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Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New Jersey, lawmaker says A New Jersey lawmaker from part of the state where several mysterious drones have been spotted in recent week says the devices appear to avoid detection by traditional methods. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia was among state officials who met Wednesday with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security. She says lawmakers were told the drones have dodged detection by helicopters and radio. Fantasia says DHS described the devices as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights off. The Morris County Republican made the comments in a post on X shortly after she and several other state and local lawmakers met with state police and Homeland Security officials. Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. Rape allegation against Jay-Z won’t impact NFL's relationship with music mogul, Goodell says IRVING, Texas (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says a rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z won’t impact the NFL's relationship with the music mogul. Jay-Z's company Roc Nation has produced some of the NFL’s entertainment presentations including the Super Bowl halftime show. A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 amended the lawsuit Sunday to include an allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z says the rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt. The NFL teamed up with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019 for events and social activism. The league and the entertainment company extended their partnership a few months ago. Ohio politician proposes make flag planting a felony after fight in Michigan rivalry game An Ohio politician has seen enough flag planting. Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he's introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 13-10 and then attempted to plant their flag at midfield. A fight ensued and police had to use pepper spray to disperse the players. Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield famously planted a flag in the middle of the field at Ohio State after the Sooners beat the Buckeyes in 2017. Gastineau confronts Favre in documentary for his 'dive' on Strahan's record-breaking sack Former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre last year at a memorabilia show and angrily accused the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback of deliberately going down on a record-breaking sack. The tense exchange is shown in the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange." It chronicles the Jets’ fearsome foursome defensive line of the 1980s that included Gastineau. Gastineau set an NFL record with 22 sacks in 1984, but Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan broke the mark when he sacked Favre in 2002 in a game between the Giants and Packers. Many have accused Favre of purposely taking the sack so Strahan could set the single-season record with 22 1/2. What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejected Lawyers in the Alex Jones bankruptcy case are now in discussions on what could happen next after a federal judge in Texas rejected the auction sale of Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet. The next steps remained unclear Wednesday as the judge ordered the trustee who oversaw the auction to come up with a new plan. Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston rejected the bid late Tuesday, saying there was too much confusion about The Onion’s bid. The bankruptcy case was in the wake of the nearly $1.5 billion that courts have ordered Jones to pay for calling the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut a hoax. Sandy Hook families had backed The Onion’s bid. NFL and Nike extend their partnership with a 10-year deal, will focus on growing the sport globally IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL’s desire to become a global powerhouse is no secret. Nike is committed to helping the league continue expanding its worldwide reach. The league and the apparel giant announced Wednesday a 10-year partnership extension. The NFL and Nike will focus on working together to grow the game’s global reach, increase participation, develop new talent, and expand the football fan base. Nike, the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, has been the NFL’s exclusive provider of uniforms and sideline, practice and base layer apparel for all 32 NFL teams for 12 years. George Kresge Jr., who wowed talk show audiences as the The Amazing Kreskin, dies at age 89 NEW YORK (AP) — George Joseph Kresge Jr., otherwise known to TV watchers as the mesmerizing entertainer and mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, has died at age 89. Kreskin’s friend and former road manager, Ryan Galway, says he died Tuesday at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey. Kreskin launched his television career in the 1960s and remained popular for decades, appearing with everyone from Merv Griffin to Johnny Carson to Jimmy Fallon. Fans would welcome, if not entirely figure out, his favorite mind tricks — whether correctly guessing a playing card chosen at random, or, most famously, divining where his paycheck had been planted among the audience. He also hosted a show in the 1970s, gave live performances and wrote numerous books. Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history has crumbled. The two companies have accused each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through, and Albertsons pulled out of the $24.6 billion deal on Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington issued injunctions to block the merger, saying that combining the two grocery chains could reduce competition and harm consumers. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee, as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger says the legal claims are “baseless.” Keynote Selena Gomez spotlights prioritizing mental health during Academy Women's Luncheon LOS ANGELES (AP) — While surveying a room packed with Hollywood’s most influential figures, “Emilia Pérez” star Selena Gomez took center stage at the Academy Women’s Luncheon to spotlight a critical issue: Prioritizing mental health and supporting underserved communities often left behind in the conversation. The singer-actor has been public about her mental health struggles, revealing she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Gomez was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the event held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with attendees including Ariana Grande, Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams, Pamela Anderson, Rita Wilson, Ava DuVernay and Awkwafina.

Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoys winning start with Leicester

Stock market today: Wall Street gets back to climbing, and the Nasdaq tops 20,000

No. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15Keir Starmer ‘softening’ inheritance tax stance, NFU chief hintsNone

Ruben Amorim issues storm warning after smooth start with Manchester UnitedPresident-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction

Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says President-elect Donald Trump’s new pick for U.S. Attorney General is “impressive” and “well-qualified.” Grassley, the incoming chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met Monday with Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General and Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department. The 59-year-old Trump ally was part of a team of lawyers that defended the then-president during his first Senate impeachment trial, where he was accused — but not convicted — of attempting to coerce Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden, his political rival. Bondi also was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his New York hush-money criminal trial that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. Trump’s sentencing in the case is on hold. A New York judge last month postponed it, giving Trump’s lawyers time to seek a dismissal, and could choose to freeze the case for four years while Trump holds office. Bondi, who served as Florida Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, also was involved in efforts to delegitimize the results of the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost to Biden, falsely claiming that Trump had “won Pennsylvania” at a news conference in Philadelphia and claiming voter fraud, according to reporting by the Tampa Bay Times. She also served on a federal commission during Trump’s first term focused on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis. Trump named Bondi as his nominee to serve as the country’s top federal law enforcement officer after his first choice, Republican former Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations. Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations. “Pam Bondi is a well-qualified nominee with an impressive legal career, including eight years as Attorney General of the State of Florida and nearly two decades spent as a prosecutor,” Grassley said in a statement Monday after meeting with Bondi in his Senate office. “Bondi is prepared to refocus the Justice Department (DOJ)’s attention where it ought to be: on enforcing the law and protecting Americans’ safety.” Trump’s pick of Bondi comes as critics fear he will use the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies. “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Grassley, 91, who has been a staunch advocate of federal whistleblowers and government oversight, said “I’ve found that the Justice Department is often the first to stand in Congress’ way when it’s seeking answers. “It’s time the DOJ prioritize transparency and recommit itself to blind justice, unlike what we’ve seen over the last four years,” he said in a statement. “To achieve this, Bondi will need to show unfailing support for whistleblowers, demonstrate respect for the DOJ Office of Inspector General’s independent oversight and commit to working with Congress to shed light on the Biden administration’s weaponization of the DOJ.” Current U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has defended the department’s integrity and impartiality against claims of politicization. Trump was indicted in two criminal cases by special counsel Jack Smith, whom Garland brought in from outside the department to run the investigations. Grassley said the Senate Judiciary Committee “will move swiftly” to consider Bondi’s nomination when the 119th Congress convenes in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NoneSINGAPORE: Potential employers often tell Ms Susan Tan (not her real name) how impressed they are by her resume and skills, only to conclude by saying they cannot hire her because she was born deaf. One recent reason given was that she "would not be able to communicate with clients", said the 40-year-old in text messages to CNA. In jobs she did land, Ms Tan claimed to have been been abruptly dismissed from one after being wrongly accused of not pulling her weight. In another, she resigned after what she felt was an unfair reprimand for not meeting deadlines. And in jobs she could hold down, there were times she felt excluded or unsupported. “Employees often chit-chat among themselves and I won’t be included in conversations," said Ms Tan, who still finds it challenging to secure full-time work and has been making ends meet through freelance tutoring. "I even had to pay for sign language interpreters out of my own pocket for meetings.” Ms Tan was thus not surprised by the findings in Singapore's first disability trends report, released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development earlier in December. They revealed that only about half of those surveyed had positive attitudes towards people with disabilities (PWDs) in the workplace in 2023, down from nearly six out of 10 in 2019. And the proportion of respondents who felt negatively about PWDs in the workplace rose from 9 per cent to almost 14 per cent. The study did not identify specific reasons. But experts told CNA it could be due to a degree of apprehension among employers and employees; while PWDs on their part could be lacking in social skills due to being "overprotected". In all cases, more education is key, they added. WHAT’S BEHIND THE GAP? The average employment rate of PWDs hit 32.7 per cent in 2022/2023, up from 28.2 per cent in 2018/2019. But workplace inclusivity is still a "work in progress" in Singapore and has a ways to go before reaching a goal of 40 per cent by 2030 , said disability agency SG Enable’s chief executive officer Lee May Gee. “It’s human nature to feel apprehensive about what we do not understand," she said. "Employers and employees may be unsure, uncomfortable, or simply lack the confidence on how to approach persons with disabilities and how to integrate them into the workplace.” Ms Lee also highlighted that smaller and more close-knit work teams may have positive attitudes towards PWDs in their ranks, while broader company-level attitudes may be neutral or negative due to a lack of interaction. MSF’s study showed that respondents who had contact with PWDs at least twice in the past year reported more positive attitudes compared to those who did not. In workplaces, skills such as effective communication, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence are becoming increasingly important as companies seek out a human touch amid rapid automation, said Mr Sean Goh director of capability and business development at Human Capital Singapore, a continuing education and training centre in human resource management. And these are the necessary soft skills which PWDs might be lacking in, through no fault of theirs. “PWDs have been raised in more sheltered environments where their disabilities resulted in well-meaning accommodation or overprotection," said Mr Goh. "It can inadvertently limit opportunities for social exposure, leading to challenges in self-management and social awareness." WHAT CAN BE DONE? Mr Rendi Toh was born with Alstrom Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder causing blindness from birth. He lacked the confidence when he first started job-hunting, but programmes at Human Capital taught him communication and teamwork skills that eventually helped clinch his current role as a host at NOX - Dine in the Dark. Still, there was the odd misunderstanding or run-in with colleagues unfamiliar or uncomfortable with his condition. But things have improved with continued training on areas such as resolving conflicts and developing emotional intelligence, and Mr Toh has since become an advocate for other PWDs employed by the restaurant. “PWDs definitely have concerns on how they are seen and perceived by others, but it’s a chicken and egg problem," said Ms Azlin Amran, an employment support specialist at local charity SPD. "They need to learn to project confidence so that they will be perceived as such.” Those who acquired their disabilities instead of being born with them also need time to grieve, she added. SPD, which serves PWDs of all ages, also offers training courses on both practical and soft skills necessary for the workplace. Top-down initiatives are just as - if not more - important. SG Enable, for one, offers training to help employers and employees better interact with and integrate PWDs in the workplace, and to cater to their different needs. “There’s a part in the workshop where we blindfold participants and guide them to do tasks, or get them to sit in a wheelchair and experience how hard it could be to move around," said the agency's CEO Ms Lee. "This helps develop awareness and empathy on what persons with disabilities are experiencing.” She called on employers to take the first step to dispel misconceptions of PWDs, and to encourage their employees to learn how to better promote inclusivity in the workplace. For instance, Mr Andrew Lim, who was born with a rare genetic eye disorder called cone dystrophy, works at a finance firm which has an inclusivity team. The team ensures employees know how to assist and create a safe environment for PWD employees. Mr Lim, who did not want to be known by his real name, has just 10 per cent of his vision left and it could deteriorate further. But the 28-year-old said he has never felt excluded or incapable in the workplace. Once, a colleague offered to help him take food at a company buffet, before patiently telling him where each item on the plate was positioned. “The chicken was at 3pm, the rice was at 6pm, and the tofu was placed at 9pm,” said Mr Lim. "Nobody has done that for me before." Ms Tan, the freelance tutor, said it was fundamentally about employers being more open to hiring PWDs. "We need to be given a chance,” she said. The value and the benefits of hiring PWDs are "not very well-known”, said SG Enable's Ms Lee. “But studies have shown that workplaces that hire PWDs often experience a shift towards stronger culture and organisational performance.” At Siloso Beach Resort on Sentosa island, employees Anthony Saminathan and Jason Karthikgesan Raja pointed out how their PWD colleagues don't complain about the workload, listen to instructions well and have a good attendance record. More than 30 per cent of the hotel's workforce are PWDs with a range of conditions and in roles such as dishwashing, housekeeping and food and beverage service. “Whenever I need help, I go to one of them first because they’re always very willing to give their best effort,” Mr Raja said. “There was an employee under me that didn’t speak much, apart from a few words. But I encouraged him every day. He came up to me one day and asked me out for dinner in a full sentence, and I cried. I will always remember that experience.” Mr Saminathan also recalled how he once had a PWD colleague video-call him at 11pm from Malaysia, asking if he wanted some souvenirs. “You need to be patient with them to understand how to better help them at their jobs," he said. "They’ll show you a lot of love and treat you well once you form a bond.”

