My Little Pony finally made it to the winner's circle.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's troubled election this week has already scored at least one small victory for peace.

The Liberian government is mounting a sustained campaign against corruption to win trust and new international investments, whether they come from the U.S. or China, Liberian President Joseph Boakai said in an interview.

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the world's largest Iranian dissident organization, says in an exclusive interview that the Tehran theocratic regime is on its last legs and warns there can be no real peace in the Middle East so long as the mullahs remain in power.

We take the show to Charleston West Virginia’s West Side neighborhood to visit a family barbecue joint, a country music jamboree, a faith-based after-school program, a women’s drug recovery house, and a bustling Goodwill headquarters. Plus, conversations with an activist preacher, a vacant-home rehabber, an open-eared neighborhood planner, and a retired theater technician who’s projected more than 50 years of movie history.

Special thanks this episode to Maryland State Folklorist Emily Hilliard, The West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Our audio tour through Charleston’s West Side continues with a community gardener, an antique collector, a symphony clarinetist, a deli owner, and a retired pro basketball player. Plus, a visit to a local auto shop, a barbershop, a Girl Scout meeting, and Mary C Snow West Side Elementary.

Special thanks this episode to West Virginia State Folklorist Emily Hilliard, The West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This pandemic’s been a tough time for musicians. Clubs are closed, and gigs are cancelled. But our friends at Baltimore’s Creative Alliance had a lightbulb moment. They thought: These musicians that we usually book on our stage, what if we start booking them on stoops and porches? They’d be outdoors, the crowds would be small, just the neighbors on the block. People would be masked up and socially distant. But it’d be a little moment of community, and it’d give these musicians some work. They called the series, Sidewalk Serenades. And it ended up bringing little spontaneous moments of genuine joy to Baltimore neighborhoods during a really dark time. Out of the Blocks decided to book some of these Sidewalk Serenades on different blocks around the city. And we recorded them for this special episode.  Mask up & head out with us for some great live music and neighborhood togetherness!

A friend sent me a note on social media last Wednesday morning: "Well, he did it!"

Donald Trump's victory may bring some relief for the leaders of three authoritarian Southeast Asian nations caught in the influence struggle between the U.S. and China -- Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

Kamala Harris's defeat runs deeper for Democrats than its surface appearance. Even at first sight, it was stunning: Ms. Harris didn't just lose the presidency but, unthinkably, the popular vote too.

Many voters are wondering which of the presidential candidates would empty their pockets more.

Two former Olympic champions are in the race to be the next IOC president. So is a prince of a Middle East kingdom and the son of a former president. The global leaders of cycling, gymnastics and skiing also are in play.

In his first visit back to Utah since awarding Salt Lake City the 2034 Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee president sought to ease worries that the city could lose its second Olympics if organizers don't fulfill an agreement to play peacemaker between anti-doping authorities.

He's been tough on Russia, led the charge to put prize money in the pockets of athletes and pushed for a definitive but much-derided resolution in the longstanding debate over transgender athletes.

The president of the suspended Russian Olympic Committee said Tuesday he plans to step down after six years in charge.

Paris's Notre Dame cathedral, whose historic bells were silenced following 2019's devastating fire, will soon echo again with fresh chimes.

At least 11 employees were taken to hospitals and residents were urged to shelter in place after an apparent explosion at a Louisville, Kentucky, business on Tuesday.

Are protected areas working when it comes to promoting biodivesity? A new study, published in Nature Communications, shows that local biodiversity is actually higher within, rather than outside protected areas.

Abstract: 

Protected areas are widely considered essential for biodiversity conservation. However, few global studies have demonstrated that protection benefits a broad range of species. Here, using a new global biodiversity database with unprecedented geographic and taxonomic coverage, we compare four biodiversity measures at sites sampled in multiple land uses inside and outside protected areas. Globally, species richness is 10.6% higher and abundance 14.5% higher in samples taken inside protected areas compared with samples taken outside, but neither rarefaction-based richness nor endemicity differ significantly. Importantly, we show that the positive effects of protection are mostly attributable to differences in land use between protected and unprotected sites. Nonetheless, even within some human-dominated land uses, species richness and abundance are higher in protected sites. Our results reinforce the global importance of protected areas but suggest that protection does not consistently benefit species with small ranges or increase the variety of ecological niches.

Original Source:

The original article is openly accessible at:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12306

“I do expect the Red Sox to be in."

The post MLB insider believes Red Sox are one of 7 teams interested in Juan Soto  appeared first on Boston.com.

Crochet, 25, was one of the top starting pitchers in the American League last season, posting a 3.58 ERA.

The post Red Sox viewed as a top candidate to land Garrett Crochet by pair of insiders appeared first on Boston.com.

Spoiler alert: it "looks like a whole store."

The post Here’s a peek inside Jayson Tatum’s sneaker closet appeared first on Boston.com.

"Theeeee Yankees lose!"

The post David Ortiz still loves watching the Red Sox’ historic comeback vs. the Yankees 20 years later, especially alongside Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter appeared first on Boston.com.

It’s very important to instill good posture habits at the piano. Sitting squarely at the keyboard, feet on the floor (or on a low stool ... Read more

The post Piano Playing Upside Down – Party Tricks at the Piano appeared first on CMUSE.

Two expat voters – a Republican in London and a Democrat in Stockholm – share their thoughts about watching the US election from abroad. Then: experts who study America's extremist white supremacist groups say there's clear evidence that many of them are supporting Donald Trump's candidacy for president.

Plus, why Cuban Americans are in such stark disagreement over President Obama’s historic trip to Cuba. And: there are more than 20 towns in the US called Moscow – why is that?

Image: An Alabama resident urges townspeople to vote. (Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

As traditional business models continue to break down, entrepreneurs have their sights on one more area to disrupt: traditional orthodontics.

