UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Dreaming about leaving the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life behind? If you’ve got your eyes fixed on a farm-centric future, you’re far from alone. According to the Big Movers 2023 report, 614,144 Australians made the move from our capital cities to regional areas across the country during the last census period (2016-21) – an increase of 120,750 on the prior one, with COVID restrictions probably driving some of this. Interestingly, the same report shows that Millennials left Sydney and Melbourne (the cities experiencing the greatest loss) in the highest numbers, as they likely embraced greater work flexibility and chased better affordability and work/life balance around the country. But is the move worth it? Three women who’ve done it in recent years share their highs and lows. “We lost everything in the floods, but we have no regrets” Sue Bourke, 54, PR and marketing professional “My husband, Brad, was diagnosed with prostate cancer seven years ago, aged 51. Until that point, we’d been living like many urbanites [in Sydney’s north], often feeling like hamsters running on a wheel but never able to get ahead. We we were exhausted and dreaming of getting out of the rat race. When Brad was undergoing treatment we said, ‘If we make it through this, let’s move to a country town.’ Moving to Wauchope [in the NSW Mid North Coast region] made sense from the get-go. We wanted a country town experience, yet still be close to the sea as well as a regional centre – and Wauchope ticked those boxes. When a local work opportunity landed in my lap, everything fell into place. We moved up here in 2019 and, straight after settling into our new home, went into a six-month period where we were badly affected by two natural disasters and the pandemic. The bushfires at the end of 2019 left many of the towns around us cut off, but we lost almost everything we owned in the floods of March 2020. I can still remember having to swim out from the house late at night in the dark and returning to find 90 per cent of our stuff either gone or destroyed. It wasn’t ideal but since we were insured, we were luckier than most. It also gave us a moment to detach ourselves from ‘stuff’; it’s not often you’re given a chance to start with a clean slate. The first thing you notice when you move to a country town is the depth of the community spirit; people share their abundance with their neighbours here. Some will drop off fruit and vegetables from their garden, and others will drop off jams they’ve made themselves. I put a post on our local Facebook community group the other day asking about manure and someone dropped off 16 bags of it for free. There are challenges with making a tree change; obviously we’re exposed to natural disasters in a way you only ever see on TV back in metropolitan areas, and I must admit I still really miss my hairdresser, but outside of that, I’d say we’ve never really looked back - especially since our son (now 25) moved up here three years ago. Living between the mountains and the sea means we’ve adopted a healthier, outdoor lifestyle which has seen me shed close to 50 kilos and drop from a size 22 to a size 12. Work has picked up too - I’m now working with The Rural Woman [a co-op putting women in touch with services] helping women living in rural and regional areas become digitally savvy. Women living in the bush are chronically underrepresented in Parliament, which is a real shame because there are so many forward-thinking, fearless female entrepreneurs doing amazing things around the country and their voices - their talents - should be amplified.” “Our family gap year gave us the courage to make the leap” Tamara Scenna, 47, caravan park operator “Our tree change began as a 12-month family gap year around Australia. Before we fled Sydney’s inner west in our caravan at the start of 2019, life was all hustle and bustle. I worked in public service, leaving the house at 7am to avoid heavy traffic that saw my journey to work take more than an hour. With the kids [now 16 and 13, respectively] at school, it often felt as if we all were ships in the night, so we thought a year to travel and bond before our eldest started high school would help us reset and ease back into city life with a fresh mindset. Of course, we then all realised there was so much more to life than what Sydney offered; during our time on the road, the seed to try something else was planted. Initially, we tried to settle down back in Sydney; we even got a new dog and a cat, but when COVID-19 hit, we started to think about buying a caravan park as a way to earn a living outside the city. We looked at a few options in Queensland, then we fell in love with what is now Daintree Siesta [in the state’s far north], which also had motel rooms and a restaurant. With school-aged children, timing is important and we were aware that if we wanted a tree change, it was now or never. So after serious discussions with our kids, we sold up and – after a few border closure complications – arrived to our new lives at the end of 2021. Moving to a remote location, particularly with teenagers, isn’t for everyone. Mossman is our closest town, so our local supermarket and pharmacy is an hour away, while Cairns is 21⁄2 hours away. My kids have always played soccer, so one of the non-negotiables of our move was that they would continue to do so. But for that to happen, we have to take them to training in Mossman every week and down to Cairns for games on Saturdays. It’s a lot of time spent driving, but we get someone to cover for us at the park and do it as a family, which provides quality time to talk about the big topics. The benefits have been plentiful. The schools my children attend are much smaller than the ones they went to in Sydney – my daughter’s primary school has 20 kids – so they get plenty of one-on-one with teachers. Shared experience has brought our children closer, and now they’re working after school in our restaurant and navigating all sorts of interesting situations, they’ve blossomed into wonderful young adults. Of course, we’re mindful they’ll likely leave for university, so it’s important to enjoy this time we have living and working together.” “Buying in Sydney made little financial sens e ” Tahlia Crinis, 40, PR consultant “I never realised how over the whole ‘Sydney thing’ I was until lockdowns forced us to live indoors for an extended period of time. Until that point, life felt like one social event after another. My husband, Alex, and I must have had at least three dinners out with friends each week, and there were endless work events during the day as well as casual coffee catch-ups and morning gym sessions. Once we were cooped up inside, we realised how much we enjoyed not having to go to places and being able to take life at a slower pace. When we started looking for a place to buy, it soon became apparent that we either had to downsize into a shoebox apartment or look well beyond city limits. Sydney has many wonderful attributes but affordability is not one of them The move to Wombarra [on the Illawarra coast south of Sydney] made sense from the get-go; I grew up in nearby Bulli so knew the area well, plus we needed a seachange location that was still close enough to Sydney to make Alex’s commute to the office at least three days a week a little easier to bear. The house we bought was the first one we looked at, and we couldn’t believe what our budget could stretch to once we left Sydney. In place of a one-bedroom apartment in Potts Point, we now have a three-bedroom home with ocean views and a large backyard. Life has changed in the way we’d planned since we made our move in 2023. I work from home, so during warmer weather I start my days with a swim at the beach. I always make time for the things I’d forgotten how much I’d always enjoyed, like sitting in the garden with a book and a cup of tea. Alex enjoys his commute, too; he says doing a lengthy train trip twice a day gives him a chance to complete any outstanding work, so his brain can be clutter-free by the time he gets home. A sea change isn’t only about moving house, but about changing aspects of how you live your life – or so we found out pretty quickly. Down here, we can no longer rely on ordering takeaway, which was a big part of our week in the city, and our suburb doesn’t even have a cafe or grocery store. Over time, however, we’ve learnt the importance of buying a good-quality coffee machine, and planning meals adequately so you don’t have to drive to the nearest shop, but they’re small adjustments in the grand scheme of things. We’re enjoying the peace and quiet so much – not to mention all this space we suddenly have – that we’ve never really given Sydney a second thought!” Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up here for our free newsletter .60 jili 。

