NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pond Inlet — Search for Pond Inlet resident suspended

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) Nunavut
    Date: 2024-10-29
    File: 2024-1463470

    On October 13, 2024, in consultation with partner agencies, Nunavut Emergency Management (NEM) concluded the search for Rico Akpaleapik. He was last seen on October 2, in Pond Inlet and was reported missing on October 4, 2024.

    Immediately after Akpaleapik was reported missing, local Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) volunteers were dispatched, assisted by the Canadian Rangers. Additional agencies were engaged on this file including the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) and the Canadian Coast Guard. Through this partnership, aerial and water assets were deployed to support the ground search. The RCMP sent in multiple police officers to assist with the search, which included the use of aerial drones and a Police Dog Unit that was flown in from Quebec.

    RCMP would like to thank all those who were involved in this search, most notably the local Ground Search and Rescue team. The RCMP continue to investigate this missing person file and ask any one with information which may assist with the investigation to please contact Pond Inlet RCMP at 867-899-0123

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sigonella Team in the Spotlight – Preventative Medicine

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily (Oct. 22, 2024) – The safety of personnel and their families is a top priority for Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, and Preventative Medicine (PrevMed) at Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Sigonella plays a major role in ensuring that safety.

    “I believe our [PrevMed Sailors] here in Sigonella deserve to be the Team in the Spotlight; a vast majority of their work occurs behind the scenes without any face-to-face interaction with those they serve,” said Lt. Cmdr. Robert Miller, prior PrevMed department head, NMRTC Sigonella.

    PrevMed tests the installation’s water supply, inspects food facilities, conducts habitability assessments, tracks medical concerns and more.

    “[PrevMed] is the first line of defense against health and safety issues for facilities supporting the active duty population, but also our most vulnerable populations at the Child Development Center, youth programs and DODEA (Department of Defense Education Activity Sigonella),” said Miller.

    The team includes Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Travis Tackett, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Shaye Kavanagh, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Hannah Richard, and Hospitalman Noah McDougle. Each day they determine their workload, delegate jobs and perform needed inspections.

    “I love doing inspections,” said McDougle. “I like that every day is something different.”

    The team’s proudest moment was assisting in a flu shot exercise when Military Health Systems Genesis, an online program for medical record storage, was released at U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella.

    “Even with a new system, we were able to get everything running smoothly,” said Kavanaugh. “We were able to get everyone vaccinated while also navigating a brand-new medical system. Having everyone’s help during this evolution made it possible.”

    Despite their vital importance to the health and wellness of Navy personnel and families, PrevMed is a severely undermanned community. Without the small team at Sigonella, meeting the 100% safety goal for all facilities would be very challenging, even if assigned safety managers follow the Navy’s strictest protocols.

    “We make sure food facilities are keeping good sanitary practices,” said Kavanaugh. “We make sure service members are living in habitable conditions, and when things aren’t being met, we do everything we can to make sure that something [is] done about it.”

    Kavanaugh also has some advice for future members of the team, “Fall back on your team members when you must. It’s okay not to know everything right away, and nobody will ever fault you for not having the answers. Everyone is here to help.”

    U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella ensures maximum readiness by providing high-quality, safe patient and family-centered care to maximize force health protection for all beneficiaries, to included NATO and transient DoD forces in the U.S. Fifth Fleet and U.S. Sixth Fleet areas of operation.

    NAS Sigonella’s strategic location enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required, ensuring security and stability in Europe, Africa and Central Command. For more news and information from NAS Sigonella, visit https://cnreurafcent.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAS-Sigonella/ or https://www.facebook.com/nassigonella/.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maria S. Floro, Professor Emerita of Economics, American University

    The world is witnessing the consequences of climate change: long-lasting changes in temperature and rainfall, and more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves, hurricanes, typhoons, flooding and drought. All make it harder for families and communities to meet their care needs.

    Climate change affects care systems in various ways. First, sudden illnesses and unexpected disabilities heighten the need for care. Second, it reduces access to important inputs for care such as water, food and safe shelter. Third, it can damage physical and social care infrastructures.

    It can also lead to breakdowns of traditional units of caregiving such as households and communities. And it creates new situations of need with the increase in displaced person settlements and refugee camps.

    Climate change creates sudden spikes in the demand for care, and serious challenges to meeting the growing need for care. All this has immediate and long lasting effects on human well-being.

    The size of the current unmet care needs throughout the world is substantial. In childcare alone, about 23% of children worldwide – nearly 350 million – need childcare but do not have it. Families in low- and lower-middle-income countries are the most in need.

    Similarly, as the world’s population ages rapidly, only a small proportion of the elderly who need assistance are able to use formal care (in an institution or paid homecare). Most are cared for by family members or other unpaid caregivers. Much of this unpaid care and formal care work is provided by women and girls.

    Hundreds of millions of people around the world struggle to get healthcare. Expansion of access to essential health services has slowed compared to pre-2015 . And healthcare costs still create financial hardship.

    Without comprehensive public and global support for care provision and the integration of care in the climate agenda, unmet care needs will only grow and inequalities will widen.

    Impact

    Climate change interacts with human health in complex ways. Its impact is highly uneven across populations. It depends on geographical region, income, education, gender roles, social norms, level of development, and the institutional capacity and accessibility of health systems.

    In 2018-22, Africa experienced the biggest increase in the
    heat-related mortality rate since 2000-05    . This is not surprising as the continent has more frequent health-threatening temperatures than ever before and a growing population of people older than 65.

    Africa is also the region most affected by droughts in 2013-22, with 64% of its land area affected by at least one month of extreme drought per year on average. It was followed by Oceania (55% of its land area) and South and Central America (53%).

    Scientific evidence also points to increases in health inequalities caused by climate change. The health effects of climate change are not uniformly felt by different population groups.

    Exposure, severity of impact, and ability of individuals to recover depend on a variety of factors. Physiological characteristics, income, education, type of occupation, location, social norms and health systems are some of them.

    For example, older people and young children face the greatest health risks from high temperatures.

    There is also evidence of the disproportionate effect of climate change on the health of people living in poverty and those who belong to disadvantaged groups.

    Women of lower social and economic status and with less education are more vulnerable to heat stress compared to women in wealthier households and with higher education or social status. They are exposed to pollution in the absence of clean cooking fuel, and to extreme heat as they walk to gather water and fuel, or do other work outdoors.

    Bad sanitation in poor urban areas increases the incidence of water-borne diseases after heavy rains and floods.

    Lack of access to healthcare services and the means to pay for medicines make it difficult for women and men in low-income households to recover from illness, heat strokes, and air pollution-related ailments.

    Mental health problems are being attributed to climate change as well. Studies show that the loss of family or kin member, home, livelihood and a safe environment can bring about direct emotional impacts.

    These adverse impacts increase the demand for caregiving and the care workload. Climate-induced health problems force family and community caregivers, particularly women, to spend more time looking after the sick and disabled, particularly frail elderly people and children.

    Effect on food and water

    Climate change threatens the availability of food, clean water and safe shelter. It erodes households’ and communities’ care capacity and hence societies’ ability to thrive.

    Fluctuations in food supply and rising food prices as a result of environmental disasters, along with the inadequacy of government policies, underscore the mounting challenge of meeting food needs.

    The threat of chronic shortage of safe drinking water has also risen. Water scarcity is an area where structural inequalities and gender disparities are laid bare.

    Care for the sick and disabled, the young and the elderly is compromised when water is scarce.

    Effects on providing care

    Extreme weather events disrupt physical care infrastructures. It may be hard to reach hospitals, clinics, daycare centres, nursery schools and nursing homes. Some facilities may be damaged and have to close.

    Another type of care system that can break down is family networks and support provided by friends and neighbours. These informal care sharing arrangements are illustrated in a study of the three large informal settlements in Nairobi.

    About half (50.5%) of the sampled households reported having had a sick member in the two weeks before the survey. The majority relied on close friends and family members living nearby for care and support.

    Studies have shown that climate change eventually leads to livelihood loss and resource scarcity, which can weaken social cohesion and local safety nets in affected communities.

    Heightened risks and uncertainty and imminent changes in socio-economic and political conditions can also compel individuals or entire households to migrate. Migration is caused by a host of factors, but it has increasingly been a climate-related response.

    The World Bank’s Groundswell Report released in 2018, for example, projected that climate change could force 216 million people to move within their countries by 2050 to avoid the slow-onset impacts of climate change.

    A possible consequence of migration is the withdrawal of care support provided by the migrating extended kin, neighbours or friends, increasing the caregiving load of people left behind.

    In the case of forced displacements, the traditional social networks existing in communities are disrupted entirely.

    What’s needed

    There are compelling reasons to believe that meeting care needs can also help mitigate the effects of climate change. And actions to meet carbon-zero goals, prevent biodiversity loss and regenerate ecosystems can reduce the care work burden that falls heavily on families, communities and women.

    Any effort to tackle these grave problems should be comprehensive in scope and must be based on principles of equality, universality, and responsibility shared by all.

    This article is part of a series of articles initiated through a project led by the Southern Centre for Inequality studies, in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre and a group of feminist economists and climate scientists across the world.

    Maria S. Floro 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. Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need – https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-making-it-harder-for-people-to-get-the-care-they-need-240557

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa

    The last two summits of Brics countries have raised questions about the coalition’s identity and purpose. This began to come into focus at the summit hosted by South Africa in 2023, and more acutely at the recent 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia.

    At both events the alliance undertook to expand its membership. In 2023, the first five Brics members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – invited Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join. All bar Saudi Arabia have now done so. The 2024 summit pledged to admit 13 more, perhaps as associates or “partner countries”.

    On paper, the nine-member Brics+ strikes a powerful pose. It has a combined population of about 3.5 billion, or 45% of the world’s people. Combined, its economies are worth more than US$28.5 trillion – about 28% of the global economy. With Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as members, Brics+ produces about 44% of the world’s crude oil.

    Based on my research and policy advice to African foreign policy decision-makers, I would argue that there are three possible interpretations of the purpose of Brics+.

