The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress.
“Open season on renters has begun, as this Government for landlords creates more insecurity and pain for renters,” says the Green Party’s Housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul.
“No-cause evictions mean that renters can be removed from their homes without reason, undermining housing stability and perpetuating insecurity. It’s another cruel step which favours landlords and erodes renters’ rights in Aotearoa. There will be many families who will suffer acutely as a result of the uncertainty this creates.
“No-cause evictions have flow-on impacts for children of families who are plunged into housing instability – it undermines their health and education, and compounds mental health problems linked to inadequate housing and unhealthy homes.
“Landlords will be able to kick out renters on a whim – it may be because of the renter’s disability or even the way they dress – but the landlord doesn’t have to provide a reason, it’s open season.
“Housing is a human right, but this Government is treating it like a business. Housing forms the foundation for our communities to thrive, it is something we can afford to provide to everyone.
“The Government has ignored the overwhelming public opposition to this Bill. A massive 97 per cent of submitters on the no clause termination provision opposed it, including 53 per cent of landlords themselves.
“Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home. The Green Party will continue to fight for stronger renters rights, and that includes removing no-cause evictions,” says Tamatha Paul.
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today released the following statement after the Laken Riley Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Senator Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama), and Graham is an original cosponsor.
“This is a bittersweet day for America. I appreciate President Trump signing the Laken Riley Act into law, which will require illegal immigrants charged with theft and other crimes to be detained. If this law had been in place, it would have prevented Laken Riley’s murder.
“The man who killed Laken Riley was released from custody because of lack of detention space and had previous arrests for theft that were ignored by the Biden Administration.
“Congratulations to Senator Britt who spearheaded this in the Senate. It is my hope and prayer that this legislation will be a deterrent and save lives.”
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO OF KAINE’S FLOOR SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor to discuss President Trump’s alarming pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, the world’s largest online drug marketplace. Trump pardoned Ulbricht, who was serving life in prison, on his second day in office. In 2015, Ulbricht was convicted on seven counts, including distributing narcotics and conspiring to launder money, for his involvement with Silk Road. Government investigators identified six individuals whose lethal overdoses were caused by drugs purchased on the site, one of whom was 16 years old.
“On Inauguration Day, January 20, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border of the United States, and I want to read two sentences from that declaration,” said Kaine. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans have tragically died from drug overdoses because of the illicit narcotics that have flowed across the southern border…As Commander in Chief, I have no more solemn duty than to protect the American people.”
Kaine continued, “Those two sentences are why I was so surprised at an action the President took the next day, January 21, 2025: the pardon of drug kingpin Ross Ulbricht.”
“Mr. Ulbricht launched Silk Road in 2011 and turned it into one of the most popular outposts of the so called Dark Web, a hidden corner of the internet that people can access only through a special browser. Silk Road facilitated over 1.5 million transactions, generating more than $200 million in revenue from the sale of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs,” Kaine said. “At least six deaths were attributed to drugs bought on Silk Road.”
“I just want to raise the obvious question. If illicit narcotics trafficking is sufficient to declare a national emergency, then why, one day later, was it a justifiable, appropriate, laudable use of presidential power to give a pardon to somebody who had set up an online global digital drug trafficking network that had generated $200 million in revenue, 1.5 million transactions of sales of illicit drugs, six overdose deaths of individuals, and other challenges?” Kaine asked.
“I would assert that the pardon of Mr. Ulbricht undercuts the legitimacy of the claim of what Mr. President Trump is worried about is drug trafficking,” Kaine concluded. “…If the only thing that can be done is to put it on the public record so that people can be aware, less than 24 hours after this emergency declaration, this drug trafficker was pardoned, I feel like that’s an important thing that needs to be made visible to the American public.”
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, questioned Howard Lutnick at the confirmation hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of Commerce.
During the hearing, Senator Fischer’s exchange with Lutnick focused on federal spectrum management and its critical role in national security, the impact of retaliatory tariffs on agriculture and manufacturing, the need to expand export markets, preserving critical broadband funding, and strategies to counter threats from China in technology markets.
Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
Click here to download audio
Click here to download video
On the Role Spectrum Plays in Protecting National Security:
Senator Fischer: If confirmed, you will lead a massive federal agency across 13 bureaus. And to start with, I want to highlight one that you’ve already heard of—the NTIA. It has critical influence over the U.S. economy and over our security, as well. Among its roles . . . NTIA coordinates spectrum management, ensuring that federal airwaves are being used most effectively. But, as spectrum becomes more scarce, critical federal operations, especially those essential for our national security, have been seen as obstacles. At the onset, I want to make it clear to you that DOD airwaves are not lying dormant and that proposals to clear them would jeopardize our national security.
We have constellations of DOD satellites that rely on spectrum. Our nuclear command and control relies on spectrum. Advanced fighter aircraft like F-35s rely on spectrum. And we are investing tens of billions of dollars in developing sixth-generation aircraft that will rely on spectrum. We have radar systems on our Navy ships tracking incoming missiles around the world. These allowed us to help defend Israel from over 300 missile and drone attacks last year. They rely on spectrum. I can go on and on, as my colleagues know, but this is all to say that I hope we can work together so that we can come up with a really strong strategy for federal spectrum management in the future.
On Protecting Nebraska’s Industries From Retaliatory Tariffs:
Senator Fischer: I’m from Nebraska, and Nebraska’s agricultural and manufacturing industries rely on our strong export markets for our products. You and I talked about trade and about the need under this administration for trade to be front and center. We know that we didn’t see much of that happen in the previous administration. We also know, though sir, that other countries may try to retaliate against our agricultural and our manufacturing industries. So, if confirmed, will you work with your colleagues at other agencies to understand the impact of retaliatory tariffs on agriculture and manufacturing?
Howard Lutnick: I will.
On Opportunities To Expand Export Markets:Senator Fischer: Thank you. Can you also talk a little bit about what opportunities you view that are out there so that we can expand certain export markets over the next four years under this administration?
Howard Lutnick: I think our farmers, ranchers, and fishermen are treated with disrespect.Senator Fischer: Always, the fish.Howard Lutnick: Always, you have to include them. You know, how often do we eat seafood? Come on. So they are treated with disrespect around the world. They are our farmers, our ranchers, and our fishermen are treated with disrespect. The countries take advantage of American kindness, American gratitude, that we used to rebuild the world after the World Wars, and after the Korean War, and after the Vietnam War.
We need that disrespect to end. And I think tariffs are a way to create reciprocity, to be treated fairly, to be treated appropriately. And I think it will help our farmers, our ranchers, and our fishermen to flourish. And that’s what I expect this administration is going to drive. And that’s why I am honored to serve President Trump in his pursuit of that reciprocity and that fairness, and the end of the disrespect.
These countries have reliance on the American economy, and they need to start respecting us and respect us now.
On Understanding the Importance of the BEAD Broadband Program:Senator Fischer: Thank you. You heard about the BEAD funding from Senator Thune and other members of this committee as well. And I hope you will take that to heart and help our states get through some of those regulations that are out there. It has been an impediment to us.
On Bolstering American Competitiveness Against China: Senator Fischer: I’d like to talk a little bit here in the last few seconds about technology and competitiveness. I think I have Senator Wicker’s time.
In previous hearings, this committee has discussed the United States’ AI capabilities and that we are in a dead heat with China. This week, we heard about DeepSeek, and I think it’s having us to examine kind of where we are right now with that.