Share this Story : Ottawa councillor's profane outburst with daycare staff 'bullying and intimidation' Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Ottawa councillor's profane outburst with daycare staff 'bullying and intimidation' The city's integrity commissioner recommended official sanctions against rural Coun. Clarke Kelly for his behavior toward daycare staff. Get the latest from Blair Crawford straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Blair Crawford Published Nov 23, 2024 • 4 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly. Photo by JULIE OLIVER / Postmedia Article content Ottawa’s integrity commissioner is recommending an official reprimand for West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly over a heated exchange he had last summer with staff at a daycare next to his rural Ottawa office. In her report on the July 3 incident, commissioner Karen E. Shepherd found Kelly’s “aggressive” behaviour toward the owner and staff of the West Carleton Kids Korner Daycare “did not meet the standards expected of elected officials.” Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content “I find that Councillor Kelly’s actions on July 3, 2024 were aggressive and amounted to bullying and intimidation of the staff of the Daycare, including the owner,” Shepherd wrote in her report, released Nov. 20 . Kelly was participating in a meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee that day via Zoom from his office in the West Carleton Community Complex on Carp Road near Kinburn Side Road. The daycare shares space in the complex and Shepherd found that Kelly had had previous run-ins with the owner because of the noise and behaviour of some of the children who attend. That morning, kids were playing outside his office window and banging on the glass during the meeting. Eventually, Kelly left his desk and went to an outside door to complain to daycare staff “in an aggressive manner” about the noise. Later, daycare staff said they heard Kelly shouting and dropping “F bombs” about the encounter through the walls of his office, although it’s not clear if the profanity was directed at anyone in particular. One daycare employee said children she was with probably heard it too, but couldn’t say if they would have recognized it as cursing. Evening Update The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Evening Update will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Shortly after that, there was a third encounter when Kelly went to the daycare door and argued with the owner, an encounter that was captured by a security camera with video, but no sound. The “kerfuffle in Kinburn” was previously reported by the Ottawa Citizen and in other local media outlets. “There is no question Councillor Kelly’s conduct was inappropriate,” Shepherd wrote. “Under the circumstances, it is understandable that Councillor Kelly was frustrated and felt the need to address the situation. That said, the manner in which Councillor Kelly spoke to the daycare owner, particularly the use of profanities, was aggressive and intimidating. “To be clear, at no time did Councillor Kelly enter Chambers to shout at or use vulgarities directed at daycare workers or children,” she added. Shepherd said she received four separate complaints in the days following the incident, although her report does not say who they were from. The daycare owner also contacted Ottawa police about the encounter. Investigators with the integrity commissioner’s office interviewed 11 people for the report, including Kelly and members of his staff who were in the office that day. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content In her findings, Shepherd acknowledged that Kelly’s concerns about the noise and the cleanliness of building’s public washrooms during the daycare’s summer sessions had been well documented. “I believe Councillor Kelly has a reasonable expectation of a professional work environment. Before the start of the 2024 summer camp program, Councillor Kelly and his staff made efforts to address their concerns through the appropriate channels. Though not an excuse for Councillor Kelly’s conduct that day, it does not appear that any action was taken in response to complaints from the Councillor’s Office about the noise and bathroom issues associated with the summer camp in 2023,” she wrote. Nevertheless, that didn’t excuse Kelly’s actions, she wrote. “Councillor Kelly’s actions that day fall within the realm of bullying and intimidation, but they do not meet the threshold for discrimination or harassment. While not acceptable conduct, Councillor Kelly’s interaction with daycare staff and the daycare owner were brief incidents in which he was responding to stressful conditions in his workplace.” Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Kelly admitted to investigators that his swearing was “inexcusable” and said he has since taken anger management training through the city’s employee assistance program. He promised “to learn from his mistakes.” In an email to the Citizen, Kelly said he appreciated the thoroughness of the commissioner’s investigation and that his handling of the incident had been a mistake. “I take responsibility for my reaction and use of strong language during an exchange on July 3rd. Everyone deserves to have a safe and positive work environment, and I am committed to ensuring that I will do my part to contribute to this,” Kelly said. “At the same time, I am grateful that the report concludes that I did not direct profanities at children or staff of the daycare, and that the commissioner carefully considered the context in which this situation occurred.” A call to the daycare for comment was not immediately returned. A reprimand is the lowest level of punishment that can be levelled under Ontario’s Municipal Act. For more serious infractions, councillors can be suspended without pay for up to 90 days. Council is to receive Shepherd’s report and vote on the reprimand recommendation at its next meeting on Nov. 27. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly, lower right, leaves his seat during a July 3, 2024 planning and housing committee meeting to confront staff of a day care to complain about noise outside his office window. Photo by Postmedia / Postmedia Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Ottawa councillor's profane outburst with daycare staff 'bullying and intimidation' Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. 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NoneVancouver, BC, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Demesne Resources Ltd. (CSE:DEME) (OTCQB:DEMRF) (“ Demesne ” or the “ Company ”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the third tranche (the “ Third Tranche ”) of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (the “ Offering ”). Pursuant to the Third Tranche, the Company issued 1,660,000 common shares of the Company (“ Common Shares ”), at a price of $0.25 per Common Share for gross proceeds of approximately $415,000. The Company plans to complete a subsequent tranche of the Offering, for gross proceeds of up to $424,599 in January 2025. In connection with the Third Tranche, the Company paid finder’s fees to eligible finders consisting of $17,150 in cash and 68,600 Common Share purchase warrants (the “ Finder’s Warrants ”). Each Finder’s Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Common Share of capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.25 per Common Share for a period of 12-months. Closing of the Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “ CSE ”). The Company will use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund certain payments pursuant to an option agreement in connection with the IMA Mine Project, certain payments pursuant to an option agreement in connection with the Star Project, work program related expenses, marketing expenses, and for general working capital purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Third Tranche are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ U.S. Securities Act ”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. ABOUT DEMESNE RESOURCES LTD. Demesne Resources Ltd. is a British Columbia based company involved in the acquisition and exploration of magnetite mineral properties. The Company's Star Project consists of five contiguous mineral titles covering an area of approximately 4,615.75 hectares located in the Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada. The Company has entered into an option agreement pursuant to which it is entitled to earn an undivided 100% interest in the Star Project. Demesne has also entered into an option agreement, pursuant to which it can acquire a 100% interest (subject to a 2% royalty) in and to the IMA Mine Project, a past producing underground tungsten mine situated on 22 patented claims located in East Central, Idaho, United States. Social media links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/demesneresources/ X: https://x.com/demesneresource Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DemesneResources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demesneresources/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@demesneresources ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Murray Nye ‎CEO 1055 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500 Vancouver, BC V6E 0B6 Canada For further information, please contact: Murray Nye, CEO Email: ir@demesneresources.com Phone: +1 (416) 300-7398 CSE:DEME OTCQB:DEMRF The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. This press release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.On a scale of one to 10, just how desperate do you think Kim Kardashian is for attention? Judging by the billionaire’s weirdly sexual photoshoot with a robot, the answer may be an 11. The entrepreneur and influencer, who is a big Tesla fan, recently posed with the company’s Optimus bot in a Tesla Cybercab (a self-driving taxi ) for a series of photos which might be described as avant-garde if you’re being polite, and dystopian thirst traps if you’re not. She also posted some rather less sultry videos of her interacting with the humanoid robot. The photoshoot has ignited something of a debate