    • A club of self-interested members – a kind of global south cooperative. What I’d label as a self-help organisation.

    • A reforming bloc with a more ambitious goal of improving the workings of the current global order.

    • A disrupter, preparing to replace the western-dominated liberal world order.

    Analysing the commitments that were made at the meeting in Russia, I would argue that Brics+ sees itself more as a self-interested reformer. It represents the thinking among global south leaders about the nature of global order, and the possibilities of shaping a new order. This, as the world moves away from the financially dominant, yet declining western order (in terms of moral influence) led by the US. The move is to a multipolar order in which the east plays a leading role.



    Read more:
    Russia’s Brics summit shows determination for a new world order – but internal rifts will buy the west some time

    However, the ability of Brics+ to exploit such possibilities is constrained by its make-up and internal inconsistencies. These include a contested identity, incongruous values and lack of resources to convert political commitments into actionable plans.

    Summit outcomes

    The trend towards closer trade and financial cooperation and coordination stands out as a major achievement of the Kazan summit. Other achievements pertain to global governance and counter-terrorism.

    When it comes to trade and finance, the final communiqué said the following had been agreed:

    • adoption of local currencies in trade and financial transactions. The Kazan Declaration notes the benefits of faster, low cost, more efficient, transparent, safe and inclusive cross-border payment instruments. The guiding principle would be minimal trade barriers and non-discriminatory access.

    • establishment of a cross-border payment system. The declaration encourages correspondent banking networks within Brics, and enabling settlements in local currencies in line with the Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiative. This is voluntary and nonbinding and is to be discussed further.

    • creation of an enhanced roles for the New Development Bank, such as promoting infrastructure and sustainable development.

    • a proposed Brics Grain Exchange, to improve food security through enhanced trade in agricultural commodities.

    All nine Brics+ countries committed themselves to the principles of the UN Charter – peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, and development – primarily as a response to the western unilateral sanctions.



    Read more:
    South Africa walks a tightrope of international alliances – it needs Russia, China and the west

    The summit emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy should prevail over conflict in, among other places, the Middle East, Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan.

    Faultlines and tensions

    Despite the positive tone of the Kazan declaration, there are serious structural fault lines and tensions inherent in the architecture and behaviour of Brics+. These might limit its ambitions to be a meaningful change agent.

    The members don’t even agree on the definition of Brics+. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa calls it a platform. Others talk of a group (Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi) or a family (Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jianan).

    So what could it be?

    Brics+ is state-driven – with civil society on the margins. It reminds one of the African Union, which pays lip service to citizens’ engagement in decision-making.

    One possibility is that it will evolve into an intergovernmental organisation with a constitution that sets up its agencies, functions and purposes. Examples include the World Health Organization, the African Development Bank and the UN general assembly.

    But it would need to cohere around shared values. What would they be?

    Critics point out that Brics+ consists of democracies (South Africa, Brazil, India), a theocracy (Iran), monarchies (UAE, Saudi Arabia) and authoritarian dictatorships (China, Russia). For South Africa this creates a domestic headache. At the Kazan summit, its president declared Russia a friend and ally. At home, its coalition partner in the government of national unity, the Democratic Alliance, declared Ukraine as a friend and ally.



    Read more:
    When two elephants fight: how the global south uses non-alignment to avoid great power rivalries

    There are also marked differences over issues such as the reform of the United Nations. For example, at the recent UN Summit of the Future the consensus was for reform of the UN security council. But will China and Russia, as permanent security council members, agree to more seats, with veto rights, on the council?

    As for violent conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and crime, there is little from the Kazan summit that suggests agreement around action.

    Unity of purpose

    What about shared interests? A number of Brics+ members and the partner countries maintain close trade ties with the west, which regards Russia and Iran as enemies and China as a global threat.

    Some, such as India and South Africa, use the foreign policy notions of strategic ambiguity or active non-alignment to mask the reality of trading with east, west, north and south.

    The harsh truth of international relations is there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. The Brics+ alliance will most likely cohere as a global south co-operative, with an innovative self-help agenda, but be reluctant to overturn the current global order from which it desires to benefit more equitably.

    Trade-offs and compromises might be necessary to ensure “unity of purpose”. It’s not clear that this loose alliance is close to being able to achieve that.

    Anthoni van Nieuwkerk 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. Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity – https://theconversation.com/brics-could-shape-a-new-world-order-but-it-lacks-shared-values-and-a-unified-identity-242308

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Jackman, Departmental Lecturer in Development Studies, University of Oxford

    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the nation’s parliament and burnt down her family home.

    Hasina, who had ruled the country for more than 20 years in total, had been widely accused of turning autocratic and clamping down severely on any opposition to her rule.

    For many, the Bangladesh revolution offers hope in the context of growing global authoritarianism. It illustrates the power of the youth to confront entrenched leaders, and the fragility of authoritarianism. It also highlights a striking feature of contemporary global politics: how central capital cities are to the political life of nations.

    In our new book, Controlling the Capital: Political Dominance in the Urbanizing World, a diverse range of scholars argue that capital cities are crucial political sites. They’re where governing elites seek to assert and maintain political control, and they are also stages for political contestation.

    The book is focused on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two fastest-urbanising regions of the world.

    Authors explore the strategies and tactics used by ruling elites to politically dominate their capital cities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    The authors also consider how urban populations have engaged with these efforts. People may resist authority, but they can also cooperate with it in ways that benefit themselves – which sometimes reinforces or supports authoritarian control.

    This is increasingly important in the context of two contemporary trends. First, authoritarianism is growing globally. Just 10 years ago under half of the world’s population lived under authoritarian rule; now the figure is at 71%. The second trend is the ongoing rapid urbanisation of the world’s population, with the majority of us globally now living in urban areas.

    Urban unrest

    Over the past year we’ve seen how capital cities are spaces for contestation.

    Some pro-democracy movements draw from their own histories of struggle and the paths that have been carved by those before them. The template of Bangladesh’s 2024 revolution is ingrained in politics from the ways in which liberation was fought and how later struggles against authoritarian rule were won. The capital city has also been crucial, and students at Dhaka University were key mobilisers in such movements.

    In other contexts, the link between political resistance and urban areas is a relatively new and surprising route to political change. One example is “the struggle” seen in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and the unseating of the Rajapaksa family, who were perceived as increasingly authoritarian rulers of the country. The Colombo chapter in this volume highlights how such protests emerged in a context where urban unrest had rarely threatened those in power before.

    Even where anti-authoritarian protests have proved futile time and again, urban populations rarely remain quiet.

    In Kampala, Uganda, demonstrations prior to the 2021 elections resulted in a horrifying government crackdown. Inspired by events in neighbouring Kenya, protesters took to the streets once more in July 2024 to demonstrate against corruption.



    Read more:
    Kenya’s protests happened in every major urban centre – why these spaces are explosive

    The protests that erupted in Nairobi from late June 2024 against tax rises engulfed the capital city. They continued for some time, fuelled by the brutal police response. Similarly, Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality created a powerful movement in cities such as Abuja and Lagos which shook government, and resonated across much of the continent.

    In an age of social media, learning and mimicry across national borders is increasingly common. One of the defining images of Kenya’s 2024 urban uprising was of a group of men with their arms raised and crossed at the wrists – a gesture of anti-authoritarian protest that gained particular resonance several years back during neighbouring Ethiopia’s own uprising.

    As urban protest seems set to continue and spread – often taking intentionally similar forms – techniques of urban authoritarian control are more varied and complex.

    Strategies to dominate and control city populations can be dramatic and repressive – such as the brute force of police violence – and they can also be subtle, deeply ingrained, and sometimes difficult to discern.

    Authoritarian tactics

    Our book argues that authoritarian leaders are increasingly aware of the power of the urban masses. As a result, they are using a range of subtle, and not-so-subtle, tactics to entrench their domination in capital cities.

    We broadly described two types of interventions that elites use.

    The first are policies and favours that actively build support among urban groups. These can range from inclusion in political parties to investments in social provisions or infrastructure to win support. The book’s chapter on Addis Ababa shows how the latter were particularly striking under the previous governing regime in Ethiopia.

    The second are repressive interventions that aim to crush opposition. These are also diverse, and include violent crackdowns, but also surveillance and intimidation.

    In practice, the two types of interventions often overlap. The line also blurs through various forms of manipulation. For instance, misinformation or the delivery of goods in exchange for performances of political loyalty, underpinned by implicit threats of coercion.

    We also highlight the significance of urban geography.

    Ruling elites often seek to divide city populations (for example inner-city dwellers versus the peripheries). This is evident in our book’s chapter on Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas tried to consolidate power by appealing to the new middle class suburbanites through “beautification” projects. But these displaced and excluded the inner-city poor.

    Chapters on Harare and Kampala also show how particular peripheral areas have become central to efforts to build an urban support base by Zanu-PF and the National Resistance Movement. This often plays out through the informal parcelling out of land to supporters.

    Contesting autocratic rule

    Concerns about authoritarian politics are at an all-time high.

    The above Google Ngram highlights the perilous rise in the use of the term “autocratization” in published work over the past decade.

    Meanwhile, the contestation of autocratic rule will continue to erupt in cities, especially in rapidly urbanising parts of the world. In this context, the need to understand how autocracy and urbanisation collide could hardly be more important.

    If pro-democracy forces are to have any hope of prevailing against efforts by authoritarian ruling elites to entrench their position, there is a crucial need to better understand their urban strategies and tactics.

    David Jackman received funding from the Leverhulme Trust.

    Tom Goodfellow is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which funded part of the research on which this book is based.

    – ref. Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control – https://theconversation.com/autocrats-and-cities-how-capitals-have-become-a-battleground-for-protest-and-control-240377

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Op-Ed For The Financial Times: Breaking Up Concentrated Economic Power Must Be A Foreign Policy Priority

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    October 29, 2024

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday authored an op-ed for the Financial Times arguing that American foreign and domestic policies must align to break up concentrated economic power and revitalize local communities. Pointing to the Biden-Harris administration’s work to break up corporate monopolies, rebuild local economies, and create a new industrial policy, Murphy called for America’s foreign policy to be similarly reshaped.

