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  • MIL-OSI: Bancroft Fund Ltd. Declares Distribution of $0.32 Per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RYE, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Trustees of Bancroft Fund Ltd. (NYSE American: BCV) (the “Fund”) declared a $0.32 per share cash distribution payable on March 24, 2025 to common shareholders of record on March 17, 2025.

    The Fund intends to pay the greater of either an annual distribution of 5% of the Fund’s trailing 12-month average month-end market price or an amount that meets the minimum distribution requirement of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies.

    Each quarter, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the current financial market environment. If necessary, the Fund pays an adjusting distribution in December, which includes any additional income and net realized capital gains in excess of the quarterly distributions. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification or termination by the Board of Trustees at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

    All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate for long term capital gains, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and with income that exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their “net investment income”, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.

    If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.

    Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, investment company taxable income and return of capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund currently available, the current distribution paid in 2025 to common shareholders with respect to the Fund’s fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 would include approximately 41% from net investment income and 59% from net capital gains on a book basis. This information does not represent information for tax reporting purposes. The estimated components of each distribution are updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website (www.gabelli.com). The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2025 will be made after year end and can vary from the quarterly estimates. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution. All individual shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2025 distributions in early 2026 via Form 1099-DIV.

    Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. For more information regarding the Fund’s distribution policy and other information about the Fund, call:

    Laurissa Martire
    (914) 921-5399

    About Bancroft Fund Ltd.
    Bancroft Fund Ltd. is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with $153 million in total net assets. BCV invests primarily in convertible securities with the objectives of providing income and the potential for capital appreciation, objectives the Fund considers to be relatively equal over the long term due to the nature of the securities in which it invests. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (OTCQX: GAMI).

    NYSE American – BCV
    CUSIP – 059695106

    BANCROFT FUND LTD.
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Laurissa Martire
    (914) 921-5399
    lmartire@gabelli.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Mum, what’s the meaning of life?’ How to talk about philosophy with little kids

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Kilby, PhD candidate in Education, Monash University

    Charles Parker/ Pexels , CC BY

    If your young child asks “what’s the meaning of life?” you might laugh it off (how cute!) or freeze in panic (where do I even begin?).

    It’s tempting to dismiss these big questions as too advanced for kids. Plato and Aristotle both believed children weren’t ready for philosophy. In fact, they didn’t think people were ready to study philosophy until they turned 30.

    But children know otherwise. They ask big questions like “Why are we here?” and “What does it mean to be fair?” and “Why do we keep feeding the cat, even though she never says thank you?”

    American researcher and author Jana Mohr Lone has taught philosophy to young children for more than 20 years. As one second-grade child told her:

    […] children don’t know as many things about the world and so our minds are more free to imagine.

    This openness makes children natural philosophers. By encouraging these conversations, you can help them grow into curious, thoughtful and reflective individuals.

    How can parents do this?



    Read more:
    Who am I? Why am I here? Why children should be taught philosophy (beyond better test scores)

    3 steps for philosophical dialogue

    One of the difficulties of engaging in philosophy is people may be unfamiliar with how it works.

    But you can have a philosophical discussion by following three steps:

    • reflection
    • generalisation
    • abstraction.

    When your child asks a deep question like “What’s the meaning of life?” you don’t need to have the answer, you just need to start a conversation.

    First, prompt your child to reflect on the question. You could ask: “What do you think?”

    This allows your child to explore their own experiences. They might say, “I live for football and Bluey!”

    Second, move to generalisation. You can ask, “Do you think that’s the meaning of life for everyone?” This opens up a philosophical discussion beyond the self. Your child might say, “Well, Stella lives for gymnastics and cheese.”

    Finally, prompt towards abstraction, by asking “What makes life meaningful for all people?”

    Football, Bluey and handstands won’t appeal to everyone, but something else might. Now we’re looking for examples (or counter-examples) as a method of inquiry.

    This prompts your child to look for what is common to all people in living a meaningful life. They may respond with something like:

    A lot of people love chocolate but not Aunty Grace. Most people love dogs but maybe not people who really love cats. Everyone loves time with their friends and family.

    Suddenly, you’re having a rich philosophical dialogue. You can continue further inquiry into what really is love, or what makes certain relationships more important than others.

    What we’re doing here is having a dialogue through concepts, academically known as conceptual analysis.

    Philosophy explores concepts like love and kindness that children encounter every day.
    RDNE Stock Project/ Pexels, CC BY



    Read more:
    What is love? A philosopher explains it’s not a choice or a feeling − it’s a practice

    Why should you do this?

    Educational research has found philosophical dialogue improves children’s logical reasoning, reading and maths comprehension, self-esteem and turn-taking.

    Studies have found it benefits children’s academic and social development in early childhood, primary school and high school.

    But beyond these skills, philosophy empowers children to engage meaningfully with the world around them.

    Happiness, identity, fairness, death, reality, time, nature, good, knowledge and purpose are all things children encounter every day. Philosophy with your child can simply be the exploration of what these concepts mean and how they impact our lives.

    Understanding concepts and being able to apply that understanding to life is the foundation of philosophy.

    Kids can ask tricky quesitons. But philosophical approaches prompt them to think through an answer.
    Kampus Productions/ Pexels, CC BY

    Questions to ask your child

    To engage your child in philosophy, start a conversation with them about the concepts they’re encountering.

    If they’re drawing, you could ask what is art? What is imagination?.

    If they don’t want to share their favourite toy: what is fairness? What is kindness?

    If they’re talking to the dog: what is language? What is understanding?

    If they’re emotional: what is happiness? What is sadness?

    If they want to know why they should go to school: what is knowledge?

    If they’re telling you about their dream: what is real?

    Next time your child asks a big question, embrace the moment. By exploring concepts like fairness, love and happiness, you’re helping them interpret the world and become more thoughtful people.

    By asking them to reflect, explore different perspectives and consider the bigger picture, you’ll embark on a philosophical journey that can grow into something meaningful for you both.

    Ben Kilby is the Chair of the Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools

    – ref. ‘Mum, what’s the meaning of life?’ How to talk about philosophy with little kids – https://theconversation.com/mum-whats-the-meaning-of-life-how-to-talk-about-philosophy-with-little-kids-248231

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As new charter schools open, we still know too little about how they worked last time

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jude MacArthur, Senior Lecturer, School of Critical Studies in Education, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Phil Walter/Getty Images

    Seven new charter schools are opening their gates, and ACT leader and Associate Education Minister David Seymour – the politician responsible for their existence – has been singing their praises.

    He says some will deliver “new and innovative ways to help students who are struggling at school to succeed, especially neurodiverse students, where there is huge need”.

    Seymour also says charter schools will free teachers from “constant upheavals in education” policy and provide the flexibility to “allow them to better cater to students who are priority learners” – the term charter schools use for “those with neurodiversity and a background of disadvantage and poverty”.

    Such innovation will raise overall educational achievement, he says, particularly for students who are underachieving, disengaged or neurodivergent. It may be too early to tell whether this optimism is justified, but it seems the new charter schools will enjoy a range of benefits unavailable to state schools.

    For example, Seymour recently praised Arapaki School in Christchurch for its teaching ratio of one teacher and three teacher aides for every 25 students. Australian students with this level of resourcing, he said, learned up to 60% faster than those in state schools.

    But teachers, principals and researchers in the state system have been asking for reduced class sizes and one teacher aide per classroom for years. So we need to ask why the resources and privileges being channelled into charter schools can’t be made available to the state school system instead.

    An underfunded education system

    The coalition government has set aside NZ$153 million to fund charter schools over the next four years. These schools are state funded but operated by a “sponsor”: 75% of their teachers must be qualified and 25% can be permanently employed with a “limited authority to teach”.

    The government’s Charter School Agency describes considerable flexibility around teaching, curriculum, governance, hours and days of operation, and how funding is spent.

    According to chief executive Jane Lee, this flexibility supports innovation and provides opportunities for students to learn differently. And there is little doubt a sizeable minority of pupils are not well served in the mainstream system.

    One in five children and young people in our schools need extra support for their learning. For decades, official reports have documented inequities in this area, including poor achievement for disabled and neurodivergent students.

    The problems and solutions are well understood. Disabled and neurodivergent students face barriers to learning because funding, resources and timely support for them and their teachers are inadequate.

    This includes a shortage of teacher aides, specialist teachers and therapists, and class sizes being too big.

    Many teachers try to compensate for these challenges. But research undertaken for the New Zealand Educational Institute warns that without the extra support they can come close to burnout. A damning 2024 report from the Education Hub described the experiences of neurodivergent pupils, their whānau and teachers who viewed

    the current education system as outdated and heading towards major crises, with many seeing home schooling as the only option.

    Lack of supporting evidence

    Rather than addressing under-resourcing in the state system, however, charter school advocates view the problem as a lack of choice, exacerbated by constant upheavals in education policy.

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour.
    Getty Images

    So, what can we learn from the last time charter schools operated between 2012 and 2018? The evidence is mixed, according to an evaluation of eight charter schools undertaken for the Ministry of Education.

    While whānau and student experiences appeared positive, low and uneven response rates from these groups make drawing any conclusion difficult.

    There was evidence of innovative practices in school governance and management, and to a lesser extent in staffing, student engagement and support, teaching and learning. The schools were least innovative in curriculum design and engagement with their communities.

    The schools themselves felt small school rolls and class sizes contributed to their successful operation. As for the key aim of charter school policy supporting priority learners, the report described a good understanding of their needs.

    But insufficient data mean we don’t know whether student achievement improved overall, and we know nothing about the achievement of students who received learning support.

    Focus on state schools instead

    Other questions remain, too. As the New Zealand Educational Institute pointed out last year, the $153 million being spent on charter schools would pay for more than 700 teacher aides in the state system.

    Given the existing shortage of learning-support resources overall, will charter schools (which will also have access to those resources) simply add another layer of competition for state schools?

    And if charter schools themselves struggle to recruit the necessary expertise, will their staff have the professional knowledge of student diversity and inclusion that’s needed to support students and whānau well, and who will judge that?

    Finally, charter schools must select priority group applicants by ballot if there are more applicants than capacity allows. How will they decide on the number of available places?

    At the risk of answering these questions with another question, wouldn’t our thinking be better directed at improving the public education system?

    All children – including those needing learning support – deserve to belong and learn well in their local school, with all the checks and balances that currently ensure equity, inclusion and a fully qualified teaching staff.

    Jude MacArthur currently receives funding from The Teaching and Learning Research Initiative. She has previously received Marsden funding. She is a member of the Teaching Council’s Inclusive Education Advisory Group; The Inclusive Education Action Group; and was a member of the Ministry of Education’s Bicultural and Inclusive Working Group as part of the curriculum refresh.