Also: biodegradable six-pack holders finally go on the market; a former ambassador tells us what's in a diplomatic pouch; the French consider adopting 'le doggy bag' for restaurant leftovers; we ride along with 23 greyhounds across the US/Mexico border; and composer Idan Raichel performs a song for us using an assortment of improvised musical instruments.

(Image: Candid Co. sends customers a kit to take impressions of their teeth from home. An orthodontist then remotely comes up with a treatment plan. Credit: Candid Co.)

Martina Navratilova made some controversial statements about transgender athletes. She said that it’s cheating when transgender women compete in women’s sports. But many activists disagree with her and are pushing back.

Also, find out why NBA basketball Enes Kanter fears going back home to Turkey; we have the harrowing story of Eritrean runner Teklit Michael’s near death experience; next the directors of the Oscar winning film ‘Free Solo’ describe how they captured Alex Honnald’s solo climb up El Capitan summit; and the French Fencing Federation has officially recognized lightsaber dueling as a competitive sport.

(Martina Navratilova participates in the 28th Annual Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic at Delray Beach Tennis Center. Credit: Johnny Louis/Getty Images)

Carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas that's a threat to the planet. Nitrous oxide, emitted when farmers fertilise their fields, is a growing climate change threat as well. We find out about an environmentally-friendly potential solution.

Also, in Africa the agriculture sector wants more fertiliser so that farmers can boost crop yields; a controversial new novel about a Mexican woman forced to flee from drug cartels shines light on the world of American publishing; on the border between Venezuela and Colombia, a Colombian volunteer opens up her home to desperate migrants; and on opposite sides of the world, two guys try to make a planet Earth sandwich.

(David Melevsky, owner of Go Green Organic Land Care, treats grass areas that have been reseeded to repair winter damage with fertilizer at Ocean Park Meadow condos. Credit: Derek Davis/Getty Images)

Residents say rallying around local issues helps them find common ground.

The post This is what it’s like in the Mass. towns with the closest presidential election results appeared first on Boston.com.

The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin.

The post Trump says Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy will form outside group to advise White House on government efficiency appeared first on Boston.com.

James & Dustin had a chance to sit down with Jonathan Brown - President of Integrity Music - to discuss unity and division among the people of God, and among worshipers in the church.

JB (Jonathan Brown) and Dustin both had the chance to be part of a tour with WeAreWorship, where they visited multiple church leaders in multiple cities.  There were so many great things experienced and along with that, there were so many things learned.  At the end of the day, we want unity in the the people of God and especially among the leaders of God's Church, and we need to have inspired conversation on this topic. 

Enjoy!

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The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship (Dustin Smith & James Galbraith) and WeAreWorship (Wisdom Moon & Morgan Shirey).

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
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It's hard to imagine Japanese ace Roki Sasaki wanting to come to the Red Sox based on their recent track record, writes John Tomase.

The Chicago Cubs are just a couple of pieces away from finally returning to the playoffs. In 2024, the Cubs were profoundly mediocre on both sides of the ball. Improving the rotation is a worthy objective for the Cubs, because Imanaga could be due for regression as the league adjusts to his unique high-spin fastball. Chicago may try for the Corbin Burneses and Max Frieds of the world, but perhaps a lower-budget option could turn out to be the perfect Cubs addition.

President Trump has come to Washington and is already shaking things up. The Brody File explores his relationship with the media. Jennifer Wishon joins us from The White House and Abigail Robertson reports on what Congress might be able to ...

The Brody File goes inside The White House for our exclusive interview with President Donald Trump. Is there anything left to be said? Probably not, except these words: "We ain't playin."

The Brody File goes inside The White House for our exclusive interview with President Donald Trump. Is there anything left to be said? Probably not, except these words: "We ain't playin."

As a college student in the early ’90s, Erik Santiago thought his construction degree would lead him to work for a general contractor.

Modular building concepts—also known as off-site construction—have been utilized for decades. However, the use of pre-fabrication and modular building techniques is increasingly common now. 

Glass mat gypsum sheathing is common for commercial uses but rarer in residential construction

The American Concrete Institute announced its 2024-2025 president, vice president and four board members. Michael J. Paul has been elected to serve as president of the institute for 2024-2025 and Scott M. Anderson has been elected as ACI Vice President for a two-year term.

Huntsman Corporation has named Doug Brady as president of Huntsman Building Solutions.

Imagine training employees with a virtual reality, audio-visual headset that puts them on the job, inside a realistic house, with saws buzzing, hammers tapping and birds chirping. That is the concept behind an industry-leading virtual reality training program sponsored by Owens Corning.

Every day in the United States, more than 10,000 workers are injured on the job with 14 of those injuries resulting in death. While the sheer number of those injuries is staggering, the financial impact to employers is crippling.

Portable power drills are some of the most useful tools in the construction industry, but without taking the proper safety precautions they can quickly become some of the most dangerous.

Regardless of the amount of safety training and precautions you take as a company, at some point in time an accident will happen. When that accident does occur, do your employees know the proper way to react?

The proposed measure presents a ‘real chance’ for meaningful partnership but will require commitment to collaboration, Baroness Delyth Morgan tells the House of Lords

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upholds the lower permissible exposure limit in OSHA’s updated silica rule. Supporters of the rule call the court’s decision a “huge victory” for workers, while opponents say it disregards “legitimate concerns.”

The construction industry added 34,000 jobs on net in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released Sept. 6 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment grew by 228,000 jobs, an increase of 2.8 percent.

The SMACNA Board of Directors welcomed Tom Martin, president of Cleveland-based T.H. Martin, Inc., as its 2024-2025 president. Martin took the reins from current SMACNA president Carol Duncan of General Sheet Metal.