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Vanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' holiday list- In its continued support of those experiencing food insecurity, the Church of Scientology Los Angeles helps launch the holidays with its 4th Annual Turkey Drive - LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The bright yellow tents of the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology Los Angeles had something special at their weekly food drive on the Saturday before Thanksgiving: 300 turkeys for local families. The economic impact of the pandemic in 2020 marked the beginning of widespread unemployment and financial hardship. Although lockdowns have been over for several years, and many people have regained or found new employment, food insecurity remains a growing concern. A 2023 study by USC Dornsife Public Exchange revealed that nearly one-third of Los Angeles County residents experience food insecurity. According to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank , more than half of the parents surveyed in May 2024 reported difficulty accessing food, particularly as pandemic-era benefits phased out. It also reported that L.A. County has more food-insecure children than any other county in the U.S. In response to this urgent need, the Church of Scientology Los Angeles began providing a weekly food drive in 2020 and has continued to offer this service, helping hundreds of families each week. The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by L. Ron Hubbard. It constitutes one of the world’s largest independent relief forces. A Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Their creed: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.” Their motto is no matter the circumstances, “Something can be done about it.” For more information on the technology used by the Volunteer Minister, watch Scientology Tools for Life and the documentary Operation: Do Something About It on the Scientology Network on DIRECTV 320 or at www.Scientology.tv . LEARN MORE: https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/ https://www.scientology-losangeles.org VIDEO: https://youtu.be/B0xMnowNCYo?si=DDYMrYdRbb-XAG-1 https://www.scientology.tv/watch/series/inside-scientology/inside-a-church.html PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/24-1203-s2p-COS-TurkeyDrive-300dpi.jpg PHOTO CAPTION: Cars line up at the Church of Scientology Los Angeles for a special addition to its weekly food drive. TAGS: #ChurchOfScientologyLosAngeles #TurkeyDrive #FoodDrive #Thanksgiving #ScientologyVolunteerMinisters NEWS SOURCE: Church of Scientology International Keywords: Religion and Churches, Church Of Scientology Los Angeles, Turkey Drive, Food Drive, Thanksgiving, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Church of Scientology International) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire . Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P122625 APDF15TBLLI To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/church-of-scientology-food-drive-makes-thanksgiving-special-for-300-local-families/ © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.DETROIT — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25 percent tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10 percent taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51 percent of fresh fruit and 69 percent of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2 percent of fresh fruit and 20 percent of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much that they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15 percent of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8 percent crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out of the activity” of buying a new vehicle, Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. Stellantis and VW import about 40 percent of the vehicles they sell from Canada and Mexico, while it’s 30 percent for GM and 25 percent for Ford. GM and Stellantis import more than half of their high-profit pickup trucks from the two countries, according to Bernstein. If Trump does impose the tariffs in January, the auto industry would have little time to adjust, putting operating profits at risk for the automakers, Roeska said in an email. “A 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit the stocks of some companies that could be particularly hurt, such as auto manufacturers and Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States. But the overall market held relatively steady near records as investors saw Trump’s proposal as more of an opening position for negotiations rather than as a definitive policy. It’s not clear how long the tariffs would last if they are implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won’t make any moves because they can’t quickly change where they build vehicles. To move to the U.S., they would have to buy equipment and revamp their parts supply chain, which can take years. “I think everyone is going to be in a wait-and-see mode,” Whiston said. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry just as these businesses continue their long recovery from the pandemic,” the council said in a statement. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs on to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together on the challenges they face. “This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump’s transition team wouldn’t comment on the call. Also Monday, Trump turned his ire to China, saying he has “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned on Monday that there will be losers on all sides if there is a trade war. Trump’s threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico. Border seizures of the drug rose sharply under President Joe Biden. The tariffs would also throw into doubt the reliability of the 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, the USMCA, which replaced NAFTA and is up for review in 2026. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what authority he would use, what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department and Economy Department also had no immediate reaction to Trump’s statements.
This past Saturday’s South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway was the most highly anticipated Late Model Stocks race this year, thanks to Dale Earnhardt Jr. making his return behind the wheel of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet for the first time since 2007. Unfortunately, the event was snake bitten by technical issues on the FloRacing broadcast. At multiple times throughout the race, the audio cut out, the stream cut out and sometimes, both happened at the same time. Earnhardt discussed the broadcast issues during Monday’s “ Dale Jr. Download ,” asking fans to go easy on FloRacing “because they are the only ones really that are trying to bring this content to us.” “Hopefully people aren’t too hard on Flo because they are the only ones really that are trying to bring this content to us,” Earnhardt said. “... I can watch multiple weekly shows with multiple tablets, my phone, my iPad, my Apple TV or whatever it is, my Smart TV — I can watch three or four shows a night on any given weekend. It’s awesome.” The broadcast booth lost power at one point, leaving Eric Brennan and Blake McCandless without the ability to call the race. To finish out the race, James Pike took up the mantle. The FloRacing pit reporter suddenly had to handle play-by-play and color commentator duties all at once. He had to do it with quite the setup, too. From on top of a trailer in the infield, Pike delivered the race for fans at home. One man with a microphone, his IFB comms and the Race Monitor app to keep track of the running order. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s run at Florence goes sideways late in race NASCAR Productions issued an apology for the issues with the FloRacing broadcast. “NASCAR Productions is aware of the ongoing issues related to the live stream of the South Carolina 400 and is working diligently to resolve them. We apologize for these challenges during what we understand is a highly anticipated event,” NASCAR Productions wrote in a statement on X. As for Earnhardt’s performance at Florence, the NASCAR Hall of Famer started the race in the 37th position and worked his way up to second behind eventual race winner Treyten Lapcevich. Earnhardt had a car capable of taking the checkered flag, but a fuel pump issue on Lap 219 brought his run to an early end. He officially finished 28th. “I felt great about the car,” Earnhardt said after the race, via NASCAR.com . “Picked them off as I could. The car was excellent, and a lot of guys were starting to struggle with the balance of their car. For the second half, we were going to sit there in second. When it was time to start pressuring [Lapcevich], I could probably get him loose, drive off the corner and beat him. “It was about time to turn it on and then the fuel pump broke.” On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article. This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.
