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  • MIL-OSI: Subsea7 awarded contract in the US Gulf of Mexico

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Luxembourg – 9 October 2024 – Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) announced today the award of a sizeable 1 contract for a subsea tieback development in the US Gulf of Mexico.

    Subsea7 will be responsible for transporting and installing the flowline, umbilical, and associated subsea components for the tieback. Project management and engineering work will begin immediately at Subsea7’s office in Houston, Texas, and offshore activity is expected to start in 2025.

    Craig Broussard, Vice President for Subsea7 Gulf of Mexico, said: “Our strategy of early engagement and close collaboration with clients allows us to approach projects with an open mind and a deep understanding of client needs. This helps us explore innovative, cost-effective ways to deliver optimized energy solutions.”

    1. Subsea7 defines a sizeable contract as being between $50 million and $150 million

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    Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industry’s partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.

    Subsea7 is listed on the Oslo Børs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

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    Contact for investment community enquiries:
    Katherine Tonks
    Investor Relations Director
    Tel +44 20 8210 5568
    ir@subsea7.com

    Contact for media enquiries:
    Ashley Shearer
    Communications Manager
    Tel +1-713-300-6792
    ashley.shearer@subsea7.com

    Forward-Looking Statements: This document may contain ‘forward-looking statements’ (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘future’, ‘goal’, ‘intend’, ‘likely’ ‘may’, ‘plan’, ‘project’, ‘seek’, ‘should’, ‘strategy’ ‘will’, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the ‘Risk Management’ section of the Group’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and (xviii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor Relations, Subsea7, on 9 October 2024 at 18:20 CET.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Warn Consumers About Potential Scams and Price Gouging in the Wake of Hurricanes and other Natural Disasters

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    As the nation braces for another major hurricane, the Justice Department, along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), is warning consumers about those looking to take advantage of natural disasters by engaging in potential fraud, price gouging and collusive schemes.

    Scammers quickly exploit weather emergencies and take advantage of people trying to recover or donate to disaster victims. Weather emergencies provide disruptions to the supply chain, which can also provide opportunities for wrongdoers to engage in collusive schemes that inflate prices charged to customers who are under extreme stress and therefore unable to fight back against collusive or anticompetitive prices.

    “Companies are on notice: do not use the hurricane as an excuse to exploit people through illegal behavior,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will act quickly to root out anticompetitive behavior and use every tool available to hold wrongdoers accountable.”

    “Wrongdoers are looking to exploit opportunities and victims of natural disasters for their own personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana, who is also Executive Director of the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF). “The Justice Department, including the NCDF, stands ready to prevent these bad actors from fraudulent activity. We are here to support victims of natural disasters during these difficult times together with our state, local and federal partners, and agencies. In an effort to assist the most vulnerable neighbors who are susceptible to these types of fraudulent schemes, we encourage you to be diligent in reporting suspicious activity on their behalf.”

    “As Americans seek safety from natural disasters, we’re hearing troubling reports of price gouging for essentials that are necessary for people to get out of harm’s way — from hotels to groceries to gas,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “No American should have to worry about paying grossly inflated prices when fleeing a hurricane. In partnership with state enforcers, the FTC will keep fighting to ensure that Americans can get the relief they need without being ripped off by bad actors exploiting a crisis.”

    “Price gouging during a natural disaster is just plain wrong, and excessive price increases can be unfair under the law,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “The CFPB will be on the lookout for financial companies that take advantage of natural disasters to rip people off.”

    Possible types of natural disaster scams include:

    • Fraudulent charities soliciting donations for disaster victims that often imitate the names of charities linked to the disaster;
    • Scammers impersonating government officials, offering disaster relief in exchange for personal information or money;
    • Scammers promoting non-existent businesses or investment opportunities related to disaster recovery, such as rebuilding or flood-proofing;
    • Price gouging for essential goods and services needed by disaster victims; and
    • Businesses using supply chain disruptions as a cover for collusion to overcharge customers.

    To avoid scams and frauds while you’re recovering from a hurricane or another natural disaster, remember only scammers will insist you pay for services by wire transfer, gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency or in cash. Avoid anyone who promises they can help you qualify for relief for a fee. That’s a scam. You are not required to pay a fee to get disaster relief. Never sign your insurance check over to someone else. Be sure to research contractors and get estimates from more than one before signing a contract for work. Get a written contract for repairs and read it carefully before signing it.

    The Justice Department established the NCDF in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at http://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    Consumers and businesses with concerns about potentially anticompetitive conduct like price-fixing, bid-rigging, or customer-allocation can report those concerns to the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or by visiting http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jefferson, The Fed’s Discount Window: 1990 to the Present

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Thank you, Steve, for that kind introduction and for the opportunity to talk to this group today.1
    Let me start by saying that I am saddened by the tragic loss of life, destruction, and damage resulting from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, and throughout this region. My thoughts are with the people and communities affected. For our part, the Federal Reserve and other federal and state financial regulatory agencies are working with banks and credit unions in the affected area to help make sure they can continue to meet the financial services needs of their communities.
    Yesterday I shared my historical perspective on the discount window at Davidson College.2 In 1913, when the Federal Reserve was established, the discount window was the main tool it used to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. More than 110 years later, the discount window continues to play an important role in supporting the liquidity and stability of the banking system, and the effective implementation of monetary policy.
    Today I would like to discuss with you how the discount window has evolved in the 21st century, including recent steps the Federal Reserve Board has taken to solicit feedback from the public on discount window operations. Before I address our most recent efforts, however, I will review some important episodes in discount window history that brought us to where we are today.
    First, I will recount briefly events in the 1980s and early 1990s that provide important context for the reappraisal of the discount window in the early 2000s. Second, I will summarize revisions to the discount window that the Fed made in 2003 and some additional changes made since then. Third, I will describe efforts that the Fed has taken to ensure that the discount window remains effective today, including the request for information that the Board recently issued on operational aspects of the discount window and intraday credit. After completing my discussion of the discount window, I will conclude with my outlook for the U.S. economy.
    Events before the 2003 Discount Window RevisionsI would like to pick up today where I left off yesterday in my speech at Davidson College: the 1980s and early 1990s. This was a period of widespread problems in the commercial banking sector. Troubled institutions borrowed from the discount window for extended periods of time as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) sought to find merger partners or otherwise manage the closure of these institutions. As a result, the discount window became associated strongly with lending to troubled institutions. Healthy banks’ reluctance to borrow from the discount window increased. The greater reluctance to borrow from the discount window made it less effective both as a monetary policy tool and as a crisis-fighting tool.3 This led to a reassessment of the discount window in the early 2000s and to eventual revisions implemented in 2003.
    A Reassessment of the Discount Window in the Early 2000sThe key challenge in the reassessment of the discount window was to establish a lending program that would not only operate effectively and support monetary policy implementation, but also mitigate moral hazard and provide sufficient controls to minimize risk to Reserve Banks and, ultimately, to American taxpayers. After the reassessment, the Fed implemented several changes aimed to achieve the right balance.
    The Board replaced the adjustment credit program, which was extended at a below-market rate, with a new type of discount window credit called primary credit. This new type of discount window credit became effective in 2003.4 It is available as a backup source of liquidity to depository institutions in generally sound financial condition at an above-market rate. Making the discount rate a penalty rate is more consistent with the long-standing practice of other major central banks. This feature was intended to reduce the need for administrative pressures based on Reserve Bank staff judgment of inappropriate usage when the discount rate was below market rates. Although those measures effectively limited usage that was deemed inappropriate at the time, they also presented communication challenges regarding when it was appropriate to use the discount window and perpetuated the perception that the Fed discouraged its use.
    Primary credit is a “no questions asked” facility in which eligible depository institutions are no longer required to have exhausted other sources of funding or be subject to restrictions on the use of the borrowed funds. The Fed initially set the primary credit rate 100 basis points above the target federal funds rate.5 Since March 2020, the Fed has set the primary credit rate at a level equal to the top of the target range for the federal funds rate.6
    At the same time primary credit was established, another new program, called secondary credit, replaced the extended credit program. Secondary credit is available to depository institutions that are not eligible for primary credit. It was initially available at an interest rate 50 basis points higher than the primary credit rate, which is the spread in effect today. In contrast to primary credit, extensions under secondary credit are subject to higher collateral discounts and may involve ongoing oversight on the use of funds obtained under the program, reflecting the less-sound condition of secondary credit borrowers. Typically, Reserve Banks review a depository institution’s plan to repay the loan and return to market sources of funding.
    This two-tiered structure of providing the no-questions-asked primary credit program for healthy depository institutions and the secondary credit program for less-than-healthy depository institutions was designed primarily to instill public confidence in the health of institutions borrowing from the primary credit program and to reduce the reluctance of healthy depository institutions to borrow.7 In addition, having two separate facilities would reinforce the notion that healthy and troubled depository institutions alike should regard borrowing from the Fed as an option in the event of a need for additional funds.
    In the early years of the switch to the new facilities, there were signs that healthy depository institutions became more willing to borrow from the discount window. For example, some research found that after the 2003 discount window revisions, banks borrowed more from the discount window when the federal funds rate spiked than they had previously.8 This finding suggests that the redesign of the discount window was effective in reducing banks’ reluctance to borrow. As a result, the discount window may have been more effective in placing a ceiling on short-term funding rates, aiding the implementation of monetary policy, and serving as a liquidity tool when needed.
    Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that it is difficult to measure reluctance to borrow from the discount window. When the interest rate on primary credit is above the target federal funds rate and the federal funds rate is close to its target, the aggregate volume of primary credit is expected to be low. In other words, a low average level of discount window borrowing does not necessarily mean that there is a reluctance to borrow; instead, it could simply reflect a situation in which depository institutions do not currently need to borrow. In addition, when there is an abundance of liquidity in the banking system, as is the case in the current ample-reserves monetary policy regime, depository institutions may have less need to obtain additional liquidity via the discount window. Again, this does not necessarily mean that there is a reluctance to borrow. Conversely, the presence of discount window borrowing does not necessarily reflect the absence of a reluctance to borrow. It could be the case that, although aggregate usage increases, there are still some depository institutions that are willing to pay well above the primary credit rate even when they could have borrowed readily from the discount window. For these reasons, it is important that we complement data with market outreach information to assess the effectiveness of the discount window.
    Changes and Challenges since the Introduction of Primary and Secondary CreditPrimary and secondary credit exist today, but some changes have been made to primary credit since its inception. For example, although the discount window was used extensively and played an important role in the emergency measures taken during the financial crisis of 2007–09, some depository institutions during this period still were willing to borrow funds from the market at rates above the discount rate.9 This suggested that there was a reluctance to borrow before the crisis, and that reluctance appeared to grow over the course of the crisis. To promote the restoration of orderly conditions in financial markets and provide depository institutions with greater assurance about the cost and availability of funding, the Board approved temporary changes to its primary credit discount window facility during the crisis.10 In addition, in late 2007, the Board established the Term Auction Facility (TAF).11
    Concerns about lending to troubled depository institutions reemerged after the 2007–09 financial crisis. In the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was enacted in 2010, Congress required the Fed to publish detailed individual institution borrowing data with a two-year lag.12 This action was intended to enhance the transparency and accountability of Federal Reserve lending while still preserving a measure of confidentiality to avoid discouraging depository institutions from borrowing.
    More recently, in March 2020, the Fed announced changes to the provision of primary credit that were intended to encourage depository institutions to use the discount window to meet demands for credit from households and businesses in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes included setting the primary credit rate at a level equal to the top of the federal funds target range—a step that enhanced the ability of the discount window to support trading within the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) target range for the federal funds rate—and communicating the terms of borrowing as 90 days, prepayable and renewable on a daily basis. To further encourage depository institutions to use the discount window, the Fed also made changes to its reporting of Reserve Bank–level aggregate weekly discount window borrowing. It consolidated amounts previously reported as “loans,” which include discount window borrowing, into a broader category of assets.13 The changes made in 2020 remain in effect.
    During and after the spring 2023 stress events, the discount window again played an important role in supporting both monetary policy and financial stability. Depository institutions that came under severe stress turned to the discount window. The discount window also served an important role in providing ready access to funding, especially for depository institutions experiencing spillovers from the bank failures. To further ensure that depository institutions had the ability to meet the needs of all their depositors, the Board announced the creation of a new emergency program, the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP). Although the BTFP was established pursuant to the Board’s emergency lending authority in section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, the BTFP used the discount window infrastructure to lend to eligible depository institution borrowers.14 By relying on the existing discount window infrastructure, the BTFP was able to begin operating right away. The program ceased extending new loans on March 11, 2024, as scheduled.
    Today the discount window continues to be an effective tool, but it is important to acknowledge that economic and banking conditions continue to evolve. Since the 2003 discount window reassessment, we have seen an increased focus on liquidity in banking regulation, including the advent of quantitative liquidity requirements for large banking organizations; technological changes in the banking system; a general trend toward faster and 24-7-365 payment systems; changes in the composition and posture of Federal Home Loan Bank lending; and the move to an ample-reserves monetary policy implementation regime.
    In light of these developments, the Federal Reserve System has taken important steps to ensure that the discount window performs its functions successfully in the 21st-century economy. For example, last year the Board, along with the other federal banking agencies and the National Credit Union Administration, issued guidance on contingency funding plans that encouraged depository institutions to be ready to borrow from the discount window.15 This includes taking steps to establish borrowing relationships with the Federal Reserve, such as providing certain legal documentation and ensuring that collateral to secure loans is ready to pledge. In connection with interagency initiatives, Reserve Banks have conducted outreach to depository institutions and made efforts to guide them in using the discount window.
    Data suggest that this encouragement is working. By the end of 2023, 3,900 banks, or roughly 80 percent of all banks, had completed the legal documentation required to borrow from the discount window.16 Of those, nearly 2,000 banks had pledged collateral, with an aggregate lendable value of over $2.6 trillion after applying appropriate discounts. These figures are notably above their levels at the end of 2021 and 2022. Although I am pleased to see the improvements in discount window readiness statistics, continued outreach is still important. To that effect, this summer, Federal Reserve Banks hosted an Ask the Fed® session to discuss the purpose of the discount window, its facilities, and recommendations for depository institutions on how to prepare to borrow from the Fed.17
    Additionally, the Federal Reserve System has made important investments to enhance the technology that supports discount window activities. Earlier this year, the System launched Discount Window Direct, which is an online portal for depository institutions to request and prepay loans as well as securely message their local Reserve Bank.18 Discount Window Direct generally is accessible 24 hours a day. We are actively encouraging the use of Discount Window Direct.
    Seeking Feedback on the Discount WindowTo complement our efforts to enhance discount window operations, the Federal Reserve Board recently announced that it is collecting feedback from the public on operational frictions associated with the discount window and intraday credit through the issuance of a request for information. As some of you may know, a request for information is a formal document through which a government agency solicits feedback. Members of the public can submit comments in response to the request for information until December 9, 2024.19
    The Board requests input on various discount window and intraday credit operational practices, such as the process for requesting, receiving, and repaying discount window loans as well as Reserve Bank discount window and intraday credit communications practices. Through the request for information, the Board hopes to gain further insight into the operational aspects that are the most costly or burdensome for depository institutions. This will help the Fed consider further improvements to promote efficiency and reduce burden on depository institutions. Ultimately, the Fed’s goal is to build on the current discount window operations and processes so that the discount window will continue to provide ready access to funding against a wide range of collateral in the future. I encourage members of the public to submit comments on the request for information, and I look forward to considering the feedback that we receive.
    Economic OutlookBefore concluding, let me share with you a summary of my outlook for the U.S. economy, as I did yesterday with the audience at Davidson. Economic activity continues to grow at a solid pace. Inflation has eased substantially. The labor market has cooled from its formerly overheated state.
    Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) prices rose 2.2 percent over the 12 months ending in August, well down from 6.5 percent two years earlier. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core PCE prices rose 2.7 percent, compared with 5.2 percent two years earlier. Our restrictive monetary policy stance played a role in restraining demand and in keeping longer-term inflation expectations well anchored, as reflected in a broad range of inflation surveys of households, businesses, and forecasters, as well as measures from financial markets. Inflation is now much closer to the FOMC’s 2 percent objective. I expect that we will continue to make progress toward that goal.
    While, overall, the economy continues to grow at a solid pace, the labor market has modestly cooled. Employers added an average of 186,000 jobs per month during July through September, a slower pace than seen early this year. The unemployment rate now stands at 4.1 percent, up from 3.8 percent in September 2023. Meanwhile, job openings declined by about 4 million since their peak in March 2022. The good news is that the rise in unemployment has been limited and gradual, and the level of unemployment remains historically low. Even so, the cooling in the labor market is noticeable.
    Congress mandated the Fed to pursue maximum employment and price stability. The balance of risks to our two mandates has changed—as risks to inflation have diminished and risks to employment have risen, these risks have been brought roughly into balance. The FOMC has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward our 2 percent goal. To maintain the strength of the labor market, my FOMC colleagues and I recalibrated our policy stance last month, lowering our policy interest rate by 1/2 percentage point.
    Looking ahead, I will carefully watch incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks when considering additional adjustments to the federal funds target range, our primary tool for adjusting the stance of monetary policy. My approach to monetary policymaking is to make decisions meeting by meeting. As the economy evolves, I will continue to update my thinking about policy to best promote maximum employment and price stability.
    Thank you.
    ReferencesArtuç, Erhan, and Selva Demiralp (2010). “Provision of Liquidity through the Primary Credit Facility during the Financial Crisis: A Structural Analysis,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Economic Policy Review, vol. 16 (August), p. 43–53.
    Bernanke, Ben S. (2009a). “The Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet,” speech delivered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond 2009 Credit Markets Symposium, Charlotte, N.C., April 3.
    ——— (2009b). “The Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet: An Update,” speech delivered at the Federal Reserve Board Conference on Key Developments in Monetary Policy, Washington, October 8.
    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (2002a). “Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks; Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions,” final rule, technical amendment (Docket Nos. R-1123 and R-1134), Federal Register, vol. 67 (November 7), pp. 67777–87.
    ——— (2002b). “Publication of Final Rule Amending Regulation A (Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks),” press release, October 31.
    ——— (2020). “Federal Reserve Actions to Support the Flow of Credit to Households and Businesses,” press release, March 15.
    ——— (2023). “Federal Reserve Board Announces It Will Make Available Additional Funding to Eligible Depository Institutions to Help Assure Banks Have the Ability to Meet the Needs of All Their Depositors,” press release, March 12.
    ——— (2024a). “Bank Term Funding Program: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF),” updated January 24.
    ——— (2024b). “Request for Information and Comment on Operational Aspects of Federal Reserve Bank Extensions of Discount Window and Intraday Credit,” request for information and comment (Docket No. OP-1838), Federal Register, vol. 89 (September 10), pp. 73415–18.
    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (2023). “Agencies Update Guidance on Liquidity Risks and Contingency Planning,” joint press release, July 28.
    Clouse, James A. (1994). “Recent Developments in Discount Window Policy (PDF),” Federal Reserve Bulletin, vol. 80 (November), pp. 965–77.
    Jefferson, Philip N. (2024). “A History of the Fed’s Discount Window: 1913-2000,” speech delivered at Davidson College, Davidson, N.C., October 8.
    Madigan, Brian F. (2009). “Bagehot’s Dictum in Practice: Formulating and Implementing Policies to Combat the Financial Crisis,” speech delivered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Annual Economic Symposium, Jackson Hole, Wyo., August 21.