If confirmed, given the Commerce Department’s breadth of influence on that issue, how will you address different threats that we see coming from the CCP within these information and technology markets?Howard Lutnick: I take a very jaundiced view of China. I think they only care about themselves and seek to harm us. We need to protect ourselves, we need to drive our innovation forward, and we need to stop helping them.
Open platforms—Meta’s open platform, let DeepSeek rely on it. Nvidia’s chips, which they bought tons of and they found their ways around it, drive their DeepSeek model. It’s got to end.
If they are going to compete with us, let them compete, but stop using our tools to compete with us. So I’m going to be very strong on that. I am thrilled to oversee BIS and I’m thrilled to coordinate and empower BIS with tariffs that will improve the strength. When we say no, that answer’s got to be no.Senator Fischer: I look forward to working with you, sir. Thank you.Howard Lutnick: Thank you.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after voting against Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“Lee Zeldin is not qualified to lead an agency tasked with protecting the air and water of millions of Americans. His deep ties to the Koch brothers and Big Oil are clear conflicts of interests, and I’m not confident he has hardworking Nevada families’ best interests at heart. That’s why I voted no on his confirmation.”
WASHINGTON – Today, at the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Kelly Loeffler to serve as the Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator, Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) highlighted the need to reform the agency.
Ernst asked Loeffler about her plans to refocus the SBA on its mission to empower entrepreneurs and unleash the small business economy by increasing transparency, slashing red tape, and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.
Click here to watch Chair Ernst’s remarks.
During Ernst’s questioning, Loeffler committed to a “collaborative and responsive” relationship with Ernst to improve transparency at the SBA.
After the agency had a 66-day disaster funding shortfall last year and failed victims in desperate need, Ernst asked Loeffler how she would work with Congress to improve critical relief programs at the agency.
As part of her plan, Loeffler noted that she will make sure that the agency is accountable to taxpayers, that she will get it back to work, and be committed to the success of small businesses and responsible to taxpayers.
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration issued yet another dangerous executive order that aims to withhold federal funds to schools that teach the whole history of America.
NEA President Becky Pringleissued the following statement in response to the latest Trump executive order that attempts to restrict educators’ ability to teach an honest and accurate curriculum and create schools where students feel safe, seen, and valued:
“Every student, of every race and in every place, deserves the freedom to learn from a quality educator in a safe and welcoming public school. At a time when our students need us most and when parents and educators are working together tirelessly to do everything we can to support them, this administration continues to take action that aims only to distract and divide us. This unnecessary and punitive executive order does nothing to help educators inspire their students to learn and to give them the resources needed to succeed.
“Instead of lifting students, Trump and his allies are shamelessly trying to restrict the freedom of educators to teach and students to learn, while also punishing educators for ensuring schools are a safe space where all students—regardless of gender identity or race—have a sense of belonging.
“Educators won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians hurt our students, our families, and our communities across America. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that provide an honest, accurate, and inclusive curriculum that prepares them for the future.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org
It’s a new year and brand-new home for the New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center at UConn Health.
CEO Dr. Andy Agwunobi leading a round of applause for Dr. Biree Andemariam on Jan. 29.
The Institute held a large, festive celebratory grand opening and ribbon-cutting for leadership, supporters, and its patient community on January 29.
The newly renovated multi-million-dollar, patient-friendly 12,840 sq. ft. comprehensive care space is located on the fully renovated fourth floor of UConn Health’s Main Building in the Connecticut Tower of UConn John Dempsey Hospital.
Sickle cell and bleeding disorder patients at UConn Health now have a combined Institute as a dedicated place to call home for all their outpatient care needs. The Institute brings the latest innovative care, medications, supportive services, and clinical trials to its patients all in one space that patients can call their home away from home.
“Dedicating a new brick and mortar medical home– a place of healing, a place of nurturing, a place of expertise, a place of guidance, and, honestly, a place of love– will ensure that individuals with sickle cell disease and bleeding disorders will always have a safe place to receive top-notch care into the infinite future—including those not yet born!” shared Dr. Biree Andemariam, founder and longtime director of the Institute at the celebration event attended by over 400 guests including 150 patients and their family members.
Large patient room of New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center.
The new space marks a formal beginning of a joint home for the care of individuals with sickle cell disease as well as those with inherited bleeding disorders. Both conditions affect the blood, both are hereditary, both are relatively rare and largely without a lot of doctors and nurses and social workers with experience or comfort in taking care of them. Together, the two programs at UConn Health provide care for patients from all over Connecticut and serve as both a regional and national referral base from physicians across many disciplines, including other hematologists.
The new location has all new equipment such as apheresis technology used for blood transfusions, ultrasound, and EKGs. It has six large patient rooms, ten infusion rooms, and even a large common area for patients and their families to use.
The Institute, founded in 2009, has served the majority of adult sickle cell patients in the state. Part of the renovation project was supported with a $75,000 generous grant from CHEFA. Uniquely, the Institute with the help of UConn Health’s art curator Andre Rochester hand-selected original artwork of artists from across Connecticut to decorate and brighten its new hallway and room spaces. The artists hail from across the state in Hartford, Bloomfield, Bridgeport, New Haven, Wolcott, and beyond. Plus, one Oakland, California artist shared a beautiful terra cotta sculpture.
Dr. Genice Nelson embracing sickle cell patient Lola Odesina on Jan. 29.
“Our new Institute home is absolutely amazing, and the high-quality space definitely matches the high-quality care our patients always receive,” shared the Institute’s Nursing Director Dr. Genice Nelson. “The old hospital space has been completely renovated down to his studs to be a very modern, comfortable, patient-centered, and colorful, warm inviting space for our patients who often spend a great amount of time receiving therapeutic treatments here.”
“We sincerely thank Caryl Ryan, RN, COO of John Dempsey Hospital, Dr. Andy Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health, Dr. Pramod Srivastava, director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of the UConn School of Medicine. Without their strong leadership this new, dream home for our Institute would not be possible. Thank you!” says Andemariam.
Andemariam also pays tribute to her former UConn Health mentor Dr. Robert Bona who was a longtime director of the bleeding disorders program: “This year marks the 50th year since the start of UConn Health’s first Hemophilia Center. Without him, the bleeding disorders program would not have continued to thrive for so many decades, and I would not have been able to launch our sickle cell program back in 2009 without his support and encouragement.”
Dr. Biree Andemariam on Jan. 29 hosting the opening of the New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center.
UConn Health’s Bleeding Disorders Center is one of the longest-running specialty clinical programs in the institution’s history. In fact, it has long been recognized as a premier center for the care of patients with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders and one of only two adult bleeding disorder programs in the state.
“Biree is the visionary that has made this all possible! I want to thank everyone who has come together to make this Institute possible. The number and excitement of the people here today is a true testament to the work of the Institute,” shared Dr. Andy Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health, in the full Keller Auditorium.
“This Institute opening is a major milestone for us. Congrats to Dr. Andemariam and all of your team,” shared Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of the School of Medicine. “For patients, and future patients, hope is right here, right now at UConn Health.”
In 2009, Andemariam first established at UConn Health the New England Sickle Cell Institute after witnessing first-hand the health care disparities experienced by sickle cell disease patients. The Institute is the first and only dedicated outpatient regional center of its kind for managing the painful inherited red blood cell condition to help adults combat the daily suffering associated with sickle cell disease and improve their overall quality of life.
Waiting room of the New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center.
Continued mentorship and support were vital to Andemariam’s ability to develop the world-class Institute, and she credits her chairman and mentor, Dr. Pramod Srivastava, for playing that role, “every single day and every step of the way.” She says, “Most hospital systems don’t have the courage to do what we have done. Dr. Srivastava assured me that we would find a way, and together, we did.”