online about whether Kardashian is deliberately aligning herself with Elon Musk, who runs Tesla, and outing herself as a Trump supporter. Which is a bit of a stretch really as I’m not sure that – with the exception of an admirable stint working on criminal justice reform – Kardashian has ever pretended to be a leftist. Kardashian is a billionaire who has been sued for unfair labor practices and who announced, back in 2018, that she has “ nothing bad to say ” about Trump. Her Tesla-themed photoshoot was hardly a radical new direction for her. It is, however, a sign of the “autonomous everything” direction in which we’re headed. The world’s most famous influencer cozying up to a robot in a self-driving taxi is yet another example of how AI-powered autonomous technology is slowly marching into our lives. When it comes to Tesla’s Optimus robot, of course, the operative word here is slowly. The robot, which isn’t available for sale to the general public yet, may look flashy but it isn’t clear just how sophisticated it actually is yet. The Optimus robots were a major part of Tesla’s Cybercab reveal in October, serving drinks to the crowd and even chatting with them – as it turns out, however, these “cutting-edge” robots were actually being remotely controlled by humans . Which is a step up, I suppose, from when Musk unveiled plans for a “Tesla Bot” in 2021 by bringing out a human in a robot suit who proceeded to breakdance to electronic music. Musk has been talking a big game about human-replacement robots for a long time , saying they’re being designed to do “ boring, repetitious and dangerous ” work. The tech billionaire, who has a habit of wildly overpromising what he is capable of, also keeps telling us they’re going to be released any day now. In 2021, for example, he suggested the “Tesla bot” would launch in 2022 . Earlier this year he claimed Tesla will produce “genuinely useful” humanoid robots to start working in its factories next year and plans to roll them out to other companies in 2026. I wouldn’t hold your breath that this will actually happen. Which is not to say, however, that development of these sorts of robots is a long way away. Robotic dogs, made by Boston Dynamics, are already being deployed by police departments and one has been guarding Trump at Mar-a-Lago . Deadlier versions of these dogs are also in the works: the US army has reportedly sent at least one “robot dog” armed with an artificial intelligence-enabled gun turret to Saudi Arabia for testing. More generally, military use of AI-enabled weaponry is booming , fundamentally changing the nature of warfare. Gaza is currently a real-life testing field for some of this tech: earlier this year, one Israeli intelligence officer told the Guardian that powerful AI systems “made it easier” to kill people and destroy homes. And while robot dogs may not be in Gaza yet, numerous eyewitnesses have said that the Israeli military is using sniper drones – quadcopters with rifles attached to them – and they’re shooting civilians and children. Are the people developing autonomous weapons kept up at night with worry about how their technology might be abused? Palmer Luckey , the billionaire founder of Anduril , the artificial intelligence weapons company, certainly doesn’t seem to be. In a recent conversation with Pepperdine University’s president, Jim Gash, Luckey enthused about how society needs a “warrior class that is enthused and excited about enacting violence on others in pursuit of good aims”. So this is what you should think about when you see cutesy photoshoots with robots like the one Kardashian just did. You should think about how these robots are going to be used by the self-proclaimed “warrior class”. I have a feeling that we’re going to see versions of Optimus being deployed to crack down on protesters well before the Tesla robots are cooking us all dinner and doing our drudge work. Georgia officials have dismissed all members of a state committee charged with investigating deaths of pregnant women. Why? Because ProPublica did a little investigating itself and, back in September, got hold of internal documents which found Amber Thurman and Candi Miller died preventable deaths as a result of a state abortion ban. McBride recently became the first openly transgender person to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Cue vicious bullying from her future colleagues. This week the South Carolina representative Nancy Mace filed a motion to ban McBride and other trans women from women’s bathrooms in the Capitol. “If you think this bill is about protecting women and not simply a ploy to get on Fox News, you’ve been fooled,” wrote Natalie Johnson, Mace’s former communications director. She added, a real effort to protect women would involve “a bill to bar Matt Gaetz, a sexual predator with an affinity for underage girls, from ever walking those halls again”. Sign up to The Week in Patriarchy Get Arwa Mahdawi’s weekly recap of the most important stories on feminism and sexism and those fighting for equality after newsletter promotion “OnlyFans says it empowers content creators, particularly women, to monetize sexually explicit images and videos in a safe online environment,” a Reuters Investigation notes . “But [we] found women who said they had been deceived, drugged, terrorized and sexually enslaved to make money from the site.” The word “squaw” is thought to have originally just meant “woman” in the Algonquin language but eventually morphed into a misogynistic and racist term. It will now be removed from more than 30 geographic features in California by 2025. Thaslima Begum’s Guardian article helped bring attention to Mazyouna Damoo’s family’s struggle to evacuate her from Gaza. After the Israeli authorities repeatedly blocked requests for her urgent medical evacuation she was finally allowed out to get help in the US . Police in Japan managed to crack the Mystery of the Disappearing Shoes and figure out why footwear was disappearing from a kindergarten. The culprit? It was ... a weasel . The Guardian has a video of the shoe thief in action, and this fun linguistic nugget: “[T]he musky scent of the Japanese weasel gave rise to the saying itachi no saigo-pei . That literally translates as ‘the weasel’s final fart’, but is used to refer to the last word or act of an unpopular or dislikable person.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge took Diego Pavia 's request for a limited preliminary injunction under advisement at the end of a hearing Wednesday as the Vanderbilt quarterback seeks to play at least another season while his lawsuit against the NCAA plays out in court. U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell asked attorneys how quickly they could be ready for trial. He also asked about the upcoming transfer portal, which opens Monday and closes Dec. 28. Attorney Ryan Downton argued during a 2 1/2-hour hearing that Pavia wants “the narrowest injunction possible” to keep his time in junior college from counting against his NCAA Division I eligibility using older guidelines. Their best hope is for a quick ruling by Monday. “I get the sense from him today that he’s looking at the date the portal closes and trying to give enough time to react before it closes,” Downton said of the judge's timing after the hearing. Campbell peppered attorneys with questions. The judge noted prep schools play against junior colleges, including Pavia's, without starting their NCAA eligibility clock. He also noted junior colleges don't allow redshirt seasons. The judge also said the NCAA has changed its rules over the past 50 years, including allowing freshmen to play and later added the redshirt rule. Campbell sounded surprised when told a player who redshirted this season could play a total of nine games if on the team that wins the College Football Playoff. Pavia filed Nov. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville. His request for a temporary restraining order was denied giving him two more seasons of eligibility allowing a redshirt season “to avoid additional harm.” His lawsuit also asks that Vanderbilt, or any other college, not be punished for complying with orders from the court. Pavia filed a declaration Monday that he is applying to the masters' program for legal studies at Vanderbilt starting in January if he is granted the preliminary injunction. Attorneys Tamarra Matthews Johnson and Max Warren argued for the NCAA that Pavia had done exactly what the organization wants athletes to do earning a bachelor's degree at New Mexico State before being a graduate transfer to Vanderbilt earlier this year. They also argued Pavia easily can seek another degree without playing football. Warren disputed the idea of irreparable damages noting Pavia can receive economic damages at trial without an injunction. Warren also questioned the lawsuit's timing with Pavia quoted that this was his last year of college football. “His best opportunity to earn a living is playing college football ...,” Downton said in court. “This is his chance.” Pavia did not get an offer from a Football Bowl Subdivision school coming out of Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He went to New Mexico Military Institute in 2020 and led the junior college to the 2021 national championship. He went to New Mexico State in 2022 and won 10 games in 2023. The Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year then followed his head coach, Jerry Kill, and offensive coordinator Tim Beck to Vanderbilt this offseason. Matthews Johnson argued that Vanderbilt simply will find another quarterback. Vanderbilt hasn't had many quarterbacks like Pavia who had a handful of his teammates sitting behind him in court. Pavia is a big reason why Vanderbilt is 6-6 and bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. He led the Commodores to their best start in decades, ranked twice in the AP Top 25 and posted their biggest win ever beating then-No. 1 Alabama. That snapped a 60-game winless skid over over AP top-5 teams. Wednesday’s hearing coincided with the early signing period . Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea supported his quarterback’s initial filing and has talked of how much he has meant to the Commodores. That didn’t stop Vanderbilt from signing a quarterback Wednesday out of an Illinois high school in Jack Elliott. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football .

