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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for November 7

Posted at 10:44 AM, Nov 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-07 10:44:24-05

1. Make a stop at the polls one thing on your to-do list today! Voters are deciding on a number of faces, millages and proposals.

In Kent County, there are millages for the Grand Rapids Public Library and an operating millage for Grand Rapids Public Schools.

People will also be deciding on mayors for Kentwood and Walker.

Voters in Ottawa County have their own mayoral elections in Grand Haven, Holland, Coopersville and Ferrysburg.

There are many others, and remember voters can always see a sample ballot online by going to michigan.gov.

2. The food was amazing, and the fundraising even more so at the Signature Chefs Auction for March of Dimes.

There were more than 20 local chefs at DeVos Place, showing off their dishes and auctioning off their time and talent along with a live and silent auction of great items and experiences.

The event raised more than $300,000, which will go towards March of Dimes and its mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

3. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is teaming up with two Michigan businesses to sell state park merchandise.

Peninsulas LLC and Yooper Shirts Inc. will work with the DNR to make state park, train, and boating merchandise.

The companies will design, print, and sell the clothes, then they'll share the proceeds with the DNR.

Peninsulas will deal with parks and other locations in the lower peninsula while Yooper will have merchandise for places above the bridge.

It'll be available at their regular stores and online.

4. If the kids love YouTube, know that they can sometimes see things parents aren't ready for them to see. Now, YouTube is rolling out new profiles for children.

The video-sharing website now allows you to make profiles for children that personalize content based on the child's age and interests.

The features allows for age-specific recommendations tailored to kids under the age of thirteen, but some privacy experts call the feature "concerning" and believe it is an  advertising play.

However, a spokesperson says "YouTube Kids" doesn't use children's data to target paid ads, only to customize the viewing experience.

5. While many stores are closing on Thanksgiving Day, Toys R Us announced that it will stay open for the holiday and beyond.

For the third year in a row, Toys R Us is opening its doors for 30 hours straight from Thanksgiving Day into Black Friday.

The holiday sale is for most locations, with the Times Square store in New York staying open even longer.

Opening on Thanksgiving Day has been a tradition for Toys R Us Since 2009, but the practice has been backlash in recent years.

Many shopping centers and chains are keeping their doors closed to raise employee morale and to focus more on Black Friday.