Andemariam and her team have tirelessly worked to identify more and more sickle cell patients in the surrounding communities to help them better manage their health, reduce their pain symptoms and disease complication risks, and to keep them out of the hospital so they could enjoy their lives more.
The once small program has grown to serve the Institute’s hundreds of patients and has a national referral base. Plus, the Institute’s global collaborations have published evidence-based, best practice guidelines, and the research team is conducting clinical trial testing for promising experimental drugs aimed at reducing the disease’s trademark cell sickling, blood vessel blockages, organ damage, frequent hospitalizations, and premature deaths.
Andemariam concludes, “It was the willingness of UConn Health and School of Medicine leaders, Dr. Agwunobi, Dr. Liang, and Caryl Ryan, who heeded our call to do something extraordinary for the community of individuals with sickle cell disease who had long been abandoned by the medical community.”
Lola Odesina sharing her sickle cell success story at the celebration.
Patient Success
One of the many patient success stories of the Institute include Lola Odesina, 40, of Wethersfield. She was born with the painful, inherited red blood cell disease of sickle cell and has been treated by UConn Health since 2007. As a result of her regular, comprehensive care at the Institute she reports that she is thriving.
“In my adulthood I definitely have hit a stride with my health,” says Odesina. “It has a lot to do with the comprehensive care I have received at the Institute.”
Odesina is a pharmacist. Her career path was inspired by her health experience and to work in the health care world to help other people just like her.
“We are all so very excited for the Institute’s new home and the opportunity for sickle cell patients to be served in an enhanced way, and the greater capacity to serve even more patients,” says Odesina. “It is very reassuring to know people here at UConn Health care and always want to help. The Institute has an amazing supportive team that is always there for us and in anyway.”
Sickle cell patient Lola Odesina celebrating at the Institute’s grand opening. She is thriving thanks to the Institute’s longtime care.
Odesina is a mom of two young children. She is very grateful and credits the Institute’s care team for helping her safely through each of her pregnancy journeys with excellent coordinated care and communication with her maternal care providers.
For blood disorder condition care at the Institute’s Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center, one of the many grateful patients is Robert Hoyt, 66, of Naugatuck. He has long turned to UConn Health’s expertise for his blood disorder care since 2008.
He was first diagnosed at 9 months old after hitting his head on his baby crib and the bleeding just wouldn’t stop. He has the most severe form of hemophilia called hemophilia A with inhibitor.
“I have the worst of the worst type of hemophilia. I spent half of my first 11 years of life in the hospital. Back then there were no good treatments. But I survived!” he happily shares. “At about 40 years of age I needed a knee replacement, but another center wouldn’t do the operation due to its dangers. So, I went to UConn and Dr. Andemariam and the care team guided me through. It was so successful I had my second knee replaced.”
Robert Hoyt sharing his successes thanks to the longtime care of Dr. Andemariam for his severe form of hemophilia.
Hoyt adds, “Dr. Andemariam is the doctor I have been looking for my whole life. I want to live life to the fullest, to do that you need to take chances. Her and the Institute’s care has allowed me to do that!”
“UConn Health is really on the cutting-edge of helping the bleeding disorder community,” Hoyt concludes. “With today’s medications and technology, life with hemophilia is much easier.”
Hoyt also shared at the ribbon-cutting ceremony other successful health news thanks to the close management of his bleeding disorder condition care by UConn Health’s Andemariam: “I had the first in the nation mitral valve clip repair at Mount Sinai for a hemophilia patient.”
He concluded, “We will see generations of patients succeed at this new clinic.”
Looking to the Future The Institute, in collaboration with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program directed by Dr. Kapil S. Meleveedu, is working diligently to bring bone marrow transplant offerings to sickle cell patients.
Minister Shevalle T. Kimber, M.Div. sharing her invocation for the new Institute and its sickle cell and bleeding disorder patients.
Also, they are working in earnest to soon bring access to the newly FDA-approved sickle cell gene therapy currently available right now only at a few centers nationwide. They also have several clinical trials open at UConn Health.
Plus, the Institute will continue to train and educate the next generation of health care providers for sickle cell and bleeding disorders.
“We are going to take sickle cell disease treatment to new heights,” shared the Neag Cancer Center’s Dr. Pramod Srivastava with the large crowd of attendees.
The grand-opening event also included a special invocation for the Institute’s new home by the sister of Dr. Genice Nelson. Minister Shevalle T. Kimber, M.Div. shared a special blessing and prayer for all patients of the Institute to continue to thrive in 2025. Kimber is co-pastor of The First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven and serves as the First Lady of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
“We are filled with gratitude and reverence,” shared Kimber. “We ask for your blessing on the lives these programs will touch. May this be a safe place of healing and hope.”
The doors are open at the New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center. It was opened by Dr. Genice Nelson, Caryl Ryan, RN, Dr. Andy Agwunobi, Janel Simpson, Dr. Pramod Srivastava, Dr. Biree Andemariam, and Dr. Bruce T. Liang (UConn Health Photo/Tina Encarnacion).
Airmen from the 51st Security Forces Squadron trained alongside soldiers from the U.S. Army Correctional Facility-Korea, 94th Military Police Battalion during Beverly Herd 25-2 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea Jan. 27, 2029.
Beverly Herd exercises are held throughout the year and designed to test the wing’s ability to survive and operate in a contested environment on the Korean Peninsula.
Integrating with joint partners during wing exercises helps foster relations and allows the two services to share tactics, techniques and procedures.
As rising seas lap at its shore, Tuvalu faces an existential threat. In an effort to preserve the tiny island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, its government has been building a “digital twin” of the entire country.
Digital twins are exactly what they sound like – a virtual double or replica of a physical, real-world entity. Scientists have been creating digital twins of everything from molecules, to infrastructure, and even entire planets.
It’s also now possible to construct a digital twin of an individual person. In other words, a “digital doppelganger”.
A doppelganger is someone who looks spookily like you but isn’t. The word originated in German, and literally means a “double walker”. A number of industries are now using digital doppelgangers for a range of reasons. These include enhancing athletic performance, offering more personalised healthcare and improving workplace safety.
But although there are benefits to this technology, there are significant risks associated with its development. Having digital doppelgangers also forces us to reflect on which of our human attributes can’t be digitally replicated.
Modelling complex systems
The development of digital twins has been enabled by advances in environmental sensors, camera vision, augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).
A digital twin allows us to build and test things in cyberspace – cheaply and without risk – before deploying in the real world.
For example, we can build and stress-test infrastructure such as bridges or water supply pipes under a variety of conditions. Once built, we can use digital models to maintain the infrastructure proactively and prevent disastrous and costly structural breakdowns. This technology is a game-changer for planning and engineering, not only saving billions of dollars, but also supporting sustainability efforts.
Of course, replicating individual humans requires much more complex modelling than when building digital twins of bridges or buildings.
For a start, humans don’t live in a structured world, but rather inhabit complex social and physical environments. We are variable, moody and motivated by any number of factors, from hunger to tiredness, love to anger. We can change our past patterns with conscious thought, as well as act spontaneously and with creativity, challenging the status quo if needed.
Because of this, creating perfect digital twins of humans is incredibly challenging – if not impossible. Nevertheless, digital doppelgangers are still useful for a number of purposes.
The digital patient
Clinicians increasingly use scans to create virtual models of the human body, with which to plan operations or create artificial body parts.
By adding extra biometric information (for example, blood chemistry, biomechanics and physiological responses), digital models can also mirror real-world bodies, live and in real time.