    Murphy described how the Biden-Harris Administration’s decision at the World Trade Organization to block new data transit rules reflects a larger effort to combat the consequences of neoliberalism: “They saw the negotiations through the prism of America’s twin crises of alienation and the concentration of economic power. While all the key economic indicators point to a country that has bounced back from the pandemic, rates of addiction, self-harm and political extremism continue to rise as more Americans report feeling unhappy and disconnected from their communities. This alienation is the wreckage left in the wake of a half century of shared, bipartisan faith in economic neoliberalism — the doctrine that unrestricted free trade and market forces would best uphold the public good. The unchecked gobbling up of economic power by a few large corporations has left us with broken supply chains and uncompetitive markets.”

    Murphy underscored the need for a post-neoliberal foreign policy that aims to break up concentrated global economic power, protect fair trade, and breathe life back into local communities: “Trade agreements should be put to a simple test: will the terms concentrate or distribute private economic power? When new rules clearly give large global companies too much power over workers and citizens in individual nation states, then the answer must be to rewrite or reject them, as demonstrated by Tai. A post-neoliberal foreign policy must also challenge the ability of state-run economies to rig the rules of the global marketplace. Too often US foreign policy is focused on military threats. Yes, China and Russia present conventional military threats to global order; but America must expend equal effort on confronting our adversaries’ growing economic influence. This should involve speeding up renewable energy adoption to weaken the power of Russia and other petro-dictatorships and continued work to contest Chinese dominance of critical supply chains for products such as solar panels or advanced batteries.”

    “Our foreign policy must also buttress growing bipartisan efforts to create a new industrial and commercial approach rooted in localism,” Murphy continued. “Americans do not want to be part of a homogenized, flattened global economy. They want vibrant local economies where worker power is prioritized over shareholder power, community wellness prevails over the cult of efficiency, and values such as generosity and fairness matter more than greed and excess. Through carefully constructed tariffs and subsidies for domestic manufacturing and research and development, foreign and trade policy can be the vehicle for this change.”

    Murphy concluded: “Americans will continue to lose faith in their country’s democracy if we do not marry foreign and domestic policy in an effort to prioritize the common good over shameless profit-seeking. That decision at the WTO to rethink global data rules offers proof that the Biden-Harris administration understands the scale of the crisis the America faces and that it has laid the foundations of a coherent way forward for US foreign policy. The next generation of national security leaders must now build on and finish this work.”

    Read the full op-ed here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple’s new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple’s new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence

    October 29, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple’s all-new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence

    The compact, do-it-all desktop now features the power of M4 and M4 Pro, and marks an important environmental milestone as the first carbon neutral Mac

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the all-new Mac mini powered by the M4 and new M4 Pro chips, and redesigned around Apple silicon to pack an incredible amount of performance into an even smaller form of just 5 by 5 inches. With M4, Mac mini delivers up to 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance over the M1 model.1 With M4 Pro, it takes the advanced technologies in M4 and scales them up to tackle even more demanding workloads. For more convenient connectivity, it features front and back ports, and for the first time includes Thunderbolt 5 for faster data transfer speeds on the M4 Pro model. The new Mac mini is also built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves while protecting their privacy. And marking an important environmental milestone, Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac with an over 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its materials, manufacturing, transportation, and customer use.2 Starting at just $599 with 16GB of memory, the new Mac mini is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning November 8.

    “The new Mac mini delivers gigantic performance in an unbelievably small design thanks to the power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative new thermal architecture,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “Combined with the performance of M4 and the new M4 Pro chip, enhanced connectivity on both the front and back, and the arrival of Apple Intelligence, Mac mini is more capable and versatile than ever, and there is nothing else like it.”

    Small, but Fierce

    The new Mac mini footprint is less than half the size of the previous design at just 5 by 5 inches, so it takes up much less space on a desk. The super-compact system is enabled by the incredible power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative thermal architecture, which guides air to different levels of the system, while all venting is done through the foot.

    When compared to the best-selling PC desktop in its price range, Mac mini is up to 6x faster at one-twentieth the size.1 For a wide range of users, from students to aspiring creatives and small business owners, the Mac mini with M4 is a tiny powerhouse. Mac mini with M4 features a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and now starts with 16GB of unified memory. Users will feel the performance of M4 in everything they do, from multitasking across everyday productivity apps to creative projects like video editing, music production, or writing and compiling code.

    When compared to the Mac mini with Intel Core i7, Mac mini with M4:

    • Applies up to 2.8x more audio effect plugins in a Logic Pro project.1
    • Delivers up to 13.3x faster gaming performance in World of Warcraft: The War Within.1
    • Enhances photos with up to 33x faster image upscaling performance in Photomator.3

    When compared to the Mac mini with M1, Mac mini with M4:

    • Performs spreadsheet calculations up to 1.7x faster in Microsoft Excel.1
    • Transcribes with on-device AI speech-to-text up to 2x faster in MacWhisper.1
    • Merges panoramic images up to 4.9x faster in Adobe Lightroom Classic.4

    Introducing M4 Pro for Pro-Level Performance 

    For users who want pro-level performance, Mac mini with M4 Pro features the world’s fastest CPU core5 with lightning-fast single-threaded performance. With up to 14 cores, including 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores, M4 Pro also provides phenomenal multithreaded performance. With up to 20 cores, the M4 Pro GPU is up to twice as powerful as the GPU in M4, and both chips bring hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the Mac mini for the first time. The Neural Engine in M4 Pro is also over 3x faster than in Mac mini with M1, so on-device Apple Intelligence models run at blazing speed. M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory and 273GB/s of memory bandwidth — twice as much bandwidth as any AI PC chip — for accelerating AI workloads. And M4 Pro supports Thunderbolt 5, which delivers up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds on Mac mini, and more than doubles the throughput of Thunderbolt 4.

    When compared to the Mac mini with Intel Core i7, Mac mini with M4 Pro:

    • Performs spreadsheet calculations up to 4x faster in Microsoft Excel.1
    • Executes scene-edit detection up to 9.4x faster in Adobe Premiere Pro.3
    • Transcribes with on-device AI speech-to-text up to 20x faster in MacWhisper.1
    • Processes basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW up to 26x faster.1

    When compared to the Mac mini with M2 Pro, Mac mini with M4 Pro:

    • Applies up to 1.8x more audio effect plugins in a Logic Pro project.1
    • Renders motion graphics to RAM up to 2x faster in Motion.6
    • Completes 3D renders up to 2.9x faster in Blender.6

    Upgraded Connectivity and Display Support 

    The new Mac mini features a wide array of ports to drive any setup. It includes front-facing ports for more convenient access, including two USB-C ports that support USB 3, and an audio jack with support for high-impedance headphones. On the back, Mac mini with M4 includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while Mac mini with M4 Pro features three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Mac mini comes standard with Gigabit Ethernet, configurable up to 10Gb Ethernet for faster networking speeds, and an HDMI port for easy connection to a TV or HDMI display without an adapter. With M4, Mac mini can support up to two 6K displays and up to one 5K display, and with M4 Pro, it can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz for a total of over 60 million pixels.

    A New Era with Apple Intelligence on the Mac

    Apple Intelligence ushers in a new era for the Mac, bringing personal intelligence to the personal computer. Combining powerful generative models with industry-first privacy protections, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock new ways for users to work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. It is available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. With systemwide Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write. With the newly redesigned Siri, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac and other Apple products. New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months. Image Playground gives users a new way to create fun original images, and Genmoji allows them to create custom emoji in seconds. Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to take actions across the system and draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. In December, ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools.

    Apple Intelligence does all this while protecting users’ privacy at every step. At its core is on-device processing, and for more complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute gives users access to Apple’s even larger, server-based models and offers groundbreaking protections for personal information. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    The First Carbon Neutral Mac 

    The new Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac, marking a significant milestone toward Apple 2030, the company’s goal to be carbon neutral across the entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Mac mini is made with over 50 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards, and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. The electricity used to manufacture Mac mini is sourced from 100 percent renewable electricity. And, to address 100 percent of the electricity customers use to power Mac mini, Apple has invested in clean energy projects around the world. Apple has also prioritized lower-carbon modes of shipping, like ocean freight, to further reduce emissions from transportation. Together, these actions have reduced the carbon footprint of Mac mini by over 80 percent.2 For the small amount of remaining emissions, Apple applies high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects, like those generated by its innovative Restore Fund.

    In another first for Mac mini, the packaging is now entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from its packaging by 2025.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new Mac mini experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and notifications directly from their Mac.7 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,8 now offers the Highlights feature, which quickly pulls up relevant information from a site; a smarter, redesigned Reader with a table of contents and high-level summary; and a new Video Viewer to watch videos without distractions. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a window layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials — all stored in one place. And users can apply new, beautiful built-in backgrounds for video calls, which include a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro starting today, Tuesday, October 29, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will start arriving to customers, and in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Friday, November 8.
    • Mac mini with M4 starts at $599 (U.S.) and $499 (U.S.) for education. Additional technical specifications are available at apple.com/mac-mini.
    • Mac mini with M4 Pro starts at $1,399 (U.S.) and $1,299 (U.S.) for education. Additional technical specifications are available at apple.com/mac-mini.
    • New accessories with USB-C — including Magic Keyboard ($99 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID ($149 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad ($179 U.S.), Magic Trackpad ($129 U.S.), Magic Mouse ($79 U.S.), and Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable ($69) — are available at apple.com/store.
    • Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Mac with M1 and later, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English. The first set of features is in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in September and October 2024. See apple.com/mac-mini for more information.
    2. Carbon reductions are calculated against a business-as-usual baseline scenario: No use of clean electricity for manufacturing or product use, beyond what is already available on the latest modeled grid; Apple’s carbon intensity of key materials as of 2015; and Apple’s average mix of transportation modes by product line across three years. Learn more at apple.com/2030.
    3. Results are compared to previous-generation 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7-based Mac mini systems with Intel Iris UHD Graphics 630, 64GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    4. Results are compared to previous-generation Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    5. Testing conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    6. Results are compared to previous-generation Mac mini systems with Apple M2 Pro, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 8TB SSD.
    7. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Requires that iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication, iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and Mac is not using AirPlay or Sidecar. Some iPhone features (e.g., camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    8. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Commission commences inquiry into Bradford based charity

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

    On 13 September 2024, the Charity Commission opened a Statutory Inquiry into Bradford based Al-Hikam after the charity failed to comply with an Official Warning issued by the regulator.