    – ref. As new charter schools open, we still know too little about how they worked last time – https://theconversation.com/as-new-charter-schools-open-we-still-know-too-little-about-how-they-worked-last-time-249474

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Want to make sure you don’t swelter in your next home? Check these 12 features before you rent or buy

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Robertson, Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University

    Harley Kingston, Shutterstock

    Hot on the heels of the warmest spring on record, Australia is baking through another scorching summer. Heatwaves around the country contributed to the second-warmest January on record. Hot, dry, windy weather again swept across the country this week.

    Finding a home that stays cool in this heat is a real challenge. Homebuyers and renters face two problems: a shortage of heat-resistant homes, and a lack of reliable, independent information about how homes perform in the heat.

    So, how can you avoid buying or renting a “hot box”? Here’s a handy list of 12 features to check next time you’re searching for a place to live.

    Ask these 4 questions before you inspect

    1. Does the house have insulation? Ceiling, wall and underfloor insulation seals the indoor environment, slowing or preventing heat from leaking in or out.

    2. Does it have double-glazed windows? Insulated glass, made from two or more window panes with a space in between, keeps heat out in summer and inside during winter.

    3. How big is the house? Australian homes are among the largest in the world. Cooling a large home with air conditioning can be costly. Check the floor plan to see if you can shut doors and close off internal spaces, so you only cool the parts you need during hot spells.

    4. Has the house had an energy and thermal performance assessment? The Residential Efficiency Scorecard is delivered by the Victorian government on behalf of all Australian governments. The report, undertaken by an accredited assessor, rates a home’s energy use and comfort, and recommends improvements. Other assessments also exist.

    Look for these 8 things during an inspection

    1. Check the colour and nature of external walls, roof and surrounding surfaces. Dark-coloured roofs or walls, and other hard surfaces such as concrete, absorb more heat. This heat builds up during the day and radiates out at night, causing what’s known as the heat island effect.

    2. Look at internal floors and surfaces. Brick walls or concrete surfaces inside can be a good thing, if the hot weather doesn’t last too long. That’s because the home will take longer to heat up. But these heavy materials will also take longer to cool down once the heatwave is over. Good ventilation may compensate for that.

    3. Consider the size and position of windows and doors. Openings on each side of rooms and the house as a whole allows cooling through natural ventilation. You can open up the house and let the cool air flow from one side to the other during the night, or once the cool change comes. Security doors and fly screens will keep insects and potential intruders out.

    4. Is there external shading, such as blinds or greenery? Ensuring windows and walls are shaded on the outside is the best way to keep the heat out, particularly on the west-facing side. Large unshaded glass windows facing north and west can cause the home to heat up in summer. Vertical blinds work well on west-facing windows. On the north side, horizontal shading such as a pergola blocks out the sun in summer – when it is higher in the sky. It also lets the sun in during winter when the sun is lower in the sky, to gently warm the home.

    5. Check for ceiling fans. Ceiling fans cool a home and use little energy. Check how many are installed and where they are located. Ceiling fans are ideal in living spaces, but also work well in bedrooms to help you stay comfortable on hot nights.

    Ceiling fans can make you feel cooler without costing a lot of money.
    Artazum, Shutterstock

    6. Investigate the air-con. If the house has air-conditioning, ask about its age, and look up its energy rating on energyrating.gov.au.

    7. Consider garden spaces. Plants and trees can creating a “microclimate” around your home, keeping it cool. Also look at the landscape beyond the property – a tree-lined street can reduce temperatures and improve thermal comfort during a heatwave.

    8. Note the position of the afternoon sun. Visit potential homes during the mid-late afternoon or check the sun’s path through the home – perhaps using a sun tracking app. If air conditioners are turned on, consider what this might mean for energy bills. What would the home feel like without it? Are there other ways to keep the building cool?

    For more information about home energy efficiency, visit YourHome, Renew, Scorecard, and read the Cooling your Home report.

    Passive Cooling (Your Home)

    Setting higher standards

    Most Australian homes perform poorly when it comes to maintaining a comfortable temperature range indoors. This is particularly true for those built before the 1990s, when minimum energy performance standards were introduced. But these standards set a low bar compared with those overseas.

    This, coupled with the absence of requirements for landlords or sellers (except in the ACT) to have the home assessed or declare a rating, means buyers and renters are left in the dark when it comes to making informed choices.

    Renters and lower-income households are at greatest risk of living in a home that is too hot or too cold. The private rental stock in Australia is among the poorest, most uncomfortable housing in the Western world.

    While the ACT has introduced minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties, standards across the country contain few provisions that promise improved thermal comfort.

    Until the regulatory landscape changes and energy performance must be disclosed, we hope these tips will help you avoid the worst of Australia’s hot boxes.



    Read more:
    Victorian households are poorly prepared for longer, more frequent heatwaves – here’s what needs to change

    Sarah Robertson has received funding from various sources, including the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and the Fuel Poverty Research Network. She has benefitted from Australian Research Council, Victorian government and various local government and industry partnerships to support research related to this topic.

    Nicola Willand receives funding for research from various organisations, including the Australian Research Council, the Victorian state government, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, the Future Fuels Collaborative Research Centre and the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network charity and affiliated with the Australian Institute of Architects.

    Ralph Horne has received funding from various sources including the Australian Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the Victorian government to support research related to this topic.

    Trivess Moore has received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Victorian government and various industry partners. He is a trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network.

    – ref. Want to make sure you don’t swelter in your next home? Check these 12 features before you rent or buy – https://theconversation.com/want-to-make-sure-you-dont-swelter-in-your-next-home-check-these-12-features-before-you-rent-or-buy-249494

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 3 statistical stuff-ups that made everyday items look healthier (or riskier) than they really are

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia

    VLADIMIR VK/Shutterstock

    Conducting scientific studies is never easy, and there are often major disasters along the way. A researcher accidentally spills coffee on a keyboard, destroying the data. Or one of the chemicals used in the analysis is contaminated, and the list goes on.

    However, when we read the results of the study in a scientific paper, it always looks pristine. The study went smoothly with no hiccups, and here are our results.

    But studies can contain errors, not all of which independent experts or “peer reviewers” weed out before publication.

    Statistical stuff-ups can be difficult to find as it really takes someone trained in statistics to notice something wrong.

    When statistical mistakes are made and found, it can have profound impacts on people who may have changed their lifestyle as a result of the flawed study.

    These three examples of inadvertent statistical mistakes have had major consequences for our health and shopping habits.

    1. Did you throw out your black plastic spoons?

    Late last year, I came across a news article about how black plastic kitchen utensils were dangerous as they could potentially leak toxic flame-retardant chemicals into your food.

    Being a natural sceptic, I looked up the original paper, which was published in the journal Chemosphere. The article looked genuine, the journal was reputable. So – like perhaps many other people – I threw out my black plastic kitchen utensils and replaced them with silicone ones.

    In the study, the authors screened 203 household products (about half were kitchen utensils) made from black plastic.

    The authors found toxic flame retardants in 85% of the products tested, with levels approaching the maximum daily limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States.

    Unfortunately, the authors made a mistake in their calculations. They were out by a factor of ten. This meant the level of toxic chemicals was well under the daily safety limits.

    In recent weeks, the authors apologised and corrected their paper.

    2. Did you avoid HRT?

    A landmark study raised safety concerns about hormone replacement therapy or HRT (now also known as menopausal hormone therapy). This highlights a different type of statistical error.

    The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study involved 10,739 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 recruited from 40 clinical centres in the US. It compared the health of women randomised to take HRT with those who took the placebo. Neither the researchers nor the women knew which treatment had been given.

    In their 2002 paper, the authors reported higher rates of invasive breast cancers in the HRT group. They used a unit called “person-years”. Person-years is a way to measure the total time a group of people spends in a study. For example, if 100 people are in a study for one year each, that makes 100 person-years. If someone leaves the trial after only six months, only that half-year is counted for them.

    The authors showed a rate of 38 invasive breast cancers per 10,000 person-years in the HRT group, compared to 30 per 10,000 person-years in the placebo group. This gives a rate ratio of 1.26 (one rate divided by the other).

    This fairly large increase in breast cancer rates, also expressed as a 26% increase, caused widespread panic around the world, and led to thousands of women stopping HRT.

    But the actual risk of breast cancer in each group is low. The rate of 38 per 10,000 person-years is equivalent to an annual rate of 0.38%. With very small rates like this, the authors should really have used the rate difference rather than the rate ratio. The rate difference is one rate subtracted from the other, rather than divided by it. This equates to an annual increase of 0.08% breast cancer cases in the HRT group – much more modest.

    The authors of the 2002 paper also pointed out that the 26% increase in the rate of breast cancer “almost reached nominal statistical significance”. Almost is not statistical significance, and formally, this means there was no difference in breast cancer rates between the two groups. In other words, the difference between the two groups could have happened by chance.

    The authors should have been more careful when describing their results.

    3. Did Popeye’s spinach change your meals?

    Cartoon character Popeye is a one-eyed, pipe-smoking sailor with mangled English, in love with the willowy Olive Oyl. He is constantly getting into trouble, and when he needs extra energy, he opens a can of spinach and swallows the contents. His biceps immediately bulge, and off he goes to sort out the problem.

    When Popeye ate spinach, his muscles bulged. No wonder sales of spinach rose.

    But why does Popeye eat spinach?

    The story begins in about 1870, with a German chemist, Erich von Wolf or Emil von Wolff, depending on which version of events you read.

    He was measuring the amount of iron in different types of leafy vegetables. According to legend, which some dispute, he was writing the iron content of spinach down in a notebook and got the decimal point wrong, writing 35 milligrams instead of 3.5 milligrams per 100 gram serve of spinach. The error was found and corrected in 1937.

    By then the Popeye character had been created and spinach became incredibly popular with children. Apparently, consumption of spinach in the US went up by a third as a result of the cartoon.

    This story had gained legendary status but has one tiny flaw. In a 1932 cartoon, Popeye explains exactly why he eats spinach, and it’s nothing to do with iron. He says in his garbled English:

    Spinach is full of Vitamin A. An’tha’s what makes hoomans strong an’ helty!

    Adrian Esterman receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF and ARC.

    – ref. 3 statistical stuff-ups that made everyday items look healthier (or riskier) than they really are – https://theconversation.com/3-statistical-stuff-ups-that-made-everyday-items-look-healthier-or-riskier-than-they-really-are-249367

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Brown, Professor in Philosophy, Director of the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland

    Nadia Piet + AIxDESIGN & Archival Images of AI/Better Images of AI, CC BY-SA

    There is only so much thinking most of us can do in our heads. Try dividing 16,951 by 67 without reaching for a pen and paper. Or a calculator. Try doing the weekly shopping without a list on the back of last week’s receipt. Or on your phone.

    By relying on these devices to help make our lives easier, are we making ourselves smarter or dumber? Have we traded efficiency gains for inching ever closer to idiocy as a species?

    This question is especially important to consider with regard to generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology such as ChatGPT, an AI chatbot owned by tech company OpenAI, which at the time of writing is used by 300 million people each week.

    According to a recent paper by a team of researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, the answer might be yes. But there’s more to the story.

    Thinking well

    The researchers assessed how users perceive the effect of generative AI on their own critical thinking.

    Generally speaking, critical thinking has to do with thinking well.

    One way we do this is by judging our own thinking processes against established norms and methods of good reasoning. These norms include values such as precision, clarity, accuracy, breadth, depth, relevance, significance and cogency of arguments.

    Other factors that can affect quality of thinking include the influence of our existing world views, cognitive biases, and reliance on incomplete or inaccurate mental models.

    The authors of the recent study adopt a definition of critical thinking developed by American educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom and colleagues in 1956. It’s not really a definition at all. Rather it’s a hierarchical way to categorise cognitive skills, including recall of information, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

    The authors state they prefer this categorisation, also known as a “taxonomy”, because it’s simple and easy to apply. However, since it was devised it has fallen out of favour and has been discredited by Robert Marzano and indeed by Bloom himself.

    In particular, it assumes there is a hierarchy of cognitive skills in which so-called “higher-order” skills are built upon “lower-order” skills. This does not hold on logical or evidence-based grounds. For example, evaluation, usually seen as a culminating or higher-order process, can be the beginning of inquiry or very easy to perform in some contexts. It is more the context than the cognition that determines the sophistication of thinking.

    An issue with using this taxonomy in the study is that many generative AI products also seem to use it to guide their own output. So you could interpret this study as testing whether generative AI, by the way it’s designed, is effective at framing how users think about critical thinking.

    Also missing from Bloom’s taxonomy is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking: the fact that the critical thinker not only performs these and many other cognitive skills, but performs them well. They do this because they have an overarching concern for the truth, which is something AI systems do not have.

    ChatGPT is used by 300 million people each week.
    Alex Photo Stock/Shutterstock

    Higher confidence in AI equals less critical thinking

    Research published earlier this year revealed “a significant negative correlation between frequent AI tool usage and critical thinking abilities”.

    The new study further explores this idea. It surveyed 319 knowledge workers such as healthcare practitioners, educators and engineers who discussed 936 tasks they conducted with the help of generative AI. Interestingly, the study found users consider themselves to use critical thinking less in the execution of the task, than in providing oversight at the verification and editing stages.

    In high-stakes work environments, the desire to produce high-quality work combined with fear of reprisals serve as powerful motivators for users to engage their critical thinking in reviewing the outputs of AI.

    But overall, participants believe the increases in efficiency more than compensate for the effort expended in providing such oversight.

    The study found people who had higher confidence in AI generally displayed less critical thinking, while people with higher confidence in themselves tended to display more critical thinking.

    This suggests generative AI does not harm one’s critical thinking – provided one has it to begin with.

    Problematically, the study relied too much on self-reporting, which can be subject to a range of biases and interpretation issues. Putting this aside, critical thinking was defined by users as “setting clear goals, refining prompts, and assessing generated content to meet specific criteria and standards”.

    “Criteria and standards” here refer more to the purposes of the task than to the purposes of critical thinking. For example, an output meets the criteria if it “complies with their queries”, and the standards if the “generated artefact is functional” for the workplace.

    This raises the question of whether the study was really measuring critical thinking at all.

    The research found that people with higher confidence in themselves tended to display more critical thinking.
    ImYanis/Shutterstock

    Becoming a critical thinker

    Implicit in the new study is the idea that exercising critical thinking at the oversight stage is at least better than an unreflective over-reliance on generative AI.

    The authors recommend generative AI developers add features to trigger users’ critical oversight. But is this enough?

    Critical thinking is needed at every stage before and while using AI – when formulating questions and hypotheses to be tested, and when interrogating outputs for bias and accuracy.

    The only way to ensure generative AI does not harm your critical thinking is to become a critical thinker before you use it.

    Becoming a critical thinker requires identifying and challenging unstated assumptions behind claims and evaluating diverse perspectives. It also requires practising systematic and methodical reasoning and reasoning collaboratively to test your ideas and thinking with others.

    Chalk and chalkboards made us better at mathematics. Can generative AI make us better at critical thinking? Maybe – if we are careful, we might be able to use generative AI to challenge ourselves and augment our critical thinking.

    But in the meantime, there are always steps we can, and should, take to improve our critical thinking instead of letting an AI do the thinking for us.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies – https://theconversation.com/is-ai-making-us-stupider-maybe-according-to-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-ai-companies-249586

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Releases Statement After Voting to Confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., released the following statement after voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was confirmed by a vote of 52-48.
    “Today marks a great day for America, particularly for our nation’s children,” said Senator Marshall. “I want to extend a big thank you to all members of the Make America Healthy Again movement who were instrumental in pushing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. across the finish line. With 60 percent of Americans currently battling chronic diseases, we desperately need a radical shift toward prevention rather than focusing on treatment alone. Now, it’s time to get to work and Make America Healthy Again.”
    BACKGROUND
    Senator Marshall is a founding member of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Caucus, which will focus on nutrition, access to affordable, high-quality, nutrient-dense foods, improving primary care, and addressing the root causes of chronic diseases. 
    Senator Marshall met with Kennedy last December, where they discussed addressing chronic disease, improving nutrition and food policy, ensuring vaccine and drug safety, empowering the physician-patient relationship, and leaving our world cleaner, safer, and healthier for future generations.
    In early February this year, Senator Marshall voted to advance Kennedy during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing. 
    Senator Marshall also recently wrote an op-ed in The Hill supporting Kennedy’s nomination.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Wicker introduce bill to better financially protect poultry growers against avian flu outbreaks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) yesterday introduced the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act (HPAI ACT) to ensure that all poultry growers and laying operations in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) control areas whose operations are affected receive compensation. This bill was
    “As avian flu cases rise in Delaware, it’s vital that we have smart policies in place that protect Delaware’s independent family farmers and poultry growers both medically and financially. As it stands, blind spots in our HPAI compensation program punish growers for culling flu-free flocks,” said Senator Coons. “As co-Chair of the Senate Chicken Caucus, I hope that including this bipartisan solution in the next Farm Bill will provide a lifeline to all hardworking farmers who do their part in helping us contain disease outbreaks by offering them fair and immediate financial relief, allowing them to recover quickly and assisting them in maintaining the strength of our essential poultry supply chains.”
    “Farmers play a significant role in providing our nation with food and protecting our national security,” said Senator Wicker. “Unexpected avian flu outbreaks harm the poultry industry, put farmers at risk for financial hardship, and drive up the cost of chicken and eggs at the grocery store. Since the initial outbreak in 2022, HPAI has led to the loss of a record 156 million birds across the United States. This bipartisan legislation would ensure farmers are compensated for their work to contain these outbreaks.”
    “The current wave of Bird Flu outbreaks is leaving our farming communities twisting in the wind,” said Congressman Mark Alford. “When poultry operations test positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, the federal government makes growers whole for lost revenue. The Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act will level the playing field by ensuring poultry growers and layer operations—who are impacted by USDA control zones put in place even though their own birds never tested positive—also qualify for indemnity payments. I’m proud to once again co-lead this critical bipartisan legislation to support Missouri’s agriculture community.”
    “The San Joaquin Valley is the heart of California agriculture, and our poultry farmers are on the front lines of the avian flu crisis. When they face challenges, we all pay the price—from farms to grocery stores. That’s why I’m leading the charge with the HPAI Act to provide real relief, protect our food supply, and ensure the farmers who feed America get the support they deserve,” said Congressman Jim Costa.
    Under the current policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), when an HPAI case is discovered, all poultry farms located within a 10-kilometer radius of the case are banned from placing flocks until the virus is contained. Afterward, all growers who have positive tests in their flocks receive compensation from the USDA, but not those within the control area whose flocks don’t contract HPAI. This creates a perverse incentive: once a control area is established, it is preferable for poultry operations within the area to have HPAI cases, as otherwise they will not receive compensation afterward despite undergoing many of the same financial struggles. This bill would rectify that so all growers in the control area are duly compensated. 
    Since the start of the HPAI outbreak in 2022, bird flu has affected 153 million birds in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. This has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to poultry growers and layer operations, driving food inflation even higher for Americans’ most cost-effective animal protein sources. 
    In addition to Senators Coons and Wicker, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
    Specifically, the HPAI Act would:
    Expand USDA-APHIS compensation to all poultry farmers in an HPAI control area. The program currently only compensates farmers whose flocks test positive, not those in the control area who are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained, which sometimes takes months. 
    Simplify the calculation of indemnity. The payments to farmers will be calculated based on the average income they earned from the last five flocks. This method is more transparent and ensures that farmers will not face a cash shortfall in the face of an HPAI outbreak in their area.
    This legislation is endorsed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the Delmarva Chicken Association, the National Chicken Council, the United Egg Producers, the Delta Council, and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
    The full bill text is available here.
    A one-pager is available here. 
    Senator Coons and Senator Wicker are the co-Chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement on Rollins Confirmation to USDA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed, by a vote of 72-28, Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
    “Brooke Rollins has had a distinguished career in the Trump Administration, serving as Domestic Policy Chief during the President’s first term.  Her previous work in the Administration will serve her well as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as Congress and the Administration work to pass a new Farm Bill.  Her commitment to America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities will benefit Idahoans and strengthen our agricultural industry.  I congratulate her on her confirmation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Kennedy for HHS Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after voting to confirm Robert Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
    “Coming from a state whose residents live with the impact of chronic diseases more than most, I agree with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that we need to Make America Healthy Again. As the chairman of the subcommittee responsible for funding HHS, I will work closely with Secretary Kennedy to make sure West Virginia’s priorities are considered,” Senator Capito said. “Secretary Kennedy understands the unique health care challenges of rural America and the need to balance embracing new ideas with what has been proven successful in the past. I look forward to working with him to combat the drug crisis in West Virginia and across the country, make the foods we are eating healthier, improve the transparency of our health care systems, and deliver better health care to more Americans.”
    Senator Capito previously met with Kennedy in December 2024 to discuss his nomination and learn more about his vision to lead the department.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Rollins as Agriculture Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Brooke Rollins to serve as the next Secretary of Agriculture:
    “Brooke Rollins understands firsthand the challenges facing rural America and will work day in and day out to support our West Virginia farmers, ranchers, and growers. That’s one of the many reasons I was proud to vote to confirm her to serve as our next Agriculture Secretary. I look forward to working with Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration to protect our family farms, grow our rural communities, and put American agriculture first,” Senator Capito said.
    Senator Capito previously met with Rollins in December 2024 to discuss her nomination and learn more about her vision to lead the department.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy To McMahon: You’re Saying It’s A Possibility That A Public School With Programming Related to Race Could Lose Federal Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 13, 2025