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Service Co. International ( NYSE:SCI – Free Report ) by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,364 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,209 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Service Co. International were worth $5,396,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Select Equity Group L.P. grew its position in Service Co. International by 53.5% in the second quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 7,239,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $514,966,000 after buying an additional 2,524,795 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of Service Co. International in the 1st quarter worth $224,137,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Service Co. International by 7.5% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,942,559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $138,183,000 after purchasing an additional 135,017 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in shares of Service Co. International by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,810,148 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,875,000 after purchasing an additional 61,838 shares during the period. Finally, Empower Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in Service Co. International by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 946,059 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,672,000 after purchasing an additional 25,713 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, VP Elisabeth G. Nash sold 56,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.13, for a total transaction of $4,831,893.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 109,260 shares in the company, valued at $9,410,563.80. This represents a 33.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 50,000 shares of Service Co. International stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.11, for a total transaction of $4,305,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 982,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $84,588,694.63. The trade was a 4.84 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 108,655 shares of company stock worth $9,356,203. Insiders own 5.10% of the company’s stock. Service Co. International Stock Performance Service Co. International ( NYSE:SCI – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. Service Co. International had a net margin of 12.19% and a return on equity of 31.84%. Service Co. International’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.78 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Service Co. International will post 3.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. Service Co. International Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be paid a $0.31 dividend. This is a boost from Service Co. International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Service Co. International’s payout ratio is presently 34.88%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have commented on SCI shares. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Service Co. International from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Service Co. International from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Service Co. International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Service Co. International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.25. Get Our Latest Report on Service Co. International Service Co. International Company Profile ( Free Report ) Service Corporation International provides deathcare products and services in the United States and Canada. Its funeral service and cemetery operations comprise funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and other businesses. The company also provides professional services related to funerals and cremations, including the use of funeral home facilities and motor vehicles; arranging and directing services; and removal, preparation, embalming, cremation, memorialization, and travel protection, as well as catering services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Service Co. International ( NYSE:SCI – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Service Co. International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Service Co. International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Nine signs of dementia to watch out in older relatives this Christmas

Justin Baldoni has been hit with another lawsuit, this time from his former publicist Stephanie Jones. The actor, as well as his publicist Jennifer Abel , crisis manager Melissa Nathan and Wayfarer Studios, are named as defendants in a suit alleging defamation and breach of contract. The filing arrives less than one week after Blake Lively , who stared alongside Baldoni in This Ends With Us , filed a suit alleging that her co-star and director sexually harassed her and orchestrated a smear campaign against her. The newly-filed lawsuit alleges that Jones was kept in the dark about Abel and Nathan’s “scheming to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ co-star Blake Lively to protect Baldoni” using “an aggressive media smear campaign,” according to documents reviewed by Rolling Stone . “At the same time, Abel and Nathan were pursuing a far more selfish purpose: Tearing down Jones’s reputation to take her clients and enrich themselves upon Abel’s planned departure from Jonesworks,” it claims. Abel worked for Jones’ company, Jonesworks, from July 2020 through August 2024. Her employment was terminated after Jones discovered the aforementioned plot, the complaint alleges. It was around the time of her termination that Baldoni allegedly began working with Abel on a plan to course correct after he “began to fear that the media might report on allegations of misogynistic and toxic on-set behavior and that the fallout would be harmful to his reputation and career.” Abel is accused of seeking out Nathan to remedy the situation through the alleged smear campaign, which the suit claims has been unfairly pinned on Jones. Nathan’s client roster has included the likes of Johnny Depp, Drake, and Logan Paul. Jones claims to have had no knowledge or involvement in the campaign against Lively. “To this day, Abel and Nathan continue to point the finger falsely at Jones now that their own misconduct is coming to light, and to defame and attack Jones in the industry,” the suit alleges. “Defendants will not stop attacking Jones, and have refused any efforts to resolve these issues out of court. This lawsuit seeks to finally put a stop to their continued misconduct and to compensate Jones and Jonesworks for the damage Defendants’ conduct and scheme has inflicted.” Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time The document contains screenshots of text messages between Abel and Nathan that are said to have been obtained through a sweep of the publicist’s company phone following her termination from Jonesworks. “Abel and Nathan’s covert take down and smear campaigns were revealed in black and white,” the suit claims. Lively’s lawsuit also contained text messages from Abel, Nathan, and Baldoni. Abel recently dismissed the “cherry picked messages” in a since-deleted Facebook post. “No negative press was ever facilitated, no social combat plan, although we were prepared for it as it’s our job to be ready for any scenario,” Abel wrote. “But we didn’t have to implement anything because the internet was doing the work for us.” In the exchanges listed in Jones’ suit, Nathan seemingly encouraged Baldoni to depart from Jonesworks, both as an individual client and through his company Wayfarer Studios, to work with Abel at her new company RWA Communications. “We are going to war,” reads one text from Abel to Nathan around the time of her intended departure, prior to Jones terminating her employment. Abel allegedly downloaded “sensitive client and business information” for brands and clients prior to her leaving Jonesworks. “With the encouragement and assistance of Nathan, Baldoni, and Heath, Abel stole Wayfarer and Baldoni as clients, targeted other Jonesworks clients to leave, and launched the long-planned and competing RWA Communications,” the suit claims. “As a result, Wayfarer and Baldoni ceased working with Jonesworks and, despite being under contract with Jonesworks, refused to pay Jonesworks what they contractually owed for its services.” Reps for Baldoni, Abel, Nathan, and Wayfarer Studios did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone ‘s request for comment. Jones is seeking damages to herself and her company in an unspecified amount to be determined at trial.