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More than 828 million people worldwide suffered from the severe impacts of famine in 2021, with one in ten facing critical situations and struggling to access nutritious food. In this context, the loss and degradation of soil used for crop cultivation exacerbate global hunger, according to the press release of the Food and Agriculture Organization. The growing global population and soil degradation may result in less individual sown acreage by 2025, potentially amounting to just a quarter of the land available in 1960, according to the United Nations FAO. This highlights the critical role soil plays in the agricultural sector to ensure a steady food supply for the world. Although agricultural technologies are improving, excessive use of chemicals is degrading the soil layer, leading to the loss of arable land and deforestation. Additionally, the process of global warming is further degrading fertile soil. To date, 33 per cent of the world’s soil has been deteriorating. Scientists have warned that if countries do not take action to conserve soil layers in time, the world will face food shortages, which could lead to significant social problems. Myanmar is facing deforestation, unregulated mining practices, and unsystematic slash-and-burn methods, all of which contribute to soil erosion. Natural disasters, such as flooding and landslides, also cause significant soil loss. While humans cannot fully prevent the impacts of these disasters, storms and floods exacerbate the destruction of soil layers. Soil erosion is primarily caused by torrential rains and the rapid flow of water in creeks and rivers. Steep slopes can accelerate the movement of water from hilly areas to the plains, leading to the erosion of soil layers. As a result, the quality of soil declines, reducing fertile land available for crop cultivation. This can lead to food shortages and reliance on low-quality food. Additionally, soil erosion may contribute to desertification, environmental degradation, and the loss of biodiversity. These environmental challenges can further worsen the socioeconomic conditions of affected communities. Everyone should recognize that the soil layer is an invaluable natural resource for society, essential in producing agricultural food. Healthy soil is the lifeblood of the Earth. Scientists have stated that it takes more than 500 years to form just one inch of soil. Therefore, all countries worldwide must implement effective policies to prevent soil degradation as a crucial strategy. Only when people round the world prioritize soil protection will the loss of arable land for food production be halted.Danaher Announces Quarterly Dividend
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How Korean LED Technology Can Drive Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in the U.S.By Nate Raymond BOSTON (Reuters) -U.S. prosecutors on Monday charged two men with illegally exporting sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a drone attack carried out by Iran-backed militants in Jordan in January that killed three U.S. service members and injured 47 others. Federal prosecutors in Boston charged Mohammad Abedini, the co-founder of an Iranian-based company, and Mahdi Sadeghi, an employee of Massachusetts-based semiconductor manufacturer Analog Devices, with conspiring to violate U.S. export laws. Prosecutors also charged Abedini, also known as Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, with providing material support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that resulted in death. The U.S. designates the Revolutionary Guards a foreign terrorist organization. Abedini, a resident of both Switzerland and Iran, was arrested in Milan, Italy, at the request of the U.S. government, which will seek his extradition. Sadeghi, an Iranian-born naturalized U.S. citizen living in Natick, Massachusetts, was also arrested. "We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technologies getting into dangerous hands," U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy in Massachusetts said. "Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating." The Jan. 28 drone attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan called Tower 22, near the Syrian border, was first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023. The three Army Reserve soldiers killed in the attack were all from Georgia. They were Sergeant William Jerome Rivers; Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders; and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. The White House later said the attack was facilitated by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization of hardline Iran-backed militant groups. Iran has denied involvement in the attack. At a press conference in Boston, Levy said the FBI had been able to trace sophisticated navigation equipment used in the drone to Abedini's Iranian company, SDRA, which manufactured the navigation system. Levy said Abedini had used a company in Switzerland as a front to procure American technologies from Sadeghi's employer including accelerometers and gyroscopes that were then sent to Iran. During a brief court hearing, Sadeghi was ordered detained pending a further hearing after a prosecutor called him a flight risk. His court-appointed lawyer did not respond to request for comment. A lawyer for Abedini could not be identified. Court papers do not identify Sadeghi's employer by name, but Analog Devices in a statement confirmed he worked for the company. Analog Devices said it was cooperating with law enforcement and was "committed to preventing unauthorized access to and misuse of our products and technology." (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Franklin Paul, David Gregorio and Lincoln Feast)