Creating digital patients can optimise treatment responses in a move away from one-size-treats-all healthcare. This means drugs, dosages and rehabilitation plans can be personalised, as well as being thoroughly tested before being applied to real people.
Digital patients can also increase the accessibility of medical expertise to people living in remote locations. And what’s more, using multiple digital humans means some clinical trials can now be performed virtually.
Scaled up further, this technology allows for societal-level simulations with which to better manage public health events, such as air pollution, pandemics or tsunamis.
The digital athlete
Imagine being able to train against a digital replica of an upcoming opponent.
Sports scientists are increasingly working with digital athletes to trial and optimise strength and conditioning regimes, as well as test competitive play. This helps to increase the chances of winning as well as prevent injuries.
Researchers at Griffith University have been pioneers in this space, creating models of real athletes. They have also trialled wearable sensors in patches or smart clothing that can measure a range of biomarkers: blood pressure and chemistry, temperature, and sweat composition.
As well as building virtual replicas of sports people, scientists at CSIRO have also being building virtual simulations of employees in various workplaces, including offices and construction sites.
This is helping them analyse movements, workflows and productivity – with the broader aim of preventing workplace injuries. For example, scientists can use a model of a digital worker to assess how heavy items are lifted in order to better understand how this puts strain on different parts of the body.
With 6.1 million Australians impacted by musculoskeletal conditions, preventing workplace injuries can not only improve lives, but save the economy billions of dollars.
Building a digital doppelgangers requires a lot of very personal data. This can include scans, voice and video recordings, or performance and health data.
The power of this technology is inspiring. But ensuring a future in which we live happily alongside our digital doppelgangers will require governments, technology developers and end-users to think hard about issues of consent, ethical data management and the potential for misuse of this technology.
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.
The directors of Oxfam International, Amitabh Behar, and Oxfam Intermón, Franc Cortada, meet with Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, to discuss the global challenges of the concentration of wealth and extreme poverty.
Oxfam International and Oxfam Intermón met with Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, to address the global challenge that the extreme concentration of wealth poses to our democracies, international cooperation and multilateralism. Spain must lead an international commitment to fight extreme inequality during the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which will be held in Seville this coming June.
“We recognize Spain’s determination to fight inequality and the firm commitment it has demonstrated in various international forums. But 2025, with the consolidation of an oligarchy in power, calls for even more ambitious and decisive measures.”
Amitabh Behar, Executive Director
Oxfam International
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is an historic opportunity that brings the world’s countries together. There is a pressing need to address the inequalities between the Global North and South. Economic governance must also be reformed for the countries of the Global South while taking into account the domestic challenges specific to each country.
“Spain must be not only a host but also a leader that pushes for tangible commitments to close the gap between rich and poor.”
Franc Cortada, Director
Oxfam Intermón
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez agreed to make the fight against inequality a key part of the Seville conference agenda.
Oxfam urged Prime Minister Sánchez to press for an initiative to reduce international inequality. Any such initiative must include a commitment led by the United Nations for fair taxation that applies to the ultra-rich and ensures effective taxation of large corporations on their international operations; that promotes a mechanism for global debt governance that does not prevent countries from the Global South from investing in essential services such as health and education; and finally, that makes a radical shift to measure development in a way that goes beyond using GDP as the only indicator of progress. “If we want to end inequality and poverty, we cannot continue using indicators that measure everything strictly in economic terms, without accounting for social issues,” said Behar.
In its latest report published in the context of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Oxfam noted its concern for the rise in extreme poverty and accumulation of wealth in the hands of the richest people in the world. “Multilateralism and global cooperation are tools to combat inequality and guarantee global justice. Spain must be a decisive leader during the upcoming International Conference on Financing for Development,” said Behar.
“Oxfam Intermón reiterates its commitment to working with the Spanish Government to ensure that this conference marks the start of a new era in the fight against inequality and for tax justice, global economic governance and the defence of human rights,” said Cortada.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
01.29.25
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Lee Zeldin as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Lee Zeldin has the right experience and record to lead the EPA and make sure that the agency’s regulations work in the real world. He’s committed to roll-back unnecessary regulations like the Waters of the U.S. and others that have tied the hands of our energy producers, farmers, ranchers and private property owners. We all want clean air and water, but the EPA under the previous administration has gone overboard. We look forward to working with Administrator Zeldin to rein in the EPA’s overreach.”
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.– At the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s hearing today to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised Mr. Kennedy’s commitment to ending the chronic disease epidemic and working with Congress to create a more effective, affordable and transparent health care system.
At the end of the hearing, Crapo concluded, “Thank you for appearing before this Committee. You have been accessible to the members and staff on both sides of the aisle throughout a rigorous process, and I want the whole world to know that you spent hours in meetings answering questions outside of this hearing, and providing documents and responses on issue after issue. You have gone through the most thorough vetting process that any committee in this Congress puts anybody through, and I think that you have come through well and deserve to be confirmed.”
Click here to watch Chairman Crapo’s opening statement.
Click here to watch Chairman Crapo question Mr. Kennedy.
On fixing the American health care system:
In his opening remarks, Crapo highlighted opportunities for Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed as HHS Secretary:
“Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed, you will have the opportunity to chart a new and better course for the federal approach to tackling both the drivers and the consequences of our ailing health care system. Your commitment to combatting chronic conditions that drive health care costs will be critical to our success.
“Prioritizing disease prevention and addressing the factors that fuel conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, COPD and cancer will save lives, reduce costs and build a healthier, stronger country.
“Private-sector breakthroughs, from groundbreaking cancer medications to curative gene therapies, offer hope. But misguided government initiatives and market volatility risk eroding American leadership in lifesaving R&D.
“Your advocacy for health care transparency has the potential to empower consumers across the country, promoting competition to enhance quality while cutting excessive spending, both for patients and for taxpayers.”
On how nutrition is critical for prevention:
Crapo questioned Mr. Kennedy on the importance of nutrition in preventing chronic disease, reducing health costs and improving health outcomes. Mr. Kennedy clarified his beliefs on the government’s role in food regulations, saying:
“I don’t want to take food away from anybody. If you like a McDonald’s cheeseburger, Diet Coke—which my boss loves—you should be able to get them. If you want to eat a Hostess Twinkie, you should be able to do that, but you should know what the impacts are on your family and on your health.”
In early January, high trapping lines between Dart Valley and the west Matukituki Valley were checked by Matukituki Charitable Trust volunteers and Southern Lakes Sanctuary staff, who found the entrances to all 45 traps blocked off by strategically placed rocks.
Staff have since found all the traps from Shelter Rock hut to Dart hut and down the Rees valley have also been triggered or had rocks placed in front of their doors.
“This means someone has made the effort to disarm more than 150 remote traps in total across two locations,” says DOC Operations manager Whakatipu David Butt.
“At this time of the year this line of traps catches numerous predators, including stoats.
“This is a critical time to have protection for native species through trapping. The people who have done this to the traps will be responsible for an increase in the death of many individuals from our taonga species.”
“We have a team of hardworking DOC rangers, Southern Lakes Sanctuary staff and volunteers who put in a lot of hard graft to ensure our trapping network is effective,” says David.
“It is very concerning someone – or potentially several people – covered challenging terrain and clambered through bush to find these traps and block them off so predators cannot enter. It means we will see an increase in predators.”
DOC’s Takahē Recovery Group is working to establish a new population of the birds on and around Mt Aspiring. There are concerns those birds will be at risk if traps in the area are found to be compromised as well.
Trapping is considered a humane method of removing introduced predators from our National Parks to protect native birds, lizards, and invertebrates.
