Unlocking digital transformation for good: mesh conference lands in Toronto on December 6-7


By mesh conference
Published November 19, 2023

Photo courtesy the mesh conference

In a world where technology shapes the way we live and work, it’s important to harness the power of innovation to not only drive business success, but also make a positive impact on our communities. That’s the vision behind the upcoming mesh conference, set to take place in Toronto on Dec 6-7.

And this digital transformation event is more than an innovation summit — it’s an opportunity to combine innovation with social responsibility, with proceeds benefiting Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization and leader on perishable food redistribution.

Human-powered, tech-enabled innovation

The mesh conference is back in Toronto on December 6-7 after relaunching earlier this year in Calgary where more than 200 people met to connect, share, and inspire.

And the mesh conference is not your typical digital transformation and innovation event — it’s a platform where visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders come together to explore the intersection of technology and humanity.

The theme for the Toronto event is “Human-powered, tech-enabled,” emphasizing the pivotal role of technology in augmenting human capabilities.

The two-day event will feature a series of inspiring talks, interactive workshops, and panel discussions that delve into the ways people who are augmented by technology and innovation can improve our world. Attendees will gain insights into the latest digital trends, emerging technologies, and strategies for achieving human-centered digital transformation.

Lori Nikkel is CEO of Second Harvest. – Photo courtesy Second Harvest

Making a difference — why mesh is supporting Second Harvest

We’re in a crisis, and more people than ever are relying on food banks.

In Toronto alone, a recent study shows one in 10 people are now relying on food banks, and more than 2.5 million visits to food banks took place between April 2022 and March 2023 — a 51% increase over the year before.

Across Canada, nearly two million Canadians accessed a food bank over the course of one month, the Food Banks Canada HungerCount 2023 report shows..

With a commitment to social responsibility and using its platform to help others, the mesh conference announced that all proceeds raised after expenses will be donated to Second Harvest. Attendees of mesh can also make a top-up donation when purchasing a ticket, and every $25 raised will provide more than 100 meals to those in need via Second Harvest.

“In the spirit of giving back, we’ve designed mesh to support those facing food insecurity and we’re thrilled to be working with Second Harvest,” says mesh conference co-founder and co-producer, Sheri Moore. “Proceeds will be donated to Second Harvest, and we’re designing our food menu with our catering team at Toben Food By Design in order to rescue the food from our event in a way that has the greatest impact for our matched charity.”

Second Harvest works with thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain, utilizing logistics and technology to reduce the amount of edible food going to waste. Its inclusive model ensures a healthy surplus of food is redirected to thousands of charities and nonprofits across the country, providing millions of Canadians experiencing food insecurity access to the nourishment they need.

“It’s important to us that we help our community in any way and every way that we can,” says Moore. “With the return of mesh in 2023 after the pandemic, we have been overwhelmed by the support from new friends and mesh alumni alike. What better way to give back than to pay it forward to use our platform to help those in need.”

In addition to food donations, Moore says mesh is also looking at ways to take a circular approach with the help of Leaff Circular Gifting, a sustainable organization that offers eco-friendly flowers, plants, gifts, gift boxes, and immersive virtual experiences. Leaff Circular Gifting’s mission involves endorsing local enterprises such as farmers, artisans, indigenous communities, and others by incorporating them into their gift-centric platform.

Photo courtesy the mesh conference

Why you should attend the mesh conference in Toronto

With a focus on four threads — business, media and technology, society, and marketing — the mesh conference hosts Canadian digital transformation leaders who will meet to connect, share, and inspire others to think about changing the way we think, organize, operate and behave.

Among the many reasons innovators attend mesh:The mesh conference offers cutting-edge insights: Learn from industry experts and thought leaders about the latest digital trends and technologies shaping our world.

The mesh conference creates unique networking opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals, build valuable relationships, and explore potential collaborations.

The mesh conference delivers social impact: Make a difference by supporting Second Harvest and helping to combat food insecurity in your community.

The mesh conference will inspire you: Discover how technology can be a force for good and get inspired to drive positive change.

The mesh conference delivers practical, hands-on knowledge: Gain actionable strategies to drive digital transformation within your organization, rooted in a human-centric approach.

Get involved — join us at the mesh conference

We invite you to be part of this unique event that combines innovation, education, and social responsibility. The mesh conference takes place at The Symes December 6-7.

To secure your spot and help support Second Harvest, visit meshconference.com and register today. Don’t miss this chance to be a part of the mesh Conference, where human-powered, tech-enabled transformation meets social impact.

See you in Toronto.

CYBER SECURITY
Government intervention efforts leave too much time for exploitation

By Dr. Tim Sandle

DIGITAL JOURNAL
November 19, 2023

Image: © AFP

How will cybersecurity and business technology develop across the next twelve months. Kev Breen, Director of Cyber Threat Research, Immersive Labs, see both positive points and some important challenges, as he explains to Digital Journal.

