Brother Stair, born Ralph Gordon Stair, established the Overcomer Ministry in 1978 and declared himself a prophet. At its peak, Stair's radio broadcasts reached 120 stations, promoting his fringe Christian beliefs, which included rejecting modern technology and medicine, and propagating conspiracy theories like the New World Order. His ministry, operating from a compound in Walterboro, South Carolina, attracted approximately 70 followers who surrendered all their possessions and lived a life of self-sufficiency under his control. Stair's teachings centred on millennial predictions and warnings of divine judgement. Despite facing multiple arrests for sexual assault and related charges, Stair consistently resumed broadcasting after each legal setback.

Although he passed away in 2021, Stair's sermons continue to be aired on numerous radio stations, funded by the donations of his followers. The Overcomer Ministry has been accused of being a cult due to Stair's dominance over his followers' lives, insistence on financial contributions, and the deaths of infants within the community, potentially linked to his rejection of medical care.

Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, is one of the most cherished holidays in the United States and marks the start of the holiday season. Rooted in the Pilgrims' 1621 harvest feast, it became a national holiday in 1863 under President Lincoln. Families come together to share a traditional meal of roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie while enjoying festivities like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and American football games. A unique tradition is the Presidential Turkey Pardon, where one lucky bird is spared from the dinner table - a custom that gained prominence under President George H.W. Bush in 1989.

The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, a global shopping phenomenon that originated in 1960s Philadelphia, where police coined the term to describe the chaos caused by swarms of shoppers and traffic jams. Now synonymous with steep discounts, Black Friday has expanded internationally, with countries like the UK, Brazil, and India embracing the shopping frenzy. For online deals, Cyber Monday, launched in 2005, offers major e-commerce discounts on electronics, fashion, and more, making it a global event alongside similar traditions like China’s Singles’ Day and India’s Diwali shopping season.

The increase in Bluesky's user base is largely attributed to the shift in X's policies and perceived political bias under Elon Musk's leadership, which has driven users, especially those with left-leaning political views, towards platforms offering a more trustworthy and user-centric experience. X's policy changes, including alterations to content moderation and the use of user data for AI training, have fuelled concerns about user safety and privacy. Moreover, Musk's vocal support for Donald Trump and the platform's perceived leniency towards right-wing content have further alienated left-leaning users, prompting them to seek alternatives like Bluesky, which has gained a reputation for its stricter moderation standards, commitment to a harassment-free environment, and transparency in handling user data.

Harold Camping, the founder of Family Radio, was a controversial figure known for his unorthodox interpretations of the Bible that often deviated from traditional Christian teachings. Camping's teachings, which he promoted on his radio platform, Family Radio, were based on his belief that the Bible, while the absolute word of God, should not be interpreted literally. Instead, he argued that each sentence contained deeper, hidden meanings that could only be deciphered by considering the context of the entire Bible and the passage's spiritual significance.

This method of interpretation, which blended literalism with allegory, allowed him to manipulate scripture to support his claims, leading to his rejection of mainstream Christian denominations and the formation of his own splinter group. Camping's teachings continued to be broadcast on Family Radio until 2018.

One year after his passing on November 21, 2022, Eros Bacoccina's legacy as a dedicated pastor and pioneering broadcaster continues to resonate. His journey, beginning in Italy and culminating in his adopted home of California, exemplifies the transformative power of faith. Bacoccina's spiritual hunger led him beyond the familiar confines of Catholicism to a profound personal relationship with God after encountering Pastor Amelio Giannetta and his La Buona Novella radio programme. This encounter ignited Bacoccina's passion for spreading the Gospel through radio, a medium that allowed him to connect with Italians worldwide.

Bacoccina's commitment to his calling went beyond mere translation; he sought to provide theological clarity and accessibility to his listeners, even when faced with the controversial doctrines of Family Radio's Harold Camping. This dedication is evident in his decision to continue La Buona Novella independently after departing from Family Radio, ensuring the message of hope reached a global audience. Bacoccina's impact extended beyond the airwaves, touching the lives of his congregation, family, and all who knew him. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the power of faith to transcend borders and leave an indelible mark on the world.

Since its inception in 1980, Glenn Hauser's World of Radio has garnered a dedicated following through its thorough reporting on international broadcasting. The program is distinguished by its factual focus and Hauser's unique monotone delivery. However, his propensity to publicly critique stations, including those that air his program without charge, has been a point of contention. These critiques, often targeting technical aspects or programming choices, have occasionally caused tension within the shortwave broadcasting community. While Hauser's dedication to maintaining high broadcasting standards is widely recognized, some perceive his approach as lacking appreciation for the stations that support World of Radio.

In countries with restrictive media environments, such as Ethiopia, shortwave radio emerges as a vital tool for circumventing censorship and disseminating uncensored information. Its ability to transmit signals across international borders makes it difficult for governments to control or block, unlike traditional media that are often subject to strict regulations and censorship. For instance, in Ethiopia, where the government has jammed the signals of international broadcasters like Voice of America (VOA) and Deutsche Welle (DW), shortwave radio continues to provide an alternative channel for accessing news and information. Despite government efforts to limit the reach of foreign broadcasts, particularly during politically sensitive periods like elections, shortwave radio remains a resilient medium for reaching audiences in Ethiopia and beyond, ensuring access to diverse perspectives and challenging the government's control over information.

A recent report submitted to the European Commission highlights the need for enhanced civilian and military preparedness in the EU, particularly in light of potential threats like war or large-scale emergencies. The report, authored by former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, suggests that EU citizens should maintain a 72-hour stockpile of essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and a battery-powered radio. This recommendation stems from the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains and highlighted the importance of individual preparedness.

The report also underscores the vital role of public-private partnerships in strengthening the EU's overall preparedness. It recommends extending the existing critical infrastructure resilience framework to encompass additional sectors, including the defence industry, and establishing a comprehensive stockpiling strategy that involves both public and private entities. This collaborative approach is deemed crucial for ensuring the availability of critical goods and services, fostering economic security, and bolstering the EU's capacity to withstand a wide array of potential threats and disruptions.

The first Content Delivery Network (CDN) emerged in Italy during the mid-1990s, born out of experiments conducted by NEXUS International Broadcasting Association (NEXUS-IBA). This Milan-based non-profit served as an incubator for broadcasting and Internet technologies and played a pivotal role in shaping the early CDN landscape. The core idea behind the CDN was to create a network of servers spread across various geographical locations, all hosting identical content. This distributed approach aimed to overcome the limitations of centralized server systems, particularly when handling large multimedia files like streaming.

NEXUS-IBA's pioneering work culminated in the launch of the first commercial CDN caleld WordDirector in 1995. This innovation marked a significant leap forward in content delivery, promising smoother streaming, faster webpage loading, and improved search engine rankings for websites. The CDN effectively minimized data packet loss during transfer and offered scalability and redundancy through its network of servers. This development laid the foundation for the modern CDN, a technology now widely adopted to deliver content seamlessly and efficiently to users around the world.

In this special episode of Beyond Global Waves, we delve into the intricate connections between religion, politics, and morality in the U.S., especially as they shape the upcoming 2024 presidential election. This episode examines how faith-based values, particularly among evangelical and conservative Christian communities, influence voting decisions, often leading voters to prioritize policy over candidates' personal ethics. Issues such as religious freedom, pro-life stances, and traditional family values create a powerful, values-driven voting bloc that views political support through a lens of forgiveness and pragmatism, setting the stage for a nuanced discussion on how these dynamics may impact the political landscape in the months ahead.