fish stock

WOODSTOCK — Woodstock Presbyterian Church dedicated a new organ just in time for the holiday season after it determined that the cost of repairing its old one was too costly. “Imagine sitting at the organ, playing a piece and your timing is perfect, but the notes are playing after or not at all,” said the Rev. Brittany Lane. “Our organist was working with that. I mean truly think about how much mental capacity it takes to adjust pieces right and left, making changes so that we could use that organ every Sunday.” Due to high costs, the church’s organ had not been updated since the 1980s, Lane explained, noting that such instruments typically require updates every 20 years or so. “Organs are incredibly expensive to both purchase and keep up with,” she said, explaining that factors like the sanctuary’s temperature and humidity levels play an intricate role in its tuning and performance. “We can’t afford to heat and cool the space regularly, like every other space in this building that’s used daily – from renters or us using it.” Refurbishing the organ, Lane said, would have cost the church approximately $200,000. With each maintenance session, the price doubled. What originally started around $20,000 steadily increased over the years. Seeking a solution, Lane, who grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, contacted some of her connections, explaining the church’s predicament. “One of the members from my home church suggested we go to Allen Organ company,” said Lane. After reaching out to the trusted name in the industry, the church was presented with two options: repair its current organ for $150,000 to $200,000 or purchase a new one for $55,000. Lane said an organ committee consisting of members Jim VanKirk, Jerry Germroth, Ruth Burnett, Malina Johnston, Liz Sollenberger, Becky Cooper and herself was formed. To fund its purchase, the committee appealed to the congregation for $60,000, covering both the cost of the organ and its installation. “We started with running a matching campaign, up to $20,000,” Lane said, explaining that members each took a Sunday to share with congregants a bit more about the organ, its problems and their proposed solutions. Due to a significant anonymous donor, funding was achieved in roughly four weeks. Extra funding was placed into the church’s music program for varying events, including bringing in local artists or high school students. “Everyone was sad that we were losing the pipe organ, but we were gaining all these pipe organs from around the world. And their sounds. Once we played it for the first time, the congregation was like, ‘We’re good!’” Known for producing realistic and affordable pipe sounds through technological innovation and advancement, Allen Organ Company installed the church’s new electric organ, a GX 215, on May 7. She praised salesman and teacher Ken Saliba for his expertise and knowledge. “The really cool part is that they actually took recordings from pipe organs from around the world,” Lane explained, noting that its A-5 might be from Notre Dame. It’s awesome.” Lane added that the organ also can record and playback later and has a significantly wider choice of reed stops or instruments, something they didn’t have before. “We have chimes, we have a trumpet stop. So, basically, what they mean is when you press the stop, it plays the notes, kind of like an electric piano.” With lots of opportunities and a lifetime of music, Lane said the beauty of the new organ is its longevity. “It doesn’t need to be tuned,” she said. “And if something goes wrong, you can replace the circuit board. It’s basically like replacing a hard drive on your computer, which is awesome.” Woodworker and congregant Keith Coffman constructed the new base as well as installed the speakers. Lane noted that the original pipes remain, in case at a future date the church wishes to return to the pipe organ. “But I think what blew me away most is that this was my first capital campaign as a pastor. And just the speed with which folks jumped on board for this was outstanding. That was really exciting to see,” she said. “But also that they trusted the committee to make the right decision. They were ready to say yes, and keep moving forward – which I think is a pretty fair statement about this church in general – they may have questions, but they’re ready to keep going whether its theology, mission or a new organ, they’re on board.” On Nov.r 17, the church hosted an organ dedication concert where congregants and the community gathered to hear a standard stop list including Classic Allen, English, Cavaille-Coll, Schlicker, Arp Achnitger, Aeolian-Skinner, Wurlitzer, Barton, and Morton. “We chose different pieces of music – both secular and religious – that would show off different aspects of the organ.” Following songs and hymns such as “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” “All Hail the Power” and “Over the Rainbow” a litany of dedication took place, led by Lane. “We present this instrument to be consecrated to the glory of almighty God and for service in this congregation.” Looking for ways to use the instrument to help the community, Lane said one of the church's goals in the coming year is to engage in more ways than just church. “Church is great. This building is such a gift, and that instrument is such a gift that we want it to be used for other things as well. We couldn’t do that before, because no one wants to play an organ that doesn’t play all the time.” Hoping to offer lessons, concerts, or other musical opportunities, Lane said music is the heart and soul of her congregation. “Music is such a big part of who God is for them,” she said. “And how they live out their faith because music can reach people like words cannot.” Join Woodstock Presbyterian Church, 142 E. Court St., at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve for a Christmas Eve Candle Light Service.fish stock 。

Business Leader Chooses to Live and Work in Downtown St. Paul Mark Henneman, longtime leader of the investment advisory firm, has undergone three major transitions in his life since 2022. Two of them demonstrate his confidence in the future of downtown St. Paul, which has been beset by a . For two decades, Henneman served in a variety of leadership roles at Mairs & Power, which was founded in St. Paul in 1931 by George Mairs Jr. Much of Henneman’s time was spent working in the firm’s office in the First National Bank Building in downtown St. Paul. When Henneman was CEO, the firm conducted an extensive study process to identify a new office location. Sites outside of St. Paul were considered, but the firm’s leadership . In 2022, the Mairs & Power office moved from First National to the 25th floor of Wells Fargo Place at 30 East 7th Street. This year, Henneman has experienced two major changes in his life. In October, . Henneman will remain with the firm as chairman through the end of 2026. In late summer, Henneman and his wife moved from a single-family home to a condo in downtown St. Paul. In a recent interview at the Mairs & Power office, Henneman talked with about the decision to live downtown. “I love downtown St. Paul,” Henneman said. “The things that we love about it are the thriving arts [scene.]” Henneman and his wife enjoy theater and music offerings downtown, which include events at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. “My wife and I, we just walk to all these different venues,” he said. He noted substantial investments that have been made in cultural venues downtown. “They’re vast and that’s just created a great