The Albanese government will probe whether Meta has unlawfully promoted scams on its platforms, as the social media giant continues to take advertising money from criminals pushing blatantly fraudulent schemes on Facebook that target vulnerable Australians. Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones said he had asked his department and office to examine whether Meta was breaching existing laws, including its criminal and civil obligations. Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones wants to examine if Meta has broken laws. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer “Every hour that a scam ad is live on a Meta platform causes harm,” Jones said. “It’s not good enough that they don’t have a system which enables blatantly criminal material to be removed.” Jones’ comments came after this masthead published an investigation showing Meta was serving up ads promoting notorious sham investment platforms subject to numerous official warnings and easily identified with a simple search. Despite the tech company’s insistence that it had since removed many offending ads and accounts, new ads appeared in recent days using the same techniques and keywords as before. Among the ads published this week were examples misusing the images of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, singer Guy Sebastian, and those linked to a bogus Salvation Army loan offer. There were also numerous ads promoting Quantum AI, which the consumer watchdog has labelled the “most prolific online investment trading platform scam” affecting Australians. Meta did not respond to questions about the ongoing scam ads by deadline. An image of the PM in a recent fake Salvation Army ad. The scammers behind these types of ads are often seeking to steal people’s personal information. Credit: Meta Ad Library Earlier, the company shared news it had recently taken down 2 million accounts linked to scam centres in South-East Asia and the Middle East. It also confirmed that it had been sharing warnings with Australian Facebook users since October, telling them to “beware of scams using celebrity images to deceive you”. Sergeant Alexander Kazagrandi, with the Australian Federal Police’s Joint Policing Cybercrime Co-ordination Centre, said scam advertising was prolific in Australia and was being used “more and more extensively by organised criminal groups”. He warned that these ads were being used not just to recruit victims but to traffic people into South-East Asian scam call centres by offering them an easy way to make money. “That is essentially the same hook that is being used for Australian victims for investment scam purposes,” Kazagrandi said. A scam ad featuring singer Guy Sebastian. When this screenshot was taken, the ad had been live for 13 hours. Credit: Meta Ad Library Last week, new federal scam laws that are set to force social media platforms, banks and telcos to pay compensation to scam victims were debated in parliament. Some MPs and consumer groups are concerned the bill does not go far enough, arguing it will remain far too difficult for victims to be reimbursed. Kazagrandi said more than 90,000 reports about cybercrime and scams were made to ReportCyber last year, a high proportion of which were investment scams. “On average, an investment scam in Australia will net about $81,000 to the criminal,” he said. Kazagrandi said Australians could expect to hear more about Australian police conducting raids and targeting overseas scam operations in the future, as its ongoing Operation Firestorm investigated cybercriminals based in South-East Asia and Eastern Europe. In July this year, Melbourne woman Anna was feeling stressed and vulnerable when she saw an ad on Facebook falsely claiming to feature Albanese talking about a new investment platform purportedly backed by his government. All Anna had to do – at a time when her husband had left her for another woman, and she was struggling to pay off the mortgage alone as she worked long days as an office administrator – was put in $250. “I just click ... [and] I fill out the application because I was thinking, ‘$250 I can afford’,” said Anna, 61, using a pseudonym. The advertisement was a scam, using a manipulated video of Albanese without his permission, and it connected Anna to ruthless scammers who fleeced her of $30,000 over the coming months, pushing her even further into debt. Anna said the scammers, who claimed to be from England and worked for a company called I2 Trading, tricked her into believing she was making profits on her trading, enough to pay off her mortgage. It wasn’t until she couldn’t withdraw her profits that she realised it was a con. She hadn’t seen the scam warnings previously. “I work full-time, I get home, I don’t watch the news,” she said. The mother of two, who is being assisted by the Consumer Action Law Centre, said the scammer also advised her to approach a digital lender for a loan of $30,000, coaching her to tell them the money was for home renovations. Anna says she is now paying an interest rate of 9.69 per cent on the borrowed money. It means the scam is going to cost her more than $40,000 over seven years. She said she was kept awake with the thought of what she might have done with the money she pays into the loan each month – perhaps a holiday, something for her house, or to fund a more stable life. “I’m struggling,” she said. Monash University Professor Mark Andrejevic, who has researched the types of Facebook ads reaching Australians, said it was pretty clear that Meta was not policing its ads carefully. “It’s easy to find these ads,” he said. “There are a number of indicators, including keywords, the characteristics of the pages that are serving them, and the use of multiple administrators across several countries. When taken together, an automated system should be able to flag this type of advertising easily.” Andrejevic said regulatory change was needed or scams would be a persistent part of the online ad environment. “It doesn’t look like Facebook is making much off of each individual ad buy, but if you imagine how many hundreds of thousands of these are appearing globally, the revenues could be more than just a blip.” Expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money, delivered to your inbox every Sunday. Sign up here for our Real Money newsletter.Natixis Advisors LLC Buys 5,286 Shares of Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE:GNRC)India vs Australia, Live Score 1st Test Day 3: Day two of the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was thoroughly dominated by India, as the visitors put forth a statement of intent in Perth with a performance that saw them shine in every phase of play at the Optus Stadium.After Jasprit Bumrah completed his five-fer in the morning session before debutant