FUD around GenAI will die down

Breen thinks that the buzz technologies of 2023 will simmer down through 2024: “GenAI hit the technology scene in a huge way this past year, and is already heavily being embraced — or companies are racing to get involved so they don’t fall behind. But among all its popularity, we’re simultaneously seeing a significant amount of FUD – fear, uncertainty and doubt – and misunderstanding.”

Breen adds a note of caution: “People still don’t fully understand the risks and vision of AI, which lends itself to paranoia and fears of unfounded massive cybersecurity attacks by AI. In the year ahead we’ll hopefully see the hype around AI die down and become more of the norm so that we can focus on the many benefits of using these tools to do work more efficiently and effectively.”

He adds, however, there are some pioneers in this field: “A handful of organizations are dedicating ample time and resources to the actual use cases of this technology and we can expect more businesses to follow suit.”

Too much time for exploitation

Are governments doing enough? Breen thinks that despite U.S. legislation challenges remain: “Despite government intervention to try and strengthen transparency and guidance around cybersecurity practices, many standard implementations still haven’t kept pace. For example, FedRAMP guidelines say organizations have 30 days to remediate high-risk threats — yet attackers just need one day to discover a vulnerability and take advantage to wreak havoc on systems and cause costly damage to organizations.”

As a consequence, finds Breen: “Cybercriminals will likely continue to have first mover advantage, so it is security teams’ responsibility to assume compromise and remain cyber resilient as it is unlikely that guidelines such as FedRAMP will be updated to meet the standards of today’s threat landscape.”

Continued development of AI policies

AI still stands to be the essential business technology going forwards: “We already began to see this towards the end of 2023, but in 2024, we can expect governments and AI service providers to continue to implement policies regulating the development of AI. The key differentiator will be if these entities have moved beyond the shock and awe of AI to focus on the benefits. Risk assessment will continue to be a part of the equation as it should with any advancement in technology, but prioritizing innovation in these policies rather than fear will set countries apart. In 2023, we focused on the potential risks of AI. In 2024, it will be essential to focus on the potential opportunities.”

Ransomware isn’t going anywhere, so be prepared

An important threat remains cybersecurity vulnerabilities, especially ransomware. Breen notes: “One can hope that organizations have learned from the major data breaches we’ve seen over the last year, but we unfortunately continue to see a lot of organizations who are simply not ready to handle the impact of a ransomware attack.”

Breen sees firms are tripping up on the same issues: “Organizations still fall victim to the tried and true tactics that cyber criminals use to gain access to their most sensitive information and despite government advisories saying otherwise, they continue to pay the ransom — which is why this attack style is still popular. We should expect to see ransomware groups leveraging new techniques in Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) evasion, quickly weaponizing zero days and as well as new patched vulnerabilities, making it easy for them to bypass common defence strategies. As a result, security teams can’t rely on an old security playbook. Companies should not worry about how they can detect everything, and instead just assume at some point it will go badly so you should have plans in place to best respond.”

AI risks will largely stem from developers and application security

Breen’s final prediction for the next 12 months places an obstacle for the rise of AI: “When talking about the risks of AI, many think about threat actors using it in nefarious ways. But in actuality, in 2024 we should be most concerned about how our internal teams are using AI — specifically those in application security and software development. While it can be a powerful tool for certain teams like offensive and defensive teams and SOC analysts to enhance and parse through information, without proper parameters and rules in place regarding AI usage by organizations, it can potentially lead to unexpected risks for CISOs and business executives and leave holes in their cyber resilience to leave the door open for exploitation.”

REST IN POWER
Dorothy Edwards, advocate for the unhoused, celebrated for ‘just treating people like humans’

A memorial service for Dorothy Edwards, who was beloved and admired for her inspiring journey from homelessness to becoming a national advocate for homeless housing, was held at All Saints Church in Pasadena on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Edwards died Oct. 27 at the age of 66. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)


By RYAN CARTER | rcarter@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: November 18, 2023 

The least interesting thing about Dorothy Edwards was her bout with homelessness.

Better to talk about her will and fortitude, her take-no-guff spirit, her enormous presence, and how she took care of herself and others. Best to remember her commitment to sharing her life’s most traumatic experiences across the country, talking to politicians and policymakers and to homeless people, if only to convince them to get off the streets.

Her friend Shawn Morrissey said Edwards, the once-homeless woman who kicked a 40-year drug addiction to become a lauded housing advocate, was tireless in treating homeless people with love and grace.

A memorial service for Dorothy Edwards, who was beloved and admired for her inspiring journey from homelessness to becoming a national advocate for homeless housing, was held at All Saints Church in Pasadena on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Edwards died Oct. 27 at the age of 66. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Edwards, who was diagnosed with cancer three months ago, died on Oct. 27. She was 66. More than 100 people attended a memorial for her at All Saints Church in Pasadena on Saturday, Nov. 18.

“She was fully empowered even while she was living on an embankment (by the 210),” said Morrissey, who was Edwards’ case worker. “She went from being my client to my colleague, helping others see that people experiencing homelessness are exactly the same as people living in homes. When we see ourselves as worthy, we move forward.”