way of life for us.” Henneman isn’t naïve about the fact that downtown faces economic and social challenges. He also recognizes that not everybody views downtown St. Paul the way that he does. In some instances, when people learned that he now lives downtown, Henneman said he got reactions such as: “Why would you move downtown? It’s dangerous.” Often, he said, the people who have the harshest views of downtown St. Paul spend little or no time there. “The impressions of downtown St. Paul are not the reality of downtown St. Paul,” Henneman said. “We’re very comfortable down here. We know there are areas you don’t want to go to at night. But that was true where we lived before.” Henneman is among the business, government, and nonprofit leaders who serve on the board of the , which is a coalition that’s focused on making downtown a better place to live, work, and play. “There is a homeless issue for sure,” Henneman said. “That doesn’t make us feel unsafe down here. It makes me feel bad, and it feels like a problem that we’d love to help solve.” There are many unoccupied office spaces in downtown St. Paul, including in the First National Bank Building where Mairs & Power previously was headquartered. The office vacancy rate in St. Paul’s central business district was 31% in the third quarter of this year, . “We’re in the midst of a commercial real estate meltdown,” Henneman said. “But I think that’s presenting an incredible opportunity, and one that I want to participate in and help with.” In mid-November, the Downtown Alliance released a report from architectural and design firm Gensler concluding that . The Gensler report focused on the elements of the buildings’ physical structures and their locations. It provided some baseline data for developers, government officials, and other stakeholders who now need to determine the financial feasibility of housing conversion projects. “There are issues that are coming up in the short term,” Henneman said. “It looks, frankly, kind of bleak. But I feel strongly that the long term [outlook] is excellent, and that the things that are going to be happening over the next few years will make downtown something special.”EXCLUSIVE : Though hardly a song-and-dance guy, French filmmaker Jacques Audiard has made the most compellingly original musical in years in Emilia Pérez , and it has become one of Netflix ‘s most celebrated awards-bait film in years. It got 10 Golden Globe noms , a record for the musical/comedy category; five European Film Award wins including Best Film and Best Director; 10 Critics Choice nominations ; and numerous other accolades. The three actresses atop the call sheet — Karla Sofía Gascón , Selena Gomez , and Zoe Saldaña — are all up for Globes, and the film is well positioned for the upcoming Oscar nominations . The versatile Audiard found his audaciously original inspiration while thumbing through Boris Razon’s 2018 novel Écoute , where he got the idea for a cartel boss determined to kill his past and transform into the woman he always wanted to be. Here, he explains how he did it, in a moment where Netflix has licensed for its service The Sisters Brothers, Dheepan , A Prophet and Rust and Bone , the latter two of which will be available on the streamer in January. DEADLINE: Describe the eureka moment when you are reading this novel and come across this character who inspired your heroine? JACQUES AUDIARD: In the novel, the character was not a small-time dealer. He was a full-fledged cartel boss. But what really struck me is that the author of the novel, in the subsequent chapters, did not develop this character at all. And that’s what really intrigued me, and that’s where my imagination started to go into action. DEADLINE: You added a daring storyline, with singing and dancing. You’ve described it as having the structure of an opera, a libretto. Might you stage it as an opera one day? AUDIARD: Speaking for myself personally, no, I won’t stage it. I thought about it early on when we started with this work, but four years later, I can tell you that my desire has severely flagged. DEADLINE: Carrying a project that long must be wearing. How did having three major female characters impact the dynamic and the possibilities of what you were writing? AUDIARD: I see what you’re getting at. I am trying to think of a good answer. DEADLINE: Consequences, virtues... AUDIARD: I don’t know exactly how this came to be, but I think I had the idea for a character — in this case, a female character whose life experience would influence the lives of the other people in the story. And for this, I had a model, which was Pasolini film Teorema , in which the arrival of this character transforms the life of an entire family. I wanted Emilia’s transition to not be without consequence on the lives of those who surrounded her, and I wanted that these consequences should be beneficial, virtuous. DEADLINE: At what point in your writing did the musical and dancing elements come into it? Was there a cinematic inspiration for that addition? AUDIARD: The initial text that I wrote when I was adapting this strangely resembled a libretto. They were divided in acts, they were tableaus. And I think that came from the fact that I was in lockdown and I wanted to write fast. I didn’t want to dwell on intermediary stuff. And so once you’re writing a libretto, that of course is asking for music. So I always saw this as a project with music in it, and I think that’s due to the subject, the change of voice, the destiny of this character. I think that was of an operatic tragic nature. DEADLINE: You needed a trans actress for the title role. What about Karla Sofía Gascón and her own life made her right. She wasn’t that well known, but if you watch the film, you couldn’t imagine anybody else playing this role. AUDIARD: Well, first of all, if I hadn’t met Karla Sofía, I’m not sure what this film would’ve been or where we would even be with it today. As far as I see it, she’s truly a great actress, and I’ve worked with a lot of actresses. She really is someone that I found remarkable. And if you’re asking what exactly is her quality, her character as an actress, I think after all this time, what I would say — and maybe it seems a little naive — is that her talent is due to her life, to the specific drama of her life. The specificity of her talent comes from that. RELATED: Karla Sofía Gascón Lands Historic Golden Globe Nomination As First Out Trans Performer In Film Category DEADLINE: Zoe Salda ñ a and Selena Gomez are two of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. How did you sell them on this film? AUDIARD: See, they wanted to do it. I didn’t have to sell it to them. DEADLINE: When you make a movie as audaciously original as Emilia Pérez , studios often choke on the risk, because there’s nothing really to compare it with. You cannot logline this in a single sentence. How receptive were buyers, and what was the big challenge in getting the film financed? AUDIARD: If we’re going to talk about commerce or business, it’s a little bit trivial, but let’s talk about it. I think that this movie demanded names, and Zoe and Selena delivered that for this movie to exist in the eyes of people who were going to invest money. We did need that. Now, I don’t know if I really pitched this film. People read the screenplay . I don’t think I had to serve as its sales representative. It wasn’t like that. I’m sorry if it’s pretentious to say this, but people do know me a little bit. DEADLINE: True, but we haven’t often seen a trans actress leading a production like this. And there’s