    Al-Hikam was established to advance the Islamic faith and supports young people, providing education services in Bradford.

    Al-Hikam was issued with an Official Warning around misconduct and/or mismanagement in November 2023. This involved a failure to comply with legal duties.

    The trustees have since failed to demonstrate that they have made progress against rectifying the actions set out in the warning.

    The scope of the inquiry will cover:

    • The administration and governance of the charity by the trustees

    • Preparedness of trustees to fulfil their responsibilities under charity law

    • Suitability of the environment, particularly in relation to the vulnerable people in their care

    • Links to connected companies, the viability of the charity and suitability of the structure.

    Additionally, it will examine any conflicts of interest in relation to the charity.

    It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry, and what the outcomes were.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors

    • The inquiry has been opened under Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/inquiry-reports-charity-commission 

    • The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society. Find out more at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission

    • A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation. An inquiry will investigate and establish the facts of the case so that the Commission can determine the extent of any misconduct and/or mismanagement; the extent of the risk to the charity, its work, property, beneficiaries, employees or volunteers; and decide what action is needed to resolve the concerns. When opening an inquiry, the Commission normally expects to deal directly with the charity trustees. This is because they have general control and management of the charity’s administration and are directly and legally responsible for what happens in it.

    Press office

    Email pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number: 07785 748787

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Taché Celebrates Construction of New Community Centre

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 29, 2024

    Taché Celebrates Construction of New Community Centre

    – – –
    Provincial Investment of $13.3 Million Helping to Bring Communities and Families Together

    LORETTE—The governments of Canada, Manitoba and the Rural Municipality (RM) of Taché celebrated the official groundbreaking for the new Taché Community Centre project today, Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie announced today, alongside partners from the RM of Taché.

    “It’s so exciting to see a growing community such as the RM of Taché getting a state-of-the-art facility that will foster a sense of community and encourage healthy living,” said Bushie. “Our government congratulates the people and leadership of Taché who have been working so hard to make this centre a reality. On behalf of the province, we are proud of the work you have done, and today we proudly celebrate your success.”

    RM of Taché Mayor Armand Poirier along with several councillors broke ground on the joint project that will serve as a central hub for the surrounding communities, providing a wide range of recreational services to residents from Lorette, Landmark, Ste. Geneviève, Ross, Linden and beyond.

    “The RM of Taché is proud to partner with Manitoba and the Government of Canada on the journey toward building the new Taché Community Centre, a project that is very close to our hearts,” said Poirier. “This centre will be a place where our residents can come together, celebrate and create lasting memories. It is a project that embodies the spirit of community and the value we place on providing spaces that serve the diverse needs of our population.”

    Once the construction site is fully prepared, construction will get underway in the weeks ahead with anticipated completion in the summer of 2026, noted Bushie. The new Taché Community Centre will include a new arena and skating rink, community library, seniors’ centre, multipurpose area and canteen.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Power Corporation Fined $840,000 for Worker Fatalities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on October 29, 2024

    Saskatchewan Power Corporation was sentenced on October 18, 2024, in Weyburn Provincial Court for violating The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

    In May 2024, Saskatchewan Power Corporation was found guilty of violating:

    • clause 12 (a) (being an employer at a place of employment, fail to provide and maintain plant, systems of work and working environments that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the employer’s workers, resulting in the deaths of workers);
    • clause 12 (c) (being an employer at a place of employment, fail to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the deaths of workers); and
    • clause 192 (2) (h) (being an employer, require or permit a worker to be raised or lowered by any aerial device or elevating work platform or to work from a device or platform held in an elevated position unless the worker is provided with and is required to use a personal fall arrest system that meets the requirements of Part VII, resulting in the deaths of workers).

    As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $300,000 with a surcharge of $120,000 on the first count and $150,000 on each of the other two counts with a surcharge of $60,000 on each of those charges, for a total amount of $840,000.

    The charges stemmed from a worksite incident that occurred on October 8, 2020, in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Two workers were fatally injured when they fell to the ground from the bucket of a bucket truck.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: HMC Ships Glace Bay and Shawinigan return home from Baltic Sea deployment

    Source: Government of Canada News

    His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Glace Bay and Shawinigan returned home today from a four-month deployment with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) in the Baltic Sea under Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s support to NATO deterrence and defence measures.

    October 29, 2024 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Glace Bay and Shawinigan returned home today from a four-month deployment with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) in the Baltic Sea under Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s support to NATO deterrence and defence measures.

    This deployment facilitated NATO objectives, highlighting Canada’s commitment to international security and stability, while providing the Royal Canadian Navy with the flexibility to conduct various exercises and operations with allies and partners. Participation in joint-NATO missions like Operation REASSURANCE strengthens diplomatic relationships and promotes shared security principles, defence professionalization, and capacity building among nations.

    During their deployment, both ships took part in training exercises with the SNMCMG1 Naval Taskforce, which included sailors and ships from the German Navy, Latvian Naval Forces, Lithuanian Naval Forces, Portuguese Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, and Belgian Navy. While deployed, and in support of enhanced vigilance activities, beginning on August 29 HMCS Shawinigan monitored a Russian submarine and surface vessel through the Baltic and North Seas before handing over responsibility to His Majesty’s Ship Iron Duke, of the Royal Navy on September 1.

    “I am extremely proud of our sailors in His Majesty’s Canadian Ships Glace Bay and Shawinigan. These crews operated in an area of strategic importance which demonstrated Canada’s commitment to our NATO Allies, contributed to maritime security and directly supported a variety of Canadian interests across the region. Along the way we visited some of the most beautiful areas in the world and developed lasting relationships with our shipmates and Allies, bringing Canadian value everywhere we sailed.”

    Lieutenant-Commander Paul Morrison, Task Force Commander

    Media Relations 
    Department of National Defence 
    Phone: 613-904-3333 
    Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca  

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Correctional Service of Canada Responds to Correctional Investigator’s 2023-2024 Annual Report

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Today, Anne Kelly, the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, issued the following statement:

    OTTAWA, October 29, 2024 – Today, Anne Kelly, the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, issued the following statement:

    “I welcome the Office of the Correctional Investigator’s (OCI) 2023-2024 Annual Report and thank them for their work and recommendations. Our work in delivering effective corrections is something we take to heart and our response to the report outlines the ways we are addressing the recommendations put forward.

    First and foremost, I want to thank the Correctional Investigator for acknowledging and recognizing the professionalism and dedication of CSC employees across our institutions. An organization is nothing without its people and our employees work hard every day to keep Canadians safe.

    We continue to take action on ways to innovate within the correctional system. One of our major initiatives is the development of a new Offender Management System (OMS) that is more user-friendly, efficient, effective, and will improve how we work. This is a significant step forward in CSC’s goal of fulfilling its mandate by adopting more modern technology and practices.

    In order to increase the safety and security of our facilities, all of our institutions are now equipped with various drone detection systems, which are producing positive results.  From January 1 to June 30, 2024, out of 290 drone incidents, 98% of drones were detected.  CSC has also deployed detector dogs in all regions – dogs specifically trained to also detect electronic storage devices, including cell phones. In addition, we continue to work with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) on innovative solutions to further reduce the entry of contraband within our correctional institutions.

    CSC’s mandate is to contribute to public safety by assisting and supporting offenders in their rehabilitation and eventual return to our communities as law-abiding citizens.  A key part of this is providing them with education, programming, interventions, and services that contribute to this end goal. Since 2021-2022, the percentage of offenders who:

    • upgraded their education prior to first release has increased by more than 15%;
    • completed a required correctional program prior to first release has increased by almost 10%;  and,
    • received a vocational certificate has increased by 38%.

    In addition, CSC has made significant efforts to increase access to culturally relevant interventions and programs for Indigenous offenders. In 2022-2023, there was a 144% increase from the previous year and, in 2023-2024, CSC saw a further 45% increase in the total number of Indigenous offenders transferred to Section 81 and CSC Healing Lodge facilities over the previous fiscal year.  

    Overall, during the past decade, there has been a steady and substantial improvement in the percentage of federal offenders not returning to federal custody within 5 years of sentence expiration:

    • from 83.3% in 2014-2015 to 89.9% in 2023-2024 for all offenders
      • 89.4% for men in 2023-2024
      • 96.2% for women in 2023-2024
    • from 74.8% in 2014-15 to 83.8% in 2023-24 for Indigenous offenders
    • from 88.7% in 2014-15 to 90.4% in 2023-24 for Black offenders

    In June, we evacuated more than 220 maximum security inmates from Port-Cartier Institution, in Quebec, over a 24-hour period to avoid the raging wildfires that were threatening the area.  In a letter to me dated August 8, 2024, the Correctional Investigator described the unprecedented transfers as “a feat” and agreed that “this large-scale operation in an emergency and high-security context was carried out masterfully.”

    CSC’s ability to manage through these extraordinary challenges is due to the hard work, dedication, and resiliency of our staff, partners, volunteers, and stakeholders. I am incredibly proud of our team and the work they do to deliver on our mandate and keep Canadians safe.

    Related Links:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON HOSTS USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLE FOR YOLO COUNTY COMMUNITY

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    Esparto – Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) partnered with leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA RD) to host a roundtable with leaders from across Yolo County. During the session, Rep. Thompson and USDA RD State Director, Maria Gallegos-Herrera, presented leaders from across Yolo County with information on Rural Development programs and services that are available to qualified rural Yolo County communities.