    1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
    2. See Jefferson (2024). Return to text
    3. For more details about this period, see Clouse (1994). In response to the wave of depository institution failures, Congress placed legal limitations on Federal Reserve lending to troubled institutions. Specifically, section 142 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (FDICIA) amended section 10B of the Federal Reserve Act to place restraints on discount window lending to undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized insured depository institutions. FDICIA also imposed liability on the Board of Governors for excess losses incurred by the FDIC that are attributable to lending beyond those limits. The provisions of FDICIA were intended to reduce moral hazard in the banking system and limit taxpayer losses. Return to text
    4. For more details, see the October 31, 2002, Federal Reserve press release (Board of Governors, 2002b) and the final rule implementing the changes (Board of Governors, 2002a). Return to text
    5. In 2003, when primary credit was implemented, there was a single federal funds target rate. The Federal Open Market Committee adopted a federal funds target range on December 16, 2008. Return to text
    6. For details on the change to the rate spread announced in March 2020, see the press release (Board of Governors, 2020). As will be discussed in greater detail later, before 2020, the spread between the primary credit rate and the target federal funds rate (or top of the target range) had changed a few times to address economic conditions during the 2007–09 financial crisis and the subsequent recovery. Return to text
    7. This design feature also would help Reserve Banks manage risk more easily by establishing a standardized approach and risk controls when lending through a facility reserved for troubled depository institutions. Loans to troubled depository institutions entail more risk to the lending Reserve Bank, and depository institutions that are undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized are subject to lending limitations under FDICIA. Return to text
    8. See Artuç and Demiralp (2010). Return to text
    9. See Bernanke (2009a) and Madigan (2009) for a retrospective that elaborates on some of the emergency measures taken during the 2007–09 financial crisis and the reasoning for discount window rate changes during the financial crisis. Return to text
    10. Throughout this crisis, the Board approved numerous reductions in the primary credit rate and narrowed the spread between the primary credit rate and the target federal funds rate twice. With the narrowing of the spread in August 2007 from 100 basis points to 50 basis points and in March 2008 to 25 basis points, the Board announced that the maximum term for primary credit loans would be extended, first to 30 days and then to 90 days, respectively. As economic conditions improved, in 2010, the Board increased the spread between the primary credit rate and the target federal funds rate to 50 basis points and shortened the maximum term for primary credit loans to overnight. Return to text
    11. The TAF provided fixed quantities of term credit to depository institutions through an auction mechanism and seemed to have largely addressed banks’ concern that borrowing from the Federal Reserve would imply weakness. According to Bernanke (2009b, paragraph 7), this was “partly because the sizable number of borrowers provides a greater assurance of anonymity, and possibly also because the three-day period between the auction and auction settlement suggests that the facility’s users are not using it to meet acute funding needs on a particular day.” Return to text
    12. See section 1103 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which amended section 11 of the Federal Reserve Act. Return to text
    13. The Board’s H.4.1 statistical release, “Factors Affecting Reserve Balances of Depository Institutions and Condition Statement of Federal Reserve Banks,” is published weekly. It presents a balance sheet for each Federal Reserve Bank, a consolidated balance sheet for all 12 Reserve Banks, an associated statement that lists the factors affecting reserve balances of depository institutions, and several other tables presenting information on the assets, liabilities, and commitments of the Federal Reserve Banks. For additional details on the consolidation of “loans” into a broader category of assets, see the March 19, 2020, H.4.1 announcement, available on the Board’s website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h41/20200319. Return to text
    14. As with the discount window, an eligible institution participated in the BTFP through its local Reserve Bank. The legal agreements and process for pledging securities in the BTFP also relied on those used in discount window lending. Nevertheless, the BTFP differed from the discount window in various ways, including the term of lending, scope of eligible collateral, collateral valuation, and interest rate. For more information on the differences between the BTFP and the discount window, see the response to question A.3 in Board of Governors (2024a, p. 3). For additional details on the BTFP, see the March 12, 2023, press release (Board of Governors, 2023). Return to text
    15. See Board of Governors and others (2023). Return to text
    16. The statistics in this paragraph are available on the Board’s website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/discount-window-readiness.htm. Return to text
    17. More information on Ask the Fed is available on the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’s website at https://bsr.stlouisfed.org/askthefed/Auth/Logon. Return to text
    18. Additional details on Discount Window Direct can be found on the Federal Reserve Bank Services website at https://www.frbservices.org/central-bank/lending-central. Return to text
    19. See the information on discount window operations in section II.A of Board of Governors (2024b). Return to text

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Water, water, everywhere: US, Tunisia work wonders to solve critical water issues

    Source: United States Army

    U.S. Army Sgt. Jessica Neidhardt, a water purification specialist from the 651st Quartermaster Company, checks the chemical composition of water alongside members of the Tunisian Armed Forces during exercise African Lion 2024 in Gabes, Tunisia, May 2, 2024. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trevor Seiler) (Photo Credit: Pfc. Trevor Seiler) VIEW ORIGINAL

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    U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

    VICENZA, Italy – “You’re depleting our water” is not the comment U.S. partners want to hear from a host nation after an exercise, especially one experiencing a drought in Northern Africa. Unfortunately, African Lion exercise planners found themselves facing this issue from their Tunisian counterparts following the 2023 exercise (AL23).

    The culprit was not long showers or manicured lawns, but rather the U.S. Department of Agriculture requirement to thoroughly clean all vehicles, containers and equipment prior to redeployment to the United States.

    However, this incredibly important customs process is not the typical washrack operation coming out of the field. The process involves a white-glove inspection of every nook and cranny on the hunt for bits of dirt that may be harboring invasive plants or insects. This is similar to shipping a vehicle overseas for a permanent change of station (PCS), but during an exercise it involves much heavier vehicles such as tanks, high-mobility rocket systems (HIMARS) and others weighing in at over two tons.

    “Every time we redeploy personnel and equipment from a deployment, we’re required to follow certain procedures to ensure we don’t accidentally bring back something harmful,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Alba Alvarado, logistics planner with the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (79th TSC). “We do our best to conduct these operations without inconveniencing our partners, which requires a lot of coordination and flexibility.”

    U.S. Army Spc. Caleb Vigil, a water purification specialist from the 651st Quartermaster Company, checks the purity level of water gathered from the Mediterranean Sea during an African Lion exercise in Gabes, Tunisia, May 2, 2024. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trevor Seiler) (Photo Credit: Pfc. Trevor Seiler) VIEW ORIGINAL

    As one can imagine, Army vehicles tend to have a lot of nooks and crannies, and the cleaning of single vehicle averages over two hours and utilizes over 600 gallons of water to wash away even a week’s worth of tough desert training. Multiply that by eighty-plus vehicles, trailers and containers. The result is burning through thousands of gallons of fresh water solely for the final washrack operation.

    To say the least, this is not a good look for the U.S. military, especially when operating in a lower-income desert environment. At AL23 in particular, it became a friction point with Tunisia, a key U.S. partner on the African continent.

    “No matter how well the exercise went, if our host nation partners have concerns, we need to work to fix those immediately. That’s what good partners do,” said U.S. Army Capt. Logan Abraham, logistics planner with the 79th TSC.

    Weeks later during a morning seaside run in Morocco, while staring out over the rolling waves of the vast Atlantic Ocean, a question was raised: “Why don’t we just make our own water?”

    The U.S. Army maintains an incredible capability to produce potable drinking water from nearly any source, extracting it from a dirty ditch or a salty sea. The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU) and smaller Tactical Water Purification System (TWPS) reside within specialized quartermaster units deep within the US Army Reserves. They are purpose-built to produce over 50,000 gallons per hour in support of large-scale combat operations. This ability is often overlooked as exercise and mission planners consider these units as “overqualified” in favor of the ever-present bottled water solution.

    During the last few miles of the run, a tentative plan was formed. Planners would formally request participation of a water purification unit for Tunisia during African Lion 2024 (AL24). Their task would be to produce over 200,000 gallons of fresh water from the salty Mediterranean Sea in direct support of washrack operations.

    U.S. Army Sgt. Jessica Neidhardt, a water purification specialist from the 651st Quartermaster Company, conducts a water purification test alongside a member of the Tunisian Armed Forces during exercise African Lion in Gabes, Tunisia, May 2, 2024. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trevor Seiler) (Photo Credit: Pfc. Trevor Seiler) VIEW ORIGINAL

    “This was the first time a water purification unit would take part in the exercise,” said U.S. Army Maj. Jay Jackson, the lead Tunisia exercise planner with U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). “It was a historic, much-needed addition, not only to train our capabilities, but also to strengthen our partnership with the Tunisians.”

    The plan needed to be specific: No local fresh water or municipal sources would be utilized, and the operation needed to be completely transparent and evident to the host nation. Locals who had previously experienced depleted water sources should see for themselves that water was being extracted directly from the sea. The optics needed to be clear.