Nature in New Zealand is unique and special. Most of it is only found here, and evolved without the introduced predators DOC and other conservation organisations strive to control. Once our species are gone from here, they’re gone from everywhere.
If anyone has any information about the traps that have been targeted, we urge them to call call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Some 204.39 million inter-regional trips were made in China on Tuesday, the Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve, according to official statistics. Of the total, 194.18 million trips were taken by road, 7.76 million by rail, 1.86 million by air and 587,000 on water, according to a special work team established to facilitate the sound operations of this year’s Spring Festival travel rush. The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important holiday in China and an occasion for family reunions. It falls on Jan. 29 this year. Chinese authorities expect an unprecedented 9 billion inter-regional trips during this year’s Spring Festival travel period, which began on Jan. 14 and will continue to Feb. 22. The figure is forecast to rise by 7 percent from the peak travel season of the last year’s Spring Festival. Around 197.02 million inter-regional trips are expected in China on Wednesday, according to the work team.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (30 JANUARY 2025) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million policy-based loan to help the Philippine government expand labor market programs designed to improve the productivity and employability of Filipino workers, while supporting reforms that will transform the investment environment to become more conducive to job creation.
The Business and Employment Recovery Program-Subprogram 2 is assisting the government in pursuing reforms and initiatives to achieve inclusive economic growth by equipping the country’s labor force, including vulnerable youth, with the skills required to meet evolving industry needs. It also aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce via technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and provide better access to livelihood and employment opportunities through government job facilitation programs.
“While job recovery in the Philippines has been encouraging in the post-COVID-19 period, the quality of jobs remains a critical concern, with many workers still facing challenges such as underemployment, informality, and limited access to decent work opportunities,” said ADB Country Director for the Philippines Pavit Ramachandran. “This new program addresses that need and will help in preparing Filipino workers for higher-skilled jobs such as in analytics and artificial intelligence, software development and security, and business process management—industries where Filipinos have a proven potential to excel.”
Under the program, the government is targeting to increase the formal employment in the private sector by an average of 600,000 to 700,000 jobs per year, with the share of private sector jobs to total employment rising to 51% against 49% in 2019, or prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to massive job losses and contraction in industry output.
Other targets include skills training for 5,000 workers, including those displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, through private sector-led programs such as the SkillsUpNet Philippines or similar workplace skills training program piloted by the government with ADB support. The government also wants to raise the number of job placements through public employment service offices (PESOs) in local government units (LGUs) across the country by 120,000 annually and expand the number of LGUs implementing the JobStart Philippines skills training program for the youth not in education, employment, or training.
This program builds on the ADB-financed Facilitating Youth School-to-Work Transition Program, which supported previous labor market reforms and initiatives, including JobStart Philippines and the institutionalization of PESOs. It also complements the Supporting Innovation in the Philippine TVET System, which is helping upgrade and modernize TVET training institutes managed by the government’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor (Practice), Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University, Monash University
In a major setback in the fight against gender-based violence, Argentinian President Javier Milei’s government has announced it will repeal the crime of femicide from the penal code.
In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Milei dismissed femicide laws as a product of “woke” culture and called “radical feminism” a distortion of the concept of equality.
Repealing the law could have a ripple effect across the region, encouraging other countries to weaken their legal protections. This would be devastating for women and girls across Latin America.
Efforts to end violence against women and girls must remain a priority — in Argentina and around the world.
In 2023 alone, an estimated 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide. Of these, 60% were murdered by an intimate partner or family members.
This equates to one woman or girl killed every ten minutes at the hands of someone they know and likely trusted.
Why femicide laws are important
Femicide is broadly defined as the gender-based killing of women or girls, typically due to misogyny, discrimination or intimate partner violence. It differs from other homicides due to its roots in systemic gender inequality and the intent to exert control or punishment over women.
At least 18 of the 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have adopted femicide laws since 2007.
Before these laws were enacted, the killing of women and girls were treated under the broad category of homicide in many of these countries, with a focus on intent rather than the gendered nature of the crime.
These broader laws fail to recognise how inequality, abuse and power dynamics often fuel violence against women. They often render patterns of abuse invisible.
Femicide laws sought to change that. They explicitly recognise when women are killed because of their gender and acknowledge these crimes as part of a broader pattern of violence rooted in inequality.
These laws have often been introduced in response to public outrage following the killing of women and an acknowledgement of widespread inaction by authorities.
This has been seen a vital step toward justice, particularly in a region where violence against women has long been treated with relative impunity.
What countries have a femicide law?
The laws vary significantly across Latin America.
In Chile, for example, femicide applies to killings by a current or former partner.
In Costa Rica, it is similarly limited to only include killings involving a victim and perpetrator who are married or related by common law.
Ecuador, by contrast, defines femicide more broadly, focusing on power dynamics and the gendered nature of the crime, regardless of the relationship between the victim and perpetrator.
In Argentina, femicide is an aggravated form of homicide, defined as a murder committed by a man against a woman in the context of gender-based violence.
Countries beyond Latin America have been slower to adopt specific femicide laws, despite advocacy efforts for them to follow suit. In recent years, Croatia, Malta and Cyprus have all introduced specific femicide laws.
The effectiveness of femicide laws continues to be the subject of debate. There have been few comprehensive evaluations of their impact.
A 2024 report on Mexico’s femicide law highlighted that legislation alone will not prevent gender-related killings.
The report also noted that, in practice, femicide laws often focus predominantly on killings committed by intimate partners or family members. While this focus is critical, it has inadvertently led to the under-reporting and invisibility of femicides occurring in other contexts.
These include the killing of older women and deaths linked to female genital mutilation and organised crime. The killing of Indigenous women also continues to be unreported and under-investigated.
Such recognised limits do not support the repeal of femicide laws but rather underline the need for more effective implementation and embedding of these laws in society.
The benefit of femicide laws
While challenges remain in implementation and enforcement, femicide laws have brought critical change in countries where violence against women has long been ignored. By explicitly acknowledging gender, power and control as a factor in these killings, the laws send a powerful message this violence requires targeted solutions.
In several countries, for example, the introduction of femicide laws has led to the creation of specialised police units, judicial training programs and harsher penalties for these acts of violence.
Femicide laws have also improved data collection. With these laws in place, governments can better understand the scope of the issue and direct resources towards evidence-based prevention, early intervention and response mechanisms.
Without such laws, these crimes are not tracked or are misclassified.
Beyond the legal and systemic benefits, femicide laws have driven cultural change and public awareness. They have elevated the discourse on gender-related killings and reinforced the urgent need for systemic change to protect women and girls.
A step backward
Repealing Argentina’s femicide law would risk undoing years of progress. It would make these crimes less visible and send a message that tackling the crisis of violence against women and girls is not a priority. This can have a direct impact on dissuading victims from seeking justice and emboldening perpetrators.
Femicide laws represent more than legal protections. They are a commitment to accountability in societies where women’s lives have too often been disregarded.
This is not “woke”. It is a matter of justice, safety and human rights.
Kate has received funding for family violence and femicide-related research from the Australian Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, the Victorian, Queensland and ACT governments, the Commonwealth Department of Social Services and the Victorian Women’s Trust. This piece is written by Kate Fitz-Gibbon in her role at Monash University and is wholly independent of Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s role as chair of Respect Victoria.
Trail bikes seized during targeted Launceston operation
Thursday, 30 January 2025 – 12:50 pm.
