committees and activities for the Website and MeFiCoFo Provide input and feedback via MetaTalk and other channels -MetaFilter Community Foundation fellows Criteria to be a fellow: Time on site (proposal is for 6 months), contributions (A combination of posts/comments) Can be pseudonymous Can vote on MeFiCoFo governance issues, including MeFiCoFo board members -MeFiCoFo Executive Director Responsible for day to day management of MeFiCoFo and staff Execute policy from the Board -MeFiCoFo Board of Directors Manage the ED Set and direct policy with input from members, fellows and staff. Overall governance 3) Incorporation updates: Should be happening very soon We'll post the full initial draft of the bylaws for comments/feedback in the next two to three weeks as well. 4) Assistance we'll need soon -Bylaws feedback (as mentioned above) -Various tasks related to ED search as needed -Assistance with the full board elections (Selecting/implementing voting platform for board elections, Other tasks as needed) If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post here or reach out via memail

Hello, folks. I would like to know 1) if it's common practice for mods to edit users' comments without any indication of a mod note, 2) when this practice began, and 3) if it's been disclosed as a community practice here. As a member of the mefi community it's certainly something I would like to provide feedback on!

I noticed that a recent dumb joke comment of mine was altered at some point after it was posted. The comment in question:

Where's the mugshot. There are no known photos of this guy after like 2006 Found it. (Content warning: gory image) posted by phunniemee at 3:22 PM on October 22

The bold text--the content warning--was not added by me. There is no mod note either in my comment or elsewhere on the thread indicating that this was edited in any way. Was my comment in poor taste? Yeah sure, many of the things I do are. If a comment picks up flags, please delete it. Or add a content warning that says "MOD NOTE: CONTENT WARNING FOR GORY IMAGE" if you must. That's the community I have been a part of--moderation by deletion with active mod involvement in the thread. I absolutely do not want to be in a community where people's comments are EDITED by a mod without any indication that the text was written by someone other than the poster. My own comment here and the relatively minor edit is about as stupid as it gets in the specific, but I'm feeling genuinely scandalized right now and deeply uncomfortable to find out that our mods are editing users comments in secrecy. I've been on metafilter for a decade and a half, and I know the people here only because of the things that people say online. It's important to me that our names are appended to the things we actually say. This is a staggeringly bad path for metafilter moderation to take and I think the community needs some disclosure on how often this happens. [phunniemee's note: Loup did reach out to me over email to explain that this edit followed the policy from the FAQ to add a content warning where deemed necessary by a mod, but that it was an error to not leave a mod note or to let me know the edit had occurred. That the mod team has discussed and agreed that a mod note will always be included in the future. I appreciate that individual errors happen and I believe it's most likely that this was an edit made in good faith. However. There have been a number of mod calls this year that have eroded the faith that I have in the ongoing moderation of the community I love, and I would like to continue forward with this metatalk to ensure we continue to be a community that's moderated thoughtfully and with active user engagement.]

We have had previous Metas around ableism and conflicting needs here on the grey. And we've gotten better on how we discuss mental health. But as someone living with a mental health condition, it appears that many discussions that implicate mental health on Metafilter are still touched with a lot of stigma: I would like us to do better still.

I think that we are getting better at understanding neurodivergence when it comes to things like autism, or ADHD - ways that people process the world differently. We are getting better at how we understand depression as a condition rather than a choice, for example. But discussions of some of the more stigmatized mental health conditions - levels of anxiety high enough to prohibit work, nonconsensus realities, paranoia, borderline personality, severe post traumatic stress - still wind up often displaying a lot of the stigma expressed in the broader world, as well as some common myths and misunderstandings. Some misunderstandings I have seen here on Metafilter - - that people who have these conditions can't function without medication - that people who have these conditions are inherently destructive or 'dangerous' to 'normal' people - that people with these conditions are displaying personal weakness when they don't 'cure' themselves or act in ways considered appropriate to people without mental health conditions - that people with these conditions shouldn't have access to support or resources until they are 'cured' - that people with serious mental health conditions need to be institutionalized or at the very least have long residential inpatient periods - that family members should separate themselves from people with these conditions for their own safety While seeing some recent comments has spurred me to make this MeTa, I am specifically not linking to any individual comments because I don't want to make this about individuals, but rather broadly about how we discuss these issues overall. I know that seeing these types of comments hurts me, and makes me feel as though the people in the discussion do not see me or the people I live in community with on a daily basis - both medicated and unmedicated- who have caused me, overall, far less harm than people part of the dominant and normative majority living without such conditions. I would like to ask us to try to consider this and reframe our thinking.