    SETAF-AF requested the capability, the 79th TSC provided the unit, and the 651st Quartermaster Company (651st QM Co.) arrived in the seaport of Gabes, Tunisia in April 2024, less than a year from the initial conception.

    U.S. Army Sgt. Levi Dixon, a water purification specialist from the 651st Quartermaster Company, works with the Tunisian Armed Forces during a water purification training exercise at exercise African Lion 2024 in Gabes, Tunisia, May 2, 2024. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trevor Seiler) (Photo Credit: Pfc. Trevor Seiler) VIEW ORIGINAL

    The unit arrived with both ROWPU and TWPS capabilities following months of planning efforts and site surveys with Tunisian Armed Forces (TuAF) partners. Together, they had identified a suitable location offering the best combination of sea access, security and proximity to washrack operations.

    The 651st QM Co. arrived trained and ready, operating nearly autonomously in a difficult industrial port location known for chemical production and breakbulk shipping. In an area where local authorities advise people not to eat the local fish, the purification unit produced water that passed both Tunisian laboratory and U.S. preventive medicine tests for quality. The produced water was so good that when a contractor’s water source had contamination issues during the exercise, the 651st QM Co. stepped in to provide daily bulk water to ensure the continued availability of a dining facility and hot meals in the training area for over ten days.

    “It’s a no-fail mission,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Sneed, company commander of the 651st QM Co., based in Evansville, Wyoming. “No matter the challenges, we have to produce clean, drinkable water or soldiers and the mission are at risk.”

    U.S. Army Sgt. Logan Eggleston and Spc. Johnathan Nelson, water purification specialists with the 651st Quartermaster Company, expel water from a hose during a water purification exercise at African Lion 2024 in Gabes, Tunisia, May 2, 2024. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trevor Seiler) (Photo Credit: Pfc. Trevor Seiler) VIEW ORIGINAL

    The shift to the port for water production had a positive ripple effect of also moving the wash operation from a military facility nearly an hour away to a closer location in the Gabes seaport. The washrack site consisted of commercial agricultural water tanks, pressure washers and generators, as well as two flatbed trailers with ramps to facilitate undercarriage washing. Now located around 500 meters from the water production location, the TuAF supported continuous transfer of bulk water with two large tank trucks. They diligently made trips back and forth to keep the four 5,000-liter (approximately 1,300 gallons) containers topped off for over a week of washrack operations.

    Additionally, the TuAF seized the opportunity to integrate their own water purification element, sending fifteen soldiers to work and train side-by-side with the 651st QM Co. soldiers for over twenty days. In the future, the TuAF plan a more active role, utilizing their water purification capabilities to support the water mission.

    The washrack operation was ultimately successful, due in no small part to the creative use of a critical, often overlooked, sustainment enabler. The quartermaster unit gained invaluable real-world experience supporting a critical mission in a challenging and unique location. The Tunisian and U.S. Armed Forces gained a new training and collaboration effort, with opportunities to expand participation beyond the combat arms realm.

    “As AL24 ended in Tunisia, the after-action review, as always, identified new challenges and areas to improve,” said U.S. Army Maj. Travis Michelena, logistics planner with the 79th TSC. “But for this year at least, water usage found itself in the ‘sustain’ column.”

    About SETAF-AF

    SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

    Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA-Funded Study Assesses Pollution Near Los Angeles-Area Warehouses

    Source: NASA

    Satellite-based data offers a broad view of particulate air pollution patterns across a major West Coast e-commerce hub.
    As goods of all shapes and sizes journey from factory to doorstep, chances are they’ve stopped at a warehouse along the way — likely several of them. The sprawling structures are waypoints in the logistics networks that make e-commerce possible. Yet the convenience comes with tradeoffs, as illustrated in a recent NASA-funded study.
    Published in the journal GeoHealth, the research analyzes patterns of particulate pollution in Southern California and found that ZIP codes with more or larger warehouses had higher levels of contaminants over time than those with fewer or smaller warehouses. Researchers focused on particulate pollution, choosing Southern California because it is a major distribution hub for goods: Its ports handle 40% of cargo containers entering the country.
    The buildings themselves are not the major particulate sources. Rather, it’s the diesel trucks that pick up and drop off goods, emitting exhaust containing toxic particles called PM2.5. At 2.5 micrometers or less, these pollutants can be inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream. Although atmospheric concentrations are typically so small they’re measured in millionths of a gram per cubic meter, the authors caution that there’s no safe exposure level for PM2.5.
    “Any increase in concentration causes some health damage,” said co-author Yang Liu, an environmental health researcher at Emory University in Atlanta. “But if you can curb pollution, there will be a measurable health benefit.”

    Growing Air Quality Research
    Particulate pollution has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, and adverse birth outcomes, including premature birth and low infant birth weight.
    The new study is part of a broader effort funded by the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team to use satellite data to understand how air pollution disproportionately affects underserved communities.
    As the e-commerce boom of recent decades has spurred warehouse construction, pollution in nearby neighborhoods has become a growing area for research. New structures have often sprouted on relatively inexpensive land, which tends to be home to low-income or minority populations who bear the brunt of the poor air quality, Liu said.
    Another recent NASA-funded study analyzed satellite-derived nitrogen dioxide (NO2) measurements around 150,000 United States warehouses. It found that concentrations of the gas, which is a diesel byproduct and respiratory irritant, were about 20% higher near warehouses.
    Distribution Hub
    For the GeoHealth paper, scientists drew on previously generated datasets of PM2.5 from 2000 to 2018 and elemental carbon, a type of PM2.5 in diesel emissions, from 2000 to 2019. The data came from models based on satellite observations, including some from NASA’s MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) instruments.
    The researchers also mined a real estate database for the square footage as well as the number of loading docks and parking spaces at nearly 11,000 warehouses across portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, and all of Orange County.
    They found that warehouse capacity correlated with pollution. ZIP codes in the 75th percentile of warehouse square footage had 0.16 micrograms per cubic meter more PM2.5 and 0.021 micrograms per cubic meter more elemental carbon than those in the 25th percentile.
    Similarly, ZIP codes in the 75th percentile of number of loading docks had 0.10 micrograms per cubic meter more PM2.5 and 0.014 micrograms per cubic meter more elemental carbon than those in the 25th percentile. And ZIP codes in the 75th percentile of truck parking spaces had 0.21 micrograms per cubic meter more PM2.5 and 0.021 micrograms per cubic meter more elemental carbon than those in the 25th percentile.
    “We found that warehouses are associated with PM2.5 and elemental carbon,” said lead author Binyu Yang, an Emory environmental health doctoral student.
    Although particulate pollution fell from 2000 to 2019 due to stricter emissions standards, the concentrations in ZIP codes with warehouses remained consistently higher than for other areas.
    Researchers also found that the gaps widened in the holiday shopping season, up to 4 micrograms per cubic meter — “a significant difference,” Liu said.
    Satellites Provide Big Picture
    Satellite observations, the researchers said, were essential because they provided a continuous map of pollution, including pockets not covered by ground-based instruments.
    It’s the same motivation behind NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) mission, which launched in April 2023 and measures air pollution hourly during daylight over North America. The release of TEMPO’s first maps showed higher concentrations of NO2 around cities and highways.
    Meanwhile, NASA and the Italian Space Agency are collaborating to launch the MAIA (Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols) in 2026. It will be the first NASA satellite mission whose primary goal is to study health effects of particulate pollution while distinguishing between PM2.5 types.“This mission will help air quality managers and policymakers conceive more targeted pollution strategies,” said Sina Hasheminassab, a co-author and science systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Hasheminassab, like Liu, is a member of the MAIA science team.
    News Media Contacts
    Andrew Wang / Jane J. LeeJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov
    2024-134

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Panetta and a Bipartisan Coalition Introduce Legislation to Foster Alignment of Middle East Partners, Counter Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve security and military readiness between the United States and Abraham Accords nations.  The Learning Integrated National Knowledge (LINK) Act would connect strategic, operational, and tactical senior commanders through an exchange program to foster greater integration and alignment. 

    This legislation was introduced as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East due to the actions by Iran and Iranian-backed proxies and follows the fourth anniversary of the historic Abraham Accords.  Leading this legislation alongside Rep. Panetta are Reps. Zach Nunn (IA-03), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Ann Wagner (MO-02), David Trone (MD-06), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05).  Companion legislation has been introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) in the Senate.

    Iran and its proxy forces, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, continue to conduct terrorist operations across the Middle East, from firing missiles within Lebanon, to attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.  Through the establishment of a subject matter expert exchange program, American senior military officials will be able to bolster capabilities and deepen cooperationto enable the U.S. and its allies to respond to continuing and unforeseen aggression more effectively.

    “The increasingly aggressive actions by Iran and its terrorist proxies threaten the stability, security, and economy of the broader Middle East,” said Rep. Panetta.  “A military expert exchange program between Abraham Accords countries will ensure leaders are coordinating an integrated response to counter these malign activities in the region.  These partnerships are vital to our efforts to further strengthen the diplomatic, defense, and economic relationships between the United States, Israel, and our Arab partners.”

    “The Iranian Regime and its proxies cannot be left unchecked,” said Rep. Nunn.  “As Israel continues to withstand attacks from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, now is the time to bring together the best and brightest military minds within the Abraham Accords.  This partnership will bring a more secure and peaceful Middle East.”

    “The combined efforts last week by Israel, the United States, and other allies to intercept nearly 200 Iranian ballistic missiles before they could cause unimaginable destruction demonstrates the importance of strengthening the coordination between CENTCOM and our allies,” said Rep. Schneider.  “As Iran and its proxies—including Hezbollah and the Houthis—continue to escalate threats to Israel, and the entire Middle East, it is critical that our partners have access to experienced military experts who can offer sound guidance during these escalations.  Through the LINK Act, we are strengthening our ties with Abraham Accords nations, ensuring both Israel and our Arab allies have the expert support needed to address these evolving threats and maintain regional security.”

    “Iran’s unprecedented missile attack on Israel on October 1 shows the Ayatollah is bent on Israel’s destruction and is willing to drag the region into war to accomplish its violent agenda,” said Rep. Wagner.  “As Iran continues to attack Israel directly and through its proxies, regional security cooperation remains vital to stability in the Middle East—and the defense of American allies against aggression.  My work with colleagues in the Abraham Accords Caucus has shown me how important it is to have our experts work closely with our partners and allies in the region to develop sound strategies and tackle threats together.   The ongoing instability and fighting in the region demand a more effective path forward to address threats from dictatorial governments and terrorists and ensure the safety of our own citizens at home and abroad.  This bill will ensure our partners in the Middle East support one another as we work towards that goal.”

    “Now more than ever, leaders in the Middle East and around the world must work together against growing threats, including Iran,” said Rep. Trone.  “With that goal in mind, it is imperative that we continue to share vital resources and encourage international cooperation to better equip our intelligence and military operations. With the LINK Act, we’re doing just that.”

    “Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel was an escalation that threatens to plunge the entire Middle East into chaos. Now more than ever, we need to strengthen military coordination and defense planning between Abraham Accords countries to safeguard against these increasingly aggressive attacks by Iran and its terrorist proxies,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.  “The LINK Act is a critical bipartisan effort to ensure military experts are in place to protect the diplomatic and economic relationships we’ve worked so hard to promote, while showing the world that we unequivocally stand with Israel.”

    This legislation has been included in the House and Senate versions of the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act, building upon the work of the Armed Services Committee to integrate air and missile defense capabilities, maritime domain awareness, cyber and AI readiness, and space satellites to deter Iranian aggression.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A working meeting of the university management with partners from the Omsk ANC was held at the State University of Management

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On October 9, 2024, a meeting was held of the heads and responsible executives of the teams of the State University of Management and the Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center, implementing a major scientific project “Ensuring food security of the country based on the creation of software and hardware systems and intelligent platform digital solutions in the field of development of agro-industrial technologies of the full life cycle.”

    Let us recall that the project is aimed at research, development and implementation of advanced software, information, technological, agricultural and organizational-managerial innovations in the sphere of the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation.

    The meeting was attended by Rector Vladimir Stroyev, Vice-Rector Maria Karelina, Head of the Institute of Information Systems Olga Pisareva, Director of the Engineering Project Management Center Vladimir Filatov, Researcher of the Center Dmitry Rybakov and Associate Professor of the Innovation Management Department Denis Serdechny. On behalf of the Omsk ANC, Director Maxim Chekusov and Researcher Artem Timokhin were present.

    At the working meeting, colleagues summed up the preliminary results of their joint activities, discussed in detail the first results of the project, as well as the most important areas for its further support, development and expansion.

    During the tour of SUM, the guests learned about the specifics of the university, its history, campus structure and research potential. In particular, the partners inspected the Sports Complex, the Information Technology Center and the SUM Media Center. Vladimir Stroyev and Maxim Chekusov looked with interest at the prototype of an unmanned aerial vehicle designed at our university. According to Vladimir Filatov, this is a racing drone designed for high-speed filming and capable of accelerating to 250 km/h. In addition, due to the modular design, the head part can accommodate equipment for various purposes.

    The meeting participants noted that such interdisciplinary interaction will allow us to obtain significant scientific results, as well as to translate them into technical and analytical solutions that are in demand today, aimed at achieving food and technological independence for our country.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/9/2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    A working meeting of the university management with partners from the Omsk ANC was held at the State University of Management

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NIO minister pledges UK Government to support Health and Social Care Reform 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Fleur Anderson, was speaking after attending the Accelerating Change conference in Belfast today (9 October)

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Fleur Anderson

    Northern Ireland Office Minister Fleur Anderson has pledged the UK Government will support the NI Executive to reform and transform public services.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State was speaking after attending the Accelerating Change conference hosted by the Department of Health in Belfast on Wednesday.

    Minister Anderson paid tribute to the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt for “bringing together expert voices on health reform into one room.”

    She said: “The conference highlighted the need to accelerate change in the health service and this is something the UK Government is keen to support. 

    “I understand the scale of the challenge facing the health service across the UK and particularly in Northern Ireland.

    “This Government’s five missions provide ambitious, measurable and long-term objectives to tackle shared public service challenges, which exist right across the UK. 