a lot of daring and provocative things that happen here. As much as they might want to work with you, I wonder if you got some interesting reactions from financiers about taking this creative risk with you? RELATED: Oscar Shortlists In 10 Categories Announced: ‘Emilia Pérez’ & ‘Wicked’ Lead The Field AUDIARD: There was no reticence at all in terms of subject matter that we struggled with. I think what made all the difference is from the moment that I decided to shoot in a studio. We realized that we would have to keep the budget within a certain range. And given those conditions, that allowed the people who were going to accompany us financially to be able to join up. It made it relatively easy to finance the film. I say relatively because we did have a gap for a time, but it was relatively easy to finance the film because we kept it within a certain budget range. DEADLINE: The movie feels like it takes place in Mexico, but you shot in France... AUDIARD: I went two to four times to Mexico, to do casting and for location scouting. And it was when we were coming to the end of these location-scouting sessions that I realized that Mexican reality, or it could have been another reality, was weighing the film down. It was preventing the film from taking off. And I was not finding myself able to create the images that more and more were coming to me in prep, in that reality. And that’s how we decided that we were going to make it on a sound stage. And there’s really nothing closer to an opera stage than a sound stage. This was a film that needed an important degree of stylization. And by coming back to France, we would benefit from all the French regional funding and all the institutional funding that we have there. DEADLINE: Karla Sofía turns in a wonderful performance, as she dangerously re-enters the world she ran. She gets to see how destructive it was when she was leading a cartel and rekindles the relationship with her children. She has become the first trans actress to be nominated for a Golden Globe . And it’s very possible that an Oscar nomination awaits her. How important to you is that distinction? You never want to marginalize somebody who turns in a great performance, no matter how they identify. But this is all unprecedented. What does that all mean to you, Jacques? AUDIARD: It’s strange. I don’t think that I’m analyzing things on that level. Now, of course, I can’t put my head in the sand and say that Karla is not a trans actress. But first and foremost, she is, for me, an actress. And I’m proud that I wasn’t wrong about her. As for the rest, I don’t really think about it. I would’ve been upset, offended if she hadn’t been noted as an actress. DEADLINE: What did Zoe and Selena bring to their roles that most surprised you? AUDIARD: Originally in the screenplay, the characters ages were completely different. The character of Rita, Zoe, was 25. The character of Manitas, or Emilia, was 30. Epifania [Gomez] was 17. And what happened is that after a very, very long fruitless casting process, I was introduced to Zoe and Karla Sofía in the same range of time. I don’t remember who I saw first, but the moment I saw one of them, there was really a shock. I realized the second I saw them that I had written the wrong age for these women. That they were actually women of 40 with the experience of 40-year-old women. So that’s what I saw. Then there was a very strong inflection with the character of Zoe’s Rita character, something that I really hadn’t thought of, which is not only that she was 45 but that she was mixed race. That was a shock to me as well. And then Zoe and I started working together. We rehearsed, and the job was done. She was incredible. The thing about Zoe is that she comes from dance. She can act, she can sing, she can dance. RELATED: The State Of The Race – Pete Hammond’s Latest Oscar Predictions As for Selena, it may seem curious to you, but I only knew her through Harmony Korine’s film Spring Breakers , and a Woody Allen film. I didn’t know what a huge media presence she had or how public her life was. I met her one morning in a bar in New York City, and we talked for maybe 10 minutes and she just had everything I wanted for the character. It’s actually hard to explain, but very quickly I said to her, “If you want it, I want you to do this part.” And in fact, it went so quickly that I don’t think she really believed me at first. Because when we called her back later, I think it was her agent who said she thought you’d forgotten about her. I find that extraordinary, which means that when you want to declare your love to someone, you shouldn’t go too quickly. DEADLINE: You move deftly from one genre to another. In your formative years, what artists and films most inspired the direction that you’ve taken in your career? AUDIARD: I need to kind of distinguish two things to start with. I didn’t come to cinema that quickly. I started being an editor around that the age of 24. I think what was really important was what came before that: my years as a cinephile. As a Frenchman, as a young Parisian in the years 1968 to 1975 to 1981, I could basically see everything that had been done and that was being done. I was very impressed with the Italian cinema of the ’60s and ’70s, the Swedish cinema that included Bergman. I also had the tremendously good fortune to see in real time the appearance of the young German cinema and also what would later come to be known as the New Hollywood. I really adored cinema. It’s difficult for me to pick specific names. This has changed now with the advent of digital, but there was a time when one could have the feeling that one had seen everything basically, and that even those films you hadn’t seen, you could guess through the films that you had seen. And that has really changed nowadays. DEADLINE: In what way has it changed? How has it hurt up-and-coming artists who maybe don’t prize the theatrical experience as much as you did as when you were forming? AUDIARD: I think if I answer that question, I would very quickly be putting myself in a reactionary position, which would be to say it was better before. What I can say from my personal position is, yes, it was better before, but I’m not going to make that into a religion. It’s simply my personal experience. So what happened in the 1980s, digital came along and from that point on, it was impossible to see everything. The digital flow crushed everything. And what do we keep from that? I’m not sure, but I remain convinced that in some places around the world, there are young people who are going to create new stories with new images, with new technologies. But I’m not sure that we should call that cinema. Maybe they need to get to work thinking of a new name for this. Initially, cinema was analog. It was intimately connected with the real. If you had a certain amount of light and a duration, you could record reality. The tears on the cheek of an actress, even if it was water that was placed there were real, they existed. Now that pact with reality has been broken. The machine can now create these things and the reality will now be a false reality. DEADLINE: Have you got a next film you’ll jump into? AUDIARD: Generally when I would start shooting a film, I had my next project, either in the form of a treatment or a book to adapt. But what happened in this case is that Emilia Pérez took so long, a little over four years, that the project I had ahead of me, which eventually became Paris 13th District, got done ahead of Amelia. So now I’m not sure what I’m going to do next. My pockets are empty.