I just got back from spending the weekend with my brother in NYC building this contraption: It’s a of balancing the projector precariously on a shoebox, the projector is housed inside and a mirror is used to bounce the projections onto the screen: The whole idea is that the music interface is also the visual […]

I’m moving back to http://www.makingthenoise.com Follow me there!

Since the coronavirus pandemic battered China's economy, tens of millions of urban and factory jobs have evaporated. Some workers and business owners have banded together to pressure companies or local governments for subsidies and payouts. But many of the newly unemployed have instead returned to their rural villages. China's vast countryside now serves as an unemployment sponge, soaking up floating migrant workers in temporary agricultural work on small family plots. "Say a factory used to hire 1,000 temporary workers; now, without new orders, these business owners can't afford to hire this many people," Yan Xiyun, a labor intermediary, told NPR. "The factory I usually go to in previous years could easily hire 2,000 people. Now there is scarcely anyone [on the factory floor]." Ten years ago, Yan left her own village near the small city of Zhumadian in Henan province for the first time and joined the migrant workforce. Now, she's a headhunter working on commission, placing thousands

It may seem obvious, with double-digit unemployment and plunging economic output. But if there was any remaining doubt that the U.S. is in a recession, it's now been removed by the official scorekeepers at the National Bureau of Economic Research. The bureau's Business Cycle Dating Committee — the fat lady of economic opera — said the expansion peaked in February after a record 128 months, and we've been sliding into a pandemic-driven recession since. In making the announcement , the committee pointed to the "unprecedented magnitude of the decline in employment and production, and its broad reach across the entire economy." At the same time, the committee noted the recession could be short-lived. The U.S. added 2.5 million jobs last month after losing more than 22 million in March and April. Many forecasters said they expect economic output to begin growing again in the third quarter. The standard definition of a recession is "a decline in economic activity that lasts more than a few

After the coronavirus lockdowns forced it to shut down its 345 U.S. theaters, Texas-based Cinemark in April decided to do what a lot of companies have done: borrow money by selling bonds. The sale was made easier by the fact that the Federal Reserve was lending out trillions of dollars to businesses and governments, providing a much-needed boost to the corporate debt market in an effort to prop up the economy. Even as it was borrowing money, Cinemark also announced a number of steps "to endure a prolonged period of no revenue." They included laying off 17,500 workers with no guarantee when they'll be rehired. During the current crisis, the Fed, which began a two-day meeting on Tuesday, has pulled out all the stops to keep the economy afloat, lowering interest rates to zero and starting a series of unprecedented and historic new lending facilities practically overnight. "It has taken what were already extraordinary, exceptional, unusual, unconventional tools and has expanded them even

Updated at 4:12 p.m. ET The Federal Reserve left interest rates near zero Wednesday and once again promised to deliver whatever monetary medicine it can to an economy that's badly ailing from the coronavirus pandemic. "The Federal Reserve is committed to using its full range of tools to support the U.S. economy in this challenging time," the central bank said in a statement . While noting that "financial conditions have improved, in part reflecting policy measures to support the economy," the Fed's rate-setting committee reiterated its intent to leave interest rates at rock-bottom levels, "until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals." Notes released along with the committee's statement suggest no rate increases are expected at least through 2022. "We're not thinking about raising rates," Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference. "We're not even thinking about thinking about