Edwards, born in Monrovia and raised in Hacienda Heights, spent years living on the streets until 2011, when Morrissey convinced her to accept help from the nonprofit Housing Works. Supported with services from the homeless outreach center and other agencies, Edwards got clean and sober. She began working as an advocate for affordable and permanent supportive housing.

“Dorothy is one of my greatest teachers,” said Morrissey, now senior director of advocacy and community engagement at Union Station Homeless Services. He said he admired her “commitment to sharing that part of her life so that we may know more and we may be better.”

In the 12 years since moving into her cottage apartment in Pasadena, Edwards worked as an enrichment services coordinator for Housing Works, helping residents of Teague Terrace apartments in Eagle Rock with everything from grocery shopping to learning to read. She served on the board of the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), beating the drum for not just housing but also services to help residents stay housed.


Bill Pitkin, director of domestic programs at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, worked with Edwards on the CSH board. He wrote how proud he was that Edwards, a former homeless woman with addiction issues, was helping oversee the disbursement of $183 million in loans to build supportive housing units across the country, helping more than 58,000 people.

Shawn Morrissey, of Union Station Homeless Services, gives the eulogy for Dorothy Edwards, who was beloved and admired for her inspiring journey from homelessness to becoming a national advocate for homeless housing, at All Saints Church in Pasadena on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Edwards died Oct. 27 at the age of 66. 

(Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Edwards also belonged to LEAP, Union Station Homeless Services’ Lived Expertise Advisory Panel. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, recognized her work with a “Woman of the Year” award in 2016.

Attending Edwards’ celebration of life were representatives from the various groups she forged connections with, including Housing Works, the city of Pasadena Housing Department, Union Station Homeless Services, Friends In Deed, the Guibord Center and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

Celina Álvarez, executive director at Housing Works, said she and Edwards’ Housing Works family are grappling with grief and anger that their friend, a recipient of Medi-Cal health insurance, faced systemic injustices and barriers within the health care industry.

“It’s during times like this that I find it hard to not feel angry and resentful of the ‘system’ as it is relentless in its demands for outcomes and data and the expectation that we, the service providers on the ground every day, do more for less,” Álvarez said. “I long to return to a time where we could truly do the people work and not fret about the dreadful paperwork.”

Álvarez said there is much to learn about the grace and kindness with which Edwards lived.

“Dorothy’s story is an opportunity for us to bring a much-needed conversation back to the table, a dialogue that needs to be had about the value of authentic and intentional human relationships,” she said.

Mike Kinman, rector at All Saints Church, said Edwards truly saw anyone she met.

“For all the lived expertise Dorothy had in getting people into housing, what I heard her say over and over again was ‘Just treat people like humans,’” he said.

It is a sentiment Edwards spoke about in an interview with photojournalist Sarah Reingewirtz, who produced a photo essay and short film on Edwards’ redemptive

 journey.

RELATED LINKSPasadena’s Dorothy Edwards has died; she found a way out of homelessness to help thousands
Once homeless, Dorothy Edwards now gives another family a real Christmas
Dorothy Edwards: From the streets to a home – Department of Housing

Reflecting on her second chance at life in 2011, Edwards said she cherishes a sense of freedom from the loneliness, hunger and hopelessness of her past.

“I feel like I can love somebody and deserve to be loved back, and that’s a real cool thing, to have that feeling,” Edwards said.

Edwards is survived by her partner Victor Gravatt, their dog Ziggy, five sisters, two brothers, 15 nephews and 23 nieces.

World's richest 1% emit as much carbon as bottom two-thirds: report

Agence France-Presse

November 20, 2023 

A Gulfstream G650 private jet takes off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as seen from El Segundo, California; Oxfam is calling for a progressive climate policy that taxes the wealthiest carbon emitters at a higher rate (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP)

The richest one percent of the global population are responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as the world's poorest two-thirds, or five billion people, according to an analysis published Sunday by the nonprofit Oxfam International.

While fighting the climate crisis is a shared challenge, not everyone is equally responsible and government policies must be tailored accordingly, Max Lawson, who co-authored the report, told AFP.

"The richer you are, the easier it is to cut both your personal and your investment emissions," he said. "You don't need that third car, or that fourth holiday, or you don’t need to be invested in the cement industry."

"Climate Equality: A Planet for the 99%", was based on research compiled by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and it examined the consumption emissions associated with different income groups up to the year 2019.

It was published as world leaders prepare to meet for climate talks at the COP28 summit in Dubai later this month. Fears are growing that limiting long-term warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could soon be impossible to achieve.

Among the key findings of this study are that the richest one percent globally -- 77 million people -- were responsible for 16 percent of global emissions related to their consumption.

That is the same share as the bottom 66 percent of the global population by income, or 5.11 billion people.

The income threshold for being among the global top one percent was adjusted by country using purchasing power parity -- for example in the United States the threshold would be $140,000, whereas the Kenyan equivalent would be about $40,000.

Within country analyses also painted very stark pictures.

For example, in France, the richest one percent emit as much carbon in one year as the poorest 50 percent in 10 years.

Excluding the carbon associated with his investments, Bernard Arnault, the billionaire founder of Louis Vuitton and richest man in France, has a footprint 1,270 times greater than that of the average Frenchman.

The key message, according to Lawson, was that policy actions must be progressive.

"We think that unless governments enact climate policy that is progressive, where you see the people who emit the most being asked to take the biggest sacrifices, then we're never going to get good politics around this," he said.

These measures could include, for example, a tax on flying more than ten times a year, or a tax on non-green investments that is much higher than the tax on green investments.

While the current report focused on carbon linked only to individual consumption, "the personal consumption of the super-rich is dwarfed by emissions resulting from their investments in companies," the report found.

Nor are the wealthy invested in polluting industries at a similar ratio to any given investor -- billionaires are twice as likely to be invested in polluting industries than the average for the Standard & Poor 500, previous Oxfam research has shown.

Corporate America is coordinating to fight Biden's war against Ticketmaster and junk fees

Sarah K. Burris
November 19, 2023 

Vancouver, CANADA - Dec 3 2022 : Twitter account of popular US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift in Twitter website seen in iPhone on Live Nation logo background. (Photo: Koshiro K/Shutterstock)

The Washington Post reported Sunday that corporations are scrambling to protect their profits while President Joe Biden is trying to kill what are called "junk fees."

The war began when Taylor Swift fans were furious over concert ticket "transaction fees," and other costs listed by Ticketmaster, owned by parent company Live Nation. Tickets to large concerts like Swift, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and others can run anywhere from $250 to thousands in the United States.

One Beyoncé fan in Europe asked Reddit users why they were able to get a ticket for just $300 when Americans were forced to pay thousands. As it was explained, many European countries put a cap on the fees and have laws that regulate sites like Ticketmaster. Some countries don't even have Ticketmaster's site at all, and tickets are sold through the venue or theater.

Biden resolved to kill junk fees, not just for Swifties but for all consumers who are told something is one price only to find out they're charged after the fact with "processing fees," a "convenience fee," "baggage fees," "late fees," or other such demands. The problem, however, is that it could cut into corporate America's profits.

"Frustrated with airlines that charge passengers steep fees to check bags and change flights, President Joe Biden last fall embarked on a campaign to crack down on the practice — and force companies to show the full price of travel before people pay for their tickets," explained the Post.

But behind the scenes, the fight has become Wall Street Goliath with millions in lobbying cash, eager to hand it to lawmakers in exchange for their votes to kill Biden's bill.

"According to a Washington Post review of federal lobbying records and hundreds of filings submitted to government agencies. The fees together may cost Americans at least $64 billion annually, according to a rough White House estimate, underscoring its efforts to deliver financial relief to families grappling with high prices," said the report.

While federal regulators were fighting credit card late fees, companies that were issuing the cards pulled in over $14.5 billion from those fees. It means a lawsuit is likely on the horizon.

"Charter, Comcast and other cable giants similarly have warred with Washington through their lobbying groups, bucking federal efforts to ensure they present accurate, complete data about service charges," said the Post. So have some casinos, insurers and the owners of large apartment buildings, which have fiercely fought new federal regulations that might punish them if they conceal their true prices."

Meanwhile, according to the Department of Transportation, the airline industry brought in $6.7 billion in baggage fees.

Lael Brainard, the director of the White House National Economic Council, told the Post, Americans "don't like being taken for suckers. And we’re going to continue our efforts to make sure that across all industries, consumers have the right to see all-in pricing right up front."

Read the extensive report from the Washington Post.

SASKATCHEWAN
The QAnon Queen’s Compound Is Now a Ghost Town

The townsfolk who fought for weeks to get her out are holding their breath, hoping the QAnon cult leader is gone for good.

By Mack Lamoureux
By Evy Kwong
November 16, 2023


The QAnon Queen of Canada has left her compound in rural Saskatchewan…. For now, at least.

Romana Didulo, a cult leader who has convinced hundreds of people across the world she’s the true queen of Canada (among other eccentric things), has been living in an abandoned school in the small Saskatchewan town of Richmound for over a month.

But a video sent to VICE News by a local shows Didulo’s team unloading belongings including surveillance gear from the school into several motorhomes and vehicles. One local told VICE that the school, which once almost always had cult members outside filming anyone who came close, is now a ghost town.

“A flag was taken down and the lights and cameras are off the school,” Shauna Sehn, a resident in the town, told VICE News.

Brad Miller, Richmound’s mayor, told VICE News that earlier in the day bylaw and building inspectors went to the school for an inspection but were denied.

“Shortly after that Romano’s RV left town as well as a few vehicles,” said Miller. “The remaining people are scurrying around packing.”

Miller added that believes Didulo and her followers are camped out at a farm not too far out of town. For now the town holds its breath hoping the cult is truly gone.

For weeks Didulo faced fierce resistance from the townsfolk, who held several large protests to get the cult out of the school, but it seemed their honking and shouting had little effect. At the time Miller told VICE News that he was working multiple angles to have the cult removed, several including working bylaws.