Harshit Rana put an end to a dogged final-wicket partnership between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. ...Read More However, it was openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal who were the stars of the show at the Optus Stadium, as they batted through the afternoon and evening sessions remaining unbeaten and heaping the runs and the pressure onto Australia. India will go into day three at effectively 216/0, with the pitch easing up and the chance to bat Australia out of the game at a venue that has been a fortress for them historically. Jaiswal and Rahul started off with plenty of patience on a pitch that had seen 17 wickets on the first day, absorbing the Australian pace attack’s dangerous new ball spell and making sure a top-order collapse similar to the first innings wasn’t on the cards. Although it was a circumspect start, it was relatively chanceless from the two openers, who showed plenty of quality running between the wickets to keep the score ticking along even if boundaries were difficult to come by. With Jaiswal batting on 90 and approaching yet another Test century in 2024, there might well be some nerves from the young man as the tension of the nervous nineties builds overnight. But as a player who has shown plenty of character and gumption throughout his career, Jaiswal will back himself to reach the three figure mark. Happy to share some chatter with Australia’s fielders, including teasing Starc for not bowling fast enough, or egging on Steve Smith to try a throw at the stumps, Jaiswal has quickly made himself at home in Australia and will want to mark a fine innings with a century. This will be the focus of the early parts of day three. Meanwhile, KL Rahul’s terrific form in overseas conditions continued, as he persisted in showing himself as something of a red-ball specialist for SENA tours. Rahul will want to convert his excellent and patient innings into a big score, both to confirm a positive result for India and to hammer home a position in the batting for the rest of the series. India’s goal on day three will be to add as many runs as possible before the pitch begins to act up, with the opening up of cracks one of the big threats in Perth pitches. India will also want Virat Kohli in particular to get some runs behind him and play himself into form, with a solid foundation provided to him by the team’s openers. It will also be a significant innings for Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, who will want to capitalise on their chance in Australia by making a score of significance and keeping their hats in the ring for the second Test in Adelaide. From an Australian perspective, wickets are the name of the game, but with the ball getting older and the pitch being slightly flat, it might require plenty of effort and patience from their experienced players to try and unglue India's set batters. They will also be aware of the need to contain runs, especially with dangerous and aggressive batters such as Jaiswal and Pant, who are capable of quickly turning a match around with rapid innings. The need for defensive fields and wickets will make it a frustrating day for Australia, but they will be aware of the need to keep their wits about them in order to start a fightback into the game. Pat Cummins and company will know they have the ability to keep Australia in the game, but will also be aware of some of the shortcomings their bowling in the second innings presented, with the leadership running out of ideas at some points during the day's play. India will want to see the lead through to around 350 before potentially looking to take the attack against Australia, giving their bowlers time to recover and go hard at Australia in response. Bumrah might well want himself and Mohammed Siraj to have a few overs at the end of day’s play to try and dislodge Australia’s top order once again, but India won’t be in any rush with plenty of time left in the Test match. India and Indian fans will be extremely happy with the sort of performance that their openers put on in the second innings so far, with the team managing to preserve their wickets and Jaiswal and Rahil able to knit together a memorable partnership. The question will be whether India can keep the momentum going and earn a key result in the first game of the series, allowing them to quiet the noise around the team and start to fight back after the difficult 3-0 loss to New Zealand in October. Here are some pointers regarding India vs Australia 1st Test Day 3: - India will resume their second innings at 172/0. - India have managed to take a lead of 218 runs and are firmly in the box seat. - Yashasvi Jaiswal is 10 shy of what would be a century in his maiden Test match in Australia. - Jaiswal and Rahul played out two wicketless sessions. - Already more than 200 runs ahead, the Indian batters would want to make merry as Day 3 promises to be even better for batting. India vs Australia Live Score, 1st Test Day 3: Hello and a very good morning everyone!Shares of Becton Dickinson & Co. .css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(54,119,168,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(47,112,157,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(47,112,157,1);}.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:rgba(47,112,157,1);} .css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink{display:inline;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference){.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:200ms,200ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink020);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink030);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink030);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-color:var(--outlineColorDefault);outline-style:var(--outlineStyleDefault);outline-width:var(--outlineWidthDefault);outline-offset:var(--outlineOffsetDefault);}@media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm){@supports (-webkit-appearance: none) and (stroke-color: transparent){.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-style:var(--safariOutlineStyleDefault);}}}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(54,119,168,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(47,112,157,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(47,112,157,1);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:rgba(47,112,157,1);} BDX inched 0.08% higher to $221.43 Wednesday, on what proved to be an all-around positive trading session for the stock market, with the S&P 500 Index SPX rising 0.61% to 6,086.49 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA rising 0.69% to 45,014.04. Becton Dickinson & Co. closed $28.46 short of its 52-week high ($249.89), which the company reached on January 9th.