    “Rural communities are the backbone of California and our country,” said Thompson. “Thank you to the USDA Rural Development team for partnering with me to bring local leaders from across Yolo County together to discuss our community’s needs and connect leaders with USDA RD programs that can help address those needs. Already, Yolo County has received over $14.2 million in support from USDA RD programs and I look forward to continuing to support our community’s development.”

    USDA Rural Development provides more than 70 programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural communities that meet program requirements. USDA RD programs help rural communities build infrastructure like hospitals and community centers and help rural communities increase access to utilities, affordable housing, and homeownership opportunities. These programs come in various forms including loans, grants, loan guarantees, and partnerships with local leaders.

    Thompson’s session in Esparto was the first of five Rural Development roundtables the Congressman hosted in each of the five counties that make up the 4th Congressional district: Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON HOSTS USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLE FOR SOLANO COUNTY COMMUNITY

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    Dixon – Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) partnered with leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA RD) to host a roundtable with leaders from across Solano County. During the session, Rep. Thompson and USDA RD State Director, Maria Gallegos-Herrera, presented leaders from across Solano County with information on Rural Development programs and services that are available to qualified rural Solano County communities.

    “Rural communities are the backbone of California and our country,” said Thompson. “Thank you to the USDA Rural Development team for partnering with me to bring local leaders from across Solano County together to discuss our community’s needs and connect leaders with USDA RD programs that can help address those needs. Already, Solano County has received over $13.1 million in support from USDA RD programs and I look forward to continuing to support our community’s development.”

    USDA Rural Development provides more than 70 programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural communities that meet program requirements. USDA RD programs help rural communities build infrastructure like hospitals and community centers and help rural communities increase access to utilities, affordable housing, and homeownership opportunities. These programs come in various forms including loans, grants, loan guarantees, and partnerships with local leaders.

    Thompson’s session in Dixon was the second of five Rural Development roundtables the Congressman hosted in each of the five counties that make up the 4th Congressional district: Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON HOSTS USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLE FOR NAPA COUNTY COMMUNITY

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    St. Helena – Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) partnered with leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA RD) to host a roundtable with leaders from across Napa County. During the session, Rep. Thompson and USDA RD State Director, Maria Gallegos-Herrera, presented leaders from across Napa County with information on Rural Development programs and services that are available to qualified rural Napa County communities.

    “Rural communities are the backbone of California and our country,” said Thompson. “Thank you to the USDA Rural Development team for partnering with me to bring local leaders from across Napa County together to discuss our community’s needs and connect leaders with USDA RD programs that can help address those needs. Already, Napa County has received over $37.5 million in support from USDA RD programs and I look forward to continuing to support our community’s development.”

    USDA Rural Development provides more than 70 programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural communities that meet program requirements. USDA RD programs help rural communities build infrastructure like hospitals and community centers and help rural communities increase access to utilities, affordable housing, and homeownership opportunities. These programs come in various forms including loans, grants, loan guarantees, and partnerships with local leaders.

    Thompson’s session in St. Helena was the third of five Rural Development roundtables the Congressman hosted in each of the five counties that make up the 4th Congressional district: Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON HOSTS USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLE FOR LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    Clearlake – Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04)partnered with leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA RD) to host a roundtable with leaders from across Lake County. During the session, Rep. Thompson and USDA RD State Director, Maria Gallegos-Herrera, presented leaders from across Lake County with information on Rural Development programs and services that are available to qualified rural Lake County communities.

    “Rural communities are the backbone of California and our country,” said Thompson. “Thank you to the USDA Rural Development team for partnering with me to bring local leaders from across Lake County together to discuss our community’s needs and connect leaders with USDA RD programs that can help address those needs. Already, Lake County has received over $46.7 million in support from USDA RD programs and I look forward to continuing to support our community’s development.”

    USDA Rural Development provides more than 70 programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural communities that meet program requirements. USDA RD programs help rural communities build infrastructure like hospitals and community centers and help rural communities increase access to utilities, affordable housing, and homeownership opportunities. These programs come in various forms including loans, grants, loan guarantees, and partnerships with local leaders.

    Thompson’s session in Clearlake was the fourth of five Rural Development roundtables the Congressman hosted in each of the five counties that make up the 4th Congressional district: Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON HOSTS USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLE FOR SONOMA COUNTY COMMUNITY

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    Sonoma – Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04)partnered with leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA RD) to host a roundtable with leaders from across Sonoma County. During the session, Rep. Thompson, USDA RD State Director Maria Gallegos-Herrera, and USDA RD Northern California Area Director Jennifer Gooler presented leaders from across Sonoma County with information on Rural Development programs and services that are available to qualified rural Sonoma County communities.

    “Rural communities are the backbone of California and our country,” said Thompson. “Thank you to the USDA Rural Development team for partnering with me to bring local leaders from across Sonoma County together to discuss our community’s needs and connect leaders with USDA RD programs that can help address those needs. Already, Sonoma County has received over $16.1 million in support from USDA RD programs and I look forward to continuing to support our community’s development.”

    USDA Rural Development provides more than 70 programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural communities that meet program requirements. USDA RD programs help rural communities build infrastructure like hospitals and community centers and help rural communities increase access to utilities, affordable housing, and homeownership opportunities. These programs come in various forms including loans, grants, loan guarantees, and partnerships with local leaders.

    Thompson’s session in Sonoma was the fifth of five Rural Development roundtables the Congressman hosted in each of the five counties that make up the 4th Congressional district: Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Barragán Announces $411 Million in Funding for Port of Los Angeles to Electrify Based on Barragán’s Climate Smart Ports Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    29 October 2024

    Contact: Kevin G. McGuire, 202-538-2386 (mobile)

    Kevin.McGuire@mail.house.gov

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) announced the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) has been awarded a $411 million grant award from the EPA Clean Ports Program to replace diesel equipment and trucks with human operated, zero-emission technology, clean energy microgrids, electric charging, shore power, and more.

    “This grant is a game-changer for the Port of LA and our port communities,” said Rep. Barragán. “Today’s funding announcement is the direct result of a five-year effort by my office to work with labor, environmental justice groups, industry, and ports, to secure billions of dollars to clean up ports across the country. It will help the Port of LA and ports across the country transition to zero-emission, human operated equipment. This investment will significantly reduce pollution from ports and help our nearby port communities breathe cleaner air.”

    “The men and women of the ILWU are thrilled to learn of this over $400 Million investment, by the U.S. EPA, in the environmental and economic well-being of our members and local communities. Human operated, zero-emission cargo handling equipment is the gold standard for maritime port operations not only because it protects good jobs while cleaning the air, but is also the most efficient and cost-effective in terms of port operations, while additionally providing the necessary safeguards against cyber threats to our national security,” said Gary Herrera, President, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Local 13.

    “This transformative investment will be a tremendous boost to our efforts to meet our ambitious zero emission goals, improve regional air quality, and combat climate change, while accelerating the port-industry’s transition to zero emissions across the country,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This grant will fund over 400 pieces of ZE cargo handling equipment, replacing nearly one-third of the diesel equipment currently on our docks, and eliminating over 40,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. This successful application is the culmination of a deep partnership with environmental justice groups, labor, the private sector, and stakeholders at all levels of government, and we’ll continue to work with our local communities to ensure this investment delivers benefits in their neighborhoods. We thank Congresswoman Barragán, the EPA and the Biden-Harris Administration for their unprecedented support of our ambition and look forward to delivering on our commitment to cleaner air for future generations.”

    POLA processes the highest volume of containerized cargo in the United States, supporting 1 in 15 jobs in Los Angeles and 1.4 million jobs nationwide. However, cargo handling equipment (CHE) at POLA is a significant source of pollution, emitting over 500 tons of nitrogen oxides and other harmful emissions annually and contributing to high rates of asthma, cancer, and other health consequences.

    The grant, made possible by Congresswoman Barragán’s Climate Smart Ports Act, whose funding was included in the Inflation Reduction Act, will reduce air pollution and improve public health by helping the port transition to 100% zero-emissions terminal operations by 2030. In addition to the federal grant, POLA and its partners will also match $200 million for the project, totaling over $600 million to meet their clean air goals.

    In line with the Climate Smart Ports Act, which was supported by the ILWU and several community-based organizations, the funds must be used for human-operated equipment and technology.

    This grant will allow POLA to meet ZE goals by:

    • funding the acquisition of approximately 400 pieces of ZE CHE and associated charging infrastructure to replace nearly 30% of POLA’s diesel-burning CHE fleet;
    • procuring 250 ZE drayage trucks and associated charging infrastructure;
    • installing cutting-edge power management systems with solar generation and battery
    • providing energy storage capacity to power additional ZE CHE;
    • establishing one of the first shore-power support systems for auto carrier vessels to; and
    • eliminating nearly 41,500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 55 tons of NOx emissions annually.

    POLA and Harbor Community Benefit Foundation will also carry out an ambitious community-driven grant program to empower port-adjacent communities to award grants for zero-emission equipment, and offer opportunities for career engagement and workforce development.

    This large-scale deployment of zero-emission equipment will support continued commercialization while helping California meet its climate goals, improve air quality in nearby communities, promote sustainable maritime practices, and protect and create good-paying jobs.

    Rep. Barragán led a California Delegation letter of 19 members in support of the EPA grant.

    # # #

    Congressmember Nanette Barragán represents California’s 44th District.  She sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and works on environmental justice and healthcare issues.  She is also Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PLASKETT REFLECTS ON SIGNIFICANCE OF VP HARRIS’S ELLIPSE SPEECH

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland
    October 28, 2024                                                    202-808-6129

    PRESS RELEASE

    PLASKETT REFLECTS ON SIGNIFICANCE OF VP HARRIS’S ELLIPSE SPEECH

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Plaskett released the following statement:

    “Tomorrow, I have the privilege of joining Vice President Harris and the Harris-Walz team for VP Harris’s speech at the Ellipse in Washington, DC. The last time a government official gave a speech at this location was former President Trump’s address at a rally on January 6, 2021, just moments before what we now know as the January 6th Insurrection.