    “We want to support the NI Executive and the Department of Health to transform the health service to provide better outcomes for local people.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The White  House 2024 Fall Gardens  Tour

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    **Media Preview Opportunity on Friday, October 11 at 8:00 AM**
    The White House will continue its fall tradition of opening the White House Gardens and South Grounds to the public. This fall, tours of the White House Gardens will be available to the public from 10:00 a.m. ET to 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13.
    There will be an opportunity for a media preview of the White House Gardens tour from 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM ET on Friday, October 11. For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Thursday, October 10 at 3:00 p.m. ET. 
    The White House Gardens tours are free and open to members of the public; however, a timed ticket is required for all attendees, regardless of age. The National Park Service (NPS) will distribute free, timed tickets outside the White House Visitor Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, each day beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Timed tickets will be distributed, one ticket per person, on a first-come, first-served basis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ultra-processed foods: we have the technology to turn them from foe into friend

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Benton, Professor Emeritus (Human & Health Sciences), Medicine Health and Life Science, Swansea University

    Ultra-processed foods can be cheap, convenient and they usually taste good. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Ultra-processed foods are the latest nutritional villains, associated with several diseases of the modern world, from obesity to heart disease. However, many nutritionists question whether the term “ultra-processed” does any more than create confusion. It only considers the way food is produced, ignoring other important factors like calories and nutrients.

    My work suggests that instead of being viewed as the problem, ultra-processed foods could actually be part of the solution. With advances in food science, we have the technology to create low-calorie, nutritious and affordable processed foods.

    There is no consensus about how ultra-processed foods should be defined. But a common approach was proposed by the nutrition and public health scholar, Carlos Monteiro. He coined the term about 15 years ago, defining foods that undergo significant industrial processing and often contain multiple added ingredients. In Portugal, ultra-processed food make up about 10% of the average diet, whereas in Germany it’s 46%, the UK 50% and in the US 76%.

    Ultra-processed foods three major advantages – they are cheap, convenient and they usually taste good. Their affordability in particular is an important factor.

    Producing food in bulk reduces costs. For instance, the Heinz factory in Wigan is the largest baked bean factory in the world. It produces 3 million cans of baked beans a day, ensuring they are widely available and affordable.

    In 1961, scientists in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire developed a new method for making bread. Today, more than 80% of loaves in Britain are produced this way. These loaves are softer, last longer and cost less than traditional bread.

    The affordability of ultra-processed food makes them a staple for many, particularly people on lower incomes. As around 30% of children in the UK live in poverty, calls to remove such foods from diets need to address how poorer families will be able to afford fresher and more nutritious food. Current ultra-processed foods may not offer a perfect diet, but they do provide calories when money is scarce.



    Read more:
    Ultra-processed foods: here’s what the evidence actually says about them

    Convenience is another notable benefit of ultra-processed food. Preparing meals from scratch can be time-consuming, involving buying ingredients, cooking and cleaning up afterwards. Ultra-processed foods offer a shortcut, saving valuable time. This is especially important for parents trying to balance jobs and family life. For those with busy lives who are working long hours, time is a luxury that ultra-processed food can help reclaim.

    Finally, ultra-processed foods are designed to be tasty. We’re genetically inclined to be attracted to sweet and fatty foods. Having a pleasant taste is one of the reasons we select our food.

    This convenience, affordability and taste come at a cost, however, as ultra-processed foods are often high in sugar, salt and saturated fats, while lacking in fruits, vegetables and essential nutrients.

    Are all ultra-processed foods bad for us?

    It’s not always clear if it’s the “ultra-processed” nature of these foods or their high calorie and low nutrient content that causes health issues. Nutrition is more complex than just considering how food is processed. We also need to consider calories, fibre, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.

    For example, while baked beans are considered ultra-processed, they’re also high in fibre – something often missing from UK diets – low in fat and calories, and a good source of plant-based protein.

    Inside the world’s largest baked bean factory in Wigan.

    Some studies suggest that many health problems linked to ultra-processed food, like obesity and diabetes, may be caused by excess calorie consumption rather than the processing itself. When people cut out ultra-processed foods, they often end up eating fewer calories, which could explain the health benefits they experience.

    The link between ultra-processed foods and poverty suggests that many of the health issues linked to ultra-processed food may be caused by factors associated with poverty itself. Poor nutrition is often just one part of a wider picture that includes limited access to healthcare, higher stress levels and fewer opportunities for physical activity – all of which can contribute to poor health.

    Can ultra-processing be used for good?

    Ultra-processing has been used to fortify foods in the UK for decades. For example, the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 requires certain nutrients like calcium, iron, thiamine (vitamin B1) and niacin (vitamin B3) to be added to any non-wholemeal flour. This fortification plays an important role in public health, providing around 35% of calcium intake, 31% of iron and 31% of thiamine to the average UK diet. Without these added nutrients, the risk of deficiencies would rise.

    The UK government took a further step in 2022 by requiring folic acid be added to flour. It was a move aimed at preventing birth defects such as spina bifida, where a baby’s spine and spinal cord doesn’t develop properly in the womb, and anencephaly, where a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull.

    Breakfast cereals, often criticised for their sugar content, can also boost the intake of essential nutrients like vitamins B2, B12, folate and iron. Some experts would like to see mandatory food fortification be extended much further.

    Food scientists are exploring other ways to make ultra-processed foods healthier. One approach involves reducing sugar by making it taste sweeter more quickly, which means less sugar is needed to achieve the same taste.

    Another is using scientific techniques to increase the speed at which salt is released from food. Similarly, this results in it being tasted more quickly, leading to lower consumption.

    Other innovations to lower the calories in foods by changing the recipe include creating creamy, low-calorie sauces without dairy, or plant-based burgers that are virtually indistinguishable from their meat counterparts, but have fewer calories.

    These types of innovations show that ultra-processing doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy and calorie-dense food – it’s about the choices made in production. If scientists focus on creating affordable, nutritious ultra-processed foods, they could become part of the solution to the obesity crisis, rather than the enemy.

    I have never had funding that has anything to do with ultra-processed foods. However, I have worked on other aspects of nutrition and have worked with the likes of Novartis, Danone, Yakult, Beneo and Pepisco. Much of my work has been on micro-nutrients or the glycaemic response to carbohydrate. 

    – ref. Ultra-processed foods: we have the technology to turn them from foe into friend – https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-we-have-the-technology-to-turn-them-from-foe-into-friend-239683

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kamala Harris is suddenly embracing the media spotlight – but is it working?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Murrell, Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University

    Kamala Harris appears to have drastically changed her media strategy for the final few weeks of the US election race. From largely avoiding media interviews, she has begun embracing them.

    The Democratic presidential candidate demonstrated she was a serious and consensus-building leader on 60 Minutes with Bill Whitaker. She told amusing anecdotes and drank a beer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; gave fast, snappy returns on The Howard Stern Show; and for 40 minutes talked women’s rights, domestic violence and reproductive health on the high-profile Call Her Daddy podcast.

    With less than a month to go until the presidential election, Harris is trying to hit all demographics with her media message campaign. She appeared to be most at home, or “real”, on Call her Daddy with Alex Cooper, where she talked about the lessons she’d learned from her mother, and how an abused school friend helped ignite her desire to fight for justice for the vulnerable.

    The podcast, which focuses on women’s issues, has 5 million listeners. Harris already leads the voting among women by a majority of 55% to former president Donald Trump’s 43%, according to a MaristPoll conducted last month in swing state Pennsylvania.

    More significant was the CBS 60 Minutes interview. This show, which averages 8.4 million viewers, has been a must for presidential candidates to appear on for the last half century.

    The first controversy came a week before the broadcast when Trump pulled out, with his team allegedly complaining the programme would fact-check the interview. Trump also claimed he needed an apology from CBS over disputed facts related to his 2020 interview, specifically about Hunter Biden’s laptop. No apology was forthcoming.

    The former president’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, alleged Trump had never actually confirmed the interview, calling it “fake news”. CBS reporter Scott Pelley, who was due to do the Trump interview, was scathing about the “shifting explanations” that had been given for his no-show.

    In advance of Harris’s 60 Minutes interview, I asked Nick Bryant, author of The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself, why he thought Trump had pulled out. “Scott Pelley is a seasoned pro,” Bryant replied. “On abortion, on January 6th, on accepting the 2020 result, he could skewer Trump. In a cost-benefit analysis, Trump has more to lose from a 60 Minutes interview than gain.”

    Harris, on the other hand, had all to gain because, despite a clear win in the debate against Trump, she has stayed at relatively low visibility. During what was a fairly tough interview, she was quizzed on America’s inability to rein in Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, how she would fund her economic policies, how her administration would handle Ukraine, and whether or not she had flip-flopped on policies about fracking, immigration and Medicare.

    The world is watching as the US election campaign unfolds. Sign up to join us at a special Conversation event on October 17. Expert panellists – Thomas Gift, Natasha Lindstaedt and Inderjeet Parmar – will discuss the upcoming election and its possible fallout.

    Her answer regarding changing policies was not to deny this, as she had previously, but to say that over the past four years of being vice-president, she had travelled the country “listening to folks and seeking what is possible in terms of common ground. I believe in building consensus.” This strong answer managed to differentiate her starkly from her opponent’s more divisive approach.

    Bryant believed that Harris’s lack of interviews before this latest round was worrying, because “she is not match fit” and her previous answers regarding the economy had been “tossed-salad like” and “strangely inarticulate”.

    This time around, it wasn’t the economy that tripped Harris up, but answers about Israel and Netanyahu. After the interview, Fox News and the Trump campaign were quick to allege that an answer on Israel broadcast in the 60 Minutes trailer was different to the answer broadcast during the programme.

    They argued that, once again, Harris had given a chaotic response in the trailer, while the answer in the programme was much more considered and neatly delivered. Trump’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, asked: “Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala’s full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air?” So far, there has been no comment from 60 Minutes.

    Last-ditch swerves

    The other factor that has dogged the Harris-Walz ticket is the claim that Governor Tim Walz had inserted himself, Walter Mitty-like, into being in Beijing at the time of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.

    He was first asked about this during the vice-presidential debate, where he answered that he was a “knucklehead” at times who had misspoken. Pressed on this in his part of Monday’s 60 Minutes interview, Walz said that people would understand the difference between him, who “got the date wrong”, and “a pathological liar like Donald Trump”.

    Harris on 60 Minutes.

    After Trump’s disastrous performance in the September debate with Harris, he refused a second one. This can be attributed to his answers resulting in countless memes of him declaring erroneously that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s cats and dogs. Social media subsequently exploded in a similar way to Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance’s earlier claims that the country was being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies”.

    And then Melania Trump threw a curve ball into the mix. Her autobiography, published this week, sets out her position on abortion, which conflicts with that of evangelic Republicans – a big Trump support base. “Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body,” she writes. “I have carried this belief with me my entire adult life”.

    In these final weeks of campaigning, with the two sides so close in the polls, the gloves seem to have come off and we can expect further spats in the media. Once again, the power of misinformation and disinformation to sow conflict will continue to unfold on social media – especially now that X’s owner Elon Musk is openly campaigning, and jumping, in support of a Trump win.

    Colleen Murrell received a grant from Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, for researching and writing the Reuters Digital News Report Ireland (2020-24).

    – ref. Kamala Harris is suddenly embracing the media spotlight – but is it working? – https://theconversation.com/kamala-harris-is-suddenly-embracing-the-media-spotlight-but-is-it-working-240262

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Maths schools top the A-level rankings – and their students only study Stem subjects

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Harry Richardson, PhD Candidate on Specialist Maths Schools in England, University of Leeds

    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    The school that topped the Times newspaper’s A-Level rankings in 2024 only permits students to sit A-levels in three subjects: maths, further maths and physics. At King’s College London Mathematics School, 76.2% of students got an A* – and 99.5% of students achieved between A*-B.

    King’s Maths School is a specialist mathematics school: a type of free school established in partnership with a leading university for students aged between 16-19. They offer a narrow range of predominately Stem subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

    In addition to A-levels, the schools specialise in providing university level content and teaching to bridge the gap between secondary school and higher education. Students complete research projects in STEM fields, produce academic reports and are offered science modules delivered in university-style lectures.

    There are currently eight maths schools in England, with another two schools to open in 2025 and a further school in 2026.

    But very little research – only one study – has been carried out on how they operate, what they teach and their students’ experiences. My ongoing PhD research focuses on identifying the similarities and differences between the schools, as well as recording the experiences of students as they progress from school to university.

    Russian inspiration

    The creation of specialist maths schools was announced under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government in 2011. The policy was devised by Dominic Cummings, the then special advisor to the education secretary at the time Michael Gove. It was inspired by dedicated maths schools in Russia.

    Maths schools must be sponsored by a local university. The Conservative government’s policy was that the university should be a “highly selective university”, where entry requirements for a full time maths degree are roughly equivalent to AAB at A-Level.

    The universities, as well as sponsoring the schools, advise on the research projects, extra-currciular modules and provide resources to the schools. King’s College London and the University of Exeter opened maths schools in 2014, with others following.

    Going to maths school

    Maths schools are state funded and selective. Most maths schools require a minimum of grade 8 (formally grade A) in GCSE maths and a grade 8 in the subjects they want to study at A-Level, plus a minimum of grade 5 in English and any other subjects they studied at GCSE. This may be in addition to references from the school, an entry exam and an interview.

    The schools’ admissions policies give preference to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. At King’s Maths School, 11% of pupils are eligible for free school meals – well below the national average of over 20%. The school does point out, though, that nationally only 3.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals study further maths. According to 2022-23 data, King’s Maths School and Exeter University Mathematics School admit more pupils who receive support for special educational needs than the national average.

    Maths schools may also be part of a Multiple Academy Trust or affiliated with a local college. This can allow students to study a wider range of subjects by taking courses at the college.

    Classroom sizes are small compared to state school classes. With approximately 16 pupils per class, some schools can have a student to staff ratio of 6:1. According to the only paper published on students’ experiences of a maths school, focused on Kings College maths school, students found teachers to be very knowledgeable and more positive compared to their GCSE years.