Editor's note: This is an excerpt of Planet Money 's newsletter. You can sign up here . Geoff Caddick / AFP via Getty Images Brooklyn Heights sits across the East River from Lower Manhattan. It's filled with multimillion-dollar brownstones and — usually — Range Rovers, Teslas and BMWs. These days it's easy to find parking. The brownstones are mostly dark at night. The place is a ghost town. And the neighborhood's sushi restaurants, Pilates studios, bistros and wine bars are either closed or mostly empty. It's a microcosm for what has been the driver of the pandemic recession: Rich people have stopped going out, destroying millions of jobs. That's one of the key insights of a blockbuster study that was dropped late last week by a gang of economists led by Harvard University's Raj Chetty. If you don't know who Chetty is, he's sort of like the Michael Jordan of policy wonks. He's a star economist. He and his colleagues assemble and crunch massive data sets and deliver insights that

Many people with underlying medical conditions are worried about what's going to happen at the end of the month. It's not currently safe for many of them to go back to work. The COVID-19 death rate is 12 times higher for people with underlying conditions. But an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits, which has been enabling them to pay their rent and other bills, will stop coming at the end of July. "We don't have a whole lot of options that don't involve risking our lives," Lauren Van Netta says. "We need help. We really do." Van Netta lost her job at a perfume store in New Orleans during the outbreak. She says she's had serious bacterial infections that have damaged her lungs and compromised her immune system. And she has asthma. So even if she could find another job in retail, she says her doctors have told her it would be risky. She says even wearing a mask and trying to keep social distancing in a workplace, "it's like the fear of, you know, I could make a mistake.

Updated at 8:44 a.m. ET From airlines to paper mills, the job news is grim, and there are growing signs it won't be getting better anytime soon. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported nearly 2.4 million new applications for state and federal unemployment benefits last week. And United Airlines is warning that it may have to furlough as many as 36,000 employees this fall. Demand for air travel has collapsed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The president of the flight attendants union called the warning a "gut punch" but also "the most honest assessment we've seen on the state of the industry — and our entire economy." Union President Sara Nelson tweeted that demand for air travel had recovered a small fraction of its pre-pandemic levels this summer and "even those minimal gains evaporated over the last week due to surging COVID-19 cases across the country." Jobs in other industries are facing similar threats as the coronavirus tightens its stubborn grip on the country. Derse

A Free 42-page PDF you can read on your phone, tablet, or laptop and enjoy!

My friend Jordanlafordan, organised and compiled a Fanzine to celebrate Star Trek: Discovery. Full of Fanfic, essays, photos, games, poems, and quotes from our beloved Star Trek: Discovery, this is the first annual Celebrate Disco fanzine! I (Faintdreams) submitted the crossword. Enjoy! If you like it please let the organiser know. They have a mastodon account here: ( https://tenforward.social/@jordanlafordan )

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For the past almost 40 years, Treb Heining has engineered the balloon drops at every Republican National Convention and most Democratic National Conventions. I photographed how he and his team inflated and then dropped 100,000 balloons on the final night of the RNC this year in Milwaukee.

This is a story I'd been wanting to do since I noticed the balloons suspended from the ceiling during the 2016 conventions. I though, "Huh, there's got to be a story behind these balloons." What I found was Treb Heining, who got his start in balloons at age 15 selling balloons on foot at Disneyland. Heining went on to invent the balloon arch and built a balloon decorating business that now spans the globe. He invented the Glasshouse Balloon, a clear balloon surrounding the Mickey-shaped balloon sold at Disney resorts worldwide. And he's been in charge of the balloon drops at every RNC since 1988 and most DNCs since then (he was not involved in the 2004 DNC failure). He's also been in charge of the Times Square New Year's Eve confetti drop for more than 30 years and engineered balloon events at Super Bowls and Olympics opening ceremonies. For the conventions, Heining and a team of balloon decoration professionals and some local volunteers spend a couple days before the convention inflating and tying approximately 100,000 balloons by hand, putting them into giant net bags, and rigging them to the ceiling of the arena. Then, after the final speech on the last day of the convention, the balloons are dropped onto the delegates. I pitched this story to Bloomberg Businessweek in 2020, but the conventions were initially cancelled and then held in a modified form without balloon drops, so the story was killed. I pitched it again for this year, and it all worked out. Here's the Businessweek piece online and the larger edit with some videos and animated gifs on my website.

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