    “I felt it incredibly important to join VP Harris for this event, especially as I was the impeachment manager who was responsible for the fact analysis of what happened leading up to the attempted overthrow, along with the planning and execution of the attempted insurrection during former President Trump’s second impeachment.

    “It is my hope that our country will remain true to its origin and reject the dangerous, autocratic, and sometimes threatening behaviors we have seen displayed by some in this same hallowed place. I look forward to the love, joy, hope and commitment to hard work that I know VP Harris will share during her address.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Body found case in Aberdeen reclassified as murder

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Body found case in Aberdeen reclassified as murder
    Body found case in Aberdeen reclassified as murder
    **************************************************

         Police today (October 29) reclassified as murder a body found case in Aberdeen yesterday (October 28).     At about 7.30am yesterday, Police received a report that a foreign woman was found floating in the pond off a waterfall in a park on 8 Waterfall Bay Road.       Police officers sped to the scene. The 25-year-old foreign woman was rescued and was certified dead at 8.18am at scene.       After initial investigation, Police arrested a 34-year-old foreign man for murder and a 36-year-old local woman for assisting offenders in Yau Ma Tei today. All arrested persons are being detained for enquiries.       An initial post-mortem examination conducted on the deceased detected injuries on her head and the cause of death was asphyxiation by drowning.     Active investigation by the Regional Crime Unit of Hong Kong Island are underway.       Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 2860 7849 or 6892 3082.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 23:43

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CORRECTION: DoD Releases National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    The Department of Defense (DoD) today published the unclassified National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP), detailing how the DoD will achieve the four strategic priorities laid out in the NDIS. Released by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP)), the document outlines ongoing and future actions that DoD is taking, to modernize the defense industrial base.

    The NDIS-IP describes six cross-cutting initiatives and associated lines of effort, which will enable the DoD to achieve a more resilient defense industrial ecosystem and buy-down risks. In addition to detailing the work being done across the Services and DoD components, the NDIS-IP demonstrates activities and initiatives that the U.S. Government, private industry, and international allies and partners are undertaking, emphasizing that this effort cannot be a DoD-only initiative.

    “Publishing the NDIS was a significant accomplishment as we work to strengthen the size and resilience of our industrial base,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante said, “But we’ve always said that it was only the first step—implementation is what really matters. While we still have a lot of work ahead of us, this implementation plan is showing that we remain focused on putting words into tangible actions.”    

     “This implementation plan offers industry, global allies, and partners clear direction on the Department’s priorities for industrial capacity building.” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale. “Implementing these initiatives will require coordinated efforts across the DoD, and support and cooperation from our interagency, industry, and international stakeholders, as well as our champions in Congress.” 

    An NDIS-IP Classified Annex is forthcoming and will further detail vulnerabilities and articulate the necessary steps the DoD is taking to ensure its resilience and strength. The unclassified NDIS-IP and a corresponding factsheet are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

    Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler to express his condolences for the tragic terrorist attack in Ankara on October 23. The Secretary acknowledged Türkiye’s legitimate security concerns and discussed Türkiye’s recent operations in Syria. The Secretary stressed the need to avoid any civilian harm and reaffirmed the importance of close coordination between the United States and Türkiye to prevent any risk to U.S. forces for the Defeat-ISIS Mission. The Secretary congratulated Minister Güler on Türkiye’s celebration of its 101st anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Virginia’s Witch Duck: Grace Sherwood

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    Spooky season is here, and people are telling stories of ghosts and witches to get ready for Halloween. Many Americans think of Salem, Massachusetts, when they think of witches and witch trials, not realizing that there were witch trials in colonial Virginia. It is believed that there were 2 dozen witch trials in Virginia between 1626 and 1730, although specifics are not known because many trial records of the Commonwealth were lost during the Civil War. Penalties in Virginian witchcraft cases were generally not as severe as the penalties imposed in the Massachusetts cases, as apparently no one died in the Virginia cases. In the most notable Virginian witchcraft case, however, the accused, Grace Sherwood, was held in the county jail for a trial in the colonial capitol, and it seems likely that her property was seized.

    Grace Sherwood and her husband, James, brought two separate suits for slander against neighbors in 1698; one neighbor accused her of bewitching their pigs and their cotton, and another claimed she visited them in the night, turned into a black cat and left through the keyhole. The Sherwoods lost both suits and had to pay court costs and transportation for the defendants (Hudson, 91). James Sherwood died in 1701, not long after their unsuccessful suits. Grace Sherwood was left a propertied widow worth 3000 pounds of tobacco; she never remarried (Hudson, 91). In late 1705, Grace Sherwood and a neighbor, Elizabeth Hill, got into a fight and on December 7, 1705, Mrs. Sherwood sued Luke and Elizabeth Hill for assault and battery; she won the judgment. A short time later, on January 3, 1706, Luke Hill and his wife accused Sherwood of witchcraft. On February 7, 1706, “Whereas a complt [complaint] was brought agt Grace Sherrwood on Suspition of witchcraft by Luke Hill, etc.; and the matter being after a long time debated and order that the s[ai]d Hill pay all fees of this Compl[ain]t and that the s[ai]d Grace be here next Court to be Searched according to the Compl[ain]t by a Jury of women to decide the s[ai]d Differr: and the Sherr is Likewise ord[e]r to Soman able Jury accordingly.”

    Sherwood’s body was inspected by a jury of women; the women stated that she had “two things like titts with: severall other spots (Cushing, 74).” It was common practice in England and Scotland to search for witches’ marks on the bodies of those accused of witchcraft, as these moles, birthmarks, scars and warts were then believed to be a mark of a pact with the devil. Following the find of Sherwood’s moles, the court tried to assemble a jury of women, but they failed to appear; the court asked the sheriff to assemble another jury of women, but he could not do so (Cushing, 71).

    Grace Sherwood Statue. Photo by Flickr user Jimmy Emerson, DVM. May 13, 2016. Used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/.

    Subsequently the Princess Anne County court decided “being willing to have all means possible tried either to acquit her or to give more strength to ye. Suspicion [that] she might be dealt with as deserved therefore It was Order. yt. ys. day by her own consent to be tried in ye. water by ducking (Cushing, 71).” The first proposed day for the ducking, July 5, 1706, the weather was “very rainy & bad s[u]n…might endanger her health” and so the ducking trial was saved for the following Wednesday, July 10, 1706, when she would be taken to “Jno. Harpers plantacon”, which was on a branch of the Lynnhaven River, and put in “above mans debth & try her how she swims therein” (Cushing, 77); witch ducking stopped in England in the 17th century. Sherwood either floated, or was able to swim to safety. After the ducking test, she was examined again for witches marks by five women who said again on oath that she had two black moles on her private parts, like no other woman (Cushing, 77). The justices of the county decided that she should be taken into custody and sent to jail to wait for a future trial, presumably in Williamsburg at the colonial government seat. There are no records of a second trial. Scholars know that Sherwood paid a debt to the county court in 1708, and in 1714 she petitioned for a reinstatement of her land; if she was sentenced to prison, she must have been released by then. Her will was proved in 1740, so that is commonly believed to be the year she died. The fact that she had property to leave to her sons demonstrates that her final years may have been more peaceful.

    In recent years, Grace Sherwood has become a popular figure; a street has been named Witchduck Road and the area where she was tested is now called Witchduck Point. There is a statue of her and a memorial plaque in Virginia Beach; the mayor declared July 10, 2006 as Grace Sherwood Day, and then-Governor Tim Kaine informally pardoned Sherwood, as a woman who had suffered a miscarriage of justice. She is known as the Witch of Pungo, after her birthplace. She remains the only person trialled by water for witchcraft in Virginia.

    Additional Resources:

    F221 .V82 Virginia Historical Society. Collections of the Virginia Historical Society. By Jonathan P. Cushing.

    Edward W. James, “Grace Sherwood, the Virginia Witch,” The William and Mary Quarterly Historical Magazine 3, no. 2 (1894), 99-101.

    BF1573.A2 B8 Narratives of the witchcraft cases, 1648-1706, ed. by George Lincoln Burr … with three facsimiles.

    BF1577.V8 H833 2019 Hudson, Carson O. Witchcraft in colonial Virginia.

    BF1578.S54 M66 2024 Moore, Scott O. The Witch of Pungo: Grace Sherwood in Virginia history and legend.

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyoming Veterans Commission Announces New and Re-Appointed Commissioners

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    CHEYENNE, WY – The Wyoming Veterans Commission announces the appointment of a new commissioner and the re-appointment of dedicated commissioners, who will continue their commitment to advocating for veterans across the state in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Oct. 23, 2024.

    Bobby Werner, from Basin, Wyoming, has been appointed as the new commissioner for Judicial District 5. In addition, the following commissioners have been re-appointed:

    • Rosemarie Harding, Cheyenne, Wyoming, representing Judicial District 1
    • Jack Tarter, Buffalo, Wyoming, representing Judicial District 4
    • Lyle Wadda, Fort Washakie, Wyoming, representing Judicial District 9

    “These commissioners will serve to strengthen and advance the mission of the Wyoming Veterans Commission by developing and enhancing programs, services, and benefits for Wyoming veterans and their families,” said Tim Sheppard, Wyoming Veterans Commission director. “Their role is vital to ensuring our veterans and their families thrive.”

    The Wyoming Veterans Commission, founded in 1981, initially focused on establishing the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville. Over the years, the commission has expanded its role in advocating for Wyoming’s veteran population. 

    Today, the commission, comprised of 12 governor-appointed commissioners representing Wyoming’s judicial districts, works in partnership with the Wyoming Military Department, the state government, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Veterans Service Organizations to improve the quality of life for Wyoming veterans.

    For more information, contact the Veterans Commission at 307-777-8152.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hospital Corpsmen in Sicily Help Tanker in Trouble

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily (Oct. 25, 2024) – Three hospital corpsmen assigned to U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella, Sicily, recently came to the rescue of a local driver whose fuel tanker flipped and caused a massive leak on SS192, near Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Sept. 3.

    Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Michael Bailey, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Guillermo Benitez Pedraza, and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Hannah Vichitvongsa, immediately rushed to the driver, helped him out of the tanker cab and rendered first aid.

