Here is the AP Lifestyles Digest for the week of Aug. 10.
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THREADS
Retail Repairs: Encouraging customers to mend their worn clothes instead of buying new ones might seem like a self-defeating sales strategy. But in-store repairs and sewing workshops are becoming essential retail services for clothing brands as they try to appeal to young consumers who want to save money and the planet while putting together their fall wardrobes. Jeans giant Levi Strauss & Co and casual wear chain Uniqlo are a couple of the apparel companies hoping to win over Gen Z shoppers with a needle and thread. SENT Monday, photos, broadcast, social video.
CLIMATE
Plastic Pollution Solutions: At a Massachusetts lab, pebble-sized pellets are transformed into forks and films that won’t leave persistent microplastics in the environment. These are bioplastic pellets. CJ Biomaterials ferments sugar to make plant-based polymers. Bioplastics are an alternative to traditional plastics made of fossil fuels. UPCOMING Monday, photos.
TECH
Vintage Computer Collectors: As Silicon Valley races into the age of artificial intelligence, a growing community of hobbyists from around the globe is collecting, restoring and preserving the classic computers that launched the digital revolution. SENT Monday, video, photos.
China-AI Companions: Li Linlin cried for days after losing her AI boyfriend. She exchanged about 700,000 words with him over two years and never got to say goodbye when he was eliminated by ByteDance, developer of TikTok. Major Chinese tech companies recently shut down AI companion services to comply with new regulations that ban AI from manipulating emotions or replacing social interactions. Some users are upset. SENT Monday, photo.
MONEY
Money Matters-Aging Parents: What are some big questions to ask your aging parents? Talk to them about finances, estate planning, and living arrangements. By Amy C. Arnott of Morningstar. UPCOMING Tuesday, photos.
BE WELL
Be Well-Travel-New Bed: Most people have trouble sleeping for the first time in a new place. The phenomenon is known as the first-night effect. UPCOMING Tuesday, illustration.
Bedbugs: Bedbugs infestations are increasing, and this is the time of year when they tend to be at their worst. UPCOMING Saturday, photos, video.
PMOS-Obesity Drugs: A mounting body of research shows that GLP-1 drugs hold promise for PMOS, the condition previously known as PCOS. UPCOMING Saturday, photos, video.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Education-Parent Teacher Conference: A guide to getting the most out of your parent-teacher conference, with tips from teachers and parent advocates. UPCOMING Thursday, photos.
Education-AI Literacy: Schools around the U.S. say they’re instructing kids in “AI literacy.” What that actually means -- and how effectively it meets the moment -- varies widely. UPCOMING Thursday, photos. With Localize It sidebar.
America 250-Objects-School Bus: The metal school bus turns 100 next year. The Georgia car dealer who invented it tried to market it to a cement company for carrying workers. When the cement company turned it down, he marketed it to rural school districts, which were replacing one-room schoolhouses with larger regional ones, and painted it yellow for visibility. UPCOMING Tuesday, photos.
Education-College Majors-Influencers: Gen Z’s interest in pursuing careers as influencers remains strong, and colleges such as Arizona State and the University of Texas at San Antonio are offering majors in digital influencing or social media content creation to try to reach interested students. We talk with influencers and current students about whether the programs offer a leg up on a career that many have launched without any college degree. UPCOMING Wednesday, photos.
HOMES
Colossal Hoosier Cabinet: A group in Indiana built a three-story-high Hoosier cabinet to celebrate the piece of furniture that once transformed American homes in the early 1900s. UPCOMING Wednesday, photos, video.
FOOD
Voracious-Watermelon Granita: Pamela Anderson’s no-fuss summer dessert for barbecues is Watermelon Granita. SENT Monday, photos.
GARDENING
Lawns-Grubs: What does it mean when brown patches show up in a perfectly healthy lawn? The truth is, it could be many factors, from drought to dog urine to too much fertilizer. But many homeowners automatically blame grubs. UPCOMING Tuesday, photos.
DOWNTIME
The Stream: What to watch, play and listen to this week. The blockbuster biopic “Michael” and a new documentary about Travis Barker are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. SENT Monday, photos.
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In case you missed it:
CLIMATE: AP Poll-Climate; Climate Choices-Art Supplies.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Education-Be Well-Backpacks.
WORK: Be Well-Working Well-Dressing for Interviews.
BE WELL: Travel-Babies-Children; Sydney Towle Obituary; Gene-Edited Hypoallergenic Dogs.
FOOD: Voracious-No-Cook Tomato Sauce; Kellogg-Artificial Dyes.
GARDENING: Edelweiss.
TECH: Be Well-One Tech Tip-Eclipse-Photos.
FASHION: Fecal Matter.
MONEY: Financial Wellness-AI Poll.
The AP