    However, some students said that it was hit and miss based on the teacher they received. Teachers are given significant autonomy to deliver the curriculum in the way they see best. This means that different classes will be subjected to different teaching styles and therefore, according to some students, there is an element of luck.

    Maths schools are a growing group of schools that appear to be having a positive effect on students. As free schools, they choose the curriculum they teach to their pupils – a liberty that may be under threat if Labour moves forward with plans to require all state schools to teach the national curriculum.

    Harry Richardson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Maths schools top the A-level rankings – and their students only study Stem subjects – https://theconversation.com/maths-schools-top-the-a-level-rankings-and-their-students-only-study-stem-subjects-238613

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chagos Islands: how to ensure their coral reefs aren’t damaged as they return to Mauritius

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Moolna, Lecturer in Environment and Sustainability, Keele University

    The UK has agreed to transfer sovereignty of the largely uninhabited Chagos archipelago to Mauritius. The islands have been known as the British Indian Ocean Territory since being administratively detached in 1965 from what was then the colony of Mauritius. Except for the US military base on Diego Garcia at the southern tip of the archipelago, the islands have been uninhabited since 1973.

    As Mauritius takes back control, there are big environmental implications.

    These 247,000 square miles (640,000km²) of remote seas include among the most pristine tropical coral reef ecosystems on our planet. Chagos is nearly three times the area of the British Isles. In 2010, it became the world’s largest marine protected area that bans any form of fishing.

    The shallow water coral reefs account for 1.5% of the global total. Like coral reefs elsewhere around the planet, the marine ecosystems of Chagos are threatened by climate change with rising sea levels and warming waters. Unlike most places, however, these reefs don’t currently face the extra stresses such as pollution and physical damage that come with the presence of people.

    Whether the islands remain uninhabited is a major factor in the potential environmental repercussions of Mauritian sovereignty. Future scenarios are highly dependent on how the UK and Mauritius engage with the displaced Chagossian community.

    Chagossians have long campaigned for a right to return to the islands and need to be part of future plans. This would require establishment of infrastructure and livelihoods. The UK government has previously explored resettlement options with detailed feasibility studies. Addressing possible resettlement will form an important part of how Mauritius takes forward management of the environment in Chagos.

    The environmental consequences of a change in management and human activity could be good or bad. Any environmental benefits or damage will depend very much on what, if any, development takes place and how it is managed. The presence of people could cause damage, but it doesn’t need to.

    Economic activity and infrastructure can support the capacity to do research and to take action to help habitats adapt to climate change. This could include, for example, transplanting strains of coral with better resistance to marine heatwaves.

    Island restoration efforts that began when Chagos was a British territory could become much easier if facilitated from local settlements rather than relying on long-distance expeditions. This includes the removal of rats from certain islands to help ground-nesting birds. Rat eradication also helps the health of surrounding coral reefs. The presence of people as observers could help deter unregulated fishing from vessels sailing into these quiet waters.

    There is substantial scientific research by people from around the globe, including from the Zoological Society of London, already taking place on the ecosystems of Chagos. This supports informed ecological management under the current administration.

    The government of Mauritius needs to continue supporting this, including plans for a Mauritian marine protected area in Chagos. Limited settlement and different zones allowing some uses including fishing are proposed. Funding and support for Mauritius to grow its ability to manage these islands is promised in the sovereignty transfer announcement. This is vital for a future Mauritian administration to be able to take forward environmental action.

    Mauritius should embrace cooperation with the UK and other regional partners. The neighbouring Republic of Seychelles, for example, has extensive experience with the management of its own lightly inhabited outer islands, similar to those of the Chagos. Mauritius already cooperates with Seychelles in the world’s first joint management area of underwater extended continental shelf, the Mascarene plateau that covers approximately 150,000 square miles.



    Read more:
    Freedom for Chagos Islands: UK’s deal with Mauritius will be a win for all

    Ensuring an environmentally sound future

    The announcement of an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago might end years of dispute between the UK and Mauritius governments over jurisdiction. But it marks the humble beginnings of what will be complex, difficult and important work. There will inevitably be disputes between the two countries and other people involved, not least Chagossian citizens, in how these globally important ecosystems are managed.

    It is vital for the environment of Chagos that there is an effective handover. Approaching sovereignty transfer, Mauritius needs to continue the current level of environmental engagement. There may later be reintroduction of economic activities, such as limited commercial fisheries or the resettlement of people with potential tourism development.

    Importantly, environmental outcomes can be successfully addressed whether people return or not. But this needs careful evidence-informed planning and robust management. And Mauritius needs to build effective working partnerships with the UK, Chagossians, scientists and the wider global community to deliver a sustainable future for the Chagos archipelago.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Adam Moolna has dual citizenship of the UK and Mauritius, and has previously worked on environmental and conservation partnerships with Seychelles’ government-owned Islands Development Company

    – ref. Chagos Islands: how to ensure their coral reefs aren’t damaged as they return to Mauritius – https://theconversation.com/chagos-islands-how-to-ensure-their-coral-reefs-arent-damaged-as-they-return-to-mauritius-240610

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Terminator at 40: James Cameron’s dark vision is more relevant than ever

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nathan Abrams, Professor of Film Studies, Bangor University

    When director James Cameron’s The Terminator hit cinemas in 1984, it forever altered the landscape of science fiction.

    Released 40 years ago, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic future where an artificial intelligence (AI) defence network, Skynet, has turned against humanity. It triggers a nuclear holocaust and creates a dystopian world where machines hunt down the last remnants of human life.

    Desperate to avoid defeat by the human resistance, Skynet sends a Terminator back in time. This lifelike android is almost indistinguishable from a person, but superior in strength, agility and intelligence. Its mission – eliminate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of the future human resistance leader. The Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is relentless in its pursuit and a near unstoppable force.

    Meanwhile, Sarah’s son, John, sends back a lone warrior, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), from the future to protect his mother. Though human and vulnerable, through his determination and resourcefulness, Sarah is able to defeat the Terminator. In so doing, Reese impregnates Sarah and fathers his son, John, the very man who will send him back in time.

    The movie explores themes of fate and free will. It’s underpinned by the potential consequences of unchecked technological advancement in the era of the presidency of Ronald Reagan and his strategic defense initiative. “Star wars”, as it was popularly known, was conceived to defend the US from attack from Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles.

    I have been teaching The Terminator to students since the early 2000s, initially as part of degrees related to modern US history, and since 2006 as part of the film studies degree programme at Bangor University. This has allowed me to appreciate the film and study it in depth. It has made a deep and lasting impression on me as not only one of the best science fiction films of the 1980s but as one of the best sci-fi films ever made.

    Inspiration

    James Cameron has said he initially conceived the idea for the film during post-production of the monster horror, Piranha II: The Spawning (1982). He wrote a 45-page treatment, which he intended to direct, with his future wife Gale Anne Hurd as producer. When several studios showed interest, the couple became concerned about losing control of the project. Cameron hired Schwarzenegger for the title role in late April 1983, to ensure their continued involvement.

    Filming began in February 1984 on a budget of US$6.5 million (£5.2 million). After 15 weeks of shooting and post production, a rough edit was assembled. It opened on October 26 1984 in 1,012 cinemas across the US. While the critical reviews were mixed, audiences responded enthusiastically, earning the picture more than $9.7 million in its first ten days.

    The Terminator (1984) official trailer.

    The Terminator was part of a new sub-genre in science fiction known as “tech noir”, taking its name from the nightclub in the movie. It presents technology as a destructive force. Other films of this genre include THX 1138 (1970), Westworld (1973), Logan’s Run (1976), and Blade Runner (1982).

    Influenced by the murderous supercomputer HAL-9000 in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Terminator feeds into fears generated by the revolution in computerisation since the 1970s. It is no coincidence that the cyborg’s eyes are red like HAL’s. While reflecting on the implications of technology and manifesting a fascination with hi-tech industry, computer technology, the rise of multinational corporations and genetic engineering, it projected a dystopian, pessimistic view of the future.



    Read more:
    2001: A Space Odyssey still leaves an indelible mark on our culture 55 years on

    Schwarzenegger first appeared on screen as the iconic T-800 at the age of 37. He would go on to the play the machine until age 72. Schwarzenegger’s distinctive bodybuilder’s physique played into the invincibility of the machine. But it also dovetailed with what have been called the “hardbodied” politics of the Reagan era that favoured such tough and hyper-masculine action heroes as Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Norris.

    The Terminator’s innovative storyline, pacing, special effects and music helped to establish James Cameron as a major force in Hollywood. Before it, he had only helmed one movie. Thereafter, he went on to direct some of the biggest blockbusters of the 1980s and 1990s, including Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), True Lies (1994) and Avatar (2009).

    The highway chase scene from The Terminator (1984)

    ‘I’ll be back’

    The film’s legacy in pop culture is enduring. Cameron’s dark vision of the future created a cultural shock that continues to resonate to this day. “I’ll be back,” remains one of the most iconic one-liners in movie history.

    What started as a film has now become a multimedia universe consisting of sequels, a television series, web series, comics, video games, board games, novels and even theme park rides. The franchise is also frequently cited in debates related to multinational corporations, robotics, biopolitics, transhumanism, AI and nuclear apocalypse.

    This is because the film’s message on technology and the future is even more relevant today than it was 40 years ago, as Gale Anne Hurd explained earlier this year: “We considered the film to have a cautionary perspective on the future of technology, if we don’t pay attention. Jim and I knew that AI and robotics were going to be developed. There was no question in anybody’s mind and we wanted people to consider the consequences. Once you open Pandora’s box, you can’t put everything back in again.”


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Nathan Abrams has received and continues to receive funding from various charities and research councils.

    – ref. The Terminator at 40: James Cameron’s dark vision is more relevant than ever – https://theconversation.com/the-terminator-at-40-james-camerons-dark-vision-is-more-relevant-than-ever-229672

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program Announces 2024 Recipients

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Apache Corporation, a subsidiary of APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA), today announced the donation of more than 134,000 trees to 52 nonprofit partner organizations through the annual Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program. Since 2005, over 5 million trees have been granted to more than 1,000 nonprofit partners and government agencies.

    “Apache’s spirit of ingenuity has been an important driver of our tree grant program since its founding 19 years ago, emphasizing our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship,” said John J. Christmann IV, the company’s chief executive officer. “Trees are essential to the conservation, beautification and longevity of a thriving society, providing cleaner air, water filtration and green spaces for the benefit of communities. We are honored to partner with these organizations as we continue to responsibly meet the world’s oil and gas needs.”

    A committee comprising members of the company’s community partnerships, compliance and environmental, health and safety, and government affairs departments provides guidance for the program’s direction and selection process. Organizations are chosen based on geographic location, potential for environmental impact, and opportunities for community engagement.

    U.S. tree grant recipients for the 2024-25 planting season represent an array of urban areas, rural communities and wildlife preservations that cover diverse and critical ecosystems throughout Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana. Harris County Precinct 4, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Big Bend Conservation Alliance (BBCA) are three key partners of the program, benefiting numerous habitats and bettering the quality of life for nearby communities.

    Harris County Precinct 4, represented by commissioner Lesley Briones, is part of the largest county in Texas, maintaining 55 parks and more than 14,000 acres of green space for its 1.2 million residents.

    “I am grateful for Apache Corporation’s partnership helping Harris County protect our most vulnerable communities,” Briones said. “Within Harris County Precinct 4, areas such as Alief and Gulfton experience temperatures that are 10 to 17 degrees hotter than other neighborhoods. The Apache Corporation tree grant will be key in expanding the tree canopy, providing more shade, lowering temperatures and addressing the urban heat island effect. Together, we will be advancing wellness and resiliency.”

    Additionally, Harris County Precinct 3 covers 15,000 acres of greenspace that includes 72 parks and nature centers across 6,800 lane miles across the Greater Houston area from Cypress to Baytown. Planting trees supports the goals of Precinct 3’s parks and trails masterplan to increase shade and heat relief, and restore natural habitats for birds and wildlife, help control erosion, and provide welcoming outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy.

    “One of the hallmarks of Precinct 3 has always been parks, trails, and roadways lined with beautiful trees,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey. “Thank you to Apache Corporation for their ongoing support over the years to place more trees throughout not only our precinct, but throughout our region, as they recognize the unlimited benefits this feature brings to communities.”

    Since 1951, TPWD has provided outdoor recreational opportunities by managing and protecting wildlife, parklands and historic areas that are essential to the natural and cultural resources of Texas.

    “We are happy to be receiving trees at several of our sites located throughout the state and in different divisions of TPWD, which include state parks, wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, Austin headquarters, and the game warden training center,” said TPWD sustainability manager Cate McClendon. “The process of coordinating tree delivery has gone smoothly this year with all sites already scheduled for October.”

    In Alpine, Texas, BBCA is a nonprofit organization that serves local wildlife by nurturing relationships within shared environments to create inclusive, equitable and just approaches to conservation with communities in the region.

    “Apache’s Tree Grant Program has given our organization the chance to connect with Big Bend’s remote and isolated communities, helping bring tree canopy to towns that regularly experience the effects of extreme heat in the Chihuahuan Desert,” said BBCA executive director Shelley Bernstein. “We’ve been able to plant hundreds of native, drought-tolerant species for residents through outreach partnerships at food pantries, libraries, social service agencies, schools and subsidized housing. The program has helped us realize our mission of inclusive, equitable, and just approaches to conservation in Far West Texas.”

    These organizations represent nonprofits and government agencies of varying scales, geographic regions and demographics that the tree grant program supports, with a full list of this year’s recipients listed below.

    2024 Grant Recipients:

    LOUISIANA

    • BREC – Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge
    • Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL)
    • Iberia Soil & Water Conservation District
    • Keep Hammond Beautiful
    • Moncus Park
    • NOLA Tree Project
    • Pearl River-Honey Island Swamp Museum & Research Center
    • Pontchartrain Conservancy
    • Proud Louisiana c/o Parish Proud
    • St. Mary Soil & Water Conservation District
    • Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government
    • Woodlands Conservancy

    NEW MEXICO

    • City of Las Cruces
    • Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance
    • La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture
    • Tree New Mexico

    TEXAS

    • Big Bend Conservation Alliance
    • Big Lake Economic Development Corp
    • Brazoria County Master Gardener Association
    • Bryan Noon Lions Club
    • Buffalo Bayou Partnership
    • City of Alpine
    • City of Andrews
    • City of Boerne
    • City of Edinburg
    • City of Fort Stockton-Keep Historic Fort Stockton Beautiful
    • City of Lubbock
    • City of McAllen
    • City of Pasadena Parks and Recreation
    • City of Seabrook
    • Exploration Green Conservancy
    • Fort Stockton Historical Society
    • Galveston Island Tree Conservancy
    • Harris County Precinct 3
    • Harris County Precinct 4
    • Hermann Park Conservancy
    • Houston Botanic Garden
    • Houston Parks & Recreation Department
    • Houston Wilderness
    • Keep Laredo Beautiful
    • Keep San Angelo Beautiful
    • Keep Sugar Land Beautiful
    • KSA Parks Foundation – Trees for Kingwood
    • Missouri City Green
    • Native Plant Society of Texas, Fredericksburg Chapter
    • Native Plant Society of Texas, Kerville Chapter
    • Scenic Texas, Inc.
    • Texas Blossoms
    • Texas Longleaf Team
    • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (4 different projects; see pdf)
    • TreeFolks
    • Webb County

    For more information about the Apache Tree Grant Program, please visit http://www.apachelovestrees.com.

    About Apache

    Apache Corporation a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA), is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Apache’s parent corporation, APA Corporation, posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, http://www.apacorp.com.

    About Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program

    Founded in 2005, the Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program is a philanthropic initiative of Apache Corporation that donates trees to nonprofits and government entities in the company’s operational areas. In 2023, the program was expanded to Scotland, with the donation of 3,600 trees to several non-profit organizations. The program focuses on grants that support large-scale conservation, protection of habitats for wildlife and native species, as well as the restoration and enhancement of public greenspaces. This award-winning environmental stewardship initiative has provided more than 5 million trees to over 900 to qualified partners in the United States. In addition to the development and improvement of public parks and greenspaces, community partners often request trees to support a broad range of conservation efforts, including preservation of natural habitats and reforestation. To learn more about the program, visit http://www.apachelovestrees.com

    Contacts
    Investor: (281) 302-2286  Gary Clark
    Media: (713) 296-7276 Alexandra Franceschi 
    Website: http://www.apacorp.com  

    APA-T

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Planisware – Availability of the 2024 half-year financial report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Availability of the 2024 half-year financial report

    Paris, France, October 9, 2024 – Planisware, a leading B2B provider of SaaS in the rapidly growing Project Economy market, announces that it has made available to the public and filed with the Autorité des marchés financiers its half-year financial report as of June 30, 2024.

    This report is available for consultation and downloading on http://www.planisware.com in the Investor, Regulated Information section.

    The 2024 half-year financial report includes:

    • The 2024 half-year activity report;
    • The condensed consolidated interim financial statements 2024;
    • The Statutory auditors’ review report on the half-year financial information for 2024;
    • The declaration by the person responsible for the half-year financial information for 2024.

    Upcoming events

    • October 23, 2024:        Q3 revenue publication

    Contact

    About Planisware

    Planisware is a leading business-to-business (“B2B”) provider of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) in the rapidly growing Project Economy. Planisware’s mission is to provide solutions that help organizations transform how they strategize, plan and deliver their projects, project portfolios, programs and products.

    With more than 700 employees across 14 offices, Planisware operates at significant scale serving around 600 organizational clients in a wide range of verticals and functions across more than 30 countries worldwide. Planisware’s clients include large international companies, medium-sized businesses and public sector entities.

    Planisware is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Compartment A, ISIN code FR001400PFU4, ticker symbol “PLNW”). For more information, visit: https://planisware.com/

    Connect with Planisware on: LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships Program

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships (INRP) program aims to increase the economic participation of Indigenous communities and organizations in the development of natural resource projects that will increasingly be needed in the clean economy.

    Background

    The Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships (INRP) program aims to increase the economic participation of Indigenous communities and organizations in the development of natural resource projects that will increasingly be needed in the clean economy.

    INRP has $80 million in contributions funding for projects that:

    • increase the capacity of Indigenous communities to engage in, benefit from, actively participate in and/or capitalize on economic development opportunities in the natural resource sectors; and
    • increase the investment and/or collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and other natural resource development stakeholders, including governments, industry and non-governmental organizations.

    Giyak Mishkawzid Shkagmikwe Inc (GMS)

    Natural Resources Canada will provide $2.7 million to Giyak Mishkawzid Shkagmikwe Inc. (GMS) to help purchase two production mining drills. GMS will lease these drills to Aki-eh Dibinwewziwin Limited Partnership (ADLP), a joint venture among Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Wahnapitae First Nation and Technica Mining to extract nickel and copper at the Vale Mine in Sudbury.

    The investment of $2.7 million through INRP will allow GMS and its joint venture partners to purchase two production mining drills, enabling them to secure a three-year drilling contract at Vale’s Stobie Open Pit Project. The project will be a significant revenue-generating opportunity for both Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation.

    In July 2024, Vale signed an agreement for Stobie Open Pit Mining Project with mining services company Theiss, United Steelworkers and two Indigenous businesses: Z’Gamok Construction LP (ZCLP), owned by Sagamok First Nation, and Aki-eh Dibinwewziwin Limited Partnership (ADLP), operated in partnership with Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Wahnapitae First Nation and Technica Mining. 

    The $205-million Stobie Open-Pit Mining Project is a short-term extension of the historic Stobie Pit, which ceased operations in 2017 after over 100 years of operations. The Stobie project is the first phase of Vale’s C$945 million plans to revitalize the copper complex in Sudbury. The project will produce nickel and copper, with an initial production target of 300,000 tonnes of nickel and copper ramping up to 1.5 million tonnes annually by 2025 and continuing until 2027 or 2028. Pre-feasibility studies are currently being conducted for the project, which if advanced is expected to begin operating in 2025. 

    Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund

    The Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) is Natural Resources Canada’s flagship program under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy — to support enabling clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects necessary to increase Canada’s supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals, and the development of domestic and global value chains for the green and digital economy. 

    With the launch of the Strategy in December 2022, the Government of Canada signalled the need for strategic investments in clean energy and transportation infrastructure to realize Canada’s critical mineral potential. To contribute to the implementation of the Strategy, Budget 2022 proposed up to $1.5 billion, until 2030, for infrastructure investments to support expanded sustainable critical mineral production and unlock critical mineral rich regions.

    Canada Nickel Company Ltd. and Transmission Infrastructure Partnerships 1 Limited are planning two pre-development projects related to the Crawford Nickel project in Timmins, Ontario:

    Canada Nickel Company Ltd.

    • Canada Nickel Company Ltd. is planning to conduct studies to inform the Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project’s electrification plan and related grid connection infrastructure. Pending final due diligence, Natural Resources Canada has conditionally approved an investment of up to $4.4 million under the CMIF for this project. 

    Magna Mining Inc. is planning three pre-development projects related to the Shakespeare and Crean Hill mine projects near Sudbury, Ontario:

    • to complete pre-construction milestones to advance a six-kilometre transmission line to connect its Shakespeare mine to the Ontario grid. This work will include identifying the most suitable option for a Hydro One grid power connection to support the proposed nickel-copper mine.
    • to complete pre-construction milestones to advance the upgrade of an existing 30-kilometre forest access road for its Shakespeare mine.
    • to conduct a pre-feasibility study and engagement activities and to acquire permits and regulatory approvals for a connection to the Ontario power grid for its Crean Hill project. The Crean Hill project is restarting an existing mine to help meet demand for copper and nickel as demand for use in clean technologies increases.
    • Pending final due diligence, Natural Resources Canada has conditionally approved these investments to Magna Mining Inc. for a total of up to $1.6 million under the CMIF. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada renews historic funding for Indigenous health research from coast to coast to coast

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    Investments will support self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in health research

    October 9, 2024 — Ottawa, Ontario — Canadian Institutes of Health Research

    Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced an investment of $37.6 million over five years, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, for the renewal of the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR).

    Across the country, NEIHRs bring together researchers, Indigenous leaders and community members to support community-based and scientifically excellent health research grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing. These networks work to address significant health disparities and train and mentor the next generation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis health researchers. Simply put, this investment is supporting health researchers who are studying ways of improving Indigenous health.

    This continued investment supports the nine established NEIHR Centres in their vital work, assists the NEIHR National Coordinating Centre, and will also expand the program into the Yukon—meaning this important program is now operating in every region of the country.

    Quotes

    “Supporting Indigenous health research and improving Indigenous health is a priority for our Government. By engaging Indigenous communities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, and many groups and organizations, the NEIHRs are supporting a national research agenda that benefits not just Indigenous Peoples, but all health research in Canada.”

    The Honourable Mark Holland
    Minister of Health

    “Since its launch in 2018, the NEIHR Program has been focused on the unique health needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada. The program creates supportive research environments for community-based research that is driven by Indigenous communities and grounded in Indigenous ways of understanding, also providing the space to grow and adapt with evolving needs.”

    The Honourable Patty Hajdu
    Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

    “Research involving Indigenous Peoples is always a priority at CIHR. With a total investment of $107.8 million for the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research, CIHR looks forward to continuing its partnership with Indigenous health researchers and communities across the country.”

    Dr. Tammy Clifford, Acting President
    Canadian Institutes of Health Research

    “The NEIHR centres are independent, Indigenous-led networks that provide supportive research environments for Indigenous health research driven by, and grounded in, Indigenous communities in Canada. This funding renewal means we can continue to support our community partners, our researchers, and our trainees in addressing complex issues in community and with community.”

    Dr. Robert Henry, Co-Lead
    NEIHR National Coordinating Centre

    “This is a big day for Indigenous health research in Canada. All 9 NEIHR Centres have guaranteed funding for five more years, funds have been designated to develop the new Yukon NEIHR Centre, and there’s a stronger focus on training the next generation of Indigenous health researchers. This is the type of support that I had as a NEIHR funded student and the type of support that we need to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples.”

    Dr. Chelsea Gabel, Scientific Director
    CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health

    Quick facts

    • The Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) initiative was developed to strengthen Indigenous research capacity, training and mentoring, and support Indigenous community-based health research that reflects the priorities and values of Indigenous Peoples. The NEIHR program is now active in all regions of Canada.

    • Today’s announcement of $37.6 million over five years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research represents the next phase of the agency’s 2018 investment of $100.8M, the single largest investment ever made in Indigenous health research in Canada, which established NEIHR networks across the country. With a planned final phase of funding arriving in 2029, the total investment by the end of the program is expected to be close to $108 million. 

    • Through the NEIHR initiative, CIHR is supporting hundreds of Indigenous researchers and trainees, and significant Indigenous health research projects across the country.

    • CIHR is committed to advancing Indigenous self-determination in health research and embedding Indigenous ways of knowing, learning and doing in our research programs.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
    Minister of Health
    343-552-5654
    matthew.kronberg@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Canadian Institutes of Health Research
    mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

    At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada’s health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Mr. Tom Fletcher of the United Kingdom – Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

    Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

    nited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Tom Fletcher of the United Kingdom as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  He succeeds Martin Griffiths of the United Kingdom to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his outstanding work, dedicated service and long-standing commitment to the Organization.

    The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator who will continue to serve as Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator until Mr. Fletcher assumes his position.

    Mr. Fletcher, who is currently the Principal of Hertford College, Oxford (since 2020) and Vice Chair of Oxford University’s Conference of Colleges (since 2022), has strong experience of leading and transforming organizations and bringing an understanding of diplomacy at the highest levels.  He previously served as Global Strategy Director, Global Business Coalition for Education (2015-2019) and led work for former Prime Minister Gordon Brown on refugee education.  He also served as United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Lebanon (2011-2015), as Foreign and Development Policy Adviser to three United Kingdom Prime Ministers (2007-2011), and as the Prime Ministers’ mediator on Northern Ireland.

    An internationally recognized communicator, through his books and media work across the fields of development, diplomacy, technology and democracy, with a blend of technocratic expertise and public diplomacy, Mr. Fletcher has worked closely with the United Nations during his diplomatic career in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.  He served as Head, Middle East Peace Process, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), London (1997-1998), as Second Secretary, Nairobi, Kenya (1998-2002), Chief of Staff for Africa, Caribbean and Commonwealth, FCO, London (2002-2004) and First Secretary, Paris, France (2004-2007).

    Mr. Fletcher holds a Master of Arts degree in Modern History (Oxford, 1998) and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History (Oxford, 1997).  He served as Visiting Professor at New York University (2015-2020) and Emirates Diplomatic Academy (2016-2019).  He is fluent in English and French and has a good working knowledge of Arabic and Swahili.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Lendmark Financial Services Expands Kentucky Presence with Florence Branch, Marking its 22nd Location in the State

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FLORENCE, Ky., Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark), a leading provider of household credit and consumer loan solutions, continues to expand its Kentucky footprint, opening a new branch in Florence.

    The branch is located at 212 Mount Zion Road and is expected to serve hundreds of customers in its first year. Elaine Gambill, who serves as the branch manager, will be responsible for administration of all daily operations. These include building personal relationships with customers and integrating into the community to ensure area residents receive a superior level of individualized loan services that meet their unique financial needs.

    “Planned and unplanned life events still happen, causing many consumers to look for financial resources to meet these needs,” said EJ Ryan, Vice President of Branch Operations at Lendmark. “Our team will be laser focused on serving the Florence community, delivering personalized and convenient household credit solutions that meet their respective financial needs.”

    In addition to serving consumers directly, Lendmark provides financing solutions for thousands of retailers and independent auto dealerships, allowing these businesses’ customers to obtain Lendmark financing. Local businesses that are interested in partnering with Lendmark to provide financing solutions for their customers should visit the branch or call 859-474-5598.

    Lendmark’s ‘Climb to Cure’ is its signature cause-related initiative. The company has committed to raising $10 million by 2025 to mark its 10-year anniversary partnering with CURE Childhood Cancer. So far, Lendmark’s employees, partners and customers have raised $8.83 million to support CURE, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to funding targeted pediatric cancer research that is utilized nationwide.

    Lendmark customers can participate by donating $1 when closing their loan. Lendmark matches the donation.

    About Lendmark Financial Services
    Lendmark Financial Services (Lendmark) provides personal and household credit and loan solutions to consumers. Founded in 1996, Lendmark strives to be the lender, employer, and partner of choice by protecting household wealth, offering stability and helping consumers meet both planned and unplanned life events through affordable loan offerings. Today, Lendmark operates more than 515 branches in 22 states across the country, providing personalized services to customers and retail business partners with every transaction. Lendmark is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Ga. For more information, visit http://www.lendmarkfinancial.com.

    Media Contact
    Jeff Hamilton
    Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
    jhamilton@lendmarkfinancial.com
    678-625-3128

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4de73a45-0f99-4be1-8ac5-4dd139567888

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Zoomtopia 2024: Unveiling AI-first work platform innovations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Next generation of Zoom AI Companion to pull in information from across Zoom Workplace, empowering users to get more done
    • New custom add-on for AI Companion to offer advanced customization capabilities, including new Zoom AI Studio
    • Zoom Tasks expands Zoom Workplace capabilities to help users detect, recommend, and complete tasks throughout their workday

    SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) kicked off Zoomtopia 2024 and unveiled new AI-first work platform innovations for Zoom Workplace and Zoom Business Services that will transform team communication, collaboration, and productivity and help customers get more done.

    Zoomtopia 2024 announcements include Zoom AI Companion 2.0, a new add-on option to customize and personalize AI Companion, Zoom Tasks to help users take action across Zoom Workplace, and enhanced employee and customer experience innovations underpinned by cutting-edge AI.

    “At Zoom, we’re not just reimagining communication—we’re revolutionizing the entire work experience. Our vision is to create an AI-first work platform for human connection that empowers teams to achieve more than ever,” said Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom. “With AI Companion already enhancing productivity, we are helping our customers transform the way they work. This is more than an evolution; it’s a complete overhaul of how we get things done in the digital age.”

    Zoom AI innovations

    Zoom’s mission is to deliver an AI-first work platform for human connection. This AI-first approach to Zoom Workplace and Zoom Business Services allows individuals and teams to free up time and focus on what they do best: engaging, connecting, and delivering creative and insightful work.

    Zoom’s federated approach to AI allows its tech stack to dynamically select from multiple AI models to provide high-quality outputs; is responsible and provides customers with controls; and helps users drive enhanced collaboration, optimize time, and prioritize tasks effectively. Additionally, Zoom AI Companion is included at no additional cost with the paid services in eligible Zoom accounts so that users can harness the benefits of AI across all of their workstreams and get more done.

    Zoom AI Companion 2.0
    Zoom is dedicated to continuously improving AI Companion, giving its customers access to its most up-to-date and high-quality AI tools to make the user experience more seamless and productive. New capabilities of AI Companion 2.0 will include:

    • Persistent: Users can now engage with AI Companion via a convenient, persistent side panel, with seamless availability throughout Zoom Workplace, delivering an AI-first user interface (UI) that seamlessly integrates graphical and conversation UIs to allow for better information flow across Zoom Workplace.
    • Expanded context: AI Companion gains advanced contextual understanding based on what the user is looking at in the Zoom Workplace app and on previous conversations to provide intelligent suggestions and responses that come with citations to help users stay on top of their workday.
    • Advanced synthesis: AI Companion can pull in interactions from across Zoom Workplace, and, when connected, information from Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendar, and uploaded files from Microsoft Office and Google Docs to help users summarize content and interactions and get caught up fast.
    • Connected to the web: AI Companion will be able to answer user questions and look up information from the web in real time.
    • Takes action: AI Companion will be able to detect, track, and complete actions across different workloads in Zoom Workplace to help users get more done.

    AI Companion 2.0 will be available in the coming weeks at no additional cost with paid services in Zoom Workplace accounts.

    Custom add-on for AI Companion
    A new optional add-on that allows for a customized and personalized AI Companion experience for individual customers will provide expanded data access to apps beyond Microsoft and Google email and calendar services and additional company data sources to expand its knowledge, allow customization with company glossaries, offer enhanced search capabilities, and be able to take action on the user’s behalf. The personalization capabilities will help improve AI Companion’s performance on the customer’s account and empower them to scale staff development efforts with a personalized coach and help save time and resources with custom avatar clips. Key components of the new add-on include:

    • Customized experience with AI Studio: Organizations can tailor the AI Companion experience to their unique business needs with custom dictionaries, meeting summaries, and knowledge collections, helping improve response accuracy by connecting to company data sources.
    • Connected third-party apps: Get comprehensive insights with the option to connect third-party data sources that integrate with Zoom’s AI capabilities to allow AI Companion to get answers and orchestrate actions across third-party apps like Atlassian (Jira & Confluence), Glean, Workday, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Box, Asana, Hubspot, and more.
    • Personalization: With the custom AI Companion add-on, individuals can also grow their skills with personal coaching capabilities and save time and production costs with custom avatars for Zoom Clips, which help users scale video clip creation and avoid multiple takes by using a personalized AI-generated avatar to create clips with a user-provided script.

    Custom AI Companion add-on will be available for $12 per user per month and is planned to launch in the first half of 2025. Visit the Zoom newsroom for more information on Zoom’s latest AI innovations.

    Zoom Workplace advancements

    Stay on top of the workday
    With Zoom Workplace, employees can easily stay on top of their day and get more done. New innovations include an AI-first product, Zoom Tasks, which will use AI Companion to help detect, recommend, and complete tasks for a user based on conversations from across Zoom Workplace; Zoom Phone AI-first enhancements, including real-time queries, which will provide summaries of Zoom Phone calls as they happen and Zoom Phone voicemail generation that a user can set up so AI Companion can automatically create personalized voicemail greetings from their voiceprint that are tailored to the user’s calendar events, such as travel schedules, to avoid manual voicemail greeting updates.

    Collaborate more effectively
    Zoom Workplace users will be able to have more productive meetings and collaborate more effectively with AI Companion meeting agendas and real-time summaries that help them make sure the most important topics are covered and keep meetings on track; scale their efforts with a library of pre-selected avatars in Zoom Clips to generate professional video content from text; Zoom Docs will offer new organization and permission options for finer control, new Data Table views and columns for collaboration on projects, APIs and workflow automation, and AI Companion skills to help streamline writing by generating content from templates tailored for writing scenarios and additional data sources.

    These Zoom Workplace enhancements are included at no added cost with the paid services in Zoom Workplace accounts.

    In-person experiences
    Zoom announced AI Companion for in-person meetings, which provides meeting summaries and action items via the Zoom Workplace app on a mobile device. For in-office meetings, AI Companion is expanding within Workspace Reservation to recommend what days employees should go into the office based on when their teammates are there, and recommend rooms based on location and size, making it easier to coordinate, collaborate with teammates, and optimize in-office space.

    Employee engagement
    New AI-first employee engagement solutions that help foster connection include AI Companion for Workvivo, which helps keep employees informed, engaged, and connected by creating content faster, and Workvivo Employee Insights, which helps measure employee engagement, happiness, and performance.

    Visit the Zoom newsroom for more information on these Zoom Workplace features and more.

    Business Services enhancements

    Zoom Customer Experience
    Zoom introduced enhancements to self-service solutions and improved agent and management support features to help provide world-class customer experiences.

    • Zoom’s self-service chatbot, Zoom Virtual Agent, now includes multi-intent detection to handle more complex customer issues. It can process several problems within a single engagement and automatically update customer intents based on learnings from active trends or common queries. Zoom is also launching an AI virtual voice agent to bring Zoom Virtual Agent’s capabilities into self-service voice calls.
    • The new Auto Quality Management allows supervisors to gain comprehensive insights into agent performance, automatically scoring customer interactions.
    • New AI Expert Assist capabilities include dynamic agent guides—AI Expert Assist analyzes the conversation context, notices which steps the agent has already taken, and then guides them to the relevant next step.

    Visit the Zoom newsroom for more information about these customer experience announcements and additional innovations for sales and marketing.

    Industry-specific offerings

    Different types of workers, whether it’s based on where they work or their industry, have unique needs, so Zoom announced new tailored solutions enhanced with AI.

    • For frontline workers, Zoom Workplace for Frontline provides a mobile-centric experience to drive employee productivity, engagement, and collaboration. It includes AI Companion-generated shift summaries, on-shift communications, work management, insights, and more.
    • For healthcare, Zoom Workplace for Healthcare will include AI Companion 2.0 to help personnel get more done. Healthcare customers will also be able to purchase a custom AI Companion for Healthcare add-on to provide customization and personalization capabilities with healthcare dictionaries and access to third-party data sources like electronic healthcare records.
    • The new Zoom Workplace for Clinicians offering helps clinicians save time by automating the clinical workflow. A key part of the solution is clinical notes, which will use specialized healthcare AI to help reduce documentation overhead and improve doctor-patient interactions.
    • For education, Zoom Workplace for Education will include AI Companion 2.0, along with education-specific enhancements like lesson planning, lecture summaries, personalized feedback, and in-class student engagement, as well as capabilities for students, such as AI Companion-generated live notes, Zoom Docs, and more. A custom AI Companion for Education add-on will provide additional access to third-party data sources like student information systems, Learning Management Systems, and other institutional content.

    Visit the Zoom newsroom for more information on additional industry enhancements.

    Watch Zoomtopia

    Tune in to Zoomtopia today for the Americas and tomorrow, October 10 for APAC, EMEA, and Japan to learn more about these innovations, and visit the Zoom blog for product updates.

    About Zoom
    Zoom’s mission is to provide an AI-first work platform for human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer experience teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

    The statements contained here are for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. Any services, products, or functionality referenced that are not currently available are subject to change at Zoom’s sole discretion and may not be delivered as planned or at all. Customers who purchase from Zoom should make their purchase decisions based on currently available pricing, features, and functions.

    Zoom Public Relations
    Lacretia Nichols
    press@zoom.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PepeCoin Announces Exclusive Burn Event for BasedAI Network Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Rare Utility Memecoin Takes a Major Step Toward Increased Scarcity and New Utility

    PepeCoin, the OG 2016 memecoin known for its rarity and utility, is about to undergo a significant transformation. The team behind PepeCoin is introducing a deflationary burn event that will reduce the supply of PEPECOIN, creating a potential supply shock in the market. This move is set to make the memecoin even more scarce, potentially boosting its value and utility in the process.

    As part of this event, PEPECOIN holders will be able to burn tokens in exchange for Brain credits. These credits will then be used to obtain BasedAI Brains, the powerful subnets driving the innovative BasedAI Network. BasedAI tokens have been fairly distributed to PepeCoin holders through a staking farm as rewards for loyalty and locking tokens. This initiative is a step toward addressing the challenges of centralized AI systems, particularly in privacy and security, by leveraging a decentralized AI network.

    A New Era of Utility for PepeCoin

    With this burn event, the coin will cement its status, offering holders a direct role in the development and growth of BasedAI’s decentralized AI network. Holders will participate technically in the BasedAI network through staking and contributing resources to the network including the mining and validation processes.

    By participating in the burn event, PEPECOIN holders are not just reducing the supply, they are also gaining a stake in the future of decentralized AI. BasedAI is tackling critical issues in centralized AI systems, ensuring enhanced privacy, security, and user control over AI technology.

    About BasedAI and the Future of Decentralized AI

    BasedAI (powered by BasedAI:BASED) is a network designed to solve the issues plaguing traditional, centralized AI systems. With the introduction of BasedAI Brains, users will have the ability to control their own AI subnets, directly contributing to a more secure, decentralized AI ecosystem. This initiative aligns with Pepecoin’s mission of breaking down barriers in both the cryptocurrency and AI worlds.

    The upcoming PepeCoin burn event is set to bring even more utility to the token, while also playing a key role in the future of AI decentralization.

    About PepeCoin

    Established in 2016, PepeCoin ($PEPECOIN) is the original meme coin. It leverages the viral internet meme ‘Pepe the Frog’ to build a strong community of crypto enthusiasts and memers. PepeCoin is also building the first decentralized social wrapper for DeFi through open-source tooling and dank memes.

    Contact

    Marjore Barros

    marjore@energentmedia.net

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Libya’s leaders must work together for a long-term political solution: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Libya.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    President, the past two months have demonstrated the fragility of Libya’s status quo.  Unilateral actions by Libyan actors on all sides have threatened the country’s stability. But recent weeks have also shown the ability to find political solutions through serious engagement between Libyan stakeholders.

    I’d like to make three points today:

    First, we commend DSRSG Koury’s efforts to broker a solution to the Central Bank crisis. We welcome the agreement reached for the appointment of the new governor.  It is vital now that the stakeholders swiftly agree a board of directors that is credible, competent and free from political influence. As a unified institution it should also operate transparently.

    In addition, we urge all actors to work to rebuild the legitimacy and credibility of the Central Bank, especially with international institutions. We also welcome the resumption of oil production, a vital shared resource for the prosperity and well-being of the Libyan people.

    Second, as we heard from briefers, the Central Bank crisis has shown that the status quo is increasingly unstable. Libya needs a long-term settlement, and I heard this consistently from the many Libyan people I met on my visit to Libya last year. 

    In this regard, we welcome the continued efforts to make progress on the political track, including plans to convene the Security Working Group next week. We support efforts to build closer cooperation and integration between Libya’s military and security actors, in particular to enhance border security and the fight against terrorism.

    Third, we remain concerned at the diminishing space for civil society. While we were grateful to hear from a civil society briefer today, we know that civil society face the risk of reprisals for their activities.

    We are also concerned at the continued lack of protection of women, restricting their ability to participate in all aspects of Libya’s civil, social, and political space, and I thank Ms Bugaighis for setting this out so clearly for us.

    Ensuring a free and safe environment for civil society is essential, to empower everyone to play a role in developing an open, democratic society.

    President, in closing, I want to stress our continued support to UNSMIL and DSRSG Koury and her team in supporting Libya in tackling Libya’s immense challenges, and as she said, to move beyond managing the situation to resolving long-standing problems.

    We look forward to negotiating the renewal of UNSMIL’s mandate this month and to showing united Council support for UNSMIL’s work to achieve a long-term political solution and to enable elections.

    The Secretary General also has our full support in his efforts to appoint a new Special Representative as soon as possible. Finally, we continue to call on all Libya’s leaders to engage in the political process in the spirit of compromise.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Esgenoôpetitj First Nation — Missing 28-year-old man

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Neguac RCMP is asking for the public’s help to locate a missing 28-year-old man from Esgenoôpetitj, N.B.

    Tomasz Isaac Dedam was last seen on October 9, 2024, at approximately 5 a.m., near Barlow Court in Esgenoôpetitj. He was reported missing to police the same day. Police have followed up on several leads to try and locate him, but have so far been unsuccessful. Police and his family are concerned for his wellbeing.

    Tomasz Isaac Dedam is described as being approximately five feet seven inches (170 centimetres) tall, and weighing approximately 121 pounds (55 kilograms). He has brown eyes, brown hair, and some facial hair. He was last wearing a black shirt, black pants, and carrying a black backpack.

    Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Neguac RCMP at 506-776-3000.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces $37.9 Million for Hurricanes Laura, Ida Relief

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced Louisiana will receive $37,885,460.20 in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in relief for Hurricanes Ida and Laura. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness will receive $36,139,364.10 for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Laura. The Office of Risk Management will receive $1,746,096.12 for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Ida.
    “In the midst of hurricane season, south Louisiana communities are still recovering from past storms,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Americans, and Louisianans in particular, are resilient and this will help return us to wholeness.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Collins, King Announce Over $11 Million to Protect Children From Lead Poisoning

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that the cities of Portland and Lewiston have been awarded grant funding to help protect children from lead poisoning. The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction (LHR) grant program awards, totaling $11,117,960, will help improve the health of Maine communities by fixing older housing and preserving affordable housing units that pose a lead hazard — such as the use of lead paint, more common in homes built before 1960. Additionally, this grant targets housing where children less than six years of age live.
    “The majority of Maine’s housing stock was built prior to 1978, the year that lead-based paint was banned, which has resulted in our state having one of the highest levels of lead paint contamination in the country,” said Senator Collins. “This federal investment in lead hazard abatement will increase the safety of housing for families in Portland and Lewiston, helping to further alleviate this public health threat.”
    “Lead exposure and poisoning can pose extreme health risks, especially for young children who are still growing and developing,” said Senator King. “Even small amounts of lead from paint chips and flakes can build up in the body and cause serious health problems. Families should be focused on helping their children grow and thrive, not worried about whether or not their house is hazardous. This robust funding will help more Maine families and children have a healthy and safe place to call home.”
    The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction program is funded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In addition to the LHR program, HUD also offers the Healthy Homes Supplemental funding that is available to further bolster lead-based paint hazard prevention and control.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley and Hoyle Announce NOAA’s Support for Port Orford

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    October 09, 2024
    NOAA identifies Port Orford in its strategic plan
    Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle, today announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries included specific support for Port Orford’s local economy and job growth in its National Seafood Strategic Implementation Plan. 
    “World-renowned seafood is synonymous with Oregon, and is a vital part of our coastal economy and a delicious part of our dinner tables,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified NOAA recognizes the important role Port Orford plays in sustaining the local and regional seafood industry. This plan will net local jobs for Curry County, while Oregonians will reel in enhanced availability of fresh, local seafood in the region.” 
    “Oregon seafood is the lifeblood of our coastal communities and economy, and when the industry thrives, all of Oregon thrives,” Merkley said. “This national strategy from NOAA—which supports the revitalization of the Port of Port Orford—will boost Oregon’s coastal fishermen and world-class seafood producers, creating jobs in Curry County and across the country.” 
    “Our fishermen are the heart of Oregon’s coastal communities,” said Rep. Hoyle. “NOAA is specifically focused on the resilience of the seafood sector in Port Orford, which will help create coastal jobs and support the health of our seafood industry. In Congress, I’ll continue working to bring back Oregonian taxpayer dollars to support economic growth and sustainability on the Coast.”
    “As both Mayor of Port Orford as well as Manager of the Port I am ecstatic to see that the hard work and planning by the Port of Port Orford and all of its stakeholders has gotten this National recognition. The revitalization of the Port of Port Orford will change the tides of possibility for our region,” said Pat Cox, Mayor of Port Orford and Port Manager at Port of Port Orford.
    The U.S. seafood industry is critical to enhancing public health and nutrition, creating jobs, and building a climate resilient food strategy. It is facing unprecedented challenges resulting in an urgent situation for many fisheries and connected communities and putting our supply of sustainable seafood at risk. Ensuring a supply of sustainable seafood for U.S. consumers is a key part of NOAA Fisheries’ mission. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trahan, Zlotnik Announce $225,000 in Funding for Mental Health and Addiction Services in Gardner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

    LOWELL, MA – Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and State Representative Jon Zlotnik were joined by local leaders in Gardner to highlight $225,000 in federal and state funding they secured to support GAAMHA’s mental health and addiction programs.

    “For more than 50 years, GAAMHA has supported individuals and families here in Gardner and across the region through battles with addiction and mental health challenges, regardless of their income. Their holistic approach to treatment and recovery has helped so many not just get back on their feet, but also develop the skills to get ahead,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Evergreen Grove is a very special place, and I’m proud of my work with State Representative Zlotnik to deliver significant federal and state funds to support the outstanding work happening here.”

    “Funding that we an provide for these programs is incredibly important,” said State Representative Zlotnik. “GAAMHA does good work and has been able to be very creative in their approach. This has helped so many people in our community because most importantly, they are accessible and strive to make their programs available to everyone who needs them regardless of their past struggles or financial constraints.”

    “Our organization is focused on the concept of redefining community support,” said GAAMHA President & CEO, Shawn Hayden. “We aim to provide the very best care in our field to anyone who needs it. As a provider who focuses on serving people with low or no income, our ability to innovate and raise the standard of care relies on our creativity and our partnerships with funders, grantmakers, and donors. With the support we have received from Congresswoman Trahan, Representative Zlotnik, and so many others, we’ve been able to develop a program model that is receiving national attention and make it available to the underserved.”

    Founded in 1967, GAAMHA has provided services to individuals with developmental and physical disabilities as well as those struggling with mental health and addiction challenges in communities across North Central Massachusetts. The organization has focused on the creation of a “recovery ecosystem” that treats the whole person. This includes work opportunities, a school to community program that provides workforce preparedness, employment services, substance use and mental health treatment, transitional and permanent supportive housing for individuals in recovery, and transportation support. GAAMHA believes that everyone needs community, and communities need everyone. This idea drives GAAMHA to continually redefine what community support looks like.

    “Congresswoman Trahan has always been a great friend to Gardner. The benefits this funding will bring to the community by allowing GAAMHA to expand its operations at Evergreen Grove and their ROOTS program are invaluable. This program has already shown its success by utilizing the farm setting as a means of treatment and therapy to those dealing with issues of mental health and substance abuse disorders. This out-of-the-box thinking helps bring treatment methods to a whole new level by relating the experiences of working with the animals on the site, to experiences in the lives of those going to the programs. My hope is that the work being done by GAAMHA at this site sets a new standard for others around Massachusetts and the country to follow, and this funding helps further that goal,” said Gardner Mayor Mike Nicholson.

    During government funding negotiations, Trahan secured $200,000 in federal funding to support GAAMHA’s Evergreen Grove, a 115-acre farm purchased by the organization in 2018 that is now home to two programs offering innovative alternative approaches to recovery for individuals in North Central Massachusetts struggling from co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health challenges. The Carl E. Dahl House at Evergreen Grove is a 16-bed licensed residential facility that offers men struggling with mental health disorders and addiction treatment using a therapeutic farming approach to assist in sustaining recovery. GAAMHA’s new program, R.O.O.T.S. (Resilient, Optimistic, Open-minded, Thriving, Serene), serves as an outpatient care farming day program for young people struggling with mental health or substance use disorders so that they can access the same effective treatment methods as the residents of the Dahl House. Evergreen Grove is also home to a livestock rescue operation where, as part of their treatment, participants help create forever homes for over 70 different animals who have been abused, neglected, and abandoned. 

    In addition to the federal funding, Zlotnik secured passage of an earmark on Beacon Hill that will provide an additional $25,000 in state funding for GAAMHA to support capital improvements to their residential and substance use disorder services in Gardner.

    Since her election to Congress in 2018, Trahan has been a leader on addiction and mental health issues. In 2022, Trahan successfully shepherded into law her bipartisan Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, which standardizes substance use disorder training to ensure that all prescribers of addictive medications possess baseline knowledge in evidence-based addiction prevention and treatments. That same month, President Biden also signed into law her bipartisan Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act, which ensures the continuation and strengthening of community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts that were set to expire at the end of the year. Earlier this year, Trahan secured House passage of her bipartisan Youth Poisoning Protection Act, and she introduced bipartisan legislation to commemorate Overdose Awareness Day on August 30th each year to honor those who have lost their lives to overdoses, destigmatize addiction and seeking treatment, and combat the addiction crisis.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Adams Talks Healthcare at Protect Our Care Bus Tour Event

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

    Rep. Adams Decries Republican Efforts to Repeal ACA, Institute Project 2025

    CHARLOTTE – Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) spoke yesterday at Protect Our Care’s Annual “Lower Costs, Better Care” Nationwide Bus Tour event in Charlotte, about the state of healthcare in the United States.  

    “The Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have expanded affordable healthcare access, capped the costs of prescription drugs and Insulin, saved the average taxpayer thousands of dollars, and ended discrimination for the tens of millions of us with pre-existing conditions,” said Rep. Adams. “Given the success of this legislation, it’s no surprise that some would choose to play politics and repeal them. We have to get up and fight for the IRA and ACA to protect our care.” 

    Rep. Adams spoke to the successes of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the need to protect the Affordable Care Act from Republican repeal efforts, her support for abortion rights, and plans to expand access to affordable care. Other speakers included Stacy Staggs, President of North Carolina Chapter of Little Lobbyists, and healthcare advocates DonnaMarie Woodson, Laura Packard, and Meghan Bradshaw. Pictures of the event may be viewed here. 

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    Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Ann Wagner and a Bipartisan Coalition Introduce Legislation to Foster Alignment of Middle East Partners, Counter Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined her colleagues in introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve security and military readiness between the United States and Abraham Accords nations.  The Learning Integrated National Knowledge (LINK) Act would connect strategic, operational, and tactical senior commanders through an exchange program to foster greater integration and alignment. 

    This legislation was introduced as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East due to the actions by Iran and Iranian-backed proxies and follows the fourth anniversary of the historic Abraham Accords.  Leading this legislation alongside Rep. Wagner are Reps. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Zach Nunn (IA-03), Brad Schneider (IL-10), David Trone (MD-06), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05).  Companion legislation has been introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) in the Senate.

    Iran and its proxy forces, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, continue to conduct terrorist operations across the Middle East, from firing missiles within Lebanon, to attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.  Through the establishment of a subject matter expert exchange program, American senior military officials will be able to bolster capabilities and deepen cooperationto enable the U.S. and its allies to respond to continuing and unforeseen aggression more effectively.

    “Iran’s unprecedented missile attack on Israel on October 1 shows the Ayatollah is bent on Israel’s destruction and is willing to drag the region into war to accomplish its violent agenda,” said Rep. Wagner.  “As Iran continues to attack Israel directly and through its proxies, regional security cooperation remains vital to stability in the Middle East—and the defense of American allies against aggression.  My work with colleagues in the Abraham Accords Caucus has shown me how important it is to have our experts work closely with our partners and allies in the region to develop sound strategies and tackle threats together.   The ongoing instability and fighting in the region demand a more effective path forward to address threats from dictatorial governments and terrorists and ensure the safety of our own citizens at home and abroad.  This bill will ensure our partners in the Middle East support one another as we work towards that goal.”

    “The increasingly aggressive actions by Iran and its terrorist proxies threaten the stability, security, and economy of the broader Middle East,” said Rep. Panetta.  “A military expert exchange program between Abraham Accords countries will ensure leaders are coordinating an integrated response to counter these malign activities in the region.  These partnerships are vital to our efforts to further strengthen the diplomatic, defense, and economic relationships between the United States, Israel, and our Arab partners.”

    “The Iranian Regime and its proxies cannot be left unchecked,” said Rep. Nunn.  “As Israel continues to withstand attacks from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, now is the time to bring together the best and brightest military minds within the Abraham Accords.  This partnership will bring a more secure and peaceful Middle East.”

    “The combined efforts last week by Israel, the United States, and other allies to intercept nearly 200 Iranian ballistic missiles before they could cause unimaginable destruction demonstrates the importance of strengthening the coordination between CENTCOM and our allies,” said Rep. Schneider.  “As Iran and its proxies—including Hezbollah and the Houthis—continue to escalate threats to Israel, and the entire Middle East, it is critical that our partners have access to experienced military experts who can offer sound guidance during these escalations.  Through the LINK Act, we are strengthening our ties with Abraham Accords nations, ensuring both Israel and our Arab allies have the expert support needed to address these evolving threats and maintain regional security.”

    “Now more than ever, leaders in the Middle East and around the world must work together against growing threats, including Iran,” said Rep. Trone.  “With that goal in mind, it is imperative that we continue to share vital resources and encourage international cooperation to better equip our intelligence and military operations. With the LINK Act, we’re doing just that.”

    “Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel was an escalation that threatens to plunge the entire Middle East into chaos. Now more than ever, we need to strengthen military coordination and defense planning between Abraham Accords countries to safeguard against these increasingly aggressive attacks by Iran and its terrorist proxies,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.  “The LINK Act is a critical bipartisan effort to ensure military experts are in place to protect the diplomatic and economic relationships we’ve worked so hard to promote, while showing the world that we unequivocally stand with Israel.”

    This legislation has been included in the House and Senate versions of the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act, building upon the work of the Armed Services Committee to integrate air and missile defense capabilities, maritime domain awareness, cyber and AI readiness, and space satellites to deter Iranian aggression.

    MIL OSI USA News –