Trudeau told Trump Americans would also suffer if tariffs are imposed, a Canadian minister says- 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.
Nigeria, South Africa to finalise pact on violence prevention by 2025According to anonymous Defense Department sources as per The Times , Donald Trump is planning an immediate ban on transgender recruits and active duty personnel in the US military as soon as he returns to the White House. The ban would apply to around 15,000 service members and be instituted by medical discharge through executive order. The policy would be similar to the ban Trump enforced in 2017, which was overturned by Joe Biden in 2021. Trans membership and codified DEI training for officers in the military has been a constant source of national embarrassment for the US on the geopolitical stage for the past four years. The adaptation of the ideology into the armed forces has been presented by the Biden Administration and Democrats as a "necessary modernization" for an America increasingly reliant on "minority groups" to fill troop recruitment standards. The U.S. Navy hired this non-binary drag queen as a “digital ambassador” to try to recruit people pic.twitter.com/l3LIEtndVD However, the imposition of woke cultism is one of the biggest reasons for the collapse in volunteers according to combat veteran Pete Hegseth , Trump's current pick for Secretary of Defense. He notes that white working conservatives have been the backbone of the US military for generations and they have recently been alienated by the spread of a political religion that demonizes them. Military recruitment numbers aren't down because the Department of Defense needs to be more inclusive, the numbers are down because the DoD is trying to cater to the wrong demographics. Hegseth argues: "Of course we can’t wait to recruit our largest and most important military demographic until a crisis occurs. But that’s just what Biden’s woke policies have done. For the past three years - after President Barack Obama poured the social justice foundation - the Pentagon, across all branches, has embraced the social justice messages of gender equity, racial diversity, climate stupidity, and the LGBTQA+ alphabet soup in their recruiting pushes. Only one problem: There just aren’t enough lesbians from San Francisco who want to join the 82nd Airborne. Not only do the lesbians not join, but those very same ads turn off the young, patriotic, Christian men who have traditionally filled our ranks..." This position is accurate. Not only do most leftists not want to join the military, the majority are also physically and mentally incapable of handling the rigors of combat. Pentagon data shows that 77% of young recruits today would not qualify for military service because of physical inability, obesity and mental illness. Traits which are incredibly common among progressive activists. A return to a Trump trangender ban would likely be welcomed by most Americans due to global optics. The Biden Administration has encouraged a parade of trans people in uniform as a pillar of military recruitment, a practice which makes America look ripe for conquest. In 2023, a confidential DoD memo revealed that Biden allowed transgender service members to skip deployments and receive indefinite physical fitness waivers. Under Democrat oversight, the military has also offered gender transition hormone treatments and surgeries on the American taxpayer's dime. It's time to "de-transition" the US military and end the embarrassment forever.
Marc-Andre Fleury’s game still blooms in new Wild roleNone
Patient advocates call for more support for Australian workers living with a chronic condition/s following the release of a new insights report SYDNEY , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released today has found that of the one in two Australians living with a chronic health condition/s, over a third (37%) have left a job due to their condition/s. The two leading reasons individuals leave are: stress from work exacerbating their condition/s (56%); and lack of support in the workplace (44%). The new Insights Report: Working Well – Creating Workplace Cultures to Unlock the Full Capabilities of Australians Living with Chronic Health Conditions, commissioned by AbbVie, explores the experiences of Australians in the workforce living with chronic health conditions. In addition, the report analyses the broader attitudes of Australians in the workplace towards working and supporting those with chronic conditions, and where opportunities lie to improve or introduce workplace education and support measures. The report uncovered that stigma and discrimination towards those living with a chronic condition/s is still highly prevalent in Australian workplaces, with almost one in five (19%) of Australian workers with a chronic health condition admitting they left their job because they were discriminated against. Concerningly, 77% of Australian workers believe individuals living with a chronic condition/s experience discrimination and stigma at work, and fear of stigma and discrimination is the most common reason those living with a chronic condition/s do not disclose their condition/s to their employers (51%). Deidre Mackechnie , Executive Officer at the Australian Patient Advocacy Alliance (APAA), said: "The Working Well Insights Report launched today provides crucial insights into the unique experiences and challenges of Australian workers living with chronic health conditions: including why individuals may or may not choose to disclose their condition; where workers go to for advice and support; and the impact their condition/s have on career planning and progression." "The report also highlights the key areas that Australian workers believe their employers can do more to support people with chronic conditions, such as improving flexible working hours, support to take time for medical appointments or treatments and workplace policies to support individuals. "We understand that every individual has their own unique needs based on their condition, and there is no standard workplace policy or support measure that will cater to all these needs. However, our hope is that this report can be used to start a conversation in the workplace on how employers and co-workers can better support those with chronic conditions and that these conversations will help to reduce the stigma and discrimination these individuals face," said Ms Mackechnie. Positively, data in the report shows a clear consensus from the broader Australian workforce that it is important for people with a chronic health condition to have opportunities to stay in the workforce (85%). More than four in five (83%) want training to learn how to support better individuals living with a chronic condition at work. Nathalie McNeil , Vice President and General Manager of AbbVie Australia & New Zealand, said: "We know that the burden of chronic health conditions is continuing to rise, with data released earlier this month showing Australia spent $82 billion on chronic health conditions between 2022 and 2023. However, there has been little research into the role workplaces play to maximise workplace participation, especially for those living with chronic health conditions, to help reduce the financial, social and emotional burden." Australia's expenditure on managing chronic health conditions accounted for nearly half (48%) of total healthcare expenditure in 2022-23. Furthermore, from 2013–14 to 2022–23, total spending on disease and injury rose by $70.5 billion , 54% of which was driven by increase in spending for chronic conditions. "At AbbVie, we are committed to providing a welcoming environment for all our employees, including those living with chronic conditions. We are using the findings of the Working Well report to explore how we can better support those colleagues living with chronic health condition/s in order to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace for all employees. "In 2025 we aim to work with other employers and organisations to discuss how we can better support Australians living and working with a chronic condition/s," said Ms McNeil. The full Insights Report: Working Well – Creating Workplace Cultures to Unlock the Full Capabilities of Australians Living with Chronic Health Conditions is available here .Hanesbrands Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
Testing AKD’s guts
Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status toteThe Ministry of Defence has been ordered to find the medical records of nuclear veterans that have been hidden for 70 years. An internal investigation was announced in the wake of a BBC documentary into the Nuked Blood Scandal, and an alleged official cover-up of blood tests taken from troops during Cold War weapons tests. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament yesterday it was “a really important issue” but did not respond to requests to meet the affected families and see their evidence for himself. Defence Secretary John Healey announced the internal inquiry when quizzed about the film by a Commons select committee on Thursday. * You can donate to the veterans’ crowdfunder HERE South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck asked the minister: “How long is the government and the MoD going to hold the line that nothing is being withheld from the veterans, and that their families aren’t suffering from the effects of radiation?” Mr Healey insisted nothing was being withheld, but records may have been lost. “What we’re doing is a detailed dig into what may be held, but we’ve not been aware of it,” he said. “If there are documents that the government holds in any part of the system then we will release them as they ask... some of this digging is not straightforward, and some of these records may not exist.” He praised the Mirror ’s 40-year campaign for the truth but said: “There’s not necessarily an inconsistency when nuclear test veterans know they were medically tested at the time, or soon after, but now decades later those records may not exist or be partial, and that’s what we’re trying to get to the bottom of.” He said he wanted to avoid a lengthy judge-led inquiry because of the age and health of the veterans. Survivors have reported the only parts of their medical records missing are pages that relate to their time at the tests, and say the files appear to have been filleted rather than mislaid. Even if they have been unintentionally lost, it could still lead to massive compensation and an apology for medical negligence, with damages aggravated by the cover-up. There is also potential for a criminal investigation of officials who hid records behind bogus claims of national security. Human rights lawyer Jason McCue, who is leading the legal fight for the truth, welcomed the investigation but said the MoD had failed to engage with the potential £5bn claim, or the veterans’ offer to mediate with a one-year special tribunal to limit costs to the taxpayer. “It’s not about government saying they will meet and provide sympathy along with a photo call, they must meet the veterans’ demand for justice,” he said. “Clearly they are still frightened to engage or meet with the veterans’ legal representatives because they are frightened of the costs involved to make things right.” Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story is available on iPlayer and will be screened in Parliament on Monday.
Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardonsTRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MachTen, Inc. ("MACT”) (OTC: MACT) today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. Financial Highlights Revenue was $4.3 million in the quarter vs. $4.1 million in the prior year. For the nine months ended September 30, revenue was $12.7 million vs. $11.9 million in 2023. EBITDA was $2.5 million in the third quarter vs. $2.1 million in the prior year, and $6.8 million for the first nine months of 2024 compared to $5.8 million in 2023. After consulting for several months, Marc Blom joined MachTen full-time as Chief Financial Officer on October 1. Marc brings considerable finance and accounting experience, having held key positions with companies in the asset management, medical device and consumer products industries. "I am looking forward to continuing the long legacy of the Michigan based companies in providing exceptional telecommunication services and expanding the company into new markets,” added Marc Blom. Third Quarter 2024 Operational Highlights Michigan Broadband continues to invest significant capital in equipment, software, and personnel to update systems and processes following its spin-off from LICT Corporation. Approximately 100 miles of fiber-optic network has been constructed over the last twelve months, passing nearly 2,500 potential customers. This brings total fiber-based passings to almost 8,000, with another 2,500 expected by year-end 2025. Following the investment period mandated by E-ACAM and the ReConnect American grants, Michigan Broadband anticipates being able to provide at least 100 Mbps / 20 Mbps data service to more than 20,000 locations. As of September 30, 2024, Michigan Broadband had approximately 1,450 fiber-based Internet subscribers. Sales efforts to increase market penetration will be bolstered by the May 2024 launch of a TiVo-based video solution, and the upcoming introduction of a mobile MVNO offering. In addition, all fiber-based services can now be ordered on www.michbbs.com , relaunched this spring with interactive functionality. Michigan Broadband also implemented a Referral & Affiliate Marketing program in August 2024. Capital Investments A $4 million project funded by a Connecting Michigan Communities 3.0 grant to bring fiber-based services to more than 700 homes and businesses in Wallace and Carney is nearing completion, with final reimbursement by the State expected in January 2025. It is anticipated that the take-rate should be more than 50% after 18 months. Construction has begun on the ReConnect America 3 ("RC3”) grant projects that will ultimately bring fiber-based service to more than 2,500 locations over 600 miles. These grants were awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utility Service and will impact areas that are considered amongst the highest cost to serve. On a combined basis, the RC3 grant projects may have a total cost of approximately $85 million over a 5-year period, inclusive of a matching investment from MachTen of up to $16 million. The deployment of fiber-based broadband services to more than 8,900 locations in Michigan Broadband's incumbent network, supported by E-CAM, will accelerate in 2025. As previously disclosed, satisfaction of the E-ACAM obligation could cost up to $100 million, with most of the investment required by year-end 2028, 10-years earlier than expiration of support payments that should reach $150 million in aggregate. We continue to monitor potential developments related to E-ACAM funding in light of the recent ruling in the 5 th Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling impacts the funding mechanism and oversight of the Universal Service Fund and will be reviewed by the US Supreme Court in 2025. We are also monitoring the potential impact of the presidential election on broadband funding. Balance Sheet As of September 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $1.3 million, compared with $1.5 million as of December 31, 2023, and $0.7 million on June 30, 2024. Prior to being spun-off from LICT Corporation, MachTen declared a $15 million distribution to its former parent, and a Promissory Note was issued that included interest expense at a rate of SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) + 1.5%. In August, MachTen executed a $20 million term loan from the National Cooperative Services Corporation (NCSC). Concurrently, $16 million was drawn down to repay the LICT Note and for working capital. Accrued interest due LICT at the time of repayment of $1.02 million was reduced to $514,000 and converted to non-voting preferred equity with a 5% interest rate. The interest rate on the funds advanced from the NCSC term loan is fixed at approximately 5.5%. MachTen continues to explore scenarios for efficiently financing its capex obligations under E-ACAM and ReConnect America. About MachTen, Inc. MachTen is a holding company for Michigan Broadband Services, Upper Peninsula Telephone Company (UPTC), Michigan Central Broadband Company (MCBC), and Alpha Enterprises Ltd. MachTen's subsidiaries provide broadband internet access and communications services, including voice, video, home automation and managed hosting services. Investors should refer to filings that have been posted to www.machteninc.com .