During her arrest for DUI in Chicago earlier this month, a Democratic member of the obscure but influential Cook County Board of Review made sure that cops at the scene of a crash she caused knew they were dealing with a politician. In police body-camera videos from the incident in Andersonville on Nov. 11 that WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times obtained this week, Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele repeatedly refused to cooperate with officers who responded, including requests from cops to get out of the smashed car she was driving. One officer told her, “Ma’am, if you don’t exit the vehicle ... I’m going to help you to exit, and you don’t want that.” “ You don’t want that! I’m an elected official,” Steele shot back. “Elected official of what?” the officer asked. “Cook County,” Steele told him. When the officer asked for her name, Steele held out her hand and said, “I’m Sam.” The cop replied, “Sam who?” But Steele did not give the police her full name at that point. The officer told other cops, “She’s saying she’s an elected official of Cook County.” Steele then said, “I don’t want to be on the video.” But police told her she was indeed on video and they continued to record the interaction with Steele. Despite several requests, Steele would not initially provide officers with her driver’s license or get out of the car. Sitting in the driver’s seat, she drank from what seemed to be a water bottle and used her cellphone to call the person she described many times as her attorney — Democratic Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton of Glenview. She only gave her driver’s license to police and exited the car after Britton advised her over the phone to do so. After Britton arrived at the scene in the 5000 block of North Ashland Avenue, Steele said she was not drinking the wine from the bottle in the car. Britton interjected: “Don’t say anything. Don’t say anything.” Two days after the arrest, Britton said he was not a defense attorney and would not be representing Steele in her case. Britton said Steele had an attorney but he would not identify the lawyer. The three-member Board of Review has the power to rule on property tax appeals, effectively reducing tax bills. Steele lives in Evanston, and she represents the Board of Review’s district covering much of the North Side of Chicago and northern suburbs. The video from her arrest also shows the moment when police searched the car Steele was driving and discovered what records indicate was a half-empty bottle of red wine near the front passenger seat. In the video, officers joke that the cabernet sauvignon was “good stuff” and that breath mints they also found “didn’t help” — an apparent reference to the strong smell of alcohol that officers allege they detected on Steele’s breath. After at first refusing to do a field sobriety test, Steele agreed to do it, but then Steele said she had hit her head in the crash and wanted to take an ambulance to be treated. She was handcuffed again and placed in an ambulance, which took her to the hospital, according to police reports. Steele soon was transported to Chicago’s Lincoln police district, where she allegedly made lewd comments to an officer, records show. The cop wrote in his report that Steele “repeatedly said, ‘Is your penis that small’ ” to him. But the newly released video does not include Steele making those comments, which allegedly were said at the hospital. None of these recordings include footage from the hospital. Police charged Steele with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol. She has not commented publicly on the case. Her court date is Dec. 27, records show. The next Board of Review meeting is scheduled for Dec. 2. Steele, 45, was first elected to the Board of Review in 2022, after being an elected county official in Indiana. The Democrat and her chief of staff are facing a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed recently by former aide Frank Calabrese, who obtained the body-camera footage of the arrest through an open-records request to police and shared it with WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. Earlier in the year, Steele defended giving a job at the Board of Review to a former northwest Indiana politician who had pleaded guilty in a federal case. And she also has found herself at the center of the high-stakes dispute over the Chicago Bears’ property tax bill for the old Arlington Park racecourse property, where the football team has considered building a new stadium. Dan Mihalopoulos is an investigative reporter on WBEZ’s Government & Politics Team. Tom Schuba is a criminal justice editor for the Sun-Times.Nana Patole Clinches Victory in Nail-Biting Assembly ContestAuthored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times, Communities throughout the United States are debating the pros and cons of fluoridated water. It’s a bit of a shock because the issue has been present in the underground of American political life for many decades. Community water fluoridation was an early example of using public services for the purpose of mass medicalization. The science was never there, however, and there is a growing awareness that the critics were always correct. If you want fluoride, you can get your own, without mass dosing of the population without consent. It’s the strangest thing. This issue has suddenly become a hot topic, even though it has been debated since the 1950s. One could say it is an issue whose time has come. And not only this one. There is new skepticism in the public mind about a huge range of things, the critics of which were only recently considered crazy cranks. The frenzy over the capacity of government to control the climate is meeting with new resistance. Governments and companies that imposed vaccine mandates are facing serious fines at the hands of court judgments. Legions of regime scientists are under fire for blessing pandemic-era lockdowns despite how much they harmed the population. Only two years ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., founder of Children’s Health Defense, was written off as a conspiracy theorist. There’s only one problem: His theories not only came true, but his explanations (contained in two books) are enormously compelling, so much so that his following has grown to a real turning point. People ask if he can be confirmed as the new secretary of health and human services. My own sense is that there is no doubt. The new head of the National Institutes of Health is Jay Bhattacharya, who dissented from lockdowns since their earliest days, tirelessly writing and speaking against the misuse of science in the name of controlling infectious disease. Once, during the darkest times, he and I spoke on the phone. He said to me with genuine conviction that we had the moral obligation to speak out because so many people were suffering. He had the genuine sense that this craziness had to end, or else society itself would be irreparably damaged. Nearly five years later, his outlook has become an emergent orthodoxy. It’s but another symbol of dramatically changed times. We find daily articles in the mainstream press sounding alarms that there is a new populist movement that distrusts all the claims of science. It’s a wild exaggeration, consistent with censorship and the dogma of supposed experts. Good science is characterized by doubts and demands for evidence. Conventional historiography divides the past millennium and a half into two great epochs: the age of faith and the age of science. This division was always overwrought. It imagines the culture from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. as mostly enraptured with mystical religious dogma and lorded over by popes and priests. Then the Enlightenment dawned, with its focus on evidence and the scientific method, and thus did we experience the dawn of technology and better lives. There are some obvious correctives to make to this simple outlook. The “age of faith” was the very one that gave birth to scientific concerns, driven as they were in the Middle Ages by a confidence that the universe as created by God could be discovered and understood with fearless investigation. This was the essence of the scholasticism that emerged in the 12th century, which combined Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and classical wisdom with a drive to find the final truth in God himself. Meanwhile, the birth of widespread secularism led to excesses in the name of science, such as terrifying eugenics (the belief that the human population should be bred with attention to quality, as in animal husbandry) and totalitarianism (the belief that the whole of society should be treated as a laboratory for experiments). The No. 1 mystical belief of the age of science was that the methods of the natural sciences can and should pertain to social sciences. This key error wrecked so many different fields, from politics and economics to psychology and sociology. The attempt to take methods for studying stable things and use them to study rational and volatile things never worked. To make it plausible required building fallacies into the model. We see this everywhere now. Look up common fallacies to see the very core of the junk science that overwhelms us today. I’ve written about many fallacies—not only post hoc ergo propter hoc but also the subject bias. Then you have the absolute junk science of modeling: Assume pigs can fly and that you can prove it. Looking back, the most powerful and prescient critique of this outlook was F.A. Hayek’s amazing “ Counterrevolution of Science ,” a book I revisited in the depths of lockdown to find insight into what had gone wrong. This is the 50th anniversary of Hayek’s Nobel Prize speech of 1974. He had received the prize for his work on business cycles. He could have delivered a technical and relatively noncontroversial talk. Instead, he used the occasion to send out a grave warning not only to all economists but also to everyone in academia and the intellectual world. Provocatively, he called his