    “Amidst the chaos of the crash, our Sailors stood as beacons of hope, embodying courage and compassion in every act of aid,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Steven Taylor, leading chief petty officer, NAS 2 Flight Line Clinic.

    After rendering first aid, the hospital corpsmen contacted emergency services and kept the area cordoned off until first responders could arrive and secure the leak.

    “We all just did what we were trained for, to help someone in need,” said Bailey.

    The Sailors, who work at the NAS 2 Flight Line Clinic, were recognized for their swift, life-saving actions, personally thanked and presented with a command coin by Capt. TaRail Vernon, commanding officer, U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella.

    “Fate placed them in the right place at the right time, but their skill, experience and composure made the difference,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Casey Steele, independent duty corpsman, NAS 2 Flight Line Clinic. “Their noteworthy response is no surprise, as time and again they have proven themselves to be uniquely qualified, competent and humble leaders of peers. Hoorah, Docs!”

    U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella ensures maximum readiness by providing high-quality, safe patient and family-centered care to maximize force health protection for all beneficiaries, to included NATO and transient DoD forces in the U.S. Fifth Fleet and U.S. Sixth Fleet areas of operation.

    NAS Sigonella provides consolidated operational, command and control, administrative, logistical and advanced logistical support to U.S. and other NATO forces. The installation’s strategic location enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required, ensuring security and stability in Europe, Africa and Central Command.

    For more news and information from NAS Sigonella, visit https://cnreurafcent.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAS-Sigonella/ or https://www.facebook.com/nassigonella/.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Mission Index Focuses Help Where It’s Needed

    Source: Fannie Mae

    Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s (the Enterprises) Mission Index disclosures provide insights into mission-oriented lending activities underlying our Single-Family mortgage-backed securities (MBS) — helping meet specific portfolio needs and informing investment strategy. The disclosure was designed in response to investors’ increased interest in allocating capital to support affordable housing and provide access to credit for underserved borrowers and markets. Since the first version of the Mission Index was introduced two years ago, it has evolved based on investor feedback and is now the foundation of the Enterprises’ Single-Family Social Bond programs. We’ve also introduced a new disclosure supplement, the Mission Index Criteria Attribution (MICA), to further support investors in their impact analysis.

    Our Mission Through Disclosures

    The Enterprises support liquidity, stability, and affordability in the U.S. housing finance market. We work especially hard to ensure that includes support for mortgage credit to moderate- and low-income families and underserved areas. The Mission Index helps to highlight these activities. In summary, it’s a disclosure designed as two aggregate measures per MBS pool. The first measure helps investors understand how many loans in a pool finance a property to borrowers meeting certain income, borrower, and property dimensions. The second measure illustrates how many of those loans meet multiple mission criteria. These measures are aggregated by design to minimize disruption to Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities (UMBS) in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and to deliver transparency to investors while protecting borrower privacy.

    Market Reception

    The Mission Index has been well received by both impact-focused investors and by value-focused investors. That is because, in addition to providing more information on the social characteristics of the borrowers underlying a pool, many of the criteria that comprise the Mission Index are historically correlated with slower prepayments, or call protection. As a result, both impact and non-impact investors alike have expressed interest in these new disclosures. Some of this interest has been expressed through pay-ups, meaning investors find value in MBS pools with high Mission Index scores and are willing to pay more for them than the typical TBA security. This demand, and the pay-ups received by lenders who originate these loans, are designed to help incentivize more mission-oriented mortgage financing.

    Single-Family Social Bonds

    Our Single-Family Social Bonds, or MBS, launched in the first half of this year, are designed to satisfy international standards and are bolstered by independent second party opinions. And the Mission Index is the foundation of the program. MBS pools with 100% of their loans having at least one mission-focused attribute and an average of at least two of the three high-level attributes (i.e., income, borrower, or property) per loan now receive a Social Bond label.  When the Enterprises pool whole loans purchased from lenders that meet the criteria for our Single-Family Social Bond labels into an MBS and sell that MBS with a pay-up, the programs are designed to support more mission lending. Specifically, the Enterprises plan to allocate incremental funds they receive from pay-ups for Single-Family Social MBS to incent lenders to prioritize these types of loans, while any surplus revenue are expected to support mission lending programs, such as our Duty to Serve plans.

    Bolstering Impact Analysis

    Recently, Fannie Mae published a MICA disclosure supplement and Freddie Mac expects to release its MICA soon. These supplements are designed with the impact-focused investor in mind and seek to help respond to more detailed questions about how an investor’s portfolio supports mission lending.

    The MICA provides cohort-level information about all MBS pools issued between January 2010 and February 2024 for Fannie Mae and between January 2010 and May 2024 for Freddie Mac under the original Mission Index Version 1. The MICA tells investors how common each attribute is among borrowers in securities issued by the Enterprises, with cohorts divided by issuance quarter, pool type, and the average number of mission-focused attributes for loans in the pool. This can provide valuable information about the types of borrowers receiving loans ultimately pooled into Enterprise MBS.

    What’s Next?

    Market feedback is key to the success of our programs. We’re excited to hear from investors on v1.0 of the MICA as we prepare to launch v1.1 in 2025, which will cover bonds issued under v1.1 of the Mission Index.

    We’re also focused on creating our first impact reports for our Single-Family Social Bond programs, helping investors to see the effectiveness of the money they are putting to work to support mission-oriented lending.

    To further aid in analysis, later this quarter we plan to update the Social Indicator disclosure for Fannie Megas, Freddie Giants, and Fannie and Freddie Supers to be disclosed as Yes if all the underlying security collateral have a Social Indicator of Yes.

    We look forward to continuing to use this disclosure to work with lenders and investors to serve the needs of households across the country.

    Learn More

    Dive into the Mission Index and new MICA Resources – including Fannie Mae’s excel-based tool where investors can load their portfolios to receive an estimate of impact.

    Review our Single-Family Social Bonds, including eligibility, disclosures, and expected impact reporting.

    The information contained in this blog post and in the documents that may be accessed through this blog post is provided for your general information only and speaks only as of the date of those documents. Numerous assumptions were used in preparing the information, which may or may not be reflected herein. As such, no assurance can be given as to the information’s accuracy, appropriateness or completeness in any particular context. The information could be out of date and no longer accurate. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae undertake no obligation, and disclaim any duty, to update any of the information in those documents.  Opinions contained in this blog post are those of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as of the date of this blog post and are subject to change without notice.

    This is not an offer to buy or sell any Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae securities. Offers for any given security are made only through applicable offering circulars and related supplements, which incorporate the issuer’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); all other reports the issuer files with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), excluding any information “furnished” to the SEC on Form 8-K; and all documents that the issuer files with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c) or 14 of the Exchange Act, excluding any information “furnished” to the SEC on Form 8-K.

    The financial and other information contained in this blog post is not incorporated by reference into, or a part of, any offering documents of any security. The information does not constitute a sufficient basis for making a decision with respect to the purchase and sale of any security and is directed only at, and is intended for distribution to and use by, qualified persons or entities in jurisdictions where such distribution and use is permitted and would not be contrary to law or regulation. All information regarding or relating to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae securities is qualified in its entirety by the relevant offering circular and any related supplements. You should review the relevant offering circular and any related supplements before making a decision with respect to the purchase or sale of any security. In addition, before purchasing any security, please consult your legal and financial advisors for information about and analysis of the security, its risks and its suitability as an investment in your particular circumstances.

    These materials may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Freddie Mac’s control. Freddie Mac’s management’s expectations for the company’s future necessarily involve a number of assumptions, judgments and estimates and various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in these and other forward-looking statements. These assumptions, judgments, estimates and factors are discussed in Freddie Mac’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, which are available on the Investor Relations page of the company’s website at http://www.freddiemac.com/investors and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Freddie Mac undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements it makes to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this blog post.

    This discussion contains a number of expectations, beliefs and forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Fannie Mae’s business plans, strategies and activities and the impact of those plans, strategies and activities. These expectations, beliefs and other forward-looking statements are based on Fannie Mae’s current assumptions regarding numerous factors and are subject to change. Actual outcomes may differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, those described in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in Fannie Mae’s most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements made by Fannie Mae speak only as of the date on which they were made. Fannie Mae is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, or otherwise.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Garcia Hosts Veterans Town Hall in Antelope Valley

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Garcia (CA-25)

    LANCASTER, CA – Representative Mike Garcia (CA-27) held a Veterans Town Hall at the Antelope Valley Community Resource Center, where he connected with veterans, advocates, and local leaders to address urgent issues affecting veterans in CA-27. Joined by Jon Clark, Staff Director for the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Garcia provided crucial updates on recent legislative wins, new resources, and his office’s ongoing commitment to supporting local veterans.

    “Our veterans deserve more than just promises—they deserve results,” said Rep. Garcia. “These men and women put it all on the line for our country. Now, it’s our job to ensure they get the care and respect they’ve earned.”

    A primary focus of the town hall was the recent passage of H.R.9468, the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, which Rep. Garcia introduced and got signed into law. This critical legislation closes a $2.883 billion gap in VA funding, securing uninterrupted benefits for over seven million veterans. The bill also mandates strong oversight, requiring the VA to provide regular reports on budget corrections and spending transparency, along with a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the recent budget shortfall.

    Rep. Garcia also shared plans for the new VA clinic in the Antelope Valley, set to open in 2025. This 20,000-square-foot facility will bring essential healthcare services closer to home for local veterans, including primary care, mental health, women’s health, and other specialized services. “The new clinic is a major win for veterans in the Antelope Valley,” Rep. Garcia said. “They won’t have to drive for hours to get the care they deserve. This clinic is built around the idea that veterans should receive top-notch care right here in their community.”

    Additionally, Rep. Garcia highlighted his office’s record of service to veterans in CA-27, noting that they’ve successfully closed over 600 veteran cases, helping with everything from securing benefits to navigating federal agencies.