    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday questioned Linda McMahon at a hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Education. Murphy pressed McMahon on how a Trump administration executive order restricting federal funding for DEI programs will impact schools across the country. McMahon refused to provide clarity for the thousands of teachers and school administrators who are wondering whether offering African American history courses, supporting cultural student groups, or celebrating Black History Month will put their federal funding at risk.
    A full transcript of Murphy’s exchange with McMahon can be found below
    MURPHY: “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Ms. McMahon, good to see you. You and I have spent a lot of time over the years, and I appreciate your willingness to sit before the committee and answer some really important questions.
    “I want to talk to you about an executive order that the Trump administration issued that commands agencies, including the Department of Education, to eliminate grants to organizations and entities that support DEI programs and activities. As you know, this has a lot of schools all across the country scrambling, because they have no idea what that means. They don’t know because the order doesn’t define DEI as to whether they are in compliance or out of compliance, and whether they are going to have their federal grants compromised. How does a school know whether it’s running a DEI program or not?”
    MCMAHON: “Well certainly, and thank you Senator, and it is good to see you again outside of the state of Connecticut, where we run into each other. DEI, I think, has been–it’s a program that’s tough. It was put in place ostensibly for more diversity, for equity and inclusion. And I think what we’re seeing is that it’s having an opposite effect. We are getting back to more segregating of our schools, instead of having more inclusion in our schools. When there are DEI programs that say that Black students need separate graduation ceremonies or Hispanics need separate ceremonies, we are not achieving what we wanted to achieve with inclusion.”
    MURPHY: “Let me give you an example then. So this order applies to Department of Defense schools, and those schools have canceled all programming around Black History Month. So if a school in Connecticut celebrates Martin Luther King Day and has a series of events and programming teaching about Black history, are they in violation of a policy that says schools should stop running DEI programs?”
    MCMAHON: “Not in my view, that is clearly not the case. The celebration of Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month should be celebrated throughout all of our schools. I believe that Martin Luther King was one of the strongest proponents of making sure that we look at all of our populations, when he said that he would hope that his children wouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin, but the content of their character, and I think that is the fundamental basis that we should celebrate Black History Month.”
    MURPHY: “West Point has closed down all ethnic clubs. So the Society of Black Engineers can no longer meet because they believe that to be in compliance with this order, they cannot have groups structured around ethnic or racial affiliations. Would public schools be in violation of this order? Would they risk funding if they had clubs that students could belong to based on their racial or ethnic identity?” 
    MCMAHON: “Well, I certainly today don’t want to address hypothetical situations. I would like, once I’m confirmed, to get in and assess these programs, look at what has been covered–”
    MURPHY: “Isn’t that a pretty easy one? I mean, you’re saying that it’s a possibility that if a school has a club for Vietnamese American students or Black students, where they meet after school, that they could be potentially in jeopardy of receiving federal funding?”
    MCMAHON: “Again, I would like to fully understand what that order is and what those clubs are doing.”
    MURPHY: “That’s pretty chilling. I think schools all around the country are going to hear that. What about educational programming centered around specific ethnic and racial experiences? My son is in a public school. He takes a class called African American History. If you are running an African American history class, could you perhaps be in violation of this executive order?”
    MCMAHON: “I’m not quite certain, and I’d like to look into it further and get back to you on that.”
    MURPHY: “So there’s a possibility– there’s a possibility, you’re saying– that public schools that run African American history classes, right, this is a class that has been taught in public schools for decades, could lose federal funding if they continue to teach African American history?”
    MCMAHON: “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that I would like to take a look at these programs and fully understand the breadth of the executive order and get back to you on that.”
    MURPHY: “I think you are going to have a lot of educators and a lot of principals and administrators scrambling right now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, my time’s expired.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with interim President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the interim President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

    The Prime Minister offered congratulations on the success of ending the Assad regime, which inflicted decades of suffering on the Syrian people. He underscored that Canada continues to stand with Syrians in their pursuit of a more just and inclusive society, noting Canada has welcomed over 100,000 refugees since 2015. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Special Envoy Alghabra are currently attending the International Conference on Syria in Paris, France, where they will discuss how the international community can support the Syrian people in re-building their country.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and interim President al-Sharaa agreed on the importance of an inclusive political process to ensure lasting peace and stability for all Syrians. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of protecting human rights, including women and minority communities, as well as establishing good governance for Syria. He also emphasized Canada’s support for the immediate delivery of assistance and to facilitate the delivery of aid into Syria to support its redevelopment efforts. Both acknowledged the challenges of the current sanctions and efforts undertaken by the transitional government to put Syria on the path towards future success.

    The two leaders looked forward to a new chapter for Syria, and they agreed to remain in contact.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Declares Distribution of $0.12 Per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RYE, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc. (NYSE:GCV) (the “Fund”) declared a $0.12 per share cash distribution payable on March 24, 2025 to common stock shareholders of record on March 17, 2025.

    The Fund intends to pay a minimum annual distribution of 8% of the average net asset value of the Fund within a calendar year or an amount sufficient to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies. The average net asset value of the Fund is based on the average net asset values as of the last day of the four preceding calendar quarters during the year. The net asset value per share fluctuates daily.

    Each quarter, the Board of Directors reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available. The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the current financial market environment. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Directors at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

    All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate for long term capital gains, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their “net investment income”, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.

    If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.

    Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, investment company taxable income, and return of capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund currently available, the current distribution paid in 2025 to common shareholders with respect to the Fund’s fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 would include approximately 17% from net investment income and 83% would be deemed a return of capital on a book basis. This does not represent information for tax reporting purposes. The estimated components of each distribution are updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website (www.gabelli.com). The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2025 will be made after year end and can vary from the quarterly estimates. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution. All individual shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2025 distributions in early 2026 via Form 1099-DIV.

    Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. For more information regarding the Fund’s distribution policy and other information about the Fund, call:

    Laurissa Martire
    (914) 921-5399

    About Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund
    The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc. is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with $85 million in total net assets whose primary investment objective is to seek a high level of total return on its assets through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (OTCQX: GAMI).

    NYSE: GCV
    CUSIP – 36240B109

    THE GABELLI CONVERTIBLE AND INCOME SECURITIES FUND INC.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Laurissa Martire
    (914) 921-5399
    lmartire@gabelli.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. Declares Distribution of $0.13 Per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RYE, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Trustees of Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (NYSE American: ECF) (the “Fund”) declared a $0.13 per share cash distribution payable on March 24, 2025 to common shareholders of record on March 17, 2025.

    The Fund intends to pay the greater of either an annual distribution of 5% of the Fund’s trailing 12-month average month-end market price or an amount that meets the minimum distribution requirement of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies.

    Each quarter, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the financial market environment. If necessary, the Fund pays an adjusting distribution in December, which includes any additional income and net realized capital gains in excess of the quarterly distributions. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification or termination by the Board of Trustees at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

    All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate for long term capital gains, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and with income that exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their “net investment income”, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.

    If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a share-holder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.

    Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, investment company taxable income and return of capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund currently available, the current distribution paid in 2025 to common shareholders with respect to the Fund’s fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 would include approximately 13% from net investment income and 87% from net capital gains on a book basis. This information does not represent information for tax reporting purposes. The estimated components of each distribution are updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website. The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2025 will be made after year end and can vary from the quarterly estimates. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution. All individual shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2025 distributions in early 2026 via Form 1099-DIV.

    Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. For more information regarding the Fund’s distribution policy and other information about the Fund, call:

    Bethany Uhlein
    (914) 921-5546

    About Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund
    Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with $190 million in total net assets. ECF invests primarily in convertible securities and common stock with the objectives of providing income and the potential for capital appreciation, objectives the Fund considers to be relatively equal over the long-term due to the nature of the securities in which it invests. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (OTCQX: GAMI).

    NYSE American: ECF
    CUSIP – 289074106

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Bethany Uhlein
    914.921.5546
    buhlein@gabelli.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust Continues Monthly Distributions, Declares Distributions of $0.10 Per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RYE, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Trustees of The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (NYSE American: GLU) (the “Fund”) approved the continuation of its policy of paying fixed monthly cash distributions. The Board of Trustees declared cash distributions of $0.10 per share for each of April, May, and June 2025.

    Distribution Month Record Date Payable Date Distribution Per Share
    April April 15, 2025 April 23, 2025 $0.10
    May May 15, 2025 May 22, 2025 $0.10
    June June 13, 2025 June 23, 2025 $0.10
           

    Under the Fund’s initial distribution policy, the Fund has paid a minimum annual distribution of 6% of the initial public offering price of $20.00 per share (a distribution of $0.10 per share each month).

    Each quarter, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the financial market environment. If necessary, the Fund will pay an adjusting distribution in December which includes any additional income and net realized capital gains in excess of the monthly distributions for that year to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

    All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate for long term capital gains, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their “net investment income”, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.

    If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.

    Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, investment company taxable income, and return of capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund currently available, each of the distributions paid to common shareholders in 2025 would include approximately 8% from net investment income, 51% from net capital gains and 41% would be deemed a return of capital on a book basis. This does not represent information for tax reporting purposes. The estimated components of each distribution are updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website (www.gabelli.com). The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2025 will be made after year end and can vary from the monthly estimates. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution. All individual shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2025 distributions in early 2026 via Form 1099-DIV.

    Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. For more information regarding the Fund’s distribution policy and other information about the Fund, call:

    Adam Tokar
    (914) 457-1079

    About The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust
    The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with $119 million in total net assets whose primary investment objective is to seek a consistent level of after-tax total return for its investors with an emphasis on tax-advantaged dividend income under current tax law. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (OTCQX: GAMI).