Why these ASX dividend stocks could be best buys

What are the top scams of 2024? Investment fraud leads the way. Find out how much Canadians have lost so farSeahawks try for 7th straight win in series vs. Cards in crucial NFC West matchup

Palantir and Shield AI forge strategic partnership for AI-driven autonomous flightEarth just experienced its second-warmest November on record — second only to 2023 — making it all but certain that 2024 will end as the hottest year ever measured, according to a report Monday by European climate service Copernicus. Last year was the hottest on record due to human-caused climate change coupled with the effects of an El Nino. But after this summer registered as the hottest on record — Phoenix sweltered through 113 consecutive days with a high temperature of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit — scientists anticipated 2024 would set a new annual record as well. In November, global temperatures averaged 14.10C (57.38F). Last year's global average temperature was 14.98C (59F). FILE - People are silhouetted against the sky at sunset Nov. 12 as they run in a park in Shawnee, Kan. Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Cape Cod, who wasn't involved in the report, said the big story about November is that "like 2023, it beat out previous Novembers by a large margin." This also likely will be the first calendar year in which the average temperature was more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, the report said. The 2015 Paris Agreement said human-caused warming should be limited to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally below 1.5. In the following years, the world's top scientist said limiting to 1.5 was crucial to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, such as increasing destructive and frequent extreme weather events. Scientists say the main cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. That "does not mean that the Paris Agreement has been breached, but it does mean ambitious climate action is more urgent than ever," said Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. A young family visiting Washington cools off from the warm weather in a fountain Nov. 6 at the base of the Washington Monument. Francis said the new records are "terrible news for people and ecosystems." "The pace of warming is so fast that plants and animals cannot adapt as they always have during previous changes in the Earth's climate. More species will go extinct, which disrupts natural food webs they're a part of. Agriculture will suffer as pollinators decline and pests flourish," she said, also warning that coastal communities will be vulnerable to sea-level rise. Heat waves over the oceans and a loss of reflective sea ice and snow cover probably contributed to the temperature increase this year, experts said. Copernicus said the extent of Antarctic sea ice in November was 10% below average, a record. Oceans absorb about 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases, later releasing heat and water vapor back into the atmosphere. Last year's record heat was caused partly by an El Nino — a temporary natural warming of parts of the central Pacific that alters weather worldwide. People walk Nov. 27 on an autumn-colored ginkgo tree-lined avenue in Tokyo. But that ended this year and a cooling effect that often follows, called La Nina, failed to materialize, leaving the scientific community "a little perplexed by what's going on here ... why temperatures are staying high," said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan. One explanation is that an El Nino releases more heat to the atmosphere because of warmer ocean waters, then "we're not getting the cooling effect that often in decades gone by helps bring the temperature back down," Overpeck said. "So it does look like this could be contributing to the acceleration of global warming. But this year, he said, "is such a big jump following yet another jump, and that's a scary thing." It's no secret that a warming world will drive food prices higher, a phenomenon increasingly known as " heatflation ." What's less known, but a growing area of interest among economists and scientists alike, is the role individual extreme weather events — blistering temperatures in Texas , a destructive tornado in Iowa — may have on what U.S. consumers pay at the supermarket. At first glance, the answer might seem logical: A drought or flood that impacts agricultural production will, eventually, drive up prices. But it's not that simple, because what consumers pay for groceries isn't only reflective of crop yields or herd sizes, but the whole supply chain. As Grist reports, that's where it gets interesting: Economists are beginning to see a growing trend that suggests weather forecasts play a part in sticker shock. Sometimes the mere prediction of an extreme event — like the record-breaking temperatures, hurricanes, and wildfires forecasters are bracing for this summer — can prompt a spike in prices. It isn't the forecast itself to blame, but concerns about what the weather to come might mean for the entire supply chain, as food manufacturers manage their risks and the expected future value of their goods, said Seungki Lee, an agricultural economist at Ohio State University. "When it comes to the climate risk on food prices, people typically look at the production side. But over the last two years, we learned that extreme weather can raise food prices, [cause] transportation disruptions, as well as production disruptions," said Lee. How much we pay for the food we buy is determined by retailers, who consider the producer's price, labor costs, and other factors. Any increases in what producers charge is typically passed on to consumers because grocery stores operate on thin profit margins. And if manufacturers expect to pay more for commodities like beef or specialty crops like avocados in the future, they may boost prices now to cover those anticipated increases. "The whole discussion about the climate risks on the food supply chain is based on probabilities," Lee said. "It is possible that we do not see extreme temperatures this summer, or even later this year. We may realize there was no significant weather shock hitting the supply chain, but unfortunately that will not be the end of the story." Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages are among the reasons food prices have climbed 25 percent since 2020 . Climate change may be contributing as well. A study published earlier this year found " heatflation " could push them up by as much as 3 percentage points per year worldwide in just over a decade and by about 2 percentage points in North America. Simultaneous disasters in major crop and cattle producing regions around the world — known as multi-breadbasket failure — are among the primary forces driving these costs. Crop shortages in these regions may also squeeze prices, which can create volatility in the global market and bump up consumer costs. Historically, a single, localized heat wave or storm typically wouldn't disrupt the supply chain enough to prompt price hikes. But a warming world might be changing that dynamic as extreme weather events intensify and simultaneous occurrences of them become the norm. How much this adds to consumers' grocery bills will vary, and depends upon whether these climate-fueled disasters hit what Lee calls "supply chain chokepoints" like vital shipping channels during harvest seasons. "As the weather is getting more and more volatile because of climate change, we are seeing this issue more frequently," he said. "So what that means is the supply chain is getting more likely to be jeopardized by these types of risks that we have never seen before." An ongoing drought that plagued the Mississippi River system from the fall of 2022 until February provides an excellent example of this. The Mississippi River basin, which covers 31 states, is a linchpin of America's agricultural supply chain. It produces 92 percent of the nation's agricultural exports, 78 percent of the world's feed grains and soybeans , and most of the country's livestock. Vessels navigating its roughly 2,350 miles of channels carry 589 million tons of cargo annually . Transportation barriers created by low water, seen above, hampered the ability of crop-producing states in the Corn Belt to send commodities like corn and soybeans, primarily used for cattle feed, to livestock producers in the South. Thus emerged a high demand, low supply situation as shipping and commodity prices shot up , with economists expecting consumers to absorb those costs . Past research showing that retail prices increase alongside commodity prices suggests that the drought probably contributed to higher overall food costs last year — and because droughts have a lingering impact on production even after they end, it may be fueling stubbornly high grocery prices today. But although it seems clear that the drought contributed to higher prices, particularly for meat and dairy products, just how much remains to be gauged. One reason for that is a lack of research analyzing the relationship between this particular weather event and the consumer market. Another is it's often difficult to tease out which of several possible factors, including global trade, war, and export bans , influence specific examples of sticker shock. While droughts definitely prompt decreases in agricultural production, Metin Çakır, an economist at the University of Minnesota, says whether that is felt by consumers depends on myriad factors. "This would mean higher raw ingredient costs for foods sold in groceries, and part of those higher costs will be passed onto consumers via higher prices. However, will consumer prices actually increase? The answer depends on many other supply and demand factors that might be happening at the same time as the impact of the drought," said Çakır. In a forthcoming analysis previewed by Grist, Çakır examined the relationship between an enduring drought in California, which produces a third of the nation's vegetables and nearly two-thirds of its fruits and nuts , and costs of produce purchased at large grocery retailers nationwide. While the event raised consumer vegetable prices to a statistically significant degree, they didn't increase as much as Çakır expected. This capricious consumer cost effect is due largely to the resiliency of America's food system . Public safety nets like crop insurance and other federal programs have played a large part in mitigating the impacts of adverse weather and bolstering the food supply chain against climate change and other shocks. By ensuring farmers and producers don't bear the brunt of those losses, these programs reduce the costs passed on to consumers. Advanced agricultural technology, modern infrastructure, substantial storage, and efficient transport links also help ensure retail price stability. A 2024 study of the role climate change played on the U.S. wheat market from 1950 to 2018 found that although the impact of weather shocks on price variability has increased with the frequency of extreme weather, adaptive mechanisms, like a well-developed production and distribution infrastructure with sufficient storage capacity, have minimized the impact on consumers. Still, the paper warns that such systems may collapse when faced with "unprecedented levels of weather variability." Last year was the world's warmest on record , creating an onslaught of challenges for crop and livestock producers nationwide. And this year is primed to be even more brutal , with the transition from El Niño — an atmospheric phenomenon that warms ocean temperatures — to La Niña , its counterpart that cools them. This cyclical change in global weather patterns is another potential threat for crop yields and source of supply chain pressures that economists and scientists are keeping an eye on. They will be particularly focused on the Midwest and stretches of the Corn Belt, two regions prone to drought as an El Niño cycle gives way to a La Niña, according to Weston Anderson, an assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Those growing regions for corn and soybeans are what he'll be watching closely as La Niña develops. It's something Jennifer Ifft, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, is also thinking about. "If you have a very severe drought in the Corn Belt ... that's going to be the biggest deal, because that's gonna raise the cost of production for cattle, hogs, poultry," said Ifft. "So that would probably have the largest inflationary impacts." As of January , U.S. beef herd inventory was at its lowest in 73 years, which multiple reports noted is due to the persisting drought that began in 2020 . Americans, the majority of whom are already spending more on groceries than last year, are poised to soon see "record" beef prices at the supermarket. Food prices are also expected to rise another 2.2 percent in 2024 , according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. In a world enmeshed in extremes, our already-fragile food supply chain could be the next system teetering on the edge of collapse because of human-caused climate change. And costlier groceries linked to impending risk is the first of many warning signs that it is already splintering. This story was produced by Grist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox!

Earth just experienced its second-warmest November on record — second only to 2023 — making it all but certain that 2024 will end as the hottest year ever measured, according to a report Monday by European climate service Copernicus. Last year was the hottest on record due to human-caused climate change coupled with the effects of an El Nino. But after this summer registered as the hottest on record — Phoenix sweltered through 113 consecutive days with a high temperature of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit — scientists anticipated 2024 would set a new annual record as well. In November, global temperatures averaged 14.10C (57.38F). Last year's global average temperature was 14.98C (59F). FILE - People are silhouetted against the sky at sunset Nov. 12 as they run in a park in Shawnee, Kan. Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Cape Cod, who wasn't involved in the report, said the big story about November is that "like 2023, it beat out previous Novembers by a large margin." This also likely will be the first calendar year in which the average temperature was more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, the report said. The 2015 Paris Agreement said human-caused warming should be limited to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally below 1.5. In the following years, the world's top scientist said limiting to 1.5 was crucial to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, such as increasing destructive and frequent extreme weather events. Scientists say the main cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. That "does not mean that the Paris Agreement has been breached, but it does mean ambitious climate action is more urgent than ever," said Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. A young family visiting Washington cools off from the warm weather in a fountain Nov. 6 at the base of the Washington Monument. Francis said the new records are "terrible news for people and ecosystems." "The pace of warming is so fast that plants and animals cannot adapt as they always have during previous changes in the Earth's climate. More species will go extinct, which disrupts natural food webs they're a part of. Agriculture will suffer as pollinators decline and pests flourish," she said, also warning that coastal communities will be vulnerable to sea-level rise. Heat waves over the oceans and a loss of reflective sea ice and snow cover probably contributed to the temperature increase this year, experts said. Copernicus said the extent of Antarctic sea ice in November was 10% below average, a record. Oceans absorb about 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases, later releasing heat and water vapor back into the atmosphere. Last year's record heat was caused partly by an El Nino — a temporary natural warming of parts of the central Pacific that alters weather worldwide. People walk Nov. 27 on an autumn-colored ginkgo tree-lined avenue in Tokyo. But that ended this year and a cooling effect that often follows, called La Nina, failed to materialize, leaving the scientific community "a little perplexed by what's going on here ... why temperatures are staying high," said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan. One explanation is that an El Nino releases more heat to the atmosphere because of warmer ocean waters, then "we're not getting the cooling effect that often in decades gone by helps bring the temperature back down," Overpeck said. "So it does look like this could be contributing to the acceleration of global warming. But this year, he said, "is such a big jump following yet another jump, and that's a scary thing." It's no secret that a warming world will drive food prices higher, a phenomenon increasingly known as " heatflation ." What's less known, but a growing area of interest among economists and scientists alike, is the role individual extreme weather events — blistering temperatures in Texas , a destructive tornado in Iowa — may have on what U.S. consumers pay at the supermarket. At first glance, the answer might seem logical: A drought or flood that impacts agricultural production will, eventually, drive up prices. But it's not that simple, because what consumers pay for groceries isn't only reflective of crop yields or herd sizes, but the whole supply chain. As Grist reports, that's where it gets interesting: Economists are beginning to see a growing trend that suggests weather forecasts play a part in sticker shock. Sometimes the mere prediction of an extreme event — like the record-breaking temperatures, hurricanes, and wildfires forecasters are bracing for this summer — can prompt a spike in prices. It isn't the forecast itself to blame, but concerns about what the weather to come might mean for the entire supply chain, as food manufacturers manage their risks and the expected future value of their goods, said Seungki Lee, an agricultural economist at Ohio State University. "When it comes to the climate risk on food prices, people typically look at the production side. But over the last two years, we learned that extreme weather can raise food prices, [cause] transportation disruptions, as well as production disruptions," said Lee. How much we pay for the food we buy is determined by retailers, who consider the producer's price, labor costs, and other factors. Any increases in what producers charge is typically passed on to consumers because grocery stores operate on thin profit margins. And if manufacturers expect to pay more for commodities like beef or specialty crops like avocados in the future, they may boost prices now to cover those anticipated increases. "The whole discussion about the climate risks on the food supply chain is based on probabilities," Lee said. "It is possible that we do not see extreme temperatures this summer, or even later this year. We may realize there was no significant weather shock hitting the supply chain, but unfortunately that will not be the end of the story." Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages are among the reasons food prices have climbed 25 percent since 2020 . Climate change may be contributing as well. A study published earlier this year found " heatflation " could push them up by as much as 3 percentage points per year worldwide in just over a decade and by about 2 percentage points in North America. Simultaneous disasters in major crop and cattle producing regions around the world — known as multi-breadbasket failure — are among the primary forces driving these costs. Crop shortages in these regions may also squeeze prices, which can create volatility in the global market and bump up consumer costs. Historically, a single, localized heat wave or storm typically wouldn't disrupt the supply chain enough to prompt price hikes. But a warming world might be changing that dynamic as extreme weather events intensify and simultaneous occurrences of them become the norm. How much this adds to consumers' grocery bills will vary, and depends upon whether these climate-fueled disasters hit what Lee calls "supply chain chokepoints" like vital shipping channels during harvest seasons. "As the weather is getting more and more volatile because of climate change, we are seeing this issue more frequently," he said. "So what that means is the supply chain is getting more likely to be jeopardized by these types of risks that we have never seen before." An ongoing drought that plagued the Mississippi River system from the fall of 2022 until February provides an excellent example of this. The Mississippi River basin, which covers 31 states, is a linchpin of America's agricultural supply chain. It produces 92 percent of the nation's agricultural exports, 78 percent of the world's feed grains and soybeans , and most of the country's livestock. Vessels navigating its roughly 2,350 miles of channels carry 589 million tons of cargo annually . Transportation barriers created by low water, seen above, hampered the ability of crop-producing states in the Corn Belt to send commodities like corn and soybeans, primarily used for cattle feed, to livestock producers in the South. Thus emerged a high demand, low supply situation as shipping and commodity prices shot up , with economists expecting consumers to absorb those costs . Past research showing that retail prices increase alongside commodity prices suggests that the drought probably contributed to higher overall food costs last year — and because droughts have a lingering impact on production even after they end, it may be fueling stubbornly high grocery prices today. But although it seems clear that the drought contributed to higher prices, particularly for meat and dairy products, just how much remains to be gauged. One reason for that is a lack of research analyzing the relationship between this particular weather event and the consumer market. Another is it's often difficult to tease out which of several possible factors, including global trade, war, and export bans , influence specific examples of sticker shock. While droughts definitely prompt decreases in agricultural production, Metin Çakır, an economist at the University of Minnesota, says whether that is felt by consumers depends on myriad factors. "This would mean higher raw ingredient costs for foods sold in groceries, and part of those higher costs will be passed onto consumers via higher prices. However, will consumer prices actually increase? The answer depends on many other supply and demand factors that might be happening at the same time as the impact of the drought," said Çakır. In a forthcoming analysis previewed by Grist, Çakır examined the relationship between an enduring drought in California, which produces a third of the nation's vegetables and nearly two-thirds of its fruits and nuts , and costs of produce purchased at large grocery retailers nationwide. While the event raised consumer vegetable prices to a statistically significant degree, they didn't increase as much as Çakır expected. This capricious consumer cost effect is due largely to the resiliency of America's food system . Public safety nets like crop insurance and other federal programs have played a large part in mitigating the impacts of adverse weather and bolstering the food supply chain against climate change and other shocks. By ensuring farmers and producers don't bear the brunt of those losses, these programs reduce the costs passed on to consumers. Advanced agricultural technology, modern infrastructure, substantial storage, and efficient transport links also help ensure retail price stability. A 2024 study of the role climate change played on the U.S. wheat market from 1950 to 2018 found that although the impact of weather shocks on price variability has increased with the frequency of extreme weather, adaptive mechanisms, like a well-developed production and distribution infrastructure with sufficient storage capacity, have minimized the impact on consumers. Still, the paper warns that such systems may collapse when faced with "unprecedented levels of weather variability." Last year was the world's warmest on record , creating an onslaught of challenges for crop and livestock producers nationwide. And this year is primed to be even more brutal , with the transition from El Niño — an atmospheric phenomenon that warms ocean temperatures — to La Niña , its counterpart that cools them. This cyclical change in global weather patterns is another potential threat for crop yields and source of supply chain pressures that economists and scientists are keeping an eye on. They will be particularly focused on the Midwest and stretches of the Corn Belt, two regions prone to drought as an El Niño cycle gives way to a La Niña, according to Weston Anderson, an assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Those growing regions for corn and soybeans are what he'll be watching closely as La Niña develops. It's something Jennifer Ifft, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, is also thinking about. "If you have a very severe drought in the Corn Belt ... that's going to be the biggest deal, because that's gonna raise the cost of production for cattle, hogs, poultry," said Ifft. "So that would probably have the largest inflationary impacts." As of January , U.S. beef herd inventory was at its lowest in 73 years, which multiple reports noted is due to the persisting drought that began in 2020 . Americans, the majority of whom are already spending more on groceries than last year, are poised to soon see "record" beef prices at the supermarket. Food prices are also expected to rise another 2.2 percent in 2024 , according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. In a world enmeshed in extremes, our already-fragile food supply chain could be the next system teetering on the edge of collapse because of human-caused climate change. And costlier groceries linked to impending risk is the first of many warning signs that it is already splintering. This story was produced by Grist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox!Can Ozempic make America slim again? RFK Jr and Musk are at odds

None

Chester gives Christmas tree some love after online criticism

NoneBoeing advances safety and quality plan, FAA notes

How AI can redefine customer service in healthcare

$1 million per homer? $27,000 a point? $229 per second? Sports is loaded with money oddities If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits. He's hardly the only superstar athlete earning outrageous sums for each of his accomplishments. Some NFL quarterbacks make more than $3 million per game. Stephen Curry could make roughly $161,000 per 3-pointer. This past regular season, Lionel Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field with Inter Miami. Is the College Football Playoff bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. Some possible tweaks, like reseeding after the first round or not giving conference champions automatic byes, would have resulted in a vastly different tournament this year, Belichick says he's had 'good conversations' with UNC chancellor amid Tar Heels' coaching search Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick says he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Belichick appeared on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday. He said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at the college level. He said he had learned a lot and had “a couple of good conversations" with Roberts. UNC fired the program's all-time winningest coach in Mack Brown last month. Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys has opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston’s 34-10 victory on another Monday night. A large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening. The roof was then closed for that game. Tennessee grabs No. 1 in AP Top 25 after shakeup; No. 3 Iowa State has highest ranking since 1950s Tennessee is the new No. 1 in men's college basketball after a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25. The Vols are No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Auburn remained No. 2 and No. 3 Iowa State has its highest ranking since 1956-57. Kentucky rounds out the top five. Tennessee is off to its best start since opening the 2000-01 season 9-0. Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbow ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury. Punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg. Backup Gunner Stockton likely would start in the Sugar Bowl if Beck is unable to play. Another final-second victory puts the Chiefs in prime spot to secure AFC's No. 1 seed: Analysis A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance. The fight for the top spot in the NFC stayed close as the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Detroit Lions. Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season to determine the playoff picture. There’s a clear leader in the fight for the AFC’s bye. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 12-1 and in excellent position to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 19-17 win with a last-second field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers. No. 19 Tennessee back in women's AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2 Tennessee is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks. UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remain the top three teams and Oklahoma has cracked the top 10. Georgia Tech and N.C. State entered the rankings while Illinois, Louisville and Alabama fell out. College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a move The college football transfer portal has opened a day after the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field was released. The portal period closes on Dec. 28. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil and Ohio State QB Devin Brown were among the first players who entered the portal. The sophomore Arnold passed for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 560 yards and four scores at Oklahoma. Mahdi led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards last season. Brown entered the transfer portal after three years as a backup. Saquon Barkley is chasing Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record. Can he do it? PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is closing in on the NFL season rushing record. Barkley set the Eagles' franchise record when he rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 yards in a win against Carolina. Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson had, Barkley would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is on pace for 2,122 yards, just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 total.Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Cardinals by 2 1/2. Series record: Seahawks lead 28-22-1. Against the spread: Seahawks 5-6-1, Cardinals 8-4. Last meeting: Seahawks beat Cardinals 16-6 on Nov. 24, 2024, in Seattle. Last week: Seahawks beat Chargers, 26-21; Cardinals lost to Vikings, 23-22. Seahawks offense: overall (16), rush (28), pass (2), scoring (15). Seahawks defense: overall (18), rush (21), pass (12), scoring (12). Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (6), pass (22), scoring (17). Cardinals defense: overall (17), rush (13), pass (18), scoring (11). Turnover differential: Seahawks minus-6, Cardinals minus-1. DT Leonard Williams has been one of the most dominant players in the league over the past two weeks. Williams had 2 1/2 sacks, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hits two weeks ago against the Cardinals. Williams sacked Aaron Rodgers twice and scored his first career touchdown on a 92-yard pick-6. QB Kyler Murray has had some good moments over the past two games and completed 31 of 45 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. But he also threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter which proved costly. QB Geno Smith vs. Arizona's defense. Smith has had another solid season and now he'll face an Arizona defense that's been vastly improved over the past 1 1/2 months. The Cardinals have been much more productive in the pass rush with 23 sacks over the past six games. That ranks third in the NFL over that span. Coach Mike Macdonald said he is optimistic that P Michael Dickson (back spasms) will be able to play this weekend, but bringing in another punter this week is “on the table.”.. LB Uchenna Nwosu has a chance to play this week. Nwosu missed the first four games of the season with a knee injury, then injured his thigh in his first game back in Week 5, and has been on injured reserve since. ... The Cardinals are relatively healthy. DLs Darius Robinson (calf) and Dante Stills (back) have been limited in practice this week. The Seahawks have won six straight games in the series going back to 2022. The Cardinals last won 23-13 on Nov. 21, 2021. The Cardinals haven't won at home against the Seahawks since 2020. The Seahawks' next win will be the 400th in franchise history. ... Since Week 9, Seattle’s defense ranks fifth in the NFL with 17.5 points allowed per game, 299 yards allowed per game, and 84.3 rushing yards allowed per game, while ranking sixth in the league with 18.8 first downs allowed. ... The Seahawks have two pick-6s in the past two games, the first time the team has done so since 2012. ... The Seahawks have held three straight opponents to under 300 yards, and fewer than 100 rushing yards. ... Seattle has outscored its opponents by 37 points in the final two minutes of halves this season, the best in the NFL. .. WR DK Metcalf needs one receiving TD to pass Steve Largent for the most in a player’s first six seasons in franchise history with 47. ... Smith needs one 300-yard game to tie Russell Wilson for the most 300-yard games in a single season in franchise history with five. ... WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Needs 171 yards for his first 1,000-yard season, and to become the 10th player in franchise history to reach that mark. ... Arizona has won three straight games at home. The Cardinals outscored those opponents 77-30 while scoring nine touchdowns and allowing none. ... TE Trey McBride has caught 12 passes in two straight games, which is the first time a tight end has had at least 12 receptions in two straight games in NFL history. ... Arizona's six losses have come to teams with a combined 55-18 record this season entering Week 14. ... S Budda Baker has 114 tackles this season, which ranks sixth in the league. ... McBride's caught 73 passes this season. He needs just nine more catches over the next five games to break his franchise record for a tight end. ... WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has caught seven TD passes this season, which leads all NFL rookies. ... The Cardinals have been flagged for 61 penalties this season, which is the fewest in the NFL. But the team was flagged 10 times in last week's loss to the Vikings. Arizona's defense is a strong play at home. The Cardinals are giving up just 17 points per game at State Farm Stadium, which is second in the league behind Pittsburgh. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Previous: fish protein
Next: napoleon fish