In the livestream that Didulo hosts—primarily a way for her to ask her followers for money—her spokesperson said the group was invited to a follower’s farm and promised they would be returning to the school shortly

The school was initially purchased by Rick Manz, a local who believes in Didulo’s eccentric teachings and hoped to turn it into a cannabis grow-op. Instead, he gifted it to the cult, and as a reward for his service, Didulo declared that her followers now must call Manz “his excellency.” In mid-September, the cult moved over ten people into the property and even held an odd ritual where believers from across western Canada came to the tiny town to pledge their loyalty to Didulo and receive some of the fraudulent currency she invented.

Now though, for the first time in weeks, the school is sitting empty again.

“The entire compound is vacant and they scurried off in different directions,” local Hugh Everding, who lives just across from the school, told VICE News. “There isn’t a soul there.”

'Queen of Canada' Romana Didulo and her followers leave Sask. village school after 2 months


CBC
Sat, November 18, 2023 

Romana Didulo, who calls herself the Queen of the Kingdom of Canada, is seen in a livestream posted on the app, Telegram, which was recorded at an old school in Richmound, Sask., where Didulo and her group were staying. (QRTRV News/Telegram - image credit)

Self-proclaimed "Queen of Canada" Romana Didulo — known for her QAnon beliefs — and her followers have left the Richmound, Sask., school they've been staying at for more than two months.

Mayor Brad Miller said the cult left the school early afternoon on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, villagers discovered through online coverage of the "Kingdom of Canada" cult's regular live streamed videos — which it posts on the app Telegram — that the group had a heater propped up on a propane tank in the school.

That, the mayor said, is a fire code violation.

The village sent the fire chief, a building inspector and a bylaw officer to the school on Wednesday, but Miller said the extremist group would not let them enter the school.

However, Miller said Didulo and her followers quickly packed up their vehicles and left the school after the visit.

"Right after that they were scurrying around just like bunch of little chickens, or whatever. And they're going nuts actually, just hooking up RVs or the camper trailers," Miller said.

They didn't go far.

Miller said they are camped out only 11 kilometres east of the village in the Rural Municipality of Fox Valley on unused farmland after being given permission to stay there by the landowner.

The cult that calls itself 'The Kingdom of Canada' quickly packed up its RVs early Wednesday afternoon and left the old Richmound school, according to Mayor Brad Miller.

The cult that calls itself 'The Kingdom of Canada' quickly packed up its RVs early Wednesday afternoon and left the old Richmound school, according to Mayor Brad Miller. (Submitted by Arlene Miller)

Miller said he was relieved to see them leave the village, but he's not celebrating too much just yet.

"I'm still thinking they might come back and, if they do, it'll be a letdown. But when I see them take off, there will be the biggest party ever."

He said the village is breathing a little easier at the moment.

"It gives you relief. You don't know the feeling until you've lived with it. But they're still seven miles away. We're going to keep working, trying to keep pushing them. I don't care where they are, or whatever. Get them out of here."

Meanwhile, Ricky Manz, the owner of the old Richmound school who invited Didulo to stay in the first place, missed his court date in Leader, Sask., on Thursday for an assault charge. This information was confirmed to CBC by the Swift Current Provincial Court office, which operates as the registry office for the Leader court.

The court office said a warrant is now out for Manz's arrest. Saskatchewan RCMP told CBC on Friday afternoon that Manz had not yet been arrested.

Richmound Mayor Brad Miller said village residents do not feel safe with Romana Didulo and her followers there.

Richmound Mayor Brad Miller said village residents do not feel safe with Romana Didulo and her followers there. (CBC)

2 months of tension

After the cult moved into Richmound on Sept. 15 they followed residents around, taking video of them. Miller said this behaviour caused people to be stressed and fearful, and affected their mental health.

Didulo's followers also sent out many "cease-and-desist" letters, threatening individuals in the community with "public execution" if they didn't adhere to the the Queen's "decrees."

Dr. Christine Sarteschi, a professor of social work and criminology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., has been following the movement of the "Queen of Canada" for years.

In October, she told CBC the cult has made similar "public execution" threats before, but to her knowledge have never actually carried out violence. She says that does not mean threats against the people of Richmound should not be taken seriously.

"We don't know what they're capable of, but they're very active," said Sarteschi.

The 'QAnon Queen' and her followers are now camped out on unused farmland in the RM of Fox Valley.

The 'QAnon Queen' and her followers are now camped out on unused farmland in the RM of Fox Valley. (Submitted by Arlene Miller)

Residents of Richmound held a two-day protest on the weekend of Oct. 14, calling for the cult to leave.

Miller told CBC on Friday that, since then, the group has stopped filming residents and has been pretty quiet. Miller and one of his council members did both receive new "cease-and-desist" letters last week, but he said they did not threaten their lives.

In the meantime, Miller said Richmound is exploring some new legal avenues that may keep the cult out for good but he couldn't share those details at this time.