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Health rethink needed as aging escalates Canada's costs significantly: reportNEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction, arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the extraordinary circumstances of his impending return to the White House. “Wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts,” the attorneys continued, before citing the “overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse the conviction, which involved efforts to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, whose affair allegations threatened to disrupt his 2016 campaign. He has denied any wrongdoing. Trump takes office Jan. 20. Merchan hasn’t set a timetable for a decision. A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Merchan could also decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.

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!A winning strategy to end Russia’s war against Ukraine

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index edged higher in trading on Wednesday, helped by strength in the technology sector, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 5.45 points at 25,641.18. The index took a “breather” Wednesday ahead of key labour market indicators set to be released both in Canada and the U.S. this week, said Angelo Kourkafas, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones. Statistics Canada will report the latest data from the national labour force survey on Friday, the same day the November jobs report is due in the U.S. “That's the last important data point for the Bank of Canada before they meet next week,” said Kourkafas. November was a strong month for equities, he said, so it isn't surprising that investors are digesting the gains while they await new data. He said it’s expected that Statistics Canada will report an acceleration of job gains after last month brought a “relatively weak reading,” with job gains at about half of what analysts were expecting. While Canada’s central bank is expected to cut its key interest rate a fifth straight time on Dec. 11, the size of the cut could depend on that jobs data, he said. “We're now looking at a rebound, but as the Bank of Canada deliberates between a quarter point cut versus half a percentage point cut, I think what we are going to see in terms of unemployment rate and the base of job gains is going to have a say into that,” said Kourkafas, adding that wage growth is another important metric to watch. “If we see steady job growth and slowing wages, that can potentially tilt the Bank of Canada towards a larger cut.” In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 308.51 points at 45,014.04. The S&P 500 index was up 36.61 points at 6,086.49, while the Nasdaq composite was up 254.21 points at 19,735.12. U.S. markets were propelled by strength in the technology sector, said Kourkafas, highlighting strong results in quarterly earnings released this week by Salesforce Inc. and Marvell Technology Inc. “I think today's results highlight that there is still a long runway and still enthusiasm, excitement about artificial intelligence and kind of that multi-year adoption cycle,” he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.09 cents US compared with 71.14 cents US on Tuesday. The January crude oil contract was down US$1.40 at US$68.54 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$3.04 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was up US$8.30 at US$2,676.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.20 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press

Coach Michel praises Girona's return to form after Espanyol thrashing