    NYSE American – GLU
    CUSIP – 36242L105

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Adam Tokar
    (914) 457-1079
    atokar@gabelli.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Celebrate Love with the Samsung Galaxy S25 this Valentine’s Day

    Source: Samsung

    Experience love like never before this Valentine’s Day, with the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Series. From memorable moments captured with breathtaking clarity to seamless connections that can bring hearts closer, the Galaxy S25 isn’t just a phone – it’s the AI companion that helps you express love, plan perfect dates, and turn every ordinary moment into an extraordinary moment. Whether you’re planning a surprise for your significant other or reminiscing about cherished memories, the Galaxy S25 is here to make it all happen with ease.
     

     
    New Ways to Find Romantic Spots and Gifts
    The Galaxy S25 is the love whisperer you never knew you needed. Powered by advanced AI, it’s not just smart – it’s intuitive, anticipating your needs to make sure you never forget important dates with your partner. Thanks to the ability to take seamless actions across apps. For instance, you can search for a romantic restaurant within a 10km radius of your location, that serves French cuisine, then add it into your diary and text or email an invitation to your partner.
     

     
    Capture Love’s Most Beautiful Moments – Even in low light
    Capturing love’s beautiful moments shouldn’t be ruined by imperfect lighting anymore. Capture your romantic evenings in stunning clarity with Nightography on the Galaxy S25 – whether it’s a candlelit dinner or a moonlit walk – even in low light. After capturing your video, edit using the improved Audio Eraser that lets you remove unwanted noise with great precision. Your love story deserves to shine any time of day, and the Galaxy S25 ensures every memory is captured in its most dazzling form.
     

     
    Never Forget a Special Date Again
    Spontaneous ideas deserve to be turned into cherished memories. Thanks to Search to Calendar, the Galaxy S25 effortlessly transforms those “We should do this!” moments into well-organised plans. Found the perfect spot for a getaway or remembered an anniversary you can’t miss? Simply search, and your phone adds it to your calendar – keeping love organised and ready to bloom.
     
    With Now Brief and Now Bar, your AI companion will keep you informed about hallmark days and personal anniversaries, and it could even help you plan the perfect surprise. Planning Valentine’s Day? Let the Galaxy S25 help you stay on top of important reminders and manage your calendar. Conversations flow effortlessly, leaving more room for what truly matters – your connection.
     

     
    The Love Letter Reimagined
    Gone are the days of handwritten love letters only (though they remain a powerful tool). With the Galaxy S25, you could ask Gemini to suggest a romantic haiku poem, or use Note or Chat Assist to write a short and sweet romantic message for your other half. With a few easy finger taps, your thoughts and dreams are ready to be shared with your partner most chicly.
     
    Thoughtful Gestures, Simplified
    In the digital age, gestures of love have never been easier. In-app Search helps you find and share memories, whether it’s an old photo or a sweet note, that instantly warms the heart. Want to surprise your partner with a long-lost photo from your first date or a memory from a shared trip? It’s as simple as searching and sending, strengthening your connection in the most heartfelt ways.
     

     
    The Gift of Knowing Exactly What They Want
    You could be “Netflix and Chilling” with your partner, and they see an item (anything from a plant to a pair of shoes) they like and you immediately think of getting it for them. No more guessing – Circle to Search is the secret weapon of thoughtful gift-giving, allowing you to snap and circle what’s on screen (whether it’s a photo or video) to search for exactly what your loved one wants. Circle to Search lets you get all the information about it (like where you can get it) without giving away your secret romantic intention. So, whether you’re buying a Valentine’s Day gift or surprising them on a special occasion, it’s all made effortless, ensuring every gift is a hit.
     
    Want another way gift-searching has been enhanced? With its human-like ability to interpret your needs, the Galaxy S25’s multimodal search can help you combine voice, image, and text inputs to search for ideas. Simply take pictures of items your partner likes, and the system can recommend gifts based on those inputs.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What we learned from Trump and Putin’s phone call

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, spoke for much of the European diplomatic community when she reacted to news of Donald Trump’s phone chat with Vladimir Putin: “This is the way the Trump administration operates,” she declared. “This is not how others do foreign policy, but this is now the reality.”

    The resigned tone of Baerbock’s words was not matched by her colleague, defence minister Boris Pistorius, whose criticism that “the Trump administration has already made public concessions to Putin before negotiations have even begun” was rather more direct.

    Their sentiments were echoed, not only by European leaders, but in the US itself: “Putin Scores a Big Victory, and Not on the Battlefield” read a headline in the New York Times. The newspaper opined that Trump’s call had succeeded in bringing Putin back in from the cold after three years in which Russia had become increasingly isolated both politically and economically.

    This was not lost on the Russian media, where commentators boasted that the phone call “broke the west’s blockade”. The stock market gained 5% and the rouble strengthened against the dollar as a result.

    Reflecting on the call, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, continued with operation flatter Donald Trump by comparing his attitude favourably with that of his predecessor in the White House, Joe Biden. “The previous US administration held the view that everything needed to be done to keep the war going. The current administration, as far as we understand, adheres to the point of view that everything must be done to stop the war and for peace to prevail.

    “We are more impressed with the position of the current administration, and we are open to dialogue.”

    Trump’s conversation with Putin roughly coincided with a meeting of senior European defence officials in Brussels which heard the new US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, outline America’s radical new outlook when it comes to European security. Namely that it’s not really America’s problem any more.

    Hegseth also told the meeting in Brussels yesterday that the Trump administration’s position is that Nato membership for Ukraine has been taken off the table, that the idea it would get its 2014 borders back was unrealistic and that if Europe wanted to guarantee Ukraine’s security as part of any peace deal, that would be its business. Any peacekeeping force would not involve American troops and would not be a Nato operation, so it would not involve collective defence.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    International security expert David Dunn believes that the fact that Trump considers himself a consummate deal maker makes the fact that his administration is willing to concede so much ground before negotiations proper have even got underway is remarkable. And not in a good way.

    Dunn, who specialises in US foreign and security policy at the University of Birmingham, finds it significant that Trump spoke with Putin first and then called Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to fill him in on the call. This order of priority, says Dunn, is a sign of the subordination of Ukraine’s role in the talks.

    He concludes that “for the present at least, it appears that negotiations will be less about pressuring Putin to bring a just end to the war he started than forcing Ukraine to give in to the Russian leader’s demands”.



    Read more:
    Trump phone call with Putin leaves Ukraine reeling and European leaders stunned

    Hegseth’s briefing to European defence officials, meanwhile, came as little surprise to David Galbreath. Writing here, Galbreath – who specialises in defence and security at the University of Bath – says the US pivot away from a focus on Europe has been years in the making – “since the very end of the cold war”.

    There has long been a feeling in Washington that the US has borne too much of the financial burden for European security. This is not just a Donald Trump thing, he believes, but an attitude percolating in US security circles for some decades. Once the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated, the focus for Nato become not so much collective defence as collective security, where “conflict would be managed on Nato’s borders”.

    But it was then the US which invoked article 5 of the Nato treaty, which establishes that “an armed attack against one or more [member states] in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all”. The Bush government invoked Article 5 the day after the 9/11 attacks and Nato responded by patrolling US skies to provide security.

    Pete Hegseth dashes Ukraine’s hopes of a future guaranteed by Nato.

    Galbreath notes that many European countries, particularly the newer ones such as Estonia and Latvia, sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. “The persistent justification I heard in the Baltic states was “we need to be there when the US needs us so that they will be there when we need them”.

    That looks set to change.



    Read more:
    US says European security no longer its primary focus – the shift has been years in the making

    The prospect of a profound shift in the world order are daunting after 80 years in which security – in Europe certainly – was guaranteed by successive US administrations and underpinned, not just by Nato but by a whole set of international agreements.

    Now, instead of the US acting as the “world’s policeman”, we have a president talking seriously about taking control of Greenland, one way or another, who won’t rule out using force to seize the Panama Canal and who dreams of turning Gaza into a coastal “riviera” development.

    Meanwhile Russia is engaged in a brutal war of conquest in Ukraine and is actively meddling in the affairs of several other countries. And in China, Xi Jinping regularly talks up the idea of reunifying with Taiwan, by force if necessary, and is fortifying islands in the South China Sea with a view to aggressively pursuing territorial claims there as well.

    And we thought the age of empires was in the rear view mirror, writes historian Eric Storm of Leiden University. Storm, whose speciality is the rise of nation states, has discerned a resurgence of imperial tendencies around the world and fears that the rules-based order that has dominated the decades since the second world war now appears increasingly tenuous.



    Read more:
    How Putin, Xi and now Trump are ushering in a new imperial age

    Gaza: the horror continues

    In any given week, you’d expect the imminent prospect of the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire to be the big international story. And certainly, while Trump and Putin were “flooding the zone” (see last week’s round-up for the origins of this phrase) the prospects of the deal lasting beyond its first phase have become more and more uncertain.

    Hamas has recently pulled back from its threat not to release any more hostages. Earlier in the week it threatened to call a halt to the hostage-prisoner exchange, claiming that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had breached the terms of the ceasefire deal. Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, responded – with Trump’s backing – saying that unless all hostages were released on Saturday, all bets were off and the IDF would resume its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Trump added that “all hell is going to break out”.

    The US president has also doubled down on his idea for a redeveloped Gaza and has continued to pressure Jordan and Egypt to accept millions of Palestinian refugees. This, as you would expect, has not made the population of Gaza feel any more secure.

    Nils Mallock and Jeremy Ginges, behavioural psychologists at the London School of Economics, were in the region last month and conducted a survey of Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza to get a feel for how the two populations regard each other. It makes for depressing reading.

    The number of Israelis who reject the idea of a two-state solution has risen sharply since the October 7 2023 attacks by Hamas, from 46% to 62%. And roughly the same proportion of people in Gaza can now no longer envisage living side by side with Israelis. Both sides think that the other side is motivated by hatred, something which is known to make any diplomatic solution less feasible.



    Read more:
    We interviewed hundreds of Israelis and Gazans – here’s why we fear for the ceasefire

    We also asked Scott Lucas, a Middle East specialist at University College Dublin, to assess the likelihood of the ceasefire lasting into phase two, which is when the IDF is supposed to pull out of Gaza, allowing the people there room to being to rebuild, both physically and in terms of governance.

    He responded with a hollow laugh and a shake of the head, before sending us this digest of the key developments in the Middle East crisis this week.



    Read more:
    Will the Gaza ceasefire hold? Where does Trump’s takeover proposal stand? Expert Q&A

    We’ve become very used to seeing apocalyptic photos of the devastation of Gaza: the pulverised streets, choked with rubble, that make the idea of rebuilding seem so remote. But the people of Gaza also cultivated a huge amount of crops – about half the food they ate was grown there. Gazan farmers grew tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and strawberries in open fields as well as cultivating olive and citrus trees.