MODI'S CURSED TUNNEL

Indian rescuers to dig new shaft for 41 men trapped for 9 days

Agence France-Presse
November 20, 2023

Rescuers have been communicating with the trapped men, and have sent them food, water and medicine (AFP)

Indian rescuers were battling Monday to free 41 men trapped in a road tunnel for nine days, as they prepared to dig an entirely new shaft after previous efforts failed.

Excavators have been removing earth, concrete and rubble from the under-construction tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand since November 12, after a portion of the tunnel collapsed.

But rescue efforts have been slowed by falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of the crucial heavy drilling machines, with the air force having to twice airlift new kit.

Engineers had been trying to horizontally drive a steel pipe through the debris, just wide enough for the increasingly desperate men to squeeze through

But drilling on that route was paused on Friday, after a cracking sound created a "panic situation", officials said.

Teams were now preparing to dig the new shaft from above, forcing workers to cut an entirely new track up to the top of the forested hill high above for the heavy equipment needed.

Experts have warned about the impact of extensive construction in Uttarakhand, where large parts of the state are prone to landslides.

"Every effort is being made," Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement Monday, insisting that the "workers trapped in the tunnel are safe".

He said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the crisis.

- 'Get them out' -

Top local civil servant Abhishek Ruhela said the track to the new drilling site was three-quarters built.

"Up to 900 meters (2,950 feet) of the 1,200 metre-long road being built for drilling over the tunnel has been completed," Ruhela told AFP.

Rescuers have been communicating with the trapped workers by radio, while food, water, oxygen and medicine have also been sent to them via narrow pipe, with workers planning to expand that to allow bigger food packets to be sent.

Foreign experts have been drafted in, including independent disaster investigator Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.

"We are going to find a solution and get them out," Dix told reporters Monday at the site.

"A lot of work is being done here. It is important that not only the men rescued but also the men who are (doing the) rescuing are safe."

Villagers have set up a Hindu temple at the mouth of the tunnel to the local god, Boukhnag, saying the original temple had been moved during construction.

Some villagers blamed the tunnel collapse on the fact that the initial temple was destroyed.

The tunnel is part of Modi's infrastructure project aimed at cutting travel times between some of the most popular Hindu sites in the country, as well as to improve access to strategic areas bordering rival China.

Mormon conversion therapist charged with sexually abusing his male clients

He told them that his "intimacy" therapy would help them have relationships with women.

By Greg Owen 

LGBTQ NATION

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Photo: Shutterstock


A mental health counselor and one-time LDS bishop in Utah has been charged with multiple counts of forced sodomy and object rape after he lured male clients into sexual relationships he described as “person-centered” therapy.

Police interviewed over a dozen men who had sought treatment from the counselor “revolving around same-sex attraction.”

Scott Dale Owen, 64, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with four counts of forcible sodomy and six counts of object rape, first-degree felonies, in connection with two of those clients.

“Dr. Owen during his therapy would tell the victims that their relationships with men were broken and his therapy could help them be able to have ‘normal’ relationships with men and eventually women,” according to a police booking affidavit.

He “used his position as a therapist to coerce the victims into engaging in kissing, cuddling and sexual touching during therapy session.”

Charging documents revealed the alleged crimes were committed in 2010 and 2017.

One man told investigators Owen “determined one of the things he needed to work on was intimacy and explained he would benefit from ‘person-centered’ therapy.”

During their weekly sessions, Owen became “increasingly physical” with the victim while assuring him “he was making progress and that others may not understand the treatment.” Owen told the man if he “would give his full trust to him, he would be cured.”

At the same time, the alleged rapist was also the man’s ecclesiastical leader.

Owen told his victim “that what they were doing was consistent with their religious standards and would also result in a closer relationship with God,” the charges state.

Prosecutors say after the victim left Owen for a different therapist, his new counselor informed him Owen’s techniques “were not legitimate therapeutic treatment methods.”

The same pattern was revealed in another victim’s recollection of his time as Owen’s client and ecclesiastical follower.

The man told investigators Owen explained that “they were going to focus on developing an intimate and spiritual relationship.” Owen told the victim that “he was unique” and that Owen “had been spiritually prompted” to work with him.

Owen told the man “that God gives to certain people special permission to do things that are normally wrong.” The victim took this to mean that Owen “had religious authority to be sexually intimate with him,” according to the charging documents.

The charges follow earlier accusations of malpractice by Owen.

In 2016, he was reprimanded by the Utah Division of Professional Licensing for touching a client inappropriately, according to disciplinary records.

Between 2013 and 2018, Owen “again inappropriately touched a number of other clients” whom he was treating, according to the agency.

After those accusations, Owen surrendered his license but continued to have an active role at the Canyon Counseling Center in Provo, where the victims sought treatment.

Canyon Counseling closed its doors in September, according to its website. The center was sold to another company, which resumed operations in October under a new name and management.

The Provo police investigation into Owen began in August. On Wednesday, he was scheduled to surrender but failed to appear. After a search, Owen was located sitting in his car by a highway with a gun. After a four-hour standoff, he was taken into custody without incident.