paper “ The Pretense of Knowledge .” Consider the following passage: “What I mainly wanted to bring out by the topical illustration is that certainly in my field, but I believe also generally in the sciences of man, what looks superficially like the most scientific procedure is often the most unscientific, and, beyond this, that in these fields there are definite limits to what we can expect science to achieve. This means that to entrust to science—or to deliberate control according to scientific principles—more than scientific method can achieve may have deplorable effects. “The progress of the natural sciences in modern times has of course so much exceeded all expectations that any suggestion that there may be some limits to it is bound to arouse suspicion. Especially all those will resist such an insight who have hoped that our increasing power of prediction and control, generally regarded as the characteristic result of scientific advance, applied to the processes of society, would soon enable us to mould society entirely to our liking. “It is indeed true that, in contrast to the exhilaration which the discoveries of the physical sciences tend to produce, the insights which we gain from the study of society more often have a dampening effect on our aspirations; and it is perhaps not surprising that the more impetuous younger members of our profession are not always prepared to accept this. “Yet the confidence in the unlimited power of science is only too often based on a false belief that the scientific method consists in the application of a ready-made technique, or in imitating the form rather than the substance of scientific procedure, as if one needed only to follow some cooking recipes to solve all social problems [my emphasis]. It sometimes almost seems as if the techniques of science were more easily learnt than the thinking that shows us what the problems are and how to approach them. “The conflict between what in its present mood the public expects science to achieve in satisfaction of popular hopes and what is really in its power is a serious matter because, even if the true scientists should all recognize the limitations of what they can do in the field of human affairs, so long as the public expects more there will always be some who will pretend, and perhaps honestly believe, that they can do more to meet popular demands than is really in their power. “It is often difficult enough for the expert, and certainly in many instances impossible for the layman, to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate claims advanced in the name of science.” He concluded his talk as follows: “If man is not to do more harm than good in his efforts to improve the social order, he will have to learn that in this, as in all other fields where essential complexity of an organized kind prevails, he cannot acquire the full knowledge which would make mastery of the events possible [my emphasis]. He will therefore have to use what knowledge he can achieve, not to shape the results as the craftsman shapes his handiwork, but rather to cultivate a growth by providing the appropriate environment, in the manner in which the gardener does this for his plants. “There is danger in the exuberant feeling of ever growing power which the advance of the physical sciences has engendered and which tempts man to try, ‘dizzy with success,’ to use a characteristic phrase of early communism, to subject not only our natural but also our human environment to the control of a human will. “The recognition of the insuperable limits to his knowledge ought indeed to teach the student of society a lesson of humility which should guard him against becoming an accomplice in men’s fatal striving to control society—a striving which makes him not only a tyrant over his fellows, but which may well make him the destroyer of a civilization which no brain has designed but which has grown from the free efforts of millions of individuals.” There we go, words spoken half a century ago never more applicable than in our time. We seem to be learning. We seem to be applying the lesson. The only way to save science from itself is to apply it in proper ways while recognizing the limits of the ability to construct the world according to the imaginings of a handful of intellectuals. It’s tragic that we had to come to the point of nearly destroying the globe to discover this, but here we are. Let the rebuilding begin. Keep the real science, but throw out the scientism. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

PREP FOOTBALL= IAHSAA State Playoffs= Class 3A= Championship= Wahlert, Dubuque 49, Humboldt 14 Class 2A= Championship= West Lyon, Inwood 42, Spirit Lake 7 Some high school football scores provided by ,A closer look at Ebbsfleet ahead of Boxing Day clash with Blues

The president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas has shared the latest news on the death of actor Junior Pope He said that he wanted to sue the producer Adanma Luke, whose movie cost the death of the actor, however, the contract he signed could not permit him The Nollywood star also shared how he wants AGN to operate from henceforth, among other issues PAY ATTENTION: Got a Minute? Complete Our Quick Survey About Legit.ng Today! The president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas has said that he wanted to sue actress and producer Adanma Luke for the death of actor Pope Odonwodo , aka Junior Pope. After he reviewed the contract the late actor and Luke signed, it became impossible for him to sue her because only Junior Pope's family had the right to do so. Rollas made this statement during an interview with Arise TV and he added that he is working toward making the guild to be more structured. Read also Portable laments as man fights him in Canada shopping mall, involves the police: "It Is harassment" He revealed that when Junior Pope died, he discovered that the deceased had not paid his monthly dues for one year. Hence, he advised members of the guild to pay whatever they were owing. PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! The Nollywood star added that actors in the industry will be given license with which they would need to operate as professionals. Junior Pope died on April 10, 2024, after he was involved in a boat mishap in Anambra state. Watch the video below: Reactions as Emeka Rollas speaks on Junior-Pope Legit.ng has compiled some of the reactions to Emeka Rollas' interview on Junior Pope, Adanma Luke, and AGN below: @iam_valebridge: "Junior Pope died due to Nigeria's negligence of health and safety. To date, people are still travelling on similar pathetic boats without life jackets. Many are still sinking on a daily basis, and the government has overlooked the safety of its citizens. For me, the director is a victim of Nigerian factors." Read also Davido appreciates God ahead of 32nd birthday, shares ordeal he passed through: "Happy to be alive" @iam_petithazard: "No die ooo make them no use you do upgrade." @halafbi: "In all you do in this life ... just try no first die. E get why." @steadimaji: "Just take the steps don't talk much." ijezz_ijezz: "This argument makes sense." @lrd.caesar: "Who provide such evil contract for Junior Pope to sign?" Junior Pope: Adanma Luke begs for forgiveness Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Adanma Luke had broken down in tears on social media as she reacted to Jnr Pope and her crew members’ demise for the umpteenth time. The new mum pleaded with Nigerians to forgive her while stating that the tragedy was destined to happen. Adanma Luke’s statements in the video raised a series of mixed feelings, with some Nigerians sympathising with her. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngUNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Rescuers contemplated the safest way Wednesday to search for a woman who apparently fell into a Pennsylvania sinkhole while looking for her lost cat, saying a crumbling old coal mine beneath the surface complicated efforts and endangered workers. Crews worked through the night in the Unity Township community of Marguerite to find Elizabeth Pollard, 64. A state police spokesperson said early Wednesday they were reassessing their tactics to avoid putting the rescuers in danger. "The integrity of that mine is starting to become compromised," Trooper Steve Limani told reporters at the scene about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers used water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk "for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Limani said. "We're probably going to have to switch gears" and do a more complicated dig, he said. On Tuesday, crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. "We cannot judge as to what's going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void," Graham said. "And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort." Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the operations officer at the scene, said they were "hoping that there's a void that she could still be in." Pollard's family called police about 1 a.m. on Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out Monday evening to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. In an interview with CBS News, Pollard's son, Axel Hayes, said he is experiencing a mix of emotions. "I'm upset that she hasn't been found yet, and I'm really just worried about whether she's still down there, where she is down there, or she went somewhere and found somewhere safer," Hayes said. "Right now, I just hope she's alive and well, that she's going to make it, that my niece still has a grandmother, that I still have a mother that I can talk to." The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they didn't notice the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. "It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it," Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl "nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NoneMadhushree Ghosh launched a supper club to help build community by sharing food — and ideas.