    Geographers Lina Eklund, He Yin and Jamon Van Den Hoek have analysed satellite images across the Gaza Strip over the past 17 months to work out the scale of agricultural destruction. It makes for terrifying reading.



    Read more:
    Gaza: we analysed a year of satellite images to map the scale of agricultural destruction

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get our updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. What we learned from Trump and Putin’s phone call – https://theconversation.com/what-we-learned-from-trump-and-putins-phone-call-249902

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Living to tell the story: Lawsuit accuses ER doctor of anti-Indigenous racism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Professor of History, University of Winnipeg

    On Jan. 15, 2023, Justin Flett arrived at the emergency room at St. Anthony’s Hospital, in the Pas, Manitoba.

    According to Flett’s statement of claim, submitted to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in December and as reported by CBC News and APTN, he told the triage nurse he was experiencing distressing abdominal pain.

    Flett was assigned a triage score of five, which is intended for non-urgent low-priority cases. The statement of claim alleges that the physician who finally saw Flett insinuated that he was hungover, saying something to the effect of: “I don’t know what to tell you, we don’t treat you here for hangovers.”. Flett was not given diagnostic tests, imaging, a physical examination or pain medication.

    In a statement made through his lawyer, Flett said, “I knew that there was something seriously wrong with me and this doctor didn’t seem to want to take me seriously or help me. In that moment, I just felt worthless.”

    Flett is a father of six, a building contractor, a resident of Winnipeg and a citizen of Tataskweyak First Nation.

    Flett’s statement of claim says he endured an 11-hour bus trip to Winnipeg to seek the care he needed while in severe pain and without other healthcare alternatives.

    Once in Winnipeg, Flett called 911 and requested an ambulance. He was instructed by the operator to take a taxi to Seven Oaks Hospital. There he was triaged as a priority but still told to wait.

    He finally underwent surgery for acute appendicitis more than 30 hours after he first sought care. The surgery left Flett with complications.

    Flett is suing the Winnipeg and Northern Regional health authorities as well as an ER doctor, accusing them of racism and failing to provide timely care.

    As scholars of Indigenous and settler colonial history, we see Flett’s story within an enduring pattern of anti-Indigenous medical racism.

    A pattern of anti-Indigenous medical racism

    Brian Sinclair is not here to personally tell his version of what happened in the 34 hours he spent in September 2008 in the emergency room of a major Winnipeg hospital.

    Structures of Indifference by Mary Jane Logan McCallum and Adele Perry.

    Sinclair, a middle-aged Anishinaabe man, died from what is normally an easily treated infection. In our 2018 book, Structures of Indifference: An Indigenous Life and Death in a Canadian City, we show how Sinclair’s tragic and unnecessary death reveals some painful truths about the ongoing history of settler colonialism, and how its legacies continue to devalue Indigenous life.

    Sinclair’s death and Flett’s accusations can only be understood within a history of settler colonialism and segregated medical care that is exemplified by the “Indian hospitals” that ran from the 1920s to the 1980s. They must also be understood in context of a society that blames Indigenous people for their own deaths.

    Sinclair was assumed to be drunk by medical staff and did not receive timely or adequate care, while Flett accuses medical authorities in Manitoba of the same treatment.

    These types of experiences are not particular to Manitoba, but are mirrored by incidents of medical racism across Canada.

    Tania Dick, Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w registered nurse and current Indigenous Nursing Lead at the University of British Columbia, explained to CBC’s The Current in 2018 that many Indigenous families have their own “Brian Sinclair story.”

    This includes the family of Joyce Echaquan. Echaquan was a 34-year-old Atikamew mother of six, who recorded hospital staff hurling racial slurs at her while withholding medical treatment causing her death in a hospital north of Montréal in September 2020.

    Inadequate treatment

    Both Echequan’s and Sinclair’s families and communities made sure that their deaths did not go unnoticed.

    In Sinclair’s case, an inquest and a number of reports resulted in significant changes to the way that patients are triaged and managed.

    Echaquan’s experience led to an inquest and the development of Joyce’s Principle, which aims to “guarantee to all Indigenous people the right of equitable access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services.”

    These cases have helped fuel a growing awareness about anti-Indigenous medical racism, including among organizations of medical professionals.

    Apologies and pledges

    Two years ago, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) apologized and accepted responsibility for failing to fairly treat Indigenous patients and they pledged to take action against anti-Indigenous racism.

    And last year, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) also acknowledged the racism and discrimination that Indigenous patients and health care providers face. They apologized and pledged to “act against anti-Indigenous racism in health care.”

    When we discuss these stories and the apologies in our classrooms we find our students know it is time to think beyond quick fixes and surface remedies. Rather, we need to address racism and colonialism as powerful determinants of health.

    The inquests, reports and apologies appear to have fallen short. Flett’s lawsuit claims that his treatment violated Sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It seeks damages under Section 24.1, which says that those whose rights or freedoms have been violated can seek remedies from the courts.

    It is a good time for us all to think about the ongoing costs of anti-Indigenous racism in Canada’s past and present.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Living to tell the story: Lawsuit accuses ER doctor of anti-Indigenous racism – https://theconversation.com/living-to-tell-the-story-lawsuit-accuses-er-doctor-of-anti-indigenous-racism-247078

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS Harry S. Truman Involved in Collision at Sea

    Source: United States Navy

    MEDITERRANEAN SEA  –  The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 20,383 marriages registered in New Zealand

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing New Zealanders a happy Valentines Day, and revealing some insight into how many couples tied the knot in 2024.
    “Last year there were 20,383 marriages registered in New Zealand, down from 23,043 a decade prior. Personalised ceremonies were the more popular option, which can be held at any time and place and have individualised vows, with 17,795 couples choosing to have personalised weddings last year”, says Ms van Velden.
    Registry ceremonies, which must take place during business hours with standard vows, were chosen by 13 per cent of couples, down from 21 per cent of weddings in 2014.
    “New Zealanders are now choosing to wait longer to get married, with one quarter of all newlyweds in 2024 aged 29 or under, and 47 per cent aged between 30 to 39. In comparison, in 2014 one third were under 30 on their wedding day, and 38 per cent were aged between 30 to 39.”
    “Some Kiwis find love later in life, with 740 people getting married who were aged 70 or older.
    “Some couples even choose to make Valentines Day their special day, with 12,272 weddings occurring on 14 February since records began in 1848,” says Ms van Velden. 
    Marriage licences are administered through the Department of Internal Affairs and can be applied for online at marriages.services.govt.nz. All applications for marriage licences are completed within three working days.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bay Roberts — Bay Roberts RCMP seeks public’s assistance in locating vehicle stolen in Bay Roberts (UPDATED)

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    UPDATE: The vehicle has been recovered.

    Bay Roberts RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in relation to a vehicle stolen from Bay Roberts in the overnight hours of Monday, February 3, 2025.

    The grey, four door 2017 Honda Civic Touring, NL license plate JGZ 878, was stolen from a residential property in the Water Street area. A stock photo of the same vehicle is attached.

    Anyone with any information about this crime, the identity of the person(s) responsible or the current location of the vehicle is asked to contact Bay Roberts RCMP at 709-786-2118. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app. #SayItHere

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Cleveland Warns of Romance Scams and Confidence Fraud

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    With Valentine’s Day a few days away, FBI Cleveland reminds the public to remain aware when engaging in online relationships and warns about the hidden dangers when striking up a relationship with someone they have not met in real life.

    Romance scams continue to rise, and typically begin when a criminal creates a fake profile on a dating site or social media platform. The scammer tricks victims into believing they’re in a loving and trusting relationship with that online persona. Fraudsters then leverage that relationship and concoct stories of financial hardships, persuading victims to send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other items of value. Confidence scams also include leading an individual to believe they are in a relationship as a “friend” or family member, and are tricked into sending money, personal and financial information, or items of value to the perpetrator or, to launder money or items to assist the perpetrator. This includes the Grandparent’s Scheme and any scheme in which the perpetrator preys on the targeted individual’s “heartstrings,” purporting someone is in trouble, ill, or in an urgent situation.

    “While the ability to connect online has never been easier, so too is the risk of becoming victim to a scammer. At any given moment, we can log in to meet new “friends” with shared interests, play a virtual game with someone on the other side of the world, engage in a conversation with a person who may tell us they are a distant relative, or strike up a romance through a dating app,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Sadly, if you are on a device, you are vulnerable, no matter your age, gender, or technological savviness. The FBI wants to remind the public about these schemes and educate people about the stories these fraudsters will use.”

    According to data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Ohioans lost over $15.3 million in 2023 to confidence fraud and romance scams and over $652 million nationwide.

    Most commonly, the perpetrators are men targeting women over 40 who are divorced, widowed, elderly, or disabled. The scam usually starts with an “innocent” contact online and builds from there. Romance scammers often use well-rehearsed scripts which have been previously used successfully.

    These criminals actively search dating websites, apps, chat rooms, and social networking sites in their efforts to build a relationship with the goal of accessing financial assets or personally identifiable information. Romance scammers often spend hours honing their skills and sometimes maintain detailed journals, describing their targeted victims, to better understand how to manipulate and exploit them.

    FBI Cleveland encourages people to do their due diligence about the person they are communicating with, just as you would when meeting in person. Ask a lot of questions and don’t take everything at face value. Even if the person sends casual ‘at-home’ images that appear normal, oftentimes, scammers will steal the identity of another person and use those photos as bait. To avoid meeting in person, scammers often claim to live or work in other parts of the country or world. Eventually, when they feel they have gained the trust of their victims, these criminals will request money, oftentimes for a medical emergency for themselves, a child, or family member, an unexpected legal fee, or some other false purpose, including a church, charity, or natural disaster. They may send a courier, “friend,” or ride share to your home or suggest someplace public to meet to hand over the asset. They may even say that it must be done privately for your safety.

    These scams are borderless and anyone of any age can be targeted. The scammers goal is to financially exploit the victim. If someone you meet online needs your bank account information to deposit money, they are most likely using your account to carry out other theft and fraud schemes.

    If you find yourself beginning to develop a relationship with someone you meet online, remember these tips to help protect yourself:

    • Be careful with sharing too much personal information online across all social media sites. Scammers can and often use those details to target you and build commonalities.
    • If you’re on dating sites, only use platforms with a well-known reputation, and research photos and profiles online to see if anyone has used that name or image elsewhere. It may take a little time on your part but will be well worth the effort in the long run.
    • Beware of online suitors who try to isolate you from your family or friends, or those who ask you to send inappropriate photos or financial information that could be later used to extort you.
    • Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person. Scammers often use emotional pleas and stories of despair to trick you into believing their story of need.

    “The best advice I can give is to encourage friends and family members to have open, honest discussions with one another about these dangers, and be wary about people you meet online who begin to ask or pressure you into sharing personal identifying information, ask you to send money, bitcoin, or gold; or threaten you or someone you love with physical, financial, or emotional harm,” Nelsen added. If you suspect your online relationship is a scam, whether you are involved or someone you know may be falling victim to the scam, call 1-800-CALL-FBI to file a report, or visit ic3.gov to submit a tip. No amount is too large or small to report to the FBI whether it’s a request to wire money, send gift cards, or transfer other items of value. You are the victim and reporting is the only way the FBI can connect the dots and stop these criminals from targeting other people or further exploiting you and your network. You should also contact your financial institution if you’ve already sent money.

    Find more resources about romance scams at FBI.gov/romancescams

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM) and The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation Sign an Implementation Agreement for $5 Million Line of Financing in Favor of Alizz Islamic Bank in Oman

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    MUSCAT, Oman, February 13, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM) and The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-IDB.org) have signed an Implementation Agreement for $5 million line of financing in favor of Alizz Islamic Bank in the Sultanate of Oman, under the “KSA SMEs Export Empowerment Program”.

    The agreement aims to enhance the access of Saudi non-oil exports to Omani markets, promote export opportunities for the SMEs sector in the Kingdom, and attract Omani importers. 

    The agreement was signed by the Director of the Financial Institutions Department at Saudi EXIM Bank Mr. Mohammed Alabdulmuhsen, and the General Manager of the Treasury Department Mr. Ahmed M. Yousef Jan from The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation. The signing ceremony took place at Alizz Islamic Bank’s headquarters in the Sultanate of Oman.

    “KSA SMEs Export Empowerment Program” is committed to elevate the competitiveness of the Saudi non-oil exports globally, as Saudi EXIM and ITFC continues to provide credit facilities to targeted financial institutions in targeted countries.

    This collaboration marks a significant step towards enhancing international trade and increasing the contribution of SMEs to the Gross Domestic Product, aligning with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which represents one of the objectives of the “KSA SMEs Export Empowerment Program”. It also represents a crucial milestone in enabling Saudi exports and expand their global reach.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor in Opposition to RFK, Jr. to Secretary of Health and Human Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
    “I don’t believe Mr. Kennedy can separate fact from fiction. I don’t believe Mr. Kennedy can separate conspiracy from content,” Kaine said. “Now, you wouldn’t want someone suffering from that challenge in any position of leadership at any level of government—local, state, or federal. But this particular position, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, one of the most important positions in the nation as it respects to people’s physical and mental health, is exactly the wrong kind of a position for someone who can’t tell fact from fiction or content from conspiracy.”
    Kaine continued, “… the American public needs to be able to rely on HHS and other critical agencies for information that is not just about the state of their savings account or housing costs. This is about life and death.”
    Kaine then discussed the Gardasil vaccine, which is manufactured in Virginia and protects Americans from certain cancers caused by HPV, and raised concerns about RFK, Jr.’s previous comments on Gardasil. Kaine said, “[RFK, Jr.] has said that the vaccination is one of the most dangerous vaccines ever created. He has said that it’s dangerous and defective. On one of his website articles on his blog, he said that ‘it is inescapable that Gardasil kills girls.’ …He cannot separate fact from fantasy, content from conspiracy.”
    “This inability to tell the difference between fact and fiction and content and conspiracy would be dangerous enough if it was just about health information,” Kaine said. “But this individual’s inability to tell the difference between fact and fiction and between conspiracy and content is not just limited to health.”
    Kaine then brought up a previous post from RFK, Jr. posted on July 5, 2024, in which he refused to “take a side” on 9/11 conspiracy theories. Kaine said, “A lot of Virginia families lost loved ones that day… I don’t take it very well when someone says they won’t take sides about 9/11—when someone admits it’s hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t.”
    “If you cannot tell what happened on 9/11, if you decide to just freelance an opinion 23 years later, and tell the American public—and he’s running for president at the time—I will not take sides on 9/11, you should not have been nominated for this position in the first place,” said Kaine.
    “This is a very, very dangerous vote that we will cast tomorrow. Of any position in the federal government that needs somebody who can tell the difference between fact and fiction, conspiracy and content, HHS Secretary is that position,” Kaine concluded. “And Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. so badly flunks the test of what is needed—careful, reasoned information that people can count on—that I urge my colleagues, even if you voted in a committee, even if you voted on a procedural resolution to move this to the floor, stop now. You can still stop now. Don’t hurt this country. Don’t hurt the health of this country by putting someone in office who can’t even understand what happened on 9/11.”
    Kaine pressed RFK, Jr. on his previous statements regarding 9/11 and the Gardasil vaccine during RFK, Jr.’s nomination hearing. Last week, Kaine joined his colleagues in pressing RFK, Jr. over his conflicts of interest related to anti-vaccine lawsuits and his plan to transfer stake in anti-vaccine lawsuits to his son.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine & Subramanyam Introduce Bill to Designate George C. Marshall House as a National Park Service Affiliated Area

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) introduced legislation to designate the General George C. Marshall House in Leesburg, known as Dodona Manor, as an affiliated area under the National Park Service (NPS). Warner and Kaine advocated for years alongside then-U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton for an official designation, which would provide new resources to preserve and celebrate General Marshall’s legacy at the site, including technical assistance to support restoration efforts, accessibility improvements, and new programming.
    “Dodona Manor has an immense historic value to our nation and is worth celebrating,” said the lawmakers. “Turning it into an affiliated area under the National Park Service is a fitting way to preserve this property, honor General Marshall’s legacy and help future generations learn about his life. We are glad to introduce this legislation together and will keep working to get it across the finish line.”
    “The Marshall Center and the Leesburg community are deeply grateful to Congressman Subramanyam and Senators Kaine and Warner for their leadership in introducing legislation to designate George C. Marshall’s Dodona Manor as an affiliated area of the National Park System. This significant step recognizes General Marshall’s enduring legacy and will ensure the preservation of his historic home for future generations,” said Marshall Center Chairman Tom Greenspon. “We are honored to continue our work in safeguarding this national treasure and look forward to collaborating with our legislative champions to achieve full affiliation.”
    General Marshall led a lifetime of public service, serving as Chief of Staff to the Army during America’s entry into World War II, as Secretary of State where he orchestrated the historic Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe following the war—work for which he received a Nobel Peace Prize—and as Secretary of Defense after the onset of the Korean War.
    Dodona Manor is currently registered as a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior and has been designated by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Virginia Landmark.
    The Marshall House has been an integral part of the Leesburg community for over two centuries. General Marshall and his wife Katherine purchased the property in 1941 as a weekend retreat house, and regularly spent time at the property throughout General Marshall’s tenure as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. While residing there, he received world dignitaries including President Truman and Madam Chiang Kai-shek
    In 2005, Dodona Manor opened as a historic house museum and hosts international exchanges, historical exhibits, community events, and educational programming about the life and legacy of the Marshall family.
    The legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate in December 2024, but did not pass the U.S. House before the end of the 118th Congress and therefore must be reintroduced.
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Deadly Fentanyl Additive Xylazine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), alongside his colleagues, introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. This bill would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers.
    Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl. The bipartisan Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would regulate xylazine and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after those traffickers the drug for illicit use. The bill is endorsed by 39 state attorneys general—including Virginia’s—major law enforcement organizations, and veterinary organizations.
    “I’m fully committed to addressing the fentanyl crisis. I’m glad that bipartisan legislation I’ve led in the Senate to help keep Virginians safe from fentanyl was signed into law by President Biden, but there’s more work to do,” said Kaine. “That includes protecting our communities from the illicit use of xylazine, which is often mixed with fentanyl to create an even more lethal drug. I’m glad to partner with my colleagues on this bipartisan, commonsense approach to do that, while making sure the veterinarians who need xylazine to treat animals can still access it.”
    The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would:
    Schedule xylazine as Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act; 
    Ensure veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers can still use the drug for its intended purpose by creating a clear definition of “ultimate user” – someone lawfully permitted to possess a controlled substance for legitimate use;
    Enable the DEA to track its manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market; and
    Require a report on prevalence, risks, and recommendations regarding xylazine.
    Kaine has long advocated for more resources to combat the fentanyl crisis. Kaine introduced and Congress passed the bipartisan Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act to direct increased federal attention to fentanyl trafficking by declaring fentanyl trafficking a national security threat, utilizing Pentagon resources like counter-drug intelligence, and involving Mexico as an active partner to combat the crisis. Kaine also helped pass a supplemental national security funding package that included the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Kaine, to require the President to sanction drug rings involved in international drug trafficking. Last July, Kaine traveled to Brownsville and McAllen, Texas to discuss fentanyl interdiction at the southern border with various law enforcement agencies and international partners from Mexico. Last year, Kaine also introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Tracking Of Poisonous Tranq Requiring Analyzed National Quantification Act, or the STOP TRANQ Act to require the State Department to include reporting on xylazine, or “tranq,” in its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR).
    This legislation is led by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelly Moore Capitol (R-WV), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Rick Scott (R-FL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Todd Young (R-IN). It is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) and August Pfluger (R-TX-11).  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Baldwin Warns Colleagues That Confirming Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Will Harm Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    Published: 02.13.2025
    Senate set to vote on confirmation of RFK, Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services Thursday; Baldwin: “RFK, Jr. will put Americans in harm’s way”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) took to the Senate floor to express her opposition to the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
    Senator Baldwin announced her opposition to Mr. Kennedy’s nomination following a one-on-one meeting with him. She penned an op-ed in Newsweek detailing her reservations about his open opposition to safe and effective vaccines, his agenda to undermine vital research to find cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and his decadeslong track record of spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories.
    A full recording of the Senator’s remarks is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 13th, 2025 Heinrich Statement on Trump’s Threat to Dismantle the Department of Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on President Trump’s unlawful threat to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education:

    “Gutting the Education Department will have disastrous consequences in New Mexico and across the country. Whether it’s because our kids’ favorite teacher is laid off, their after school program is shuttered, or they lose the help they need learning to read, President Trump’s threatened actions will hurt our kids.

    “As a father and as New Mexico’s senior senator, I will do everything I can to stop President Trump’s attack on our children’s future.”

    Background on How President Trump’s Unlawful Dismantling of the Education Department Will Harm New Mexico’s Students, Parents, and Educators:

    Title I Funding

    87% of schools in New Mexico receive a total of $147 million in federal Title I funding from the Department of Education. This funding supports low-income students with literacy and math. Title I funds are used for:

    • Hiring additional teachers and specialists who support students and their teachers with literacy and math instruction
    • Purchasing additional instructional materials
    • Teacher training
    • Parent engagement
    • Smaller Classroom Sizes

    Federal Pell Grants

    Over 44,000 low-income college students in New Mexico — including students in vocational-technical certificate programs — currently receive a Federal Pell Grant from the Department of Education. Pell Grants help New Mexicans pay for tuition, housing, food, transportation, books, and other education-related costs.

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Funding

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds special education services. 16.5% of New Mexico students are on an individualized education plan (IEP) and receive services under this program. New Mexico receives $120 million per year in IDEA funding from the Department of Education. IDEA funding can be used to pay special education instructors, support services such as behavioral health specialists, and classroom materials and equipment designed for students with disabilities.

    21st Century Community Learning Center (After School Program) Funding

    The Department of Education administers Title IV, Part B funds for after school programs. In New Mexico, 124 schools receive this funding for their after school enrichment and tutoring programs.

    Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act Funding

    The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act funds grants for equipment and programming for high school career and technical education programs. New Mexico receives $10.5 million in Carl Perkins Act Career and Technical Education Improvement Act funding from the Department of Education.

    Title II, Part A Funding

    Title II, Part A funds teacher professional development. New Mexico receives over $2 million per year from the Department of Education to help educators improve and expand their teaching skills.

    Title III Funding

    Title III funds help students learn English. 1 out of 3 families in New Mexico speak a language other than English at home and about 1 out of 6 students are classified as English learners. New Mexico currently receives about $9 million per year to help kids learn English.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz: RFK Jr., Whose Dangerous Lies Fueled Measles Outbreak in Samoa & Caused Preventable Deaths, Unqualified To Lead HHS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) underscored the troubling record of President Donald Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose efforts in Samoa to deceive families about measles vaccines led to a deadly outbreak that killed more than 80 people, many of whom were young children. Schatz urged his colleagues to vote against RFK Jr. in tomorrow’s confirmation vote.

    “It’s not often that the stakes of a vote to confirm a cabinet nominee are this high. But tomorrow, when we vote on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the stakes will be life or death,” said Senator Schatz. “ Mr. Kennedy, in his words, but more importantly in his actions, has proven over and over that he is a unique danger to society. But he’s on the edge of becoming the country’s top health leader with the power to unleash bygone diseases and undermine trust in science for generations to come.”

    “For the first time ever, we will have a Health Secretary who has actively helped cause outbreak instead of to contain them,” he continued. “We’ll have someone in charge of medical research who’s taken every opportunity to undermine science instead of promoting it. We’ll have someone who’s never come across a wacky idea that he didn’t like, whether it’s that antidepressants are causing mass shootings or that chemicals in the water are turning kids gay… Those two things should be immediately disqualifying.”

    Schatz recounted the story of how Kennedy traveled to Samoa in 2019 to discourage people from taking the measles vaccine which ultimately led to an outbreak in which thousands of people were infected and 83, mostly children, died.

    “It is so chilling to contemplate the idea that someone as recognizable as a Kennedy would fly across an ocean to a small, developing country and basically tell everybody, ‘Be afraid of this lifesaving medicine’,” Schatz concluded. “If you think it’s a good idea to leave all of these diseases in the rearview mirror, then this is a very bad person to have running the Department of Health and Human Services.”

    Video of Senator Schatz’s remarks is available here.

    The full text of Senator Schatz’s remarks, as delivered, is below.

    It is not often that the stakes of a vote to confirm a cabinet nominee are this high. But tomorrow, when we vote on the nomination of RFK Jr. to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the stakes will be life and death. Mr. Kennedy, in his words, but more importantly in his actions, has proven over and over again that he is a unique danger to society.

    But he is on the edge of becoming the country’s top health leader, with the power to unleash bygone diseases and undermine trust in science for generations to come. For the first time ever, we will have a Health Secretary who has actively helped to cause outbreak instead of to contain them. We’ll have someone in charge of medical research who has taken every opportunity to undermine science, instead of promoting it.

    We’ll have someone who’s never come across a crazy idea that he didn’t like, whether it’s that antidepressants are the cause of mass shootings or chemicals in the water are turning children gay.

    This is the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Those two things right there should be immediately disqualifying. This should be 100 to 0. This guy used to be a Democrat. This guy was pro-choice. This guy was for clean energy. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue except to say for HHS, you need somebody who has devoted their life and hopefully has some expertise in the area of public health.

    And it’s not just that we didn’t get someone who has expertise in public health. We have someone who has caused disease and death. And I say those words with precision. I understand that both sides of the aisle are prone to exaggerating their case, and being apocalyptic. When we describe a pending vote, I’ve been here for a while, and everything is always the most important vote that we will ever cast.

    And I don’t know if this is the most important vote we’ll ever cast. I do think, gosh, I hope I’m wrong. I really do hope I’m wrong. But I do think this is likely the Cabinet Secretary vote that is likely to age the most poorly, because this person has the potential to actually cause diseases like rubella, like mumps, like measles, like polio, that have been gone for many generations because we have a vaccine regime.

    And I want to tell you what he did in Samoa. In 2019, he flew to Samoa to discourage people from taking the measles vaccine. And the reason was that he wanted to run a quote, natural experiment to see how people would fare against the disease without protections. Now, some of you may know this. My father was the first whistleblower against the Tuskegee experiments in which the United States Public Health Service did a similar thing.

    They knew that penicillin cured syphilis, and they knew that for the most part, untreated syphilis caused death. But the US Public Health Service decided to divide a cohort of African-American men into two parts. One would receive the medicine and be safe and be cured, and another cohort would receive a placebo and not get the lifesaving cure for syphilis.

    And why did they do that? To quote, “observe the disease process”.

    To observe the disease process. So when you when you investigate whether or not a medicine works, there’s a whole process to it, right? The FDA double blind studies all the rest of it. But the basic idea is you’re trying to get to some level of reliability and statistical significance so that you can project out into the population what’s going to work and what’s not.

    Now, the second way to do this is say you can achieve statistical significance until you just let a bunch of people get sick and figure out what happens. The United States Congress, led by someone with whom I served for a couple of years, Tom Harkin, when they found out about the Tuskegee experiments, made a law against the U.S. Public Health Service ever doing that again because it’s immoral.

    It’s bad science. Sure. But more than that, it treated these African-American men as if they were worth experimenting on, as if this this category of human beings in the United States were expendable for scientific research purposes. And that’s exactly what happened in Samoa. And it’s exactly what happened in Samoa.

    6000 people got the measles. 83 people died. 79 of them were kids. It is so chilling to contemplate the idea that someone as recognizable as a Kennedy would fly across an ocean to a small, developing country and basically tell everybody, be afraid of this lifesaving medicine. And it’s saw he did that once and said, I’m sorry I misunderstood or I’m being misunderstood.

    This dude actually sells onesies on his website saying, I think it’s like “unvaxxed and unafraid” for a little baby. This guy has views that are out of the mainstream of, I would guess, 99 out of 100 United States senators. And I do understand the pressure that some of my colleagues are facing. They’re being told if you vote against one Trump nominee, you will be primaried.

    So that’s not a small amount of pressure. But this one, I just promise you, it’s not going to age well.

    Some of my colleagues are expressing reservations in private. And I think that’s better than not expressing any reservations at all. And some of them are getting private assurances from Mr. Kennedy that he does not, in fact, hate all vaccines. He just wants to answer questions and all the rest of it. I am not reassured. I think this person has demonstrated over a pretty long career that he says whatever is convenient in the moment, right?

    This is like an unreconstructed, he’s a Kennedy. He was running for president in the Democratic primary, and now he’s a Trump guy, like ten months later. What does that mean? It means he’s got no core values, right? Like there’s just no way to go from over here to over here politically in such a short period of time, except that he was offered something, and he was offered this job.

    And why does he want this job? Because he’s got a very specific view about public health.

    And I just want to make one other point. The problem of our food system. Right. The problem of the extent to which we subsidize ultra-processed foods that are coming from commodities that are subsidizing the farm bill and causing people to get increasingly diabetic, and all the related health problems that happen related to that. Like, that’s a really legitimate place to do some good bipartisan work.

    And I would love to do that. It’s also not what the HHS secretary does, what the United States Department of Agriculture does, for the most part, and it’s what the Congress does. The problem is the farm bill. The problem is you get what you subsidize. And we are subsidizing all the corn products and all the soy products and all the sugar products that go into the lab tested extra delicious, extra bad for you, extra addictive stuff that is making us all.

    Even though we’re the wealthiest country in human history, a very unhealthy country. And so if that’s all this guy we’re working on, you can count me in. But if your idea of public health has to do with healthy food, has to do with prevention, has to do with understanding that our food system and our agricultural system and our USDA and our farm bill process is essentially broken.

    You don’t actually have to purchase this kind of crazy, evil stuff. You just don’t you don’t have to do it. There’s lots of good people on the food system side. You can work with, work for, cheer on, organize with. But this man is going around… he’s not talking about the COVID vaccine.

    He’s not talking about whether or not it’s appropriate to require masks in public, where Democrats and Republicans are, like, still arguing about stuff like that. He’s talking about stuff that like, if you’re a parent and now you don’t know whether when your kid goes to school, they’ve reached herd immunity for stuff that is like way, way, way generations back in the rearview mirror.

    And so I don’t know if this is going to mark one of the most important public health moments in American history, but I can’t think of another time where we actually have the technology, we have the medicine, we have the science, we have the distribution system, we have the public infrastructure to keep people safe. And we just decide by a vote of 53 to 47 to make people unsafe.

    So Secretary of Defense, DNI, all these are important. Treasury. Every cabinet position is important. It’s going to be a little more challenging to know whether your vote is vindicated in the sweep of history. I think this guy is going to age very poorly in the job, because I think we are going to see bad public health outcomes very, very shortly.

    This really is a matter of life and death. And I understand what I have learned over the last ten days is if Republicans are going to display courage, it’s not going to be on the cabinet. There are a few that have voted, you know, not with their party, but for the most part, like they’re in line, and Trump is going to get his cabinet.

    But let this be a marker for everybody. Let today be a marker for everybody. If you even if you voted for Trump, if you didn’t vote for Trump, if you’re not a voter, it doesn’t matter. If you think it’s a good idea to leave all of these diseases in the rearview mirror, then this is a very, very bad person to have running the Department of Health and Human Services.

    MIL OSI USA News –