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WHAT ABOUT THE EIGHTIES, NINETIES OR THE TWO THOUSANDS

Scientists turn invasive carp into traitors to slow their Great Lakes push

The Associated Press
La Crosse, Wis.
November 19, 2023 

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Invasive Carp Field Lead Kayla Stampfle inspects the components of a telemetry receiver that tracks tagged invasive carp in the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wis. on Monday. The solar-powered receiver can transmit real-time notifications of the movements of tagged invasive carp.
Todd Richmond | AP

Wildlife officials across the Great Lakes are looking for spies to take on an almost impossible mission: stop the spread of invasive carp.

Over the last five years, agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have employed a new seek-and-destroy strategy that uses turncoat carp to lead them to the fish's hotspot hideouts.

Agency workers turn carp into double agents by capturing them, implanting transmitters and tossing them back. Floating receivers send real-time notifications when a tagged carp swims past. Carp often clump in schools in the spring and fall. Armed with the traitor carp's location, agency workers and commercial anglers can head to that spot, drop their nets and remove multiple fish from the ecosystem.

Kayla Stampfle, invasive carp field lead for the Minnesota DNR, said the goal is to monitor when carp start moving in the spring and use the tagged fish to ambush their brethren.

“We use these fish as a traitor fish and set the nets around this fish,” she said.

Four different species are considered invasive carp: bighead, black, grass and silver. They were imported to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s to help rid southern aquaculture farms of algae, weeds and parasites. But they escaped through flooding and accidental releases, found their way into the Mississippi River and have used it as a super highway to spread north into rivers and streams in the nation's midsection.

The carp are voracious eaters — adult bigheads and silvers can consume up to 40% of their bodyweight in a day — and easily out-compete native species, wreaking havoc on aquatic ecosystems. There is no hard estimates of invasive carp populations in the U.S. but they are believed to number in the millions.

State and federal agencies have spent a combined $607 million to stop the fish, according to figures The Associated Press compiled in 2020. Spending is expected to hit $1.5 billion over the next decade.

But wildlife and fisheries experts say it would be nearly impossible to eradicate invasive carp in the U.S. Just keeping them out of the Great Lakes and protecting the region's $7 billion fishing industry would be a success.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Technician James Stone works to remove a floating solar-powered telemetry receiver from the Mississippi River backwaters near La Crosse, Wis. on Monday.
Todd Richmond | AP

Fisheries experts have employed a host of defenses, including electric barriers, walls of bubbles and herding the carp into nets using underwater speakers. But the fish still have made their way up the Mississippi as far as northern Wisconsin and grass carp have been found in Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario, leaving fisheries managers racing to blunt the incursion.

Agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife managers have built a network of receivers extending from the St. Croix River in far northern Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico to record tagged invasive carp's movement, with periodic data collection. The first receivers were deployed in the Illinois River in an effort to stem migration into Lake Michigan in the early 2000s.

Beginning around 2018, managers started placing new, solar-powered receivers around the Great Lakes region that could track tagged carp and send instant notifications to observers. The real-time notifications reveal where carp may be massing before a migration and illuminate movement patterns, allowing the agencies to plan round-up expeditions to remove carp from the environment and tag more traitor fish.

The receivers are essentially a raft supporting three solar panels and a locked box with a modem and a computer that records contacts with tagged carp. The receivers can pick up signals from tagged fish over a mile away, Fritts said.

He estimated each receiver costs about $10,000. The federal Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 authorized a multi-agency offensive against invasive carp in the upper Mississippi River and Ohio River basins, allowing the USFWS to spend on the devices through its existing budget.

Agencies have deployed the devices in Lake Erie, a stretch of the Mississippi between the Illinois and Missouri borders, the Illinois River and Chicago-area riverways, Fritts said.

The USFWS has set up four real-time receivers in the Mississippi backwaters extending from Davenport, Iowa, to the Missouri border. The U.S. Geologic Survey has set up more than a dozen devices, including receivers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers in Illinois; and the Sandusky River in Ohio.

The Minnesota DNR began deploying real-time receivers in the Mississippi backwaters forming the Minnesota-Wisconsin border around La Crosse three years ago. The agency had four receivers out this year, funded largely through federal grants. Plans call for seven next year.

Wildlife agencies are still consolidating data on how many invasive carp that real-time tracking has helped them remove, U.S. Fish and Wildlife fisheries spokesperson Janet Lebson said.

But they say the traitor fish tactic is worthwhile, pointing to results in the Mississippi from the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities to the Iowa-Missouri border. Real-time tracking there has helped wildlife managers and anglers as much as double the poundage of invasive carp pulled from that area of river annually, said Mark Fritts, a fish biologist and telemetry expert in the USFWS’s La Crosse office.

The strategy has drawn muted criticism from the fisheries industry because managers return tagged invasive carp to the wild where they can breed, said Marc Smith, policy director at the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. But wildlife agencies need every weapon they can get against the carp, he said.

“In theory, it works," Smith said. “We think the rewards outweigh the risk. We have to throw everything we can at them. I wouldn't want to take anything off the table.”

Stampfle and fish technician James Stone spent three hours in the Mississippi and Black rivers backwaters around La Crosse on a recent November day removing the receivers for the winter. She said the work is worth it.

“When are these fish moving? If we can figure that out, it gives us a fighting chance," Stampfle said as she guided her flat-bottom boat back to the landing. “Can we keep up with them? I don't think anyone can answer that accurately. It's still unknown territory. It's an uphill battle on a very slick slope. You just pray you have a foothold.”

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ANOTHER CREATIONIST 'MUSEUM'

Brazil Adventist University Inaugurates First Museum of Biblical Archaeology in South America

The MAB brings together pieces from different eras that prove the veracity of Scripture

The inauguration brought together around 2 thousand people at the UNASP church (Photo: AICOM)

BRAZIL | GABRIELLE RAMOS AND ANA CLARA SILVEIRA

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

Brazil Adventist University (Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo—UNASP), Engenheiro Coelho campus, inaugurated the Museum of Biblical Archaeology (MAB), the first museum of its kind in South America. The event was attended by the donors, authorities, and guests, as well as Dr. Rodrigo Silva, the creator of the project.

The donors were honored, and Silva gave an overview of the museum's significance for the institution. "It's not here to be visited. It's here to be experienced," he said during the presentation.

The inauguration ribbon was cut in front of the MAB in a solemn celebration. The first session was attended by the guests of honor, but over the course of the afternoon, six more visits were made, which sold out in about four minutes.

FOR WHAT DOES THE MAB STAND?

The symbol of the museum's logo is an oil lamp, one of the most widely used objects in antiquity. In the same way that this piece is meant to illuminate, the MAB seeks to be the light of God's Word for all people. "Now with this museum, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is giving the biblical text the importance it needs to have, and this is the great reference for us to have a fairer and better world," said Gilberto Kassab, secretary of Government and Institutional Relations for the State of São Paulo.

In addition, the MAB brings a new perspective to those who already know the Bible but don't realize it has idioms, culture, and geography that influence its interpretation and veracity. "The museum's pieces bring a cross-section of that ancient Orient from the biblical period to Brazil so that people can read the Bible in a three-dimensional way, further reinforcing the faith they already have," explained Dr. Silva.

Finally, it uses biblical knowledge in a scientific way to encourage students to develop critical thinking. "Having a museum that values the Bible and links it to science is the pinnacle of the existence of a school that wants to advance at all levels of knowledge," emphasized Martin Kuhn, president of UNASP's Engenheiro Coelho campus, with a sense of mission accomplished.

INTERNAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND BIBLE GARDEN

Visiting the MAB is like entering a time tunnel. With around 3,000 original pieces and dozens of replicas, the exhibition recounts more than 4,000 years of history through a timeline that divides the phases from the Early Bronze Age to the Byzantine period. "We thought of the museum as if it were a flexible box, where the collection is more important than the architecture itself," said Thiago Pontes, project architect.

Upon entering, visitors will find a replica of the floor of the Temple of Jerusalem, from the time of Jesus. This example is unique in Brazil, with only two other reproductions located in Israel. In addition to this artifact, an ancient brick with cuneiform writing also stands out in the exhibition. The piece has important significance, as it mentions King Nebuchadnezzar, who was responsible for conquering Judah, destroying the temple in Jerusalem, and taking the people of Israel captive to Babylon in 609 BC.

The museum's pieces date back to the 2000s BC and come from all over the world, including Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and some European countries. To ensure the maintenance of this collection, planning is necessary to avoid any damage. "We take special care to ensure that the pieces are preserved, such as ensuring the correct exposure to light according to the type of material and coloring," said Sergio Micael, the museum's historian.

In addition to the internal part, the MAB also has the Bible Garden, which has various species of trees and objects with biblical meanings. Examples of these are: the grapevines, which symbolize the blood of Christ; the wheat mill, which represents the body of Christ through bread; and the olive mill, a symbol of the Holy Spirit because of the olive oil. This part, which wasn't part of the initial project, now stands out as being of equal importance to the internal environment.

MUCH MORE THAN A VISIT

For Elizabeth Laffranchi, who is a teacher and one of the donors, the MAB has a meaning that runs from the spiritual to the educational. "Children and sometimes even adults need to see something concrete in order to believe in our wonderful God and in the history of God's people, which is why I contributed to the realization of this place," she said.

The visit was also significant for the Félix family, who live in Rio de Janeiro and found out about the inauguration through Dr. Silva's Bible Commentary course. Although they had organized themselves and bought tickets, they couldn't get the tickets, which sold out quickly. However, the situation became known, and the family had the opportunity not only to visit the museum but also take part in the tributes during the program. "God worked on this and made sure we were here today," said an emotionally moved Amanda Félix.

To find out more about the museum, visit the official website: unasp.br/mab.

On this subject, read two other articles prepared by Revista Adventista:

“Treasures of Biblical Archaeology” and “The History of the Museum of Biblical Archaeology.”

Watch the program in the video below:

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.