Police seized two trail bikes and intercepted five riders during a targeted operation in Launceston yesterday. A 15 year old was arrested and charged and a second 15 year old will be proceeded against under the provisions of the Youth Justices Act – both are facing charges of aggravated evade, unlicensed driving, reckless driving, and riding an unregistered vehicle. Their bikes have been seized for a period of six months. A 14 year old will receive a formal caution for riding offences, and a 10 year old and 11 year old will be proceeded against for noise and riding offences. Anyone with information about illegal trail bike activity should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid.
“In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says.
“As part of this process, Kāinga Ora specifically excluded woollen carpets from the tender’s scope. While they did so in an effort to be fiscally responsible, unfortunately this meant that suppliers of carpets using New Zealand wool did not have the opportunity to put their best foot forward as a cost-effective option.
“Although flooring choices for Kāinga Ora properties are operational decisions for the agency, I was disappointed to see woollen carpets ruled out unequivocally. The coalition Government is proudly pro-wool. It’s a fantastic fibre, and we support our wool farmers.
“I welcome Kāinga Ora’s decision to go back out to market to seek bids from all carpet suppliers, including woollen carpets. While it remains essential that Kāinga Ora delivers homes as cost-effectively as possible, it’s only fair that wool products are given the chance to compete for government contracts on an equal footing with nylon carpet suppliers.
“There is a commitment under the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement to direct government agencies to prefer wool where practical and appropriate. The Government is currently working through the finer details of this and once decisions have been made there will be more to say.”
“I welcome Kāinga Ora’s decision to change its tender approach. This is a great step toward ensuring wool, a sustainable and high-quality product, is given the fair consideration it deserves. It creates a level playing field, supports the wool industry and honours the coalition agreement,” Mr Patterson says.
“We encourage suppliers of wool carpets to consider participating in Kāinga Ora’s tender process.”
U.S. Marines with 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, conducted a counter unmanned aerial system live-fire training event utilizing the Marine Air Defense Integrated System – a ground-based air defense capability, on January 25, 2025, to commemorate the addition of the MADIS and the months of operational testing and evaluation required to field this new weapon system.
Lt. Col. Matthew E. Sladek, Commanding Officer, 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, stated, “The fielding of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System to the Marines of 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion is the culmination of years of tireless work from government and industry teammates across the country. The delivery of the critical capabilities the system provides to 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion and by extension 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, makes the stand-in-force more survivable and lethal in the conduct of contested littoral operations against emerging aerial threats. As a career Low Altitude Air Defender Marine, it is truly amazing to have watched the Marine Air Defense Integrated System transition from an idea to a capability and with it, the modernization of Marine Corps short range air defense capabilities. Now the real work begins.”
The MADIS is operated by the Marines of 3d LAAB’s Ground-Based Air Defense Battery. Giving low-altitude air defense Marines the ability to detect, track, identify, and engage various unmanned aerial systems with various missiles, air-to-air launchers, chain guns, machine guns, and simulated munitions – all of which are part of the MADIS weapon system.
The MADIS live-fire event marked the first time this weapon system has been fired on a Hawaiian island since it’s fielding in December. Attendees were able ask questions to commanders and subject matter experts about the fielding process and the operational value of the system. Training with the MADIS reinforces the Marine Corps’ threat-informed, concept-based approach to Force Design and modernization, and 3d MLR’s support to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Col. John G. Lehane, Commanding Officer, 3d MLR, emphasized the importance of the MADIS capability, stating, “Fielding of MADIS to the 3d Marine Littoral Regiment enhances our collective lethality, and provides remarkable tactical flexibility given them system’s reach, range and mobility. We are really excited to have this capability added to our already robust ability to coordinate air and missile defense actions, as it adds an organic layer to defeat a would-be adversary’s ability to attack our formations.”
The addition of the MADIS – a highly mobile, short-range, surface-to-air defense weapon – provides 3d MLR an enhanced air and missile defense capability. A key component of the Marine Corps’ Force Design initiative, the mobile MADIS weapons system increases 3d MLR’s tactical flexibility by extending the range of the airspace which 3d MLR is able to sense and defend without support from the Joint Force.
3d Marine Littoral Regiment is a dedicated U.S. Marine Corps unit specializing in amphibious and littoral warfare operations. Stationed on Oahu, Hawaii, and deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, 3d MLR is committed to promoting regional security and stability through strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with partner nations and Allies.
For media inquiries, please contact: 2nd Lt Emily Zito, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment COMMSTRAT, emily.j.zito.mil@usmc.mil
A Senior Defense Official provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles held an introductory call yesterday to discuss key initiatives across the breadth of the U.S.-Australia Alliance. The leaders exchanged views on the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. force posture priorities with Australia, AUKUS, and defense industrial collaboration, including our cooperation in support of Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise. The Secretary conveyed the enduring commitment of the United States to the bilateral alliance with Australia and pledged to remain in close coordination with Deputy Prime Minister Marles.
In the frigid early morning on the Alaskan frontier, the 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion, Arctic Aviation Command, both of the 11th Airborne Division, conducted a medical evacuation rehearsal ahead of Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 25-02, near Delta Junction, Alaska, Jan. 18, 2025.
The MEDEVAC rehearsal comes only days before the start of JPMRC 25-02, the Army’s newest Combat Training Center, focusing on Large Scale Combat Operations in remote and extreme Arctic winter conditions, where the ability to reach and treat casualties is key.
“Rehearsal is very important,” said 2nd Lt. Allen Sanchez, a platoon leader assigned to Charlie Company, 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. “We have to practice our skills because, at the end of the day, we have to be prepared for things that may change in real-life situations.”
The Donnelly Training Area and its extreme cold temperatures, high winds and ever-changing conditions presents challenges, but learning to operate in that environment is vital for building soldiers that live up to the division’s motto: Arctic tough.
“This rehearsal is essential because we are in an Arctic environment, where resources are limited,” said Spc. Brandon Martinez Segura, a combat medic assigned to Charlie Company, 25th BSB, 1st IBCT, 11th Airborne Division. “So we need to practice getting all casualties out of this environment and to safety.”
With mere hours of daylight during the winter months, rehearsing in darkness is nearly unavoidable, but is critical to ensuring combat medics are prepared to treat any injury, no matter the conditions.
“It is crucial that we practice how to properly aid a patient in the cover of night; we hope to gain experience and learn from our mistakes,” Sanchez said.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced legislation to expand insurance coverage for prostate cancer screenings. The bipartisan Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Screening for High-risk Insured Men (HIM) Act would require private health insurance plans to cover preventive prostate cancer screenings without imposing any cost-sharing requirements for men who are at high risk of developing prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the United States, with Black men being disproportionately impacted and over twice as likely to die following a diagnosis,” said Senator Booker. “I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that will increase affordability and access to lifesaving screening services, help men detect the disease early, and save lives.”
“Like so many others, my family has experienced the impact of this disease. Since we know early detection leads to better health outcomes, making access to screening easier can help save lives. I’m proud to work in a bipartisan way to expand prostate cancer detection and early intervention, particularly for at-risk men,” said Senator Boozman.
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 American men in their lifetime and disproportionately affects African American men with 1 in 6 being diagnosed. Individuals who have at least one close family member diagnosed with the disease are at least twice as likely to be diagnosed themselves.
Currently, the Prostate-Specific Antigen test is the most effective tool for detection. When detected in early stage, it is almost 100 percent survivable.
“The PSA Screening for HIM Act is a crucial step toward removing financial barriers to life-saving prostate cancer screenings,” said chair of the American Urological Association’s Public Policy Council Mark Edney, MD. “By ensuring high-risk groups can access PSA testing without cost-sharing, this legislation will save countless lives through earlier detection, where survival rates are nearly 100 percent, compared to later stages where survival rates are around 30 percent.”
“The introduction of the PSA for HIM Act represents a critical step forward in protecting men’s health and saving lives through early detection. At ZERO Prostate Cancer, we know that access to prostate cancer screening is fundamental in the fight against prostate cancer, particularly for those at highest risk,” said ZERO Prostate Cancer CEO Courtney Bugler.
“The PSA Screening for HIM Act would eliminate a significant hurdle that keeps far too many at high risk for prostate cancer from getting tested for the disease,” said Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, interim Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “We thank Sens. Boozman and Booker for introducing this bill and look forward to working with them to get it passed.”
“With the increase in prostate cancer diagnoses and deaths, and the growing racial disparity, the PSA Screening for HIM Act is more important now than ever,” said Thomas A. Farrington, President and Founder of the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN).
To read the full text of the bill, click here.
Premier David Eby praised Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, OBC, for her service to the people and the Province of British Columbia over the past six years and nine months.
“I thank Her Honour for her hard work on all our behalf,” said Premier David Eby. “She has been a steady and trusted hand through turbulent times, including a global pandemic and the passing of a beloved monarch. All British Columbians have benefited from her dedication.”
Her Honour’s legacy includes the introduction of the Lieutenant Governor’s British Columbia Journalism Fellowship, which promotes democracy through a thriving journalism community.
As well as fulfilling her essential constitutional role as vice-regal representative, she has also granted patronage and supported more than 100 worthy organizations. Such patronage reflects the Crown’s role as the source of the highest honours and awards granted by our society.
Her Honour named reconciliation as one of the key priorities of her mandate. Her commitment included promoting awareness of this ongoing process. She took lessons in SENĆOŦEN, the language of the W̱SÁNEĆ people of southern Vancouver Island. She did so as a sign of respect and as a way to champion the revitalization of Indigenous language and culture, which her colonial predecessors had once sought to extinguish.
In a ceremony in the Hall of Honour in the Parliament Buildings, Premier Eby announced the Province is making a $5,000 donation to the Lieutenant Governor’s B.C. Journalism Fellowship in gratitude for her service. Her Honour was also presented a pair of binoculars and two birdwatching books. The Vice-Regal Consort, His Honour Ashley Chester, also received gifts.
Premier Eby also bestowed a certificate declaring Jan. 29 to be Vice-Regal Canine Consort Day in honour of MacDuff. Their Honours received a leash and collar featuring the official British Columbia tartan, a gift for their beloved, 14-year-old West Highland white terrier. The colourful patterned cloth includes green for the forests, blue for the ocean, red for the maple leaf, white for the Pacific dogwood, which is the province’s official flower, as well as gold to represent the sun and the Crown.
Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture
30 January 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Stakeholders in the import and shipping industries—including vessel masters, freight forwarders, offshore treatment providers, Biosecurity Industry Participants, importers, customs brokers, principal agents and master consolidators.
What has changed?
Following identification of critical non-compliance, we have suspended International fumigators, inc. (AEI: US4023SB) from AusTreat.
Over 100 Broadcast Cameras plus Extensive Production Equipment and Solutions will Enhance the Fan Experience on Football’s Biggest Day
Sony Corporation Sony Electronics Inc.
Sony, an official technology partner of the NFL, will have more technology than ever capturing this year’s Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In total, more than 240 Sony Cameras will be in and around the Caesars Superdome covering your favorite plays, replays, interviews, and celebrations – enhancing the fan engagement experience for the crowd on-site as well as the billions around the world that will watch the game and consume Super Bowl content after it is over. These cameras range from Sony’s professional broadcast models used by FOX Sports, the official broadcaster, to the various Alpha interchangeable lens cameras and E-mount lenses including G Master that The Associated Press and other sideline photographers will be using to create timeless Super Bowl imagery.
“The Super Bowl is not just the biggest game of the year, it is also the biggest production,” says Michael Davies, FOX Sports EVP Field Operations. “Our job is to tell the story of the game, capturing the energy within the stadium and keeping billions of viewers engaged, and Sony is a key tool in reaching that goal.”
Sony’s professional broadcast cameras have covered football’s biggest game for over a decade. This year FOX Sports, together with the production company Game Creek Video will deploy more than 100 cameras on-site for pre-game, in-game and post-game action as well as additional studio shows. FOX will also have Sony BVM reference level monitors on-site used for color gradation to bring the most accurate imagery to fans around the world.
Sony’s cameras will be positioned in each end zone, along both sidelines and in multiple positions throughout the stadium including the “SkyCam” over the field. There will be 14 Sony cameras specifically handling content for streaming.
“The Super Bowl is the most watched event of the year, and delivering an authentic and immersive experience for coaches, players, and fans requires a wide array of advanced technologies” says Gary Brantley, Chief Information Officer of the NFL. “Sony has been instrumental in enhancing the game-day experience with its innovative solutions, and we are proud to have Sony play a key role in making Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans unforgettable.”
“We are proud to play a critical role in Super Bowl LIX, drawing on our decades-long record of imaging innovation and production expertise to ensure that every fan watching on site or at home has the best seat in the house,” says Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics North America.
At Super Bowl LIX, in addition to all the broadcast and production cameras, FOX Sports will use Sony’s HawkREPLAY systems, a remote production and instant replay broadcast solution, to support the overall broadcast experience, and additional Hawk-Eye technology will also be supporting in-game officiating and replay services, as well as the overall production.
On the photography side, Sony has been the exclusive imaging products and support provider for The Associated Press – the definitive source for NFL imagery – since 2020. In total, AP will have 14 photographers and 9 editors on-site at the Super Bowl using Sony equipment to capture and share incredible imagery of the league’s most defining moments. NFL’s in-house photography team “NFL Focus” will also be using a variety of Sony Alpha cameras and lenses to cover the game as well. Sony’s Pro Support team will offer a pro photographer depot on-site to help service and support the professionals working the game, including offering loans of the brand-new flagship Alpha 1 II camera.
Both the Associated Press and the NFL in-house photography are also planning to utilize Sony’s PDT-FP1 transmitter device on-site to deliver photos + videos directly from camera to editors in real-time, streamlining their workflow and resulting in the fastest possible distribution to the public.
Each year the size and scope of the Super Bowl Halftime Show gets larger, including its production elements. For the fifth year in a row, the Funicular Goats will technically produce the Halftime Show and for the fourth straight year, the Goats are choosing the Sony VENICE 2 as their main camera alongside the Sony VENICE Extension System and the Sony BURANO for a total of 14 cameras.
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is a challenge unlike any other project we’ve been a part of,” explains James Coker, Head of Engineering and Technical Management at Funicular Goats. “There are less than five minutes to set up and deliver a cinematic concert to millions of people, and the Sony Cinema Line cameras provide the perfect combination of full-frame sensor with broadcast compatibility to work seamlessly within the show’s structure and achieve this challenge.”
Below is a cumulative, high-level outline of all of the Sony cameras and related technologies that that are being used to cover Super Bowl LIX.
FOX Sports
97 Sony HDC Series Broadcast System Cameras
1 Sony FR7 Cinema Line PTZ camera
3 Sony FX6 Cinema Line Cameras
1 Sony Alpha 7 III Mirrorless Camera
1 Sony VENICE 2 Full-frame Digital Cinema Camera
Associated Press
55+ Sony cameras and a variety of lenses
NFL Focus Photography Team
8 Sony cameras and a variety of lenses
Funicular Goals – Super Bowl Halftime Show
13 Sony VENICE 2 Digital Cinema Cameras
1 Sony VENICE Extension System
1 Sony BURANO Digital Cinema Camera (for ASL camera)
Sony Imaging PRO Support
65 Sony Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras
140 Professional Lenses including 14x 600mm, 10x 400mm, 6x 300mm super telephoto lenses
*“Sony”, “SONY” logo and any other product names, service names or logo marks used in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Group Corporation or its affiliates. Other product names, service names, company names or logo marks are trademarked and copyrighted properties of their respective owners and/or licensors.
The Albanese Government is supporting the growth and development of Adelaide, investing $33 million in two new urban projects that will boost tourism and assist local amenity.
The two projects are funded under the Government’s urban Precincts and Partnerships Program (uPPP) which provides transformative investment in urban precincts that grow economies and support local communities.
Over $26 million will go towards the construction of a new Family Health and Wellbeing Hub in Elizabeth Vale to support residents of Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
The Hub will feature community spaces, education and health services, and short-term residential accommodation for new mothers.
Led by the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation Inc., the project is a community partnership supported by the City of Playford, Flinders University, and the South Australian Government.
Almost $7 million will go towards a new arts and culture facility in Glenside to revitalise the south Adelaide precinct for visitors and locals alike.
The project will deliver a multi-use cultural facility featuring studios and galleries, a First Nations artist residential studio, educational spaces, a native edible garden and a social enterprise café.
Led by the Adelaide Central School of Art, the project is supported by partners including the Ananguku Arts and Cultural Aboriginal Corporation and the South Australian Government.
The urban Precincts and Partnerships Program focuses on a partnership approach, bringing together governments, businesses and communities to deliver multi-purpose urban precincts that unify places.
It is part of the Albanese Government’s plan to boost local economies and support community by investing in the infrastructure it needs to thrive. For more information on the urban Precincts and Partnerships Program, visit: infrastructure.gov.au/urban.
Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
“The Albanese Government is supporting local jobs, tourism and cultural opportunities in Adelaide, investing in the infrastructure the city needs to thrive.
“Elizabeth Vale’s new Hub will provide equitable access to healthcare and social services whilst promoting sustainable urban development.
“Glenside’s new arts zone will create opportunities for local Adelaide artists to develop and display their works.”
“Our investments are building better urban places for people across South Australia with new community facilities that create new opportunities.”
Quotes attributable to Senator for South Australia Marielle Smith:
“This project will preserve local heritage while supporting our thriving arts scene.
“The native gardens and a social enterprise cafe will provide spaces for artists and visitors to relax and connect with each other.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Spence Matt Burnell:
“The new, Family Health and Wellbeing Hub will provide essential accommodation and supportive services for those that need it most.
“Here in the North, families have been calling for additional support services, especially with the birth of a first child. I am proud to be part of a Labor Government that is delivering on this need.
“Since my election, I have been working tirelessly to improve health outcomes and access to vital services in the North to ensure our community is not left behind.
“This announcement builds on the establishment of an Urgent Care Clinic in Elizabeth, Headspace in Gawler, and a Medicare Mental Health Centre in Elizabeth, on top of our commitment to addressing bulk billing and cost of medicines.”
Allens has advised the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) Real Estate team and QIC’s inhouse legal team on QIC’s circa $900 million sale of Westpoint Shopping Centre in Blacktown, New South Wales, the largest individual retail asset transaction in Australian history.
Australian property investor Haben and US investment manager Hines have partnered to acquire the shopping centre and neighbouring Kmart centre.
At the time of opening in 1973, the complex was one of the biggest in Sydney’s west and now features approximately 104,000 square metres of core retail space, 270 retail stores, co-working facilities and 4378 parking spaces. QIC held the asset for 34 years.
‘It was fantastic to work with the QIC team on this sale, which enabled QIC to realise value for its clients at the perfect time. It demonstrates there is demand for well-managed retail assets in strategic locations like Westpoint,’ said lead partner John Beckinsale.
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath announced today that the Southern District of California collected $18,932,200in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. Of this amount, the office collected $7,364,438 in criminal actions and $11,567,761 in civil actions.
The Southern District of California also worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $22,465,562 in cases pursued jointly. Of this amount, the offices collected $2,714.08 in criminal actions and $22,462,848 in civil actions.
“When a crime leads to financial ruin, we are committed to helping victims recover and rebuild their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborated with investigators to streamline the process for victims to recover lost funds, prioritizing swift and meaningful restitution.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected$69,911,795in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rand Paul (R-KY), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Kennedy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) reintroduced the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, a bipartisan bill to direct the FDA to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 (FDAMA 2.0), legislation passed by Congress to modernize drug testing protocols and improve patient outcomes.
The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 is a bipartisan effort to reduce unnecessary animal testing while advancing scientific innovation. By fully implementing FDAMA 2.0, drug development can be both more humane and more efficient, ultimately leading to faster and more reliable treatments for patients. An astonishing 90-95% of drugs that pass animal tests go on to fail in human clinical trials, wasting precious time for patients.
“It’s been over two years since Congress ended the statutory mandate that investigational new drugs (INDs) undergo mandatory animal testing before human clinical trials,” said Senator Booker. “We cannot allow the FDA to continue to delay on implementing this critical law. If passed, this bipartisan legislation will require FDA to finally update its regulations and will pave the way for more scientifically reliable and humane methods of drug development.
“The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 is aimed to do exactly what this bipartisan legislation is named to accomplish – modernize the FDA and remove overbearing animal testing mandates and regulations on new drugs. I am thankful for the support of my colleagues in helping to ensure passage, and I look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law,” said Senator Schmitt.
“The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 builds on the critical reforms we achieved with FDA Modernization Act 2.0, ensuring that modern, humane, and scientifically advanced testing methods can finally replace outdated animal testing. For too long, bureaucratic inertia has delayed the implementation of these changes, which are vital to saving lives, reducing costs, and bringing life-saving treatments to patients more efficiently. This legislation sends a clear message: Americans deserve a regulatory system that embraces innovation, not one stuck in the past,” said Dr. Rand Paul
“The Biden administration had two years to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, but it didn’t act. Congress should send this bill to Pres. Trump’s desk to help protect animals from mandatory testing at the FDA,” said Senator Kennedy.
“Modern technology has led to innovative medical solutions—it’s time we take advantage of them and move on from outdated, unnecessary animal testing. With the FDA Modernization 3.0 Act, we protect animals from often inhumane testing and update our drug testing protocols, paving the way for more accurate and reliable health care treatments,” said Senator Blumenthal.
“Congress has continued to press the FDA to modernize its research and shift away from testing on animals to more humane models that would expedite our drug development. However, there is more work to be done. I am proud to be a part of this bipartisan legislation to advocate for the FDA to abide by the directives Congress has passed into law,” said Senator Marshall.
In 2022, FDAMA 2.0 was signed into law by President Biden. This law removed the longstanding requirement under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) that investigational new drugs (INDs) undergo mandatory animal testing before human clinical trials. Instead, the law provided FDA and drug developers the option to use advanced, non-animal methods such as cell-based assays, organ chips, computer modeling, and bioprinting.
Despite FDAMA 2.0 being enacted into law over two years ago, the FDA has yet to update its regulations to conform with the law, leaving numerous FDA regulations that continue to require animal testing. The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 seeks to resolve this by mandating the FDA to update its regulations within twelve months of the bill’s enactment. It also includes a technical correction to the statute by addressing a duplicated section heading.
To read the full text of the bill, click here.