    To reinforce his commitment, Rep. Garcia outlined several pieces of pro-VA legislation he’s supported: 

    ●      Fully Funded VA Through Appropriations – Ensuring no cuts to the benefits veterans have earned.

    ●      Major Richard Star Act – Providing full retirement pay and disability benefits to veterans with a disability rating of at least 50%, regardless of years of service.

    ●      VA Same Day Scheduling Act – Requiring the VA to provide appointment times on the initial call, ending scheduling delays.

    ●      Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act – Expanding funding for home care options, enabling veterans to stay at home rather than in nursing facilities.

    ●      Veterans Education is Timeless Act – Removing expiration dates on GI Bill benefits so veterans can access education at any time.

    ●      Love Lives On Act – Ending penalties that cause surviving spouses to lose benefits if they remarry.

    ●      ACES Act – Addressing cancer risks for veterans who served in aviation roles, directing the VA to study ways to protect these service members.

    The event underscored Rep. Garcia’s dedication to cutting through the red tape and ensuring that veterans get the timely, high-quality care they deserve. “Enough is enough. Our veterans shouldn’t have to fight for what they’re owed. We’re pushing for real accountability and resources to deliver the care they’ve earned,” Rep. Garcia said.

    Learn more about Rep. Garcia’s ongoing work to support veterans here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The ESAs finalise rules to facilitate access to financial and sustainability information on the ESAP

    Source: European Banking Authority

    The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – the ESAs) today published the Final Report on the draft implementing technical standards (ITS) regarding certain tasks of the collection bodies and functionalities of the European Single Access Point (ESAP).

    The ESAP is foreseen in Level 1 legislation to be a two-tier system, where information is first submitted by entities to the “collection bodies” – Officially Appointed Mechanisms (OAMs), offices and agencies of the EU, national authorities, among others – and then made available by the collection bodies to the ESAP. These ITS are the first milestone for the successful establishment of a fully operational ESAP.

    The requirements are designed to enable future users to be able to access and use financial and sustainability information effectively and effortlessly in a centralised ESAP platform.

    Collection bodies

    The ITS on the tasks of collection bodies specify detailed requirements for collection bodies, such as by when and in what format information should be made available to the ESAP, what type of validation checks should be performed on the information submitted by entities and what metadata should be included.

    Functionalities of the ESAP

    The ITS on the functionalities of the ESAP specify the requirements for making information easily accessible to users. These requirements define, among other things, how reporting entities should be categorised by industry and size, which identifier should be used, what types of information should be made available on the ESAP, and the characteristics of the public Application Programming Interface (API) available to data users.

    Background and next steps

    The set up of the ESAP will be a key contribution to establishing the Savings and Investments Union. The ESAP will facilitate access to publicly available information relevant to financial services, capital markets and sustainability.

    The ESAP is expected to start collecting information in July 2026, while the publication of the information will start no later than July 2027.

    The Final Report has been sent to the European Commission for adoption.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reed – “Britain back on global stage to support nature’s recovery”

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    • UK to kickstart new international efforts to protect and restore nature at COP16 biodiversity conference with a renewed drive to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework

    A wildflower meadow on the Pembrokeshire coast

    • Government sets out the path to protecting 30% of land by 2030
    • Special Representative for Nature Ruth Davis will drive coordinated international action on nature

    The UK has today (29 October) taken a leading role at the UN Biodiversity COP16 conference announcing an ambitious international package to protect and restore nature across the world.  

    At the conference, Environment Secretary Steve Reed set out new criteria to meet England’s 30by30 targets.

     Achieving 30 percent of land and sea protected for nature is a key pillar of global efforts to halt the decline of nature and create new areas for wildlife with countries around the world signed up to the target. The Government has worked with farming groups and nature organisations to finalise the criteria for land that can count toward 30by30 in England and accelerate progress toward the target.  

     To ensure the final criteria are applied consistently across land in England, the update also confirms that Sites of Special Scientific Interest will only count towards 30by30 if they are in favourable or recovering condition. This revises existing estimates to show that approximately 7.1% of England’s land currently counts towards the target.  

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed, speaking at a meeting of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People at COP16, said:        

    “Nature around the world is declining at an alarming rate.        

    “At COP16, we have put Britain back on the global stage to support nature’s recovery.  

    “The UK is calling for high ambition and momentum to reach our international targets to protect and restore the natural world.” 

    Analysis is now being undertaken to identify further land which may already be meeting the criteria and to understand where action and support is needed to accelerate progress. A 30by30 pilot is planned for later this year, and the government will work with partners to develop a 30by30 delivery strategy in 2025.  

    The announcement today follows the appointment of Ruth Davis as the very first Special Representative for Nature, alongside Rachel Kyte’s appointment as Special Representative for Climate, a role abolished by the previous government.   

    Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:   

     “It is vital that we halt and reverse the decline of Nature. Our planet’s web of life is fundamental for sustaining our health, wealth and security and further declines in the health of the natural world will undermine growth and well-being, threaten water and food supplies and diminish our resilience in the face of a fast-changing climate.    

     “We must take urgent action to restore nature in England at every level, and the criteria for delivering 30by30 is a welcome step which translates the ambitions of our international commitments into meaningful action on the ground.”  

    “As COP16 nature talks progress in Colombia, the UK is showing real rigour in its approach to 30by30.  

    “Now high-standard accounting must be matched by high-speed delivery. There’s a credible risk that Governments spend years adding up what should “count” toward 30by30 without actually improving the world.  

    “We welcome the new commitment to a 30by30 delivery strategy, which must begin without delay. Faster farming reform, spatial planning for nature’s recovery, and large-scale public and private investment will be the hallmarks of an effective delivery plan to meet the target. “

    Supercharging nature protection at home and abroad is a key part of the government’s mission to tackle the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss which threatens growth, our future prosperity and wellbeing.  

    This builds on swift action the government has taken to recover nature at home. This includes committing to a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan and new delivery plans to meet targets on air quality, the circular economy and water.

    In the first few months of government, we have introduced legislation to put failing water companies under special measures to curb pollution in our waterways and introduced a Flood Resilience Taskforce to speed up the building of flood defences and implement nature-based solutions like planting trees to protect communities against the impact of extreme weather.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Entrepreneurs need meta-competencies that help them adapt to new conditions”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Photo: TASS

    Entrepreneurs lack the knowledge to run a successful business, and they are willing to pay for their education. It is important that they have access to verified content. At the same time, only those programs that adapt content to new challenges while maintaining high educational standards, as is the case at HSE, can be in demand.

    A press conference was held at TASS, where the results of the PRIM sociological study (“Entrepreneurs of Russia: Research Monitoring”) for the first nine months of 2024 were presented.

    This study is regularly conducted by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development together with Sber and the Public Opinion Foundation. The quarterly survey involves 600 active entrepreneurs, 600 self-employed individuals and 2,200 other respondents. The emphasis is on the entrepreneur’s personality – their moods and expectations, problems and needs. This time, the experts focused on business education.

    According to Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Tatyana Ilyushnikova, the business education market in Russia is growing and is expected to exceed 100 billion rubles by the end of the year. Almost 80% of the entrepreneurs surveyed note that they lack the knowledge to run a business, and 40% of those surveyed have undergone training in the last three years or are currently undergoing it. This is not about classical education in the generally accepted sense, but about short training formats.

    They are offered, in particular, within the framework of the flagship project “My Business”, created under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and successfully competing with market platforms. “It is important for entrepreneurs to receive information from verified sources, which is a guarantee of its quality,” emphasized Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

    The study showed that entrepreneurs prefer flexible training formats — webinars with the possibility of feedback, text materials that can be studied at a convenient pace, video lectures. “Although educational tracks are provided free of charge in the state support system, 75% of entrepreneurs are ready to pay more than 20 thousand rubles a month for the necessary knowledge,” the deputy minister said.

    Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank Anatoly Popov added that young entrepreneurs are more actively seeking knowledge than their experienced colleagues. In-person training is also in demand, as it expands the opportunities for networking. The survey showed that 71% of those who completed the training noted improvements in their business.

    Alexander Lind, CEO of the educational platform Lerna.ru, emphasized that small businesses are focused on quickly learning specific skills, while large businesses invest in long-term educational programs in fundamental areas.

    Natalia Ababiy, Managing Partner of the online platform Distant Global, said that meetings with real entrepreneurs who talk about their experiences are of particular interest.

    Roman Levkovich, Director of Public Relations at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, emphasized the importance of the brand of providers of training programs for entrepreneurs, be it the My Business project or leading universities. He also confirmed the growing need for business education using the example of the National Research University Higher School of Economics: “One of the leaders in business education in Russia — Higher School of Business “We see double-digit growth every year, and over the last year the number of MBA students has grown by 50%.”

    According to Roman Levkovich, entrepreneurs need not only solid knowledge, but also meta-competences that help them adapt to new conditions. They also need to master modern digital technologies. “Only those programs that adapt content to new challenges while maintaining high educational standards can be in demand,” says the HSE Public Relations Director.

    One of these challenges is the introduction of AI and other digital tools: HSE has continuing education programs that teach entrepreneurs how to use them. Another challenge is the changing geopolitical situation associated with the turn to the East, and the university is implementing programs that help build successful businesses with China and other Eastern countries. A number of continuing education programs are being created together with businesses, including a joint intensive course “Scaler» for top managers of small technology companies.

    According to Roman Levkovich, HSE is seriously investing in the development of DPO. Created marketplace — a catalog of DPO programs, where you can not only choose a program, but also pay for it, and after training receive a certificate (which, however, does not exclude the possibility of a personal visit to the university for a consultation on choosing a program). From November 14 to 16, the HSE will host the 1st Moscow DPO Forum “Challenges of digitalization and new university solutions“.

    The HSE Public Relations Director noted that it is the university that determines the professions and business areas that will be in demand in the future. He also described the university as an environment of like-minded people, where leaders of the entrepreneurial community can communicate with their peers — not just exchange experiences, but also adopt competencies from colleagues with whom they study. “When you come to an advanced university, you can be sure that you will be taught advanced skills that will be in demand in the near and distant future,” concluded Roman Levkovich.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –