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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI: ESET Celebrates Tenth Anniversary of Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship, Kicks Off 2025 North America Applications

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced the tenth anniversary of its Women in Cybersecurity North American Scholarship originally launched in 2016 to support and empower women pursuing careers in cybersecurity. For a decade, ESET North America has encouraged and uplifted women to pursue careers in cybersecurity, offering financial assistance to help achieve their aspirations. In solidarity with the 2025 International Women’s Day’s #AccelerateAction theme, the Women in Cybersecurity North American Scholarship program expands its scope with additional awards, enhanced evaluation criteria, and a renewed focus on recognizing both technical excellence and emerging potential.

    Pioneering one of the first scholarships of its kind, Celeste Blodgett, Vice President of Human Resources at ESET North America, originated the program at the North American headquarters in San Diego, California in order to support women who want to go into technology fields. Bolstered by Celeste’s passion, the program has since awarded scholarships to more than 25 recipients in the U.S. and Canada, and expanded globally to Australia, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

    “Around the world, the ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship recipients are showcasing a passion for protecting digital citizens, yet with women only accounting for less than one-fifth of the cybersecurity workforce there is much work to be done,” said Celeste Blodgett, Vice President of Human Resources at ESET North America. “We’ve encountered so many remarkable women who are passionate about shaping the future of this field and are thrilled to celebrate our tenth anniversary by earmarking one additional Cybersecurity Trailblazer award in the U.S. and five additional Future Leader awards in Canada.”

    According to the 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Study conducted by (ISC)², women account for only 14.4% of the cybersecurity workforce, while men make up 79.6%. This stark imbalance underscores the critical need to bring more women into the profession, particularly as emerging technologies like generative AI continue to evolve. ESET is committed to fostering opportunities for women to lead in cybersecurity and AI, helping to bridge this gap and build a more balanced, innovative, and equitable future. Diversity in AI development is essential to ensure these tools are ethical, secure, and inclusive.

    ESET North America will award $45,000 in scholarships in 2025 to support the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. In the Cybersecurity Trailblazer Award Tier, the U.S. will grant three $10,000 scholarships—one of which is dedicated to a recipient in San Diego, honoring the program’s origins. This marks an expansion from previous years. In Canada, the Cybersecurity Trailblazer Award Tier will award two $5,000 scholarships to applicants demonstrating exceptional technical proficiency and a strong focus on cybersecurity. To celebrate the tenth anniversary, ESET has expanded the Future Leader Award (Canada only) to include five new $1,000 awards, recognizing emerging talent with great potential in cybersecurity.

    “This scholarship has greatly supported my career and academic journey by providing me the financial freedom to focus on my studies,” shared Anushka Khare, Security Program Manager at Microsoft and 2022 recipient of ESET’s Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship. “It has also allowed me to pursue advanced courses in cybersecurity, attend relevant workshops and gain hands-on experience. This support has not only enhanced my technical skills, but has also boosted my confidence, knowing I have the backing to succeed in this competitive field.”

    DETAILS AND HOW TO APPLY
    Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 round and submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. PT April 8, 2025. Applicants can learn more about the scholarships and submit their application by visiting our dedicated webpages. If you’re a US student, you can apply here; if you’re a Canadian student, apply here.

    Questions? Email us at US-scholarship@eset.com [US-only inquiries] or CA-scholarship@eset.com [Canada-only inquiries] with any questions.

    About ESET
    ESET provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of known and emerging cyber threats — securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it’s endpoint, cloud or mobile protection, its AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multi-factor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. An ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ead3ad44-8afd-4420-be3f-2ed5140ac8ce

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Inquest into the Death of Rayleen Angus Besic

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 7, 2025

    A public inquest into the death of Rayleen Angus Besic will be held April 7 to 11, 2025, at the Coronet Hotel, 3551 2nd Avenue West, in Prince Albert.

    The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Subsequent start times will be determined by the presiding coroner.

    Angus Besic, 25, was found unconscious in her cell at the Pine Grove Provincial Correctional Centre in Prince Albert on April 15, 2022. EMS was called and staff began life-saving efforts. EMS arrived, took over her care and transported her to the Victoria Hospital. She was pronounced deceased at 10:46 hours on April 16, 2022.

    Section 20 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the Chief Coroner shall hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.

    The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

    Coroner Brent Gough, K.C. will preside at the inquest.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Manufacturing is Roaring Back Under President Donald J. Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
     “In one month under President Trump, the American economy is soaring back to greatness after the economic calamity left by Joe Biden. The manufacturing industry is already rebounding as there were 9,000 new auto jobs created — the most auto jobs added in 15 months! Under President Trump, the private sector is leading the way — 93% of the job gains in February were in the private sector. This is great news for American workers and families. The Trump Administration will continue to work hard to implement pro-growth policies and push Congress to enact the Trump Economic Agenda.” — Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary
    Today’s jobs report shows American manufacturing is on the rebound thanks to President Donald J. Trump and his administration.
    The country gained 10,000 manufacturing jobs in President Trump’s first full month in office — a swift turnaround after losing an average of 9,000 manufacturing jobs per month, or 111,000 total, in the final year of the Biden Administration.
    The rebound in manufacturing jobs was led by the automobile sector, which gained 8,900 new jobs in February — after losing 27,300 auto jobs in Biden’s final year — showing that firms are reshoring production and positively responding to President Trump’s trade policies.
    The manufacturing turnaround has been confirmed by S&P Global’s own U.S. manufacturing survey, which surged last month to its highest level since June 2022, and the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business, which returned to expansion territory after 26 consecutive months of contraction.
    America is back under President Trump — and he’s just getting started.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Pac-Man with a ponytail’ proteins regulate everything from night vision to heartbeats – studying what GRKs look like could improve an array of drugs

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Priyanka Naik, Ph.D. Candidate in Structural Biology, Purdue University

    Rhodopsin kinase – GRK1 – is a GRK found in the retina of your eyes. Priyanka Naik, CC BY-ND

    Each cell in your body relies on precise communication with other cells to function properly. At the center of this process are the molecular switches that turn communication signals in the body on and off. These molecules are key players in health and disease. One such molecular switch is G protein-coupled receptor kinases, or GRKs for short.

    From vision to heart function and cell growth, GRKs play a vital role in maintaining physiological balance. When they go awry, they can contribute to cardiovascular disease, inflammatory illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and multiple types of cancer.

    Their involvement in a broad range of diseases makes GRKs an attractive drug target. Around 30% to 40% of all drugs currently on the market focus on these proteins. However, designing drugs that selectively target specific GRKs is a difficult task. Because they are structurally similar to each other and to other proteins, molecules binding to one GRK might also bind to many other enzymes and cause unwanted side effects.

    A better understanding of how GRKs interact with their targets can help researchers develop better drugs. So my work in the Tesmer Lab at Purdue University focuses on uncovering more information on the structure of GRKs.

    What do G protein-coupled receptor kinases look like?

    What researchers know about the structure of GRKs has advanced significantly over the past two decades, revealing the intricate mechanisms by which they function.

    The ability to physically look at proteins is highly useful for drug development. Seeing a protein’s structure is like looking at a jigsaw puzzle – you can find the missing piece by knowing its shape. Similarly, knowing a protein’s shape helps scientists design molecules that fit perfectly into it, making drugs more effective.

    GRKs consist of several modules, or domains, that serve a particular purpose. Together, these modules assemble into a structure resembling a Pac-Man with a ponytail.

    The kinase domain – the Pac-Man – is the catalytic center where the protein does its main job: adding a phosphate group to its target to control its activity. It has two subdomains – one small and one large lobe – connected by a hinge that can open and close. Like Pac-Man, this domain closes around reactants and reopens to release products.

    The three domains of GRKs resemble a Pac-Man with a ponytail. Shown here is GRK2.
    Priyanka Naik, CC BY-ND

    The RH domain – the ponytail – stabilizes the kinase domain. It guides and docks the GRK to its target protein.

    Humans have seven GRKs, each specialized for different tissues and functions, and each unique in structure. Some regulate vision, while others affect your brain, kidney and immune functions, among others. Their structural differences dictate how they interact with their targets, and understanding these distinctions is key to designing drugs that can selectively target each one.

    In 2003, researchers in the lab where I work uncovered the first known structure of a GRK – specifically, GRK2, which is involved in heart functions and cell proliferation – by using a technique called macromolecular crystallography. This involved bombarding a GRK2 sample with X-rays and tracing where they bounce off to determine where each atom of the protein is located.

    Current state of GRK research

    By determining how the three modules of GRK2 are arranged and where its target molecules would bind, my colleagues and I can design drugs that strongly interact with GRK2.

    GRK2 with Paxil bound to its active site.
    Priyanka Naik, CC BY-ND

    For example, in 2012, one of my colleagues discovered that the antidepressant Paxil could inhibit GRK2. To build on this discovery, our team designed drugs with similar shapes to Paxil to identify ones that effectively and selectively inhibit GRK2. The goal was to develop treatments that could target GRK2-related diseases such as heart failure and breast cancer without interfering with other proteins, thereby minimizing side effects.

    After determining what Paxil looks like when bound to GRK2, we designed a series of derivative compounds that better fit into GRK2’s active site – the missing jigsaw puzzle pieces. Some of these compounds were able to better block GRK2 compared with Paxil, improving the ability of heart muscle cells to contract. While the research is still in its early stages, our findings suggest that these compounds could potentially be used to treat heart failure.

    An important missing piece of the story is what GRK2 looks like when bound to its primary target in the cells. These protein complexes are highly shape-shifting, making traditional imaging methods very difficult.

    However, recent advances in imaging have made it possible to determine the structure of these molecules. Cryogenic electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, flash-freezes proteins and bombards them with electrons to capture their structure. These studies have thus far revealed what GRK1 and GRK2 look like when bound to two different target proteins, offering critical insights into how they work.

    Cryo-EM was the subject of the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

    My work focuses on uncovering how GRK2 function is different from GRK1. These proteins play different physiological roles – GRK1 primarily regulates vision, while GRK2 is involved in heart function and cell proliferation. Identifying structural differences in different GRKs will help researchers design drugs that only target the GRK of interest, thus preventing side effects.

    By combining cutting-edge imaging techniques with decades of research, scientists in my lab and others hope to one day unlock the full therapeutic potential of GRKs, offering pinpointed treatments for a wide range of diseases.

    Priyanka Naik receives funding from Purdue University. The Tesmer Lab, discussed here, is funded by Purdue Institute for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health and the Walther Cancer Foundation.

    – ref. ‘Pac-Man with a ponytail’ proteins regulate everything from night vision to heartbeats – studying what GRKs look like could improve an array of drugs – https://theconversation.com/pac-man-with-a-ponytail-proteins-regulate-everything-from-night-vision-to-heartbeats-studying-what-grks-look-like-could-improve-an-array-of-drugs-248298

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five things young professionals can do today to promote gender equality at work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elisabeth Kelan, Professor of Leadership and Organisation, King’s College London

    lynxie/Shutterstock

    If you are starting your career today, you will hopefully see evidence of how far gender equality has come at work. You may have experienced little gender difference in educational attainment, see plenty of women leading companies, and be aware of legal protections and policies to combat gender discrimination in pay and promotions. Your office may even put on events to mark International Women’s Day.

    But, as I have found in my research, this overall progress can mask gender inequalities that still exist in the workplace. Many young professionals will be surprised that gender pay and pension gaps still exist, that women are still overlooked for leadership opportunities, and that sexism is still rife in many workplaces.

    So, what do you do if you encounter gender inequality at work? If you aren’t a manager or executive, it might feel like there isn’t much you can do to change your workplace culture. But here are a few practical steps you can take today to promote gender equality at work.

    1. Develop your gender bias radar

    The first thing you can do is learn to spot gender bias. It is often difficult to tell where gender inequalities might be at play. Did you not get this promotion or that career-accelerating project because you are a woman, or because you haven’t demonstrated the right skills?

    You might want to ask your manager for feedback on how the decision was made, and note if any of the reasons given have to do with gendered traits – such as being seen as “aggressive” rather than “assertive”, or that you do not “fit in” with a team. These might be indicators that gender is relevant here.

    Ready to make a change? The Quarter Life Glow-up is a new, six-week newsletter course from The Conversation’s UK and Canada editions.

    Every week, we’ll bring you research-backed advice and tools to help improve your relationships, your career, your free time and your mental health – no supplements or skincare required. Sign up here to start your glow-up at any time.

    It can be useful to discuss with your colleagues what their experience of getting a promotion has been. Beyond that, you might want to compare salaries with your colleagues of different genders to see if there are any patterns. In some cases, gender might not be at play at all.

    It is also helpful to notice wider patterns in your workplace. How many women are in leadership positions or given opportunities to chair committees? Who is asked to take care of “office housework”, such as organising leaving dos or taking notes in meetings? Are sexist comments frequent, and how are they dealt with?

    2. Call out gender biases

    Research shows that making stereotypes visible is central to overcoming them. For example, you might spot that Sarah’s contribution to a meeting is ignored but then Tom repeats the same thought – and suddenly, it is seen as a fantastic idea.

    In such a situation, you can comment that Sarah had made that great point beforehand. In this way, the potential gender bias is called out and can be addressed. If the gender bias persists, you may want to keep a record of such incidents, get input from your colleagues, and ultimately raise the issue with your line manager or HR.

    If the behaviour is more overt, such as misogynistic comments or sexual harassment, it may be even more important to keep a detailed record of evidence and seek support from HR.

    3. Enlist allies

    If you are the most junior person in the room, calling out bias might not always be a realistic option. In such cases, you can enlist others – both women and men – to support gender equality.

    Let’s say you were not able to praise Sarah’s suggestion in the meeting itself. What you can do is find someone to address this gender bias on your behalf. For example, you could ask the chair of the meeting to bring it up next time that Sarah makes a great contribution.

    These may feel like small incidents, but drawing attention to them repeatedly will reduce gender inequality the long run.

    Men and women can advocate for gender-inclusive policies at work.
    Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

    4. Advocate for gender-inclusive policies

    Becoming an advocate for gender equality means actively supporting and encouraging gender-inclusive practices at work. This can mean attending events or workshops on gender equality, but it can also mean suggesting new policies and practices that might improve gender equality.

    For example, updating leave policies to support workers experiencing the menopause, improving paternity leave policies, or expanding flexible working.

    Both men and women can be advocates for gender-inclusive workplaces. While women are often seen as natural supporters for gender equality, men can be effective change-makers too. If you are a man, discuss gender equality with others or attend gender equality-focused events. If you are woman, bring up the topic with men or invite them to events where gender equality is being discussed.



    Read more:
    How ‘allyship’ can make LGBT+ staff feel less excluded in the work place

    5. Find (and be) a role model

    Role models are important in the workplace because they allow us to see our possible selves in the future. However, very often we limit ourselves when it comes to gender – women look for women as role models, and men often only pick other men.

    Finding a range of role models – and acting as a role model yourself – can help make workplaces more equal by challenging stereotypes and creating opportunities for diverse individuals.

    Pick a variety of different role models and specify what you appreciate in them – the more specific the better. You do not need to look for perfection. Instead, look for what practices you admire in them.

    Elisabeth Kelan 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. Five things young professionals can do today to promote gender equality at work – https://theconversation.com/five-things-young-professionals-can-do-today-to-promote-gender-equality-at-work-251516

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why a US minerals deal with Ukraine won’t deter Russian aggression

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Patrick E. Shea, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Global Governance, University of Glasgow

    The US vice-president, J.D. Vance, recently told Fox News that “the very best security guarantee” to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine again was “to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine”.

    The implication is that the much-debated minerals deal, in which an investment fund managed by Kyiv and Washington would receive revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources, would create American economic interests in Ukraine. American security interests, it is suggested, could soon follow.

    Vance’s comments came with the deal hanging in the balance. A meeting at the White House on February 28, where the deal was expected to be signed, turned into a shouting match between Vance, the US president, Donald Trump, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

    Zelensky has since attempted to patch up relations with the Trump administration, announcing that he is ready to sign the deal at “any time and in any convenient format”. And Vance, when asked whether an agreement was still on the table, said Trump “is still committed” to reaching a deal.

    Having access to Ukrainian minerals is an important opportunity for America’s missile system electronics and electric vehicle industries. Ukraine is, for example, home to around one-third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in batteries.

    This access is particularly important now that China, which currently accounts for a high proportion of certain US mineral imports, has imposed a ban on exporting rare minerals to the US in retaliation for Trump’s tariff policies.

    But, while Ukraine’s minerals are tempting to the US and other world powers, a deal with Trump won’t help Ukraine’s security situation.

    Trump’s approach has two main flaws. First, research shows that investment typically follows security commitments, not the other way around. Investors seek markets that are stable and protected, rather than hoping their investments create those conditions.

    Previous US presidents have touted similar strategies without success. President William Howard Taft (1857-1930) championed “dollar diplomacy” in the early 20th century, promising that American investments would create stability across Latin America by “substituting dollars for bullets”.

    The reality proved quite different. Throughout this period, the US frequently used military force to protect oil interests in Latin America. But, because these interventions focused on extraction sites rather than defending entire countries, instability continued elsewhere in the region.

    Trump’s “America first” mantra suggests a similar pattern of defending American assets, and not necessarily the countries in which the assets reside.

    Second, the overall US commitment to protect American assets abroad is uncertain. The US has, since the end of the cold war, been selective about when and how it uses military force to protect overseas assets.

    Since 1991, the US military has intervened to protect American property in only four documented instances: Haiti in 2004, Lebanon in 2006, Egypt in 2011 and Yemen in 2012. These cases involved embassies and other smaller properties during periods of civil unrest, rather than defending economic interests.

    Recent presidents, including Trump, have been reluctant to use force to protect threatened American investments. US agribusiness giant Cargill, for example, had to close its operations in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region following Russia’s invasion in 2014.

    Building state capacity

    That said, economic relations with America can indeed bolster a partner state’s security. But my own research shows that this is largely through indirect channels, rather than the threat of military intervention.

    For example, US government departments, such as the US patent and trademark office, provide comprehensive training to partner states. Programmes involve training judges, police officers, prosecutors and policymakers to enforce intellectual property protections, administer land registries, combat counterfeiting and develop legal frameworks that protect investments.

    This capacity building not only helps American investors in these countries, but also improves the partner state’s overall capacity. More effective and capable bureaucracies are better able to manage and finance their military capabilities.

    Following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the US launched the agriculture and rural development support program. The initiative aimed to develop Ukraine’s institutional capacity for managing property rights and attracting diverse investments.

    The US Treasury brought in loan advisory firm First Financial Network to help Ukraine navigate its financial crisis after the invasion, while simultaneously building frameworks for foreign investment.

    By 2020, this partnership facilitated US investment firm Allrise Capital’s purchase of Odessa’s Chornomorets football stadium. This deal was described by John Morris, the president of First Financial Network, as demonstrating Ukraine’s ability “to sell assets to the international community”.

    These efforts did not deter Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. But they helped the Ukrainian government implement several administrative reforms in the years leading up to the invasion, including more efficient tax collection and professionalisation of civil servants. The government was better prepared for war than it would otherwise have been.

    The Ukrainian and Russian armies have been locked in battle for over three years.
    Kutsenko Volodymyr / Shutterstock

    If the US wants to enhance Ukraine’s security through economic means, the Trump administration would need to make two drastic changes.

    First, it would need to reinstate programmes that promote American investment abroad. After assuming office, Trump froze and began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). The agency’s capacity-building efforts have security consequences.

    Second, for the US to have both an economic and security impact, Trump needs to reassure America’s allies. Assurances are not Trump’s speciality. On February 26, for example, Trump declined to say whether the US would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by China.

    Research suggests that investments follow alliances. But markets do not care about agreements alone. They respond to other signals too, like explicit statements of support. These statements of support also help to reassure allies and deter rivals.

    Unless Trump changes how he operates on the international stage, the economics of the mineral deal will not help Ukraine’s security situation.

    Patrick E. Shea 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. Why a US minerals deal with Ukraine won’t deter Russian aggression – https://theconversation.com/why-a-us-minerals-deal-with-ukraine-wont-deter-russian-aggression-251436

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney’s Office Charges 46 Illegal Aliens with Various Offenses including Immigration Crimes, Drug Trafficking, Weapons Offenses, and Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Since January of this year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has charged 46 aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States with offenses including illegal reentry into the United States, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, and child pornography offenses. These aliens’ home countries include Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela. Several had prior convictions for human smuggling, drug trafficking, drunk driving, assault, and theft. In many cases, the aliens had been returned to their home country numerous times but have continued to violate immigration laws by re-entering the United States.

    Recent cases include:

    Hector Bejerano-Bejerano, a native of Mexico, was located at a gas station in Novi, Michigan, when he was creating a nuisance to customers. He was arrested and identified by United States Border Patrol and found to have two prior federal immigration convictions, including one in which Bejerano-Bejerano was caught smuggling three other illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico. During this encounter, Bejerano-Bejerano fled from a Border Patrol Agent and assaulted him. According to court filings in that case, Bejerano-Bejerano was encountered by Border Patrol 18 times during 2021 alone.

    Dulce Rubio-Rivera, a native of Mexico, was found in Detroit, Michigan, when agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a federal search warrant at a house. Inside the house was Rubio-Rivera, along with drugs, a scale, ammunition and an AK-47 rifle. Rubio-Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 6.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

    Luis Fernando Santillan-Valderrabano, a native of Mexico, was located in the passenger seat of a vehicle in Detroit. Santillan-Valderrabano was originally admitted into the United States on a special visa that permitted him to stay in the United States for only 72 hours and within 25 miles of the United States-Mexico border. However, five months later Santillan-Valderrabano was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft charges in Georgia. A year after that, he was again arrested and convicted in Nebraska for resisting arrest and felony theft. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed back to Mexico in 2009, but illegally returned and was arrested in 2010 in Ithaca, Michigan, for a driving offense. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed again but tried to sneak back into the United States in 2011, was caught, and federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal entry. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed a third time in 2011, but again tried to illegally enter the United States, was caught, federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal reentry, and removed in 2012. In 2021, he was arrested in Wixom, Michigan, for driving 86 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. During this encounter with police, he used a fake name and date of birth and failed to appear for his court hearing after being charged with reckless driving, providing false identification, and not having a vehicle operation license.

    Gustavo Placencia-Rosales, a native of Mexico who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The complaint alleges that agents with the DEA have been investigating Placencia-Rosales for involvement in drug trafficking actitivies. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Placenia-Rosales, with three others, and recovered four brick-shaped packages that field tested positive as cocaine along with two firearms.

    Luis Gerardo Rodriguez-Rey, a native of Columbia who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  According to the complaint, officers with the River Rouge Police Department were on routine patrol when they encountered Rodriguez-Rey traveling at a high rate of speed in a vehicle which did not have any exterior lights illuminated.  A traffic stop was conducted and upon a search of his person and vehicle, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson pistol along with ammunition.

    Luis Angel Alvarez-Alvarez, a native of Venuzuela, was arrested by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol after agents stopped a vehicle that Alvarez-Alvarez was operating without a license plate.  Alvarez-Alvarez had a prior final order of removal at the time of the arrest.   During a search of his cellular device, officers discovered alleged child sexually abusive material.  Alvarez was charged with production and possession of child pornography and remains in custody pending the disposition of his charges.

    “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has a long-standing commitment to enforcing the immigrations laws of the United States, and that commitment is unwavering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are in our district unlawfully.”

    “These cases represent a fraction of the criminal aliens we and our federal partners arrest every day across the Detroit Sector that’s making this country safer than it was just a few short months ago,” said Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris. “I could not be more proud of our agents for their enforcement efforts as well as their ability to form strong bonds with our local, state and federal partnerships such as we see exemplified here with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

    “Keeping dangerous people and illicit drugs and weapons from infecting our communities is at the core of our comprehensive border security mandate,” said Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. “The CBP Office of Field Operations is as committed as ever in protecting our homeland alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

    “Our ICE Detroit officers will continue to secure our communities through the apprehension and arrest of criminal aliens and immigration violators,” said ICE ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we have been able to apprehend serious public safety threats from foreign sex offenders to drug traffickers and aliens in possession of illegal firearms.”

    “As the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, our agents are prioritizing investigations into bad actors who exploit our immigration system,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “From illegal aliens in possession of child sexually abusive material to dismantling human smuggling or trafficking rings, our ICE HSI team stands ready to safeguard the homeland alongside our partners.”

    “The men and women of DEA work hard – day in and day out – to protect families from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking in our communities,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton.  “In that vein, we have prioritized our drug investigations on those involving violent, illegal criminals responsible for flooding our neighborhoods with deadly and dangerous drugs. We will continue to work with the Department of Homeland Security and our federal partners with immigration enforcement efforts.”

    “ATF, along with our Department of Justice partners, stand side by side with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement partners in their efforts to enforce immigration laws and protect public safety,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “We remain committed to supporting coordinated enforcement actions to uphold the rule of the law and ensure the security of our communities.”

    “Members of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, in collaboration with federal law enforcement partners—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), are actively investigating and apprehending individuals wanted for federal violations and those unlawfully present in the United States,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Michigan Division. “The FBI in Michigan remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the Constitution and ensure the safety and security of the American people.”

    A complaint/indictment is merely a formal charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  It is the burden of the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    These cases were investigated by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Northfield Capital Champions Canadian Craftsmanship With Spirit of York Distillery Co., the Official Gin of Live Nation In Ontario

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northfield Capital Corporation (TSX-V: NFD.A) (“Northfield” or the “Corporation”), a proudly Canadian-owned investment company, is reaffirming its commitment to Canadian industry and craftsmanship through its strategic leadership and ownership of Spirit of York Distillery Co. (or “Spirit of York”). Rooted in national pride, Spirit of York is setting the benchmark for premium Canadian spirits, sourcing 100% of its ingredients – including heritage grains and pristine water – from within Canada.

    As the Official Gin of Live Nation Canada, Inc. in Ontario (or “Live Nation”), Spirit of York is taking center stage at some of the province’s most iconic music venues and festivals. This three-year partnership, launched in 2024, brings Spirit of York Premium Gin to concertgoers at four major music festivals and eight Live Nation venues across Ontario, including Toronto’s legendary Budweiser Stage. The partnership is highlighted by The Garden, an immersive, botanical-inspired lounge at the foot of the venue’s Lakehouse. Designed to embody the 15 botanicals infused in Spirit of York’s handcrafted gin, The Garden provides an elegant and inviting space where fans can enjoy Canada’s finest spirits in a setting that celebrates nature and music.

    “At a time when supporting Canadian businesses has never been more important, we take immense pride in producing a world-class gin that is not only made in Canada but made of Canada,” said Michael Leskovec, CEO of Spirit of York. “Our partnership with Live Nation is a powerful way to bring our brand to the forefront of cultural experiences while championing Canadian agriculture, craftsmanship, and industry.”

    A Spirit Born from the Heart of Canadian Agriculture

    Spirit of York’s commitment to quality starts with its ingredients, all of which are sourced exclusively from Canadian farmers. Every bottle begins with rye grown in the fertile fields of Ontario by multi-generational family farms that have helped shape Canada’s agricultural legacy. The grains are carefully selected to ensure the highest quality, maintaining the purity and richness of the land they come from. Combined with Canada’s famously pristine water sources, these raw materials form the foundation of Spirit of York’s handcrafted spirits, delivering an authentically Canadian taste experience.

    By sourcing directly from local farmers, Spirit of York not only guarantees premium quality but also strengthens Canada’s agricultural economy, supporting Canadian jobs and ensuring the sustainability of local grain production. This dedication to homegrown ingredients is a testament to the brand’s unwavering commitment to producing spirits that are truly, unmistakably Canadian.

    Northfield Capital remains committed to investing in and advancing Canadian enterprises that drive economic growth and preserve national craftsmanship. Spirit of York exemplifies this vision – an uncompromising dedication to quality, sustainability, and local sourcing that supports Canadian farmers, distillers, and workers.

    As the demand for premium, authentically Canadian products rises, Northfield Capital and Spirit of York are proud to lead the charge, ensuring that consumers have access to superior, locally made spirits that stand apart in a global market.

    For more information, please visit www.northfieldcapital.com and www.spiritofyork.com.

    About Northfield Capital Corporation

    Northfield Capital Corporation is a publicly traded, leading Canadian investment firm with deep roots in resources, mining, aviation, and premium alcoholic beverages. Founded in 1981 by Robert D. Cudney, Northfield combines decades of experience with forward-thinking strategies to unlock opportunities across its diverse portfolio. The company is dedicated to fostering growth and innovation in businesses that drive economic prosperity in Canada.

    About Spirit of York Distillery Co.

    Spirit of York Distillery Co. is a premium Canadian spirits producer based in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Committed to excellence, the distillery sources 100% of its ingredients from Canadian farms and uses traditional distillation methods to craft its award-winning gin, vodka, and other spirits. Every bottle is a reflection of Canada’s rich agricultural heritage, proudly made in Canada, for Canada.

    For further information, please contact:

    Michael G. Leskovec, CPA, CA
    Chief Financial Officer
    Telephone: (416) 628-5940

    Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is identified by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions, including references to assumptions. Such information may relate to, but is not limited to, the expected impact of the partnership between Spirit of York Distillery Co. and Live Nation, anticipated market reception and brand growth, the Corporation’s ongoing commitment to Canadian agriculture and craftsmanship, and potential future economic conditions, including tariffs, affecting the Canadian spirits industry. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, changes in consumer preferences, regulatory developments, economic conditions and penalties such as tariffs, supply chain disruptions, competitive dynamics in the spirits industry, and external market factors impacting Northfield’s and Spirit of York’s operations. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially due to a variety of risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Northfield Capital Corporation and Spirit of York Distillery Co. disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Enstar Subsidiary Assigned “A” Financial Strength Rating by AM Best

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enstar Group Limited (NASDAQ: ESGR) announced today that the credit rating agency AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of “A” (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a+” (Excellent) to Cavello Bay Reinsurance Limited (Cavello Bay), a subsidiary of Enstar Group Limited (Enstar) and its primary non-life run-off consolidator and a Class 3B reinsurer. The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings is stable.

    On issuing its rating, AM Best highlighted Enstar’s “long track record of effectively managing claims in complicated lines of business”, noting that the ratings reflect Enstar’s balance sheet strength, as well as its strong operating performance, which it believes should remain at the current level throughout the remainder of 2025.

    Matt Kirk, Enstar’s Group Chief Financial Officer, said, “The AM Best Financial Strength Rating reflects Enstar’s established standing in the global legacy market and is further confirmation of our strong capital position and the resilience of our business model. The “A” rating for Cavello Bay, our primary Bermuda reinsurer, affirms our commitment to insurance ratings and will enhance our ability to structure insurance transactions that support the strategic objectives of our partners.”

    About Enstar

    Enstar is a NASDAQ-listed leading global insurance group that offers innovative capital release solutions through its network of group companies in Bermuda, the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Australia, and other international locations. A market leader in completing legacy acquisitions, Enstar has acquired more than 120 companies and portfolios since its formation in 2001. For further information about Enstar, see www.enstargroup.com.

    Cautionary Statement

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Enstar and its management team. Investors can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as ‘aim’, ‘anticipate’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘intend’, ‘will’, ‘project’, ‘plan’, ‘believe’, ‘target’ and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future events or performance. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Specifically, Enstar’s ability to structure and execute insurance transactions profitably is dependent on many factors. Important risk factors regarding Enstar can be found under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, Enstar undertakes no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statements or publicly announce any updates or revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein, to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, circumstances or assumptions underlying such statements, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    For Enstar:
    For Investors: Matthew Kirk (investor.relations@enstargroup.com)
    For Media: Jenna Kerr (communications@enstargroup.com)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Around the Air Force: Skyraider II, Training Wing F-35 Transition, ACE Field Training

    Source: United States Air Force

    Headline: Around the Air Force: Skyraider II, Training Wing F-35 Transition, ACE Field Training

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, AFSOC has a new airframe, the Skyraider II, that can provide close air support and reconnaissance, the last F-16 training squadron at Luke AFB transitions to the F-35A Lightning II, and a professional development course for SNCOs in the Pacific runs its first-ever ACE field training exercise.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: LIS Technologies Inc. Joins the Nuclear Energy Institute to Promote the Growth of Nuclear Energy in the United States and Globally

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST” or “the Company”), a proprietary developer of advanced laser technology and the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company, today announced that it has joined the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), a leading policy organization in support of the nuclear energy industry in the United States and abroad.

    “We are pleased to join the Nuclear Energy Institute and to support its network of industry voices,” said Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and President of LIS Technologies Inc. “The network brings together some of the most essential industry members and regulators, helping to guide the nuclear energy industry in the United States and abroad. It is a great opportunity to share our knowledge with the organization in support of the development of a robust fuel supply chain that will be crucial to the sustainable development of an advanced nuclear energy industry in the U.S.”

    Figure 1 – LIS Technologies Inc. joins the Nuclear Energy Institute in support of its mission to promote the use and growth of nuclear energy.

    The Nuclear Energy Institute is the leading policy organization for the nuclear energy industry, representing hundreds of companies and organizations worldwide. NEI works with policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the public to advocate for the safe, reliable, and efficient use of nuclear technologies, supporting emissions-free electricity generation and driving innovation across the nuclear sector.

    “The Nuclear Energy Institute is one of the foremost professional networks for nuclear researchers, engineers and professionals,” said Christo Liebenberg, Chief Executive Officer of LIS Technologies Inc. “We are delighted to become a part of this extensive network and help supplement its expertise with our own experience in the nuclear fuel supply chain, and specifically in regards to uranium enrichment.”

    About the Nuclear Energy Institute.

    The Nuclear Energy Institute is the policy organization of the nuclear technologies industry, based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1994, it features hundreds of members and, with their involvement, develops policy on key legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry. With a mission to promote the use and growth of nuclear energy through efficient operations and effective policy, NEI is the unified voice of the nuclear energy industry on various policy and technical issues.

    About LIS Technologies Inc.

    LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.

    In 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. (Laser Isotope Separation Technologies) was selected as one of six domestic companies by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.

    For more information please visit: LaserIsTech.com

    For further information, please contact:

    Email: info@laseristech.com
    Telephone: 800-388-5492
    Follow us on X Platform
    Follow us on LinkedIn

    Forward Looking Statements

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Online ‘manosphere’ is moving misogyny to the mainstream

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Conor Lennon

    Women

    A decline in democracy and harmful content spread on social media platforms are helping to drive a backlash against feminism, and the growth of misogynistic and retrograde ideas about the roles of men and women and society.

    The pushback against gender equality is one of the findings in a major report from UN Women, the UN agency for gender equality, on the progress made so far in advancing women’s rights worldwide.

    This latest version of the study, which is updated every five years, comes at a time of great uncertainty, as several donors announce major funding cuts, leading to the disruption of essential services for women worldwide.

    The report measures the extent to which the aims of a groundbreaking women’s rights accord adopted in Beijing in 1995. Around a quarter of countries surveyed note a backlash against feminism and gender equality.

    However, it is not all bad news: there have been many encouraging signs of progress over the last thirty years, from legal protections for women, to services and support for survivors of domestic abuse and bans on gender-based discrimination in the workplace.

    Ahead of the launch of the report, Laura Turquet, the deputy head of the research and data team at UN Women, and Lydia Alpizar, a Costa Rican feminist activist based in Mexico City, spoke to UN News about the reasons for this renewed attack against feminism and what it means for the state of gender relations.

    UN News/Conor Lennon

    Laura Turquet: What we’re talking about is organised resistance to gains that have been made on gender equality, whether that’s preventing the implementation of existing commitments, rolling them back or stopping new laws and policies.

    Examples include the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States [a US Supreme Court decision that protected the right to abortion] and the decision by several European countries to pull out of the Istanbul Convention [a treaty on gender-based violence]. And elsewhere, from Argentina to Zimbabwe, we’ve seen a defunding of women’s ministries, or their mandates are changed from focusing on gender equality to a broader focus on families and children, which waters down their ability to drive policies forward.

    Another element is the targeting of women’s rights defenders and activists, women in politics, journalists and trade unionists who dare put their heads above the parapet and speak out on gender equality.

    Lydia Alpizar: There most common form of attack is harassment and defamation, including criminalization, building fabricated charges against women’s human rights defenders, or even arbitrarily detaining them, turning them into political prisoners.

    It can also lead to more lethal forms of violence, such as disappearances and killings. In Mexico and Central America, we have documented 35,000 attacks on and 200 killings of women human rights defenders since 2012,

    Soundcloud

    UN News: Is the situation in your region getting worse?

    Lydia Alpizar: Yes. When we started, we didn’t have as many killings. Right now, we have an open dictatorship in Nicaragua where there are political prisoners including women, and there are other countries with women’s rights defenders in prison, including Mexico. There are other defenders that are in prison, such as Kenia Hernandez in Mexico, or others who are protecting nature in El Salvador.

    We are definitely seeing an increase in attacks on feminists working on gender-based violence, political participation an access to sexual and reproductive health and rights: the highest levels of abuse take place during March, which is women’s month, when most marches and public demonstrations in support of women take place.

    UN News: What are the reasons for the increased threats and violence?

    Lydia Alpizar: One has to do with the way in which agendas for gender equality and women’s rights have been transforming the world.

    We have definitely made progress across important areas that are included in the Beijing Declaration, in terms of legislation, policies and cultural transformation, really changing the way in which women are recognized in their public and private lives.

    More women are leading movements that are challenging the interest of very powerful actors, so there is a backlash.

    © UNHCR/Antoine Tardy

    Young DAFI scholars from the DAFI Women Power Club, a mentoring initiative in Burundi. All four are originally from DR Congo.

    UN News: So, the pushback is a response to the progress that is being made?

    Laura Turquet: I think that is true to a large extent, but it also goes hand in hand with a decline in the strength of democracies in general. Many countries are experiencing the erosion of key democratic institutions such as freedom of the press, free and fair elections, and the rights of women to speak in public.

    They become a target of those who want to return to an imagined past where men and women had much more traditional roles.

    It’s also linked to rising inequality. A few people at the top are doing extremely well whilst millions are being left behind. When people feel that they can’t access a decent job or a basic standard of living, they look for scapegoats, whether it’s migrants, LGBTQ people, or women who are speaking up.

    UN News: Social media also seems to be connected, bringing formerly fringe ideas into the mainstream.

    Lydia Alpizar: We have seen an increase of these kinds of narratives. Social media is a big platform for the dissemination of misogynistic and sexist ideas and women’s rights defenders are called bad mothers to stigmatize the work that they do and there is a trend of legitimizing violence against them.

    Laura Turquet: There has a been a development of a “manosphere,” an online ecosystem where extreme and outdated ideas, particularly about violence against women, but also related to a very narrow kind of idea of masculinity.

    But I also want to say that online spaces and social media have been a place where feminists can organize and link up with other kids of social movement. I think we just have to make sure that those spaces are safe and that we root out misogynist and violent online environments so that women are not targeted in that way.

    UN News: On balance, is the world in a better place, when it comes to gender relations?

    Lydia Alpizar: Yes, absolutely. In the countries where I work, gender relations have been transformed and the world is a different place for women and gender non-conforming people.

    Ther is hope, but we’re concerned about the challenges we face right now.

    Laura Turquet: There has been significant progress since 1995. The proportion of women in parliaments has doubled, violence against women is on the political agenda in a way that it wasn’t thirty years ago, and maternal mortality has declined by a third.

    But there’s still so much to do. We need to make sure that 2025 is the year that we don’t back down, that we continue to fight for justice, and we continue to march forward for the rights of women and girls.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: More Funding for Transition Houses, Addressing Intimate Partner Violence

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The government is taking action to address the epidemic of intimate partner violence with a new $23.4-million funding commitment to transition houses.

    “An epidemic-level response means working together to support victims, survivors, families and communities, and no one understands how best to do that than the organizations on the front lines,” said Premier Tim Houston. “The critical and often life-saving work led by our community-based partners has never been more urgent or more important. This new funding helps ensure these services and supports continue to be available to Nova Scotians when they need it.”

    This investment includes $17.9 million over four years to stabilize operations at 10 transition houses. The Province worked with the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia to ensure this new funding commitment would meet the needs of its members over the next several years.

    The government is providing an additional $1.9 million in project-based funding to association members to advance initiatives that prevent or address gender-based violence. This is part of $5.8 million in new project-based funding for the sector. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Quotes:

    “This sector is made up of professionals with decades of experience and a deep understanding of the communities and people they serve. THANS has been candid about the challenges its member organizations face and committed to working together on solutions that work. This funding is just one of the ways we are showing up for a sector that has always showed up for Nova Scotians.”
    — Leah Martin, Minister responsible for the Advisory Committee on the Status of Women

    “This investment is a vital step toward ensuring that our member organizations can continue providing safety, shelter and support to women and children experiencing violence. They work tirelessly to meet the growing demand for services, and this funding brings much-needed stability to their operations. We appreciate the Province’s recognition of the essential role transition houses and other community organizations play in responding to and preventing intimate partner violence, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to strengthen support for survivors.”
    — Ann de Ste. Croix, Executive Director, Transition House Association of Nova Scotia

    Quick Facts:

    • the stabilization funding to transition houses is $4.4 million annually
    • Budget 2024-25 included a $7.7-million annual increase in core funding to transition houses and women’s centres, for a total of $17.8 million – the largest increase in two decades
    • Budget 2025-26 includes a $103-million funding commitment across government to address intimate partner violence, including the $17.8 million in core funding for transition houses and women’s centres
    • a new inquiry response unit was established to support government’s work to respond to recommendations in the Mass Casualty Commission and Desmond Fatality Inquiry final reports

    Additional Resources:

    Transition House Association of Nova Scotia: https://thans.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Adresses Risks from Perkins Coie LLP

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    STOPPING ABUSES THAT UNDERMINE THE NATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to suspend security clearances held by individuals at Perkins Coie LLP, pending a review of whether their access to sensitive information is consistent with the national interest.
    Security clearances held by Perkins Coie LLP employees will be immediately suspended, pending a review of whether their access to sensitive information is consistent with the national interest.
    The Federal Government will halt all material and services, including sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) access provided to Perkins Coie LLP and restrict its employees’ access to government buildings.
    Federal Agencies will also refrain from hiring Perkins Coie LLP employees unless specifically authorized.

    To ensure taxpayer dollars no longer go to contractors whose earnings subsidize partisan lawsuits against the United States, the Federal Government will prohibit funding contractors that use Perkins Coie LLP.
    All Federal Government contracts with Perkins Coie LLP will undergo rigorous scrutiny, with agency heads directed to terminate engagements to the maximum extent permitted by law.

    The practices of Perkins Coie LLP will be reviewed under Title VII to ensure compliance with civil rights laws against racial bias.
    ENSURING GOVERNMENT SERVES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Trump’s Administration will not tolerate Perkins Coie LLP’s unethical and discriminatory actions that threaten our elections, military strength, and national security.
    In 2016, Perkins Coie LLP hired Fusion GPS to manufacture a false “dossier” designed to steal an election while representing failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
    Perkins Coie LLP pushed debunked claims of secret Trump-Russia communications via Alfa Bank, with attorney Michael Sussmann indicted for lying to the FBI about this scheme.
    Perkins Coie LLP has worked with activist donors, including George Soros, to judicially overturn enacted election laws, such as those requiring voter identification.
    A court was forced to sanction Perkins Coie attorneys for unethical lack of candor before the court.

    Perkins Coie LLP has been accused of racially discriminating against its own attorneys, staff, and applicants.
    Perkins Coie has publicly announced racial percentage quotas for hiring and promotions, violating civil rights laws, and excluded applicants from fellowships based on race until lawsuits forced change.

    Perkins Coie LLP hosted an FBI workspace, raising concerns about partisan misuse of sensitive data during investigations targeting President Trump.
    Perkins Coie LLP has filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration, including one designed to reduce military readiness.
    A RETURN TO ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump is delivering on his promise to end the weaponization of government and protect the nation from partisan actors who exploit their influence.  
    President Trump is refocusing government operations to their core mission—serving the citizens of the United States.  
    President Trump signed an Executive Order to end the weaponization of the Federal Government on his first day in office after promising to “end forever the weaponization of government and the abuse of law enforcement against political opponents.”
    President Trump revoked security clearances held by dozens of intelligence officials who falsely claimed in a 2020 letter, during the height of the U.S. presidential election season, that Hunter Biden’s laptop was tantamount to Russian disinformation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures the Enforcement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c)

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN FEDERAL COURTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum directing federal agencies to enforce a rule mandating financial guarantees from parties requesting injunctions. This ensures coverage of potential costs or losses if the court later deems an injunction wrongly issued.
    The memorandum instructs agency heads, in consultation with the Attorney General, to request under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c) that federal courts require plaintiffs post security equal to the federal government’s potential costs and damages from a wrongly issued preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order.
    Security refers to a financial guarantee compensating the government for losses if an injunction is later found unjustified.

    This applies to all lawsuits seeking preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders where the government can demonstrate monetary harm from the requested relief.
    Agencies must justify security amounts based on reasoned assessments of harm, ensuring courts deny or dissolve injunctions if plaintiffs fail to pay up, absent good cause.
    STOPPING JUDICIAL OVERREACH AND FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS: By issuing this memorandum, President Trump is ensuring the democratic process remains intact by curbing activist judges and holding litigants accountable.
    Unelected district judges have issued sweeping injunctions beyond their authority, inserting themselves into executive policymaking and stalling policies voters supported.
    Activist groups file meritless suits for fundraising and political gain, facing no consequences when they lose, while taxpayers bear the costs and delays.
    The Justice Department is forced to divert resources from public safety to fight these frivolous cases, weakening effective governance.
    Enforcing Rule 65(c) deters such litigation by holding plaintiffs accountable for costs and damages if their injunctions are baseless, protecting taxpayer funds and judicial integrity.
    STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S JUDICIAL SYSTEM: President Trump is committed to protecting our democracy, challenging judicial overreach, and ensuring the rule of law is upheld.
    Injunctions can cost taxpayers millions or even billions of dollars, especially when they mandate continued funding.
    President Trump appointed high-performing “superstar” judges according to a respected study.  Trump’s judges occupied 9 of the top 11 spots for productivity, and 9 of the top 10 spots for influence.
    President Trump’s judges are also rated the least partisan.
    Multiple Supreme Court justices have recently warned that “single district-court judges” acting outside their judicial power are “abusing” the power entrusted to them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria

    South Africa took over the presidency of the G20 at the end of 2024. Since then the world has become a more complex, unpredictable and dangerous place. The most powerful state in the world, the US, seems intent on undermining the existing order that it created and on demonstrating its power over weaker nations. Other influential countries are turning inward.

    These developments raise concerns about how well mechanisms for global cooperation, such as the G20, can continue to operate, particularly those that work on the basis of consensual decision making. Danny Bradlow sets out how the G20 works, and what’s at stake.

    What’s the G20’s purpose?

    The G20 is a forum in which the largest economies in the world meet regularly to discuss, and attempt to address, the most urgent international economic and political challenges. The group, which includes both rich and developing countries, accounts for about 67% of the world’s population, 85% of global GDP, and 75% of global trade.

    The G20, in fact, is a misnomer. The actual number of G20 participants in any given year far exceeds the 19 states and 2 international entities (the European Union and the African Union) that are its permanent members. Each year they are joined by a number of invited “guests”. While there are some countries, for example Spain and the Netherlands, that are considered “permanent” G20 guests, the full list of guests is determined by the chair of the G20 for that year. This year, South Africa has invited 13 countries, including Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. They are joined by 24 invited international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations and eight African regional organisations, among others.

    The G20 should be understood as a process rather than a set of discrete events. Its apex is the annual leaders’ summit at which the participating heads of state and government seek to agree on a communiqué setting out their agreements on key issues. These agreements are non-binding and each of the participating states usually will implement most but not all the agreed points.

    The communiqué is the outcome of a two track process: a finance track, consisting of representatives of the finance ministries and central banks in the participating counties, and a “sherpa” track that deals with more political issues. In total these two tracks will involve over 100 meetings of technical level officials and policymakers.

    Most of the work in each track is done by working groups. The finance track has seven working groups dealing with issues ranging from the global economy and international financial governance to financial inclusion and the financing of infrastructure. The sherpa track has 15 working groups dealing with issues ranging from development and agriculture to health, the digital economy, and education.

    The agenda for the working group meetings is based on issues notes prepared by the G20 presidency. The issues notes will discuss both unfinished business from prior years and any new issues that the president adds to the G20 agenda.

    The working group chairs report on the outcomes of these meetings to the ministerial meetings in their track. These reports will first be discussed in meetings of the deputies to the ministers. The deputies will seek to narrow areas of disagreement and sharpen the issues for discussion so that when they are presented at the ministerial meeting the chances of reaching agreement are maximised.

    The agreements reached at each of these ministerial meetings, assuming all participants agree, will be expressed in a carefully negotiated and drafted communiqué. If the participants cannot agree, the minister chairing the meeting will provide a chair’s summary of the meeting. These documents will then inform the communiqué that will be released at the end of the G20 summit. This final communiqué represents the formal joint decision of the participating heads of state and government.

    The G20 process is supplemented by the work of 13 engagement groups representing, for example, business, labour, youth, think tanks, women and civil society in the G20 countries. These groups look for ways to influence the outcomes of the G20 process.

    What is the G20 troika and how does it operate?

    The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat. Instead, the G20 president is responsible for organising and chairing the more than 100 meetings that take place during the year. The G20 has decided that this burden should be supported by a “troika”, consisting of the past, present and future presidents of the G20. This year the troika consists of Brazil, the past chair; South Africa, the current chair; and the US, the future chair.

    The role of the troika varies depending on the identity of the current chair and how assertive it wishes to be in driving the G20 process. It will also be influenced by how active the other two members of the troika wish to be.

    The troika helps ensure some continuity from one G20 year to another. This is important because there is a significant carryover of issues on the G20 agenda from one year to the next. The troika therefore creates the potential for the G20 president to focus on the issues of most interest to it over a three year period rather than just for one year.

    How successful has the G20 process been?

    The G20 is essentially a self-appointed group which has designated itself as the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.

    The G20 was first brought together during the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s. At that time, it was limited to a forum in which ministers of finance and central bank governors could meet to discuss the most important international economic and financial issues, such as the Asian financial crisis.

    The G20 was elevated to the level of heads of state and government at the time of the 2008 global financial crisis.

    The G20 tends to work well as a cooperative forum when the world is confronting an economic crisis. Thus, the G20 was a critical forum in which countries could discuss and agree on coordinating actions to deal with the global financial crisis in 2008-9.

    It has performed less well when confronted with other types of crises. For example, it was found wanting in dealing with the COVID pandemic.

    It has also proven to be less effective, although not necessarily totally ineffective, when there is no crisis. So, for example, the G20 has been useful in helping address relatively technical issues such as developing international standards on particular financial regulatory issues or improving the functioning of multilateral development banks. On other more political issues, for example climate, food security, and funding the UN’s sustainable development goals, it has been less effective.

    There’s one less obvious, but nevertheless important, benefit. The G20 offers officials from participating countries the chance to interact with their counterparts from other G20 countries. As a result, they come to know and understand each other better, which helps foster cooperation between states on issues of common interest. It also ensures that when appropriate, these officials know whom to contact in other countries and this may help mitigate the risk of misunderstanding and conflict.

    These crisis management and other benefits would be lost if the G20 were to stop functioning. And there is currently no alternative to the G20 in the sense of a forum where the leading states in the world, which may differ on many important issues, can meet on a relatively informal basis to discuss issues of mutual interest. Importantly, the withdrawal of one G20 state, even the most powerful, should not prevent the remaining participants from using the G20 to promote international cooperation on key global challenges.

    In this way it can help manage the risk of conflict in a complex global environment.

    – The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed
    – https://theconversation.com/the-g20-how-it-works-why-it-matters-and-what-would-be-lost-if-it-failed-251500

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 7 March 2025 UHC-Partnership: Nigerians in Imo State are protected from financial hardship when accessing health services

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Favour Owuamanam, from Umuechetanmehe Amiri in Imo State, was 9 months pregnant and had been referred for a planned caesarean section due to the prospects of a high-risk delivery. When her labor started before her due date, she was rushed to Vaden Specialist Hospital for an emergency caesarean section and gave birth successfully. However, her baby had complications with neonatal asphyxia and jaundice and required additional care.

    The Imo State Health Insurance Agency facilitated the immediate transfer of the baby to the special care unit in Imo State Specialist Hospital. Both mother and baby were covered under health insurance and did not need to pay for any services.

    “Medical treatments are usually so high. I don’t know where I would have found the money to pay for my hospital bills. I am very grateful to the Imo State Health Insurance Agency Team,” said Favour.

    Marcus Moses and family, beneficiaries of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency. Photo by: WHO/Nigeria

    This is one of many health interventions by the Imo State Health Insurance Agency. The Agency has instituted one of the best and most responsive referral systems in Nigeria. In less than 10 months of implementation, over 516 cases have been referred through the health insurance programme, saving many lives through emergency surgery at no cost to the patient.

    Some of Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable populations are now able to access health care services without suffering financial hardship as a result. This is due to the passing of health insurance laws and the implementation of a health insurance programme that removes the burden of financial cost to the patient. Simultaneously, the quality of primary health care services is being strengthened, which has increased trust in and use of the services.

    This is a strong effort by the Government of Nigeria to ensure that its population is protected from financial hardship and is able to access timely and quality health services in line with the principles of universal health coverage (UHC).

    Engaging parliamentarians and the Executive to enable laws

    The enactment of mandatory health insurance laws and implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in 2023 has changed the lives of many poor and vulnerable Nigerians in Imo State.

    To advocate and make a strong case for the establishment of the Imo State Health Insurance Program, WHO, through the UHC Partnership, helped to establish the State Health Financing Unit and Technical Working Group in the State Ministry of Health. WHO technical staff then worked to build capacity and generate evidence.

    “The Imo State Government is putting mechanisms in place to ensure the protection of all citizens against financial risks associated with health care in the state. Unfortunately, the demand for health services is relentless and people end up becoming poorer to stay alive whenever they are sick. These actions will mitigate the use of the regressive out-of-pocket payments in health that pushes people into the vicious cycle of poverty, disease, and death,” said Dr Uchenna Ewelike, Executive Secretary, Imo State Health Insurance Agency.

    Sustained high-level advocacy by WHO resulted in better understanding and synergy between the Executive led by the State Governor and the parliamentarians, and this led to the speedy passage and ascent of the Imo State Health Insurance Bill into Law.

    “More investment in health, and health insurance specifically, has huge returns for the economy. This is demonstrated by an investment case for health in Imo State, developed by WHO, that shows up to 200% increase in real GDP and 200% increase in the number of jobs created over 5 years. As health is a human right and duty of the state, WHO will work with Imo State to develop a plan that will guide a progressive increase in coverage to achieve the UHC benchmark of at least 80% of the state population,” said Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative to Nigeria.

    Nigeria is one of more than 125 countries and areas to which the UHC Partnership helps deliver WHO support and technical expertise in advancing UHC through a PHC approach. The UHC Partnership represents over 3 billion people. It is supported and funded by Belgium, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and WHO.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST”) Awarded AFWERX SBIR Phase I – Updated

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LIST wins contract to conduct feasibility study on enriching uranium to empower Department of the Air Force’s global operations 

    Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST”) announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract focused on enhancing our Condensation Repression Isotope Selective Laser Activation (C.R.I.S.L.A) technology to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now as of January 15th, 2025, LIST will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

    Quote From Company Leadership

    “LIS Technologies is proud to support the Air Force with transformative solutions that enhance Uranium supply chain resilience and maintain America’s technological and strategic superiority.” – Chairman, Jay Yu.

    “This AFWERX Phase I award validates LIS Technologies’ CRISLA innovation as a critical tool for strengthening the U.S. industrial base and advancing national security through cutting-edge isotope separation technology to secure America’s Uranium supply chain.” -C.E.O., Christo Liebenberg.

    “The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.”

    About LIS Technologies Inc.

    LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.

    In 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    About AFRL

    The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

    About AFWERX

    As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit afwerx.com.

    Company Press Contact:
    For more information please visit: LaserIsTech.com
    For further information, please contact:
    Email: info@laseristech.com
    Telephone: 800-388-5492
    Follow us on X Platform
    Follow us on LinkedIn

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Novacap Announces Successful Exit from Smyth Companies, LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MONTREAL, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Novacap, a leading North American private equity firm, is pleased to announce the successful exit of its investment in Smyth Companies, LLC (“Smyth”), a premier provider of innovative and sustainable labeling solutions for consumer products. Smyth has been acquired by Crestview, a private equity firm focused on the middle market, further positioning the company for continued success and growth. This marks a significant milestone for Novacap and reinforces its commitment to fostering growth and operational excellence within its portfolio companies.

    Since Novacap’s initial investment, Smyth has expanded its market position as a trusted partner to leading global consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. Under Novacap’s ownership, the company has implemented key strategic initiatives, invested in state-of-the-art equipment, and successfully implemented its “One Smyth” operational philosophy. These efforts have positioned Smyth as a national leader in prime label solutions, with a well-invested manufacturing footprint and a diversified customer base.

    “Our partnership with Smyth exemplifies Novacap’s ability to drive long-term value creation through operational improvements and strategic initiatives,” said Domenic Mancini, Senior Partner at Novacap. “We are incredibly proud of the progress achieved by the Smyth team and confident that the company is well-positioned for continued success in the evolving labeling and packaging industry.”

    “Novacap’s strategic guidance and investment have been instrumental in accelerating our growth and enhancing our ability to serve our customers with cutting-edge labeling solutions,” said Scott Fisher, President of Smyth Companies. “We are grateful for their support and look forward to continuing our journey as an industry leader.”

    The successful exit of Smyth underscores Novacap’s expertise in identifying and nurturing companies within the industrial and packaging sectors, leveraging sector knowledge to drive sustainable and scalable growth.

    Baird served as financial advisor while Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Fox Rothschild LLP provided legal counsel to Novacap. Evercore served as financial advisor while Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP provided legal counsel to Crestview Partners.

    About Novacap

    Novacap is a leading North American private equity investor and one of Canada’s most experienced private equity firms. Founded in 1981 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs, Novacap focuses on middle market companies in four core sectors: Technologies, Industries, Financial Services, and Digital Infrastructure. Novacap combines deep sector-specific expertise with strategic and operational excellence to support entrepreneurs and management teams. Since its inception, the firm has made primary and add-on investments in more than 250 companies. With over C$11 billion in assets under management and a presence across offices in Montreal, Toronto, and New York, Novacap continues to drive innovation and growth. For more information, please visit: https://novacap.ca.

    About Smyth Companies, LLC

    Established in 1877, Smyth Companies, LLC (Smyth) is a leading provider of high-impact label decoration for consumer goods products. From neighborhood businesses to Fortune 500 companies, Smyth’s trusted Labels Without Limits®, Dow Beauty, and PurePack® brands provide quality, innovative packaging solutions to brand owners in the beauty, health, personal care, household, food, automotive, private label, and beverage markets. Using a broad range of print technologies from traditional roll- and sheet-fed to digital and expanded gamut printing, Smyth’s products include pressure sensitive, cut and stack, and in-mold labels; shrink sleeves; flexible packaging, including pouches and rollstock; and promotional; as well as fulfillment services, and equipment application and support. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Smyth has eight production facilities in North America, employing more than 550 associates. For more information on Smyth please visit www.smythco.com.

    Media inquiries:
    Renata Kappaun
    Senior advisor, communications
    rkappaun@novacap.ca
    +1 514-234-4152

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ändring av underliggande

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Ändring av underliggande

    Med anledning av Millicom International Cellulars kommande avnotering från Nasdaq Stockholm kommer Nordea den 17 mars 2025 ändra den underliggande tillgången för de certifikat som anges i [Bilaga A] till Millicom International Cellular, som är noterad på Nasdaq Global Select i USA. Som en följd av att den nya underliggande tillgången är noterad i USA kommer handelstiderna ändras från 09.00-17.25 till 15.30-21.55 och Nordea gör följande övriga ändringar i de slutliga villkoren för de berörda certifikaten:

    Fält Ändras från Ändras till
    Valuation Time 17.30 CET 22.00 CET
    Underlying Asset ISIN SE0001174970 LU0038705702
    Reference Price and Currency SEK USD
    Reference Source NASDAQ NASDAQ Global Select
    Base Rate STIBOR SOFR
    Relevant Screen Page STISEKTNDFI= SOFRRATE Index
    Translation Rate Not Applicable Applicable
    Cross Rate Not Applicable Applicable
    Crossing Currency Exchange Rate Not Applicable EUR
    Exchange Rate Reference Source Not Applicable Bloomberg
    Exchange Rate Reference Time Not Applicable 18.00 CET

    De berörda certifikaten har utfärdats enligt Nordea Bank Abp:s grundprospekt daterade den 18 December 2019,16 December 2022 respektive 15 december 2023. Ändringarna görs med stöd av Nordeas rätt enligt grundprospekten att ändra de slutliga villkoren vid extraordinära händelser, såsom en avnotering.

    Valutakonvertering kommer ske med valutakurs från 18.00 den 17 mars 2025.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Amazon MGM’s creative control over the James Bond film franchise means for the future of 007

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Colin Burnett, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

    Daniel Craig played James Bond in five films from 2006 to 2021. Greg Williams/Eon Productions via Getty Images

    James Bond was front and center at the 2025 Academy Awards – and in a somewhat curious way.

    In a musical number, Lisa of Blackpink, Doja Cat and Raye sang the Bond theme songs “Live and Let Die,” “Diamonds Are Forever” and “Skyfall,” respectively. No Bond films had been nominated for an award, and none of these singers has a connection to the Bond franchise, though they did all recently collaborate on the single “Born Again.”

    The strange exercise felt less like a celebration and more like a big flashing question mark for a screen icon whose future has never felt more uncertain.

    Since the shocking news dropped on Feb. 20, 2025, that Jeff Bezos’ Amazon MGM Studios would assume creative control over the James Bond film franchise, commentators and fans have wondered why.

    Why would the Broccoli family, which has long held the rights to Bond movies through their company, EON, cede control of the film series to a tech partner they’ve been at odds with?

    Two possibilities have emerged.

    First, EON’s Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the stepson and daughter of legendary EON producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, may have reached a point of creative exhaustion. There could be something to this theory. According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, the 83-year-old Wilson and 64-year-old Broccoli were having difficulty figuring out their next step after 2021’s “No Time to Die.”

    A second reason could be Amazon’s impatience with EON. In December 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Barbara Broccoli balked when Amazon Studios executive Jennifer Salke proposed several Bond spinoff projects, including a Bond series with a female lead, for Prime Video. Perhaps frustrated with the stalemate, Amazon may have made Wilson and Broccoli an offer they couldn’t refuse to get them out of the way and get production of Bond content rolling.

    The speculation is certainly intriguing. But a more central question shouldn’t be overlooked: the “what.”

    What, precisely, has Amazon MGM acquired? And what can it actually do with the Bond story?

    Breaking down the Bond rights

    In my research on the 007 franchise, I’ve discovered that this property has never been a traditional film series.

    Long before “Star Wars” launched in 1976 and the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched in 2008, Bond relied on a range of mediums to tell its story.

    The Bond franchise began in 1953, not with a film but with a novel, Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale.” One year later, “Casino Royale” was adapted for American TV as a live anthology show. Four years after that, in 1958, a popular Bond comic strip made its debut.

    It was only in 1962, with “Dr. No,” starring Sean Connery, that the now-iconic film series began.

    Since then, James Bond has been spun off into a children’s animated show, choose-your-own-adventure books, a “Young Bond” novel series, video games, a reality show, radio dramas and more.

    Here’s what’s crucial: With its new deal, Amazon MGM has a controlling stake only in the rights that EON holds. EON has licensed the right to produce future films and TV shows from Fleming since 1961. EON secured worldwide merchandising rights in 1964 and production rights to video games in the early 1990s.

    Other 007 media – the literary, comic and audio series – are managed by the Fleming Estate and Ian Fleming Publications.

    EON produced most of the James Bond films, such as 1969’s ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.’
    EON/United Artists

    The James Bond media franchise is what I call a shared rights and licensing network.

    No one company controls all of the Bond rights, and no one company produces all of Bond media. Though this arrangement is a complicated one, the sharing and licensing of rights has allowed Bond to emerge as a lucrative and fecund product line. According to my calculations, it now boasts over 330 original stories in 72 years of media production.

    In other words, Bond is much more than the 25 films released by EON.

    James Bond’s many lives

    Until now, rights sharing and licensing have ensured that the Bond franchise remains creatively distinct from “Star Wars” and Marvel.

    The companies that produce these series – LucasFilm and Marvel Studios – are owned by The Walt Disney Company. With their rights pooled under one corporate entity that also oversees all production, “Star Wars” and Marvel have been able to drive toward high levels of creative consistency and unity among their stories. Across films, TV, comics and video games, “Star Wars” and Marvel aspire to what media specialists call “transmedia storytelling.”

    By sharing rights, the Bond franchise has arrived at a very different type of storytelling, one that fragments the story and multiplies the James Bonds to be experienced across distinct media. The effect isn’t transmedia storytelling, or even a Marvel-style multiverse. In Bond, characters can’t cross over to alternate realities and meet other versions of themselves.

    James Bond exists in many different worlds and leads many different lives.

    The James Bond in Ian Fleming’s novels has a biography that differs from the version of Bond who appears in other media.
    Jim/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    To name a few: There’s the Bond of Fleming’s 1950s and 1960s novels, who loses his first love, Vesper Lynd, and hunts down her killers, who are members of SMERSH, the assassination arm of Soviet intelligence agencies. Fleming’s Bond also lives on in the novels of Kingsley Amis and John Gardner, which were published in the 1970s and 1980s.

    There’s EON’s silver screen Bond, who, from 1962 to 2002, never falls in love with Vesper, but loses his wife, Tracy di Vicenzo, to the crime syndicate SPECTRE and remains scarred by the loss. And in the modern era, there’s the Bond who appears in author Samantha Weinberg’s “Moneypenny Diaries.” Published from 2005 to 2008, the series depicts a version of Bond who has retired to a small Scottish isle with his lover, MI6’s Miss Moneypenny.

    The effect of Bond’s shared structure is what I dub “threaded storytelling.” The novels present various versions of Bond’s life, at different points in history. The film series creates two of its own. The comic series offers yet more lives of 007.

    Each version of Bond runs alongside the others in the market, focusing on a Bond character who exists only within his unique story world. This gives fans an unpredictable, ever-expanding canon of stories to follow and even compare, like one grand spot-the-difference game in time.

    Where next for Bond?

    The deal between Amazon MGM and EON awaits regulatory approval in the U.S. and U.K.

    If it goes through, Amazon MGM will have a strong property on its hands. Over the decades, EON has reinforced certain elements to the character and the story: James Bond is a debonair hitman. MI6 chief M gives him high-stakes missions. MI6 armorer Q fits him with the latest gadgets. And Bond lives large, enjoying beautiful women, fine dining, Savile Row fashions and Omega timepieces.

    Amazon MGM is unlikely to tinker with these Bondian elements. They’re also likely to preserve the movies’ “Bond formula” – the gun barrel visual that kicks off each film, elaborately designed credit sequences, film-specific theme songs, and the closing title card that reads, “James Bond Will Return.”

    Yet some fans fear that Amazon MGM will develop “woke” storylines. Others foresee the product being diluted with countless streaming spinoff series.

    To me, the more intriguing possibility is whether Amazon will try to create a more unified Bond universe, akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, the Fleming Estate will continue to manage the novels, comics and radio. But with creative control over EON’s rights, Amazon MGM could, in theory, develop an elaborate transmedia strategy never before explored in this franchise.

    A relaunched film series, perhaps serving as Amazon MGM’s “mothership,” would feed into satellite series in video games and streaming shows. These games and shows, in turn, would tie into and expand the universe of the films.

    Were that to happen, the Bond franchise would truly enter a new phase and risk losing much of the creative flexibility it’s possessed in the past.

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

    – ref. What Amazon MGM’s creative control over the James Bond film franchise means for the future of 007 – https://theconversation.com/what-amazon-mgms-creative-control-over-the-james-bond-film-franchise-means-for-the-future-of-007-251011

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Knocking down abandoned buildings has a lot of benefits for Detroit − but it’s costly for cities

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mark Skidmore, Professor of Government Finance and Policy, Michigan State University

    Detroit has knocked down more than 20,000 homes since 2014. The process continues. Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Few cities have experienced a sharper economic change of fortune than Detroit.

    It was one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation between 1900 and 1950.

    In the nearly 75 years since then, it has lost over 60% of its population, becoming the defining example of a postindustrial city in decline.

    Chronic population loss creates a significant mismatch in the housing market. An ongoing reduction in the demand for housing leads to an oversupply of vacant properties. Vacant properties can quickly deteriorate due to neglect, arson, vandalism and crime.

    Shuttered and repossessed homes line the streets of a middle-class neighborhood on the East side of Detroit.
    Charles Ommanney via Getty Images

    Rehabilitating abandoned and neglected properties is often not possible. It can take just a few years for vacant homes to transition from being habitable to blighted. What should policymakers do with the growing unwanted inventory?

    One option is to do nothing and wait for real estate developers to clean up the parcels and hopefully rebuild.

    In the absence of private sector action, which often fails to take hold, city officials may implement policies to remove blighted properties and stabilize neighborhoods. That’s what Detroit has been doing since 1974. As a result, 17% of the city’s land area is now composed of vacant land where houses once stood.

    As a group of economists who study municipal finance of cities experiencing population decline, we took a deep look at the success of razing blighted properties in Detroit.

    Detroit removes thousands of blighted homes

    Between 2014 and 2019, the city demolished 20,800 blighted properties through the Detroit Demolition Program. The heaviest concentration of demolitions occurred in the lowest-valued areas of the city such as the Brightmoor, Burbank and Midwest neighborhoods.

    Location of demolitions and property sales prices in Detroit from 2009 to 2019. The heaviest concentration of demolitions occurred in the lowest-valued areas of the city, as shown in red and orange.
    Alvayay Torrejón, Paredes, Skidmore (2023), CC BY-NC-ND

    From 2014 to 2019, many of the demolitions were funded by the federal government’s Hardest Hit Fund. The goals of the fund are to help reduce homeowner foreclosures and stabilize neighborhoods. This fund spent US$52 million tearing down homes in Detroit.

    As with any government intervention, it is critical to evaluate costs and benefits so leaders can be sure they are implementing the most effective revitalization strategy.

    Costs and benefits of demolition

    Research demonstrates that demolitions not only eliminate blight, they also stabilize neighborhood housing values, improve property tax compliance, reduce crime and eliminate toxic materials such as asbestos and lead paint.

    From the perspective of city finances, the success of razing a property can be assessed in two ways.

    First, does it increase the value of nearby properties? A study that two of us published in 2017 answered this question in the affirmative: Tearing down an abandoned building in Detroit does increase the value of nearby properties by a small amount: $162.

    Second, how do changes in the value of those nearby properties affect Detroit’s property tax revenue? If property values increase, property taxes increase too, so it is possible to calculate how long it takes for the city to recoup its costs. On average, demolishing a blighted structure in Detroit costs $21,556.

    In the case of Detroit during the period examined, our research shows the benefits of the program in terms of increased property values are limited and do not fully cover the demolition costs.

    Even if you optimistically assume the benefits of demolition extend to properties as far as about 2½ blocks away, the increase in property tax revenue generated from the demolition is too small to cover demolition costs.

    To understand why, imagine drawing a circle around the razed property with a radius of about 0.125 miles, which is how we defined 2½ city blocks, and then examining the change in property value and tax revenue of the properties within the circle. While removing a blighted property is a win in many other ways, it doesn’t have much effect on neighboring home values.

    Our findings indicate that vacant lots also have a negative effect on the property values of surrounding homes. For example, for homes within 2½ city blocks, the net effect of a demolition without redevelopment is an increase in neighboring home prices of $162. In this case, it would take 50 years for money collected via property taxes to equal the costs of demolition. It’s hard to say what happens if the lot is redeveloped because so few are.

    If you measure the effect using smaller rings around the razed property, full cost recovery times get even longer.

    State and federal assistance

    Yet over the long run, these demolitions are essential for maintaining quality of life and positioning the city for future redevelopment. Some would argue that it is the role of government to pay for programs like this in struggling cities. Under President George W. Bush, for example, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development implemented the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which included funds for the demolition of blighted structures.

    The federal Hardest Hit Fund covered many of the demolitions in Detroit from 2014 to 2019. When that program ended, city voters showed their enthusiasm for removing blighted properties by approving Proposal N, a $250 million Detroit-funded plan to continue the demolition program.

    However, additional property taxes to cover demolition costs may further put the city at competitive disadvantage in the region, nationally and globally. Detroit already has among the highest property taxes in the country.

    Allowing the state to foot the bill would keep property taxes affordable, but support for such programs is mixed in the state Capitol in Lansing due to resource constraints and the fact that other Michigan cities such as Flint have also struggled with declines in population.

    Lessons learned from Detroit’s razing

    Detroit and other postindustrial American cities such as Cleveland, Ohio, and Gary, Indiana, have experienced population declines in recent decades, but these challenges are by no means exclusively a United States phenomenon.

    Throughout history, cities such as Rome have experienced enormous drops in population. Paris lost population in medieval times. Some ancient cities such as Carthage and Petra have been fully abandoned.

    In the coming years, Japan, Korea and a number of European countries are on track to experience significant population decline. Many resource-dependent cities in China have the same problem.

    That means lessons learned from Detroit may be helpful to policymakers in other places. Many leaders in Detroit did not imagine that the population would decline over decades, and they didn’t plan for that happening.

    Other cities have an opportunity to prepare. They can start by diversifying their economies and city revenue streams so that government has the funding to step in and ensure that quality of life is maintained as population shrinks.

    Mark Skidmore receives funding from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

    Camila Alvayay-Torrejon receives funding from Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

    Dusan Paredes Araya receives funding from Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

    – ref. Knocking down abandoned buildings has a lot of benefits for Detroit − but it’s costly for cities – https://theconversation.com/knocking-down-abandoned-buildings-has-a-lot-of-benefits-for-detroit-but-its-costly-for-cities-248994

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: NIH funding cuts will hit red states, rural areas and underserved communities the hardest

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Prakash Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina

    Protesters on the University of Illinois Chicago campus raise concerns over funding cuts for medical research on Feb. 19, 2025. Scott Olson via Getty Images

    The National Institutes of Health is the largest federal funder of medical research in the U.S. NIH funds drive research and innovation, leading to better understanding and treatment of diseases and improved health outcomes.

    The NIH provided more than US$35 billion in grants to over 2,500 universities and other institutions in 2023 to support biomedical research. Thus, it came as a shock to these institutions when the NIH, based on a new Trump administration policy, announced on Feb. 7, 2025, that it intends to cut the funding used to support the grantee institutions by $5.5 billion annually.

    On March 5, a U.S. district judge in Boston issued a nationwide injunction blocking the administration from implementing the proposed cuts to NIH funding, arguing that the planned cuts were unlawful. However, the White House will almost certainly appeal.

    We are a husband-and-wife team of immunologists who have been funded by the NIH for several decades. We believe our research has led to a better understanding of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In addition, one of us (Prakash Nagarkatti) served as vice president for research at the University of South Carolina for over a decade, managing all NIH grants awarded to the university.

    While we believe such cuts will be detrimental to the entire country, they will disproportionately hurt states that traditionally have received very low levels of NIH funding, the majority of which are red states that supported Trump’s election to a second term. This is because such states lack resources to develop advanced research infrastructure necessary to compete nationally for NIH funding.

    Several Republican senators have vocally opposed the funding cuts, including Susan Collins of Maine, who said they “would be devastating, stopping vital biomedical research and leading to the loss of jobs.”

    Support for cancer, Alzheimer’s research

    NIH funding is crucial for advancing biomedical research, improving public health and fostering innovation. It has a broad impact on different facets of society.

    The agency funds biomedical research leading to the development of vaccines or new drugs to prevent and treat infectious diseases and clinical disorders. The NIH played a crucial role in funding research on pandemics and global health crises caused by HIV/AIDS and COVID-19.

    In addition, the NIH supports advanced research in focused areas such as cancer, through the establishment of designated centers that offer cancer prevention, diagnosis, clinical trials and advanced treatment. Each year, approximately 400,000 patients receive cancer diagnoses and treatment at such centers.

    Similarly, the NIH supports research in other focused areas, such as Alzheimer’s disease, through the establishment of specialized research centers.

    The NIH also supports Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer opportunities. These programs stimulate technological innovation by funding small businesses to commercialize new research ideas.

    Moreover, the agency provides funding to train the next generation of biomedical scientists, clinicians and public health professionals. Thus, the NIH awards create jobs at universities, biotechnology companies and related industries. Together, such NIH programs promote local and national economies.

    In 2024, NIH funding generated an estimated US$92 billion in economic activity. Every $100 million in NIH funding generates 76 patents, which creates $598 million in further research and development, as reported by NIH.

    Therefore, any cuts to the agency’s budget will have far-reaching and significant consequences on health outcomes and the economy.

    How the NIH funding process works – and how the cuts will affect research.

    Caps on indirect costs

    When the NIH awards grants, it is divided into two separate categories: the direct costs, which include expenses that are necessary to pursue the proposed work and that are provided to the scientists, and the indirect costs. These cover expenses such as maintenance of lab space, utilities, grant management, federal regulatory compliance, security and other miscellaneous needs. These funds are provided directly to the institution.

    Indirect costs are negotiated between the institution and the federal agency and expressed as a percentage of the direct costs. Because each institution has unique operational expenses, the indirect cost rates vary from 30% to 70%.

    The new policy rolled out by the NIH capped the indirect costs for all institutions at a fixed rate of 15%. In 2023, NIH spent $35 billion to support research at various institutions, of which $9 billion was used to cover indirect costs. Thus, NIH estimates it could save $4 billion by capping indirect costs at 15%.

    Inside an NIH lab in Bethesda, Md., where researchers work on treatments and cures for disease, including cancer.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    How red states get hurt the most

    There is a significant geographic disparity in NIH funding that most people are unaware of. There are 27 states in the U.S. that receive 94% of NIH funding, while the other 23 states receive only 6%. Moreover, the NIH funding received by the 23 states has remained relatively unchanged for the past 20  years.

    There are many reasons why the latter states are less competitive. These include: lack of large medical centers, hospitals and research-intensive universities; thin and more rural populations; less robust economies; and lack of cutting-edge research infrastructure driven by less investment by the states in research and development.

    It is for these reasons that Congress in 1993 authorized the NIH to start a new program called the Institutional Development Award, or IDeA, to support the 23 states plus Puerto Rico that have traditionally received low levels of NIH funding. Such states are commonly called IDeA states and contain predominantly rural and medically underserved communities.

    These awards, which constitute less than 1% of the total NIH budget, are expected to help these states grow their research infrastructure and make them more competitive nationally.

    The IDeA states are: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, plus Puerto Rico. All the states but Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont voted for Trump in the 2024 election.

    Indirect costs pay for cutting-edge technologies

    Indirect costs, in addition to supporting the management of specific grants, are also helpful in promoting the institutions’ research infrastructure.

    The indirect costs help purchase and upgrade state-of-the-art research equipment and technologies. They help institutions develop high-performance computing facilities that are critical for research missions and provide access to journals and books through the library facilities. These costs also renovate old labs and help create new cutting-edge facilities such as germ-free facilities for microbiome research.

    Thus, the indirect costs are critical for IDeA states that have limited resources such as state support for pursuing research.

    According to the Higher Education Research and Development Survey, in 2023, non-IDeA states like California invested $548 million and New York over $303 million in R&D. In contrast, IDeA states Kentucky and West Virginia invested $49 million and $15 million, respectively, in R&D.

    Such data clearly demonstrates how challenging it would be for IDeA states to face cuts in NIH funding and advance research infrastructure.

    In our view, it is critical that all states have access to NIH research funding to enable the states to solve the unique challenges they face, such as environmental issues and population health disparities.

    For example, biomedical scientists and clinicians trained by NIH grants are addressing locally relevant issues such as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung disease, which occurs when coal dust is inhaled. This is an occupational hazard linked to the coal industry in West Virginia and Kentucky.

    Similarly, Hawaii, with its tropical climate, has mosquitoes that can carry dengue virus, so dengue infection can pose a unique health and economic problem for this state when compared with the others in the U.S.

    Training the biomedical workforce and physicians in IDeA states also helps with retaining health providers in the state to further address these local challenges and prevents brain-drain to other non-IDeA states.

    IDeA states heavily rely on NIH funds to pursue and advance their research capabilities and address local and general health challenges. For such states, already struggling to receive NIH funding, reducing indirect costs would further exacerbate their disadvantages, increasing the risk of falling behind in medical research, patient care and regional economic growth.

    Prakash Nagarkatti receives funding from NIH.

    Mitzi Nagarkatti receives funding from NIH.

    – ref. NIH funding cuts will hit red states, rural areas and underserved communities the hardest – https://theconversation.com/nih-funding-cuts-will-hit-red-states-rural-areas-and-underserved-communities-the-hardest-250592

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why getting the numbers right isn’t enough for pollsters to be credible in today’s polarized climate

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Clifford Young, Adjust Professor and Pollster, Johns Hopkins University

    Pollsters serve as an interpreter between those who govern and those who are governed. Ivan Burchak, iStock / Getty Images Plus

    President Donald Trump launched his second term with a series of executive orders, asserting his authority more decisively than in 2017. His moves, shaped directly by unfiltered public opinion, align – for now – with what many Americans want. Pollsters are tracking this public sentiment in real time.

    A pollster – of which I am one – measures and analyzes public opinion, serving as an interpreter between those who govern and those who are governed. While the horse race poll during elections is the most visible aspect of our work, our role is much broader.

    Pollsters wear multiple hats, ensuring accuracy while also advising decision-makers on how to communicate with the public and to anticipate shifts in sentiment. At its core, polling is both an analytical and interpretive discipline. Pollsters do more than measure public opinion — they amplify the public’s voice, ensuring that leaders understand the concerns of those they represent.

    Because truth reveals itself on Election Day, a pollster’s credibility is always at stake. If the industry collectively misses the mark, public trust erodes, and confidence in the democratic system itself is called into question.

    2024 polls: A mixed verdict

    How did pollsters perform in 2024? The answer depends on perspective.

    From an analytical standpoint, the broad story that pollsters told was correct. Americans were frustrated by inflation and the cost of living, unable to reconcile their financial struggles with the Biden administration’s assurances that the economy was strong. Polls also revealed deep disillusionment with the political system, with many believing it was rigged against them. Trump successfully positioned himself as the champion of this discontent.

    Statistically, the industry performed well by international standards. A 2018 Nature Human Behavior study analyzing 30,000 polls from 351 elections in 45 countries since 1942 found the average polling error to be about 2 percentage points. In 2024, national and swing-state polls outperformed this historical benchmark.

    In the 2024 presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the political right claimed that polls systematically underestimated Trump, while the left accused pollsters of falsely portraying the race as close.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images; Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

    Compared with the last 17 presidential elections, polling in 2024 was more accurate than in eight, roughly on par with five and worse than four. A postmortem will reveal areas for improvement, but from a technical standpoint, the numbers fell well within the 2-percentage-point standard mentioned above.

    Yet, despite statistical accuracy, public perception tells a different story. The gap between what pollsters measure and how the public interprets their work continues to widen.

    Facing a trust crisis

    Many Americans across the political spectrum viewed pollsters as unreliable, if not outright deceptive, in 2024.

    The political right claimed polls systematically underestimated Trump, while the left accused pollsters of falsely portraying the 2024 race as close.

    Journalist and Trump biographer Michael Wolff even declared: “One of the lessons from this campaign, as it should have been from prior campaigns, is, kill all the pollsters.” His sentiment, while extreme, reflected a broader frustration.

    A deeper issue is that pollsters are increasingly seen as part of an establishment that no longer represents the public. Pollsters are now lumped in with politicians and the media, being trusted by only 21% of Americans, according to an Ipsos poll, where I serve as head of polling. This climate of distrust means that even minor polling errors are interpreted as signs of bias.

    Yes, pollsters underestimated Trump in 2016, 2020 and again in 2024. These errors have clear methodological explanations: Some Trump voters were hard to reach, others were reluctant to disclose their preferences, and flawed turnout models assumed lower Republican participation.

    While such methodological challenges are common in any scientific field, polling faces an added burden – its results are immediately tested in high-stakes elections. But to many, getting it wrong three times in a row suggests not error, but intent.

    Trust, once lost, is difficult to regain.

    Illusion of precision

    This credibility problem is compounded by the rise of probabilistic forecasting – an approach that, while mathematically sound, often creates misleading narratives.

    For two decades, these poll-based probability models have dominated election coverage. Forecasters like Nate Silver have shaped public expectations about such metrics.

    Probabilities describe what might happen – but they fail to explain why events unfold as they do. This lack of diagnostic power makes probability-based forecasts feel both vague and misleading. They provide an illusion of precision while obscuring critical data trends.

    Consider Silver’s 2024 forecast, which gave Harris and Trump each a 50% chance of winning. The final result – Trump 49.8%, Harris 48.2% – fell within the expected range of outcomes. Yet to the public, a 50/50 probability implied total uncertainty, masking underlying factors that pointed to Trump’s advantage.

    Other indicators consistently suggested Trump had the upper hand, such as weak Biden approval ratings, belief that the country was on the wrong track, and the strength of candidates on the main issue, inflation.

    Polling is just one tool. The industry has other ways to tell a more nuanced story. But the overreliance on poll-based probabilities – by both analysts and the media – has narrowed the focus, limiting our ability to contextualize broader electoral dynamics.

    Put differently, pollsters failed to set the correct expectations for 2024.

    Google graphic with the final 2024 U.S. presidential results is screened on a mobile phone.
    Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Restoring credibility

    To rebuild public trust, perception matters as much as accuracy.

    When polling errors consistently lean in one direction, many assume bias rather than statistical uncertainty. Addressing this requires both technical precision and clear storytelling.

    Polls do more than predict winners. They reveal shifts in public sentiment, offering insight into how and why opinions change.

    Yet accuracy alone no longer suffices. While the 2024 polls performed within historical norms, public expectations have raised the bar for what qualifies as accurate polling. In a polarized climate, even small perceived failures fuel distrust.

    Meeting this challenge means refining polling methods – in particular, ensuring that pollsters are vigilant in capturing a representative sample of Americans.

    But pollsters are more than election forecasters; they are interpreters of public sentiment. The overreliance on the horse race poll has narrowed the field’s impact. Polling must be framed within the broader context of political and social change, making sense of uncertainty rather than just quantifying future likelihoods.

    Election surprises stem from incomplete narratives. Precision matters, but a pollster’s job is ultimately about understanding and communicating what drives public opinion.

    Restoring trust will require embracing this broader role with clarity and conviction. The polling industry’s problem isn’t just about data – it’s about narrative failure.

    If pollsters get the story right, the future shouldn’t surprise. This requires more than just methodological adjustments – it demands a fundamental shift in how pollsters communicate their findings to the public.

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

    – ref. Why getting the numbers right isn’t enough for pollsters to be credible in today’s polarized climate – https://theconversation.com/why-getting-the-numbers-right-isnt-enough-for-pollsters-to-be-credible-in-todays-polarized-climate-247955

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Exhausted by the news? Here are 6 strategies to stay informed without getting overwhelmed − or misled by misinformation

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Seth Ashley, Professor of Communication and Media, Boise State University

    Not all news sources are created equal. Noah Berger/AP Images

    Political spin is nothing new, and identifying reliable news and information can be hard to do during any presidency. But the return of Donald Trump to the White House has reignited debates over truth, accountability and the role of media in a deeply divided America.

    Misinformation is an umbrella term that covers all kinds of false and misleading content, and there is lots of it out there.

    During Trump’s chaotic first presidency, the president himself promoted false claims about COVID-19, climate change and the 2020 election.

    Now, in his second term, Trump is again using the bully pulpit of the presidency to spread false claims – for example, on Ukraine and Canada as well as immigration, inflation and, still, the 2020 election.

    Meanwhile, social media platforms such as Meta have ended fact-checking programs created after Trump’s first election win, and presidential adviser Elon Musk continues to use social media platform X to amplify Trump’s false claims and his own conspiracy theories.

    To stay informed while also arming yourself against misinformation, it’s crucial to practice what I call good “news hygiene” by developing strong news literacy skills.

    News literacy, as I argue in my open-access 2020 book “News Literacy and Democracy” and in recent research with colleagues, is about more than fact-checking and detecting AI-generated fakes. It’s about understanding how modern media works and how content is influenced, from TikTok “newsfluencers” to FOX News to The New York Times.

    Here are six ways to become a smarter, saner news consumer.

    1. Recognize the influence of algorithms

    Algorithms are the hidden computer formulas that mediate everything news consumers read, watch, click on and react to online. Despite the illusion of neutrality, algorithms shape people’s perceptions of reality and are designed to maximize engagement.

    Algorithmic recommendation engines that power everything from X to YouTube can even contribute to a slow-burn destabilization of American society by shoving consumers into partisan echo chambers that increase polarization and erode social trust.

    Sometimes, algorithms can feed falsehoods that warp people’s perceptions or tell them to engage in dangerous behavior. Facebook groups spreading “Stop the Steal” messages contributed to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. TikTok algorithms had people drinking laundry detergent in the “borax challenge.” Dylann Roof killed nine Black people based on falsehoods from hate groups he found in search results.

    Rather than passively consuming whatever appears in your feeds – allowing brain rot to set in – actively seek out a variety of sources to inform you about current events. The news shouldn’t just tell you what you want to hear.

    And spread the word. People who simply understand that algorithms filter information are more likely to take steps to combat misinformation.

    2. Understand the economics of corporate news

    Media outlets operate within economic systems that shape their priorities.

    For-profit newsrooms, which produce the bulk of news consumed in the U.S., rely heavily on advertising revenue, which can reduce the quality of news and create a commercial bias. Places such as ABC, CNN and FOX, as well as local network TV affiliates, can still do good work, but their business model helps to explain sensational horse-race election coverage and false-balance reporting that leaves room for doubt on established facts about climate change and vaccines.

    At the same time, the economic outlook for news is not good. Declining revenues and staff cuts also reduce the quality of news.

    Nonprofit newsrooms and public media provide alternatives that generally prioritize public interest over profit. And if you have the budget, paying for quality journalism with a subscription can help credible outlets survive.

    Traditional journalism has never been perfect, but the collapse of the news business is unquestionably bad for democracy. Countries with better funding for public media tend to have stronger democracies, and compared with other rich nations, the U.S. spends almost nothing on public service broadcasting.

    3. Focus on source evaluation and verification

    Particularly with AI-generated content on the rise, source evaluation and verification are essential skills. Here are some ways to identify trustworthy journalism:

    • Quality of evidence: Are claims verified with support from a variety of informed individuals and perspectives?

    • Transparency about sources: Is the reporter clear about where their information came from and who shared it?

    • Adherence to ethical guidelines: Does the outlet follow the basic journalistic principles of accuracy and independence?

    • Corrections: Does the outlet correct its errors and follow up on incomplete reporting?

    Be cautious with content that lacks the author’s name, relies heavily on anonymous sources – or uses no sources at all – or is published by outlets with a clear ideological agenda. These aren’t immediate disqualifiers – some credible news magazines such as The Economist have no bylines, for example, and some sources legitimately need anonymity for protection – but watch out for news operations that routinely engage in these practices and obscure their motive for doing so.

    A good online verification practice is called “lateral reading.” That’s when you open new browser tabs to verify claims you see on news sites and social media. Ask: Is anyone else covering this, and have they reached similar conclusions?

    4. Examine your emotional reactions

    One of the hallmarks of misinformation is its ability to provoke strong emotional responses, whether outrage, fear or validation.

    These reactions, research shows, can cloud judgment and make people more susceptible to false or misleading information. The primitive brains of humans are wired to reject information that challenges our beliefs and to accept information we like, a phenomenon known as confirmation bias.

    When encountering content that sparks an emotional reaction, ask yourself: Who benefits from this narrative? What evidence supports it? Is this information informative or manipulative?

    If the answers make you suspicious, investigate further before acting or sharing.

    5. Guard against propaganda

    Everyone in politics works to shape narratives in order to gain support for their agenda. It’s called spin.

    But Trump goes further, spreading documented lies to pump up his followers and undermine the legitimacy of basic democratic institutions.

    He also targets media he doesn’t like. From discrediting critical outlets as “fake news” or calling journalists the “enemy of the people,” these tactics silence dissent, undermine public trust in journalism and alter perceptions around acceptable public discourse and behavior.

    Meanwhile, he amplifies information and people who support his political causes. This is called propaganda.

    Understanding the mechanics of propaganda – its use of repetition, emotional appeal, scapegoating, scare tactics and unrealistic promises – can help inoculate people against its influence.

    6. Stay engaged

    Democracy relies on an informed and active citizenry to hold accountable their government and the officials who work in it as well as other powerful players in society. Yet the sheer volume of misinformation and bad news these days can feel overwhelming.

    Rather than tuning out – what scholars call “news avoidance” – you can practice critical consumption of news.

    Read deeply, look beyond headlines and short video clips, question the framing of stories, and encourage discussions about the role of media in society. Share reliable information with your friends and colleagues, and model good news hygiene for others.

    Correcting misinformation is notoriously hard, so if someone you know shares it, start a dialogue by asking – privately and gently – where they heard it and whether they think it’s really true.

    Finally, set goals for your consumption. What are your information needs at any given moment, and where can you meet that need? Some experts say 30 minutes a day is enough. Don’t waste your time on garbage.

    Touch grass

    While it’s important to stay engaged, so is getting outside and connecting with nature to calm and soothe your busy brain. Logging off and connecting with people in real life will keep your support system strong for when things are tough. Protect your mental health by turning off notifications and taking breaks from your phone.

    Practicing good news hygiene isn’t just about protecting ourselves – it’s about fostering a media environment that supports democracy and informed participation.

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

    – ref. Exhausted by the news? Here are 6 strategies to stay informed without getting overwhelmed − or misled by misinformation – https://theconversation.com/exhausted-by-the-news-here-are-6-strategies-to-stay-informed-without-getting-overwhelmed-or-misled-by-misinformation-248807

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The US has pardoned insurrectionists twice before – and both times, years of violent racism followed

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joseph Patrick Kelly, Professor of Literature and Director of Irish and Irish American Studies, College of Charleston

    A man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection shows off his pardon from President Donald Trump. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

    Donald Trump is the third U.S. president to pardon a large group of insurrectionists. His clemency toward those convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection – including seditious conspiracy and assaults on police officers – was different in key ways from the two previous efforts, by Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Ulysses S. Grant in 1873.

    But they share the apparent hope that their pardons would herald periods of national harmony. As historians of the period after the Civil War, we know that for Johnson and Grant, that’s not what happened.

    A reversion to discrimination

    When Johnson became president in 1865 after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, he faced a combative Congress. Though Johnson had opposed the secession of the Southern states before the Civil War began, he agreed with former Confederate leaders that formerly enslaved people did not deserve equality with white people.

    Further, as a Southerner, he wanted to maintain the social conventions and economic structure of the South by replacing enslavement with economic bondage. This economic bondage, called sharecropping, was a system by which tenant farmers rented land from large landowners. Tenants rarely cleared enough to pay their costs and fell into debt. In effect, Johnson sought to restore the nation to how it was before the Civil War, though without legalized slavery – and sought every avenue available to thwart the plans of the Radical Republicans who controlled both houses of Congress to create full racial equality.

    Johnson signed an amnesty that gave a blanket pardon to all former Confederate soldiers. However, he required formerly high-ranking Confederate officials to individually seek pardons for their involvement in the rebellion. These officials faced permanent disfranchisement and could not hold federal office if they did not seek a pardon.

    President Andrew Johnson pardons rebels at the White House.
    Stanley Fox, Harper’s Weekly, 1865.

    When Congress was in recess, Johnson vetoed two bills that had been passed: one to help find homes for formerly enslaved people who could no longer live on the property of their enslavers, and the other to define U.S. citizenship and ensure equal protection of the laws for Black people as well as white people.

    Johnson also told Southern states not to ratify the 14th Amendment, whose purpose was to enshrine both citizenship and equal protection in the Constitution.

    When Congress came back in session, it continued its effort of Reconstruction of the former Confederate states – reforming their racist laws and policies to comport with the liberty and equality the Union was committed to – by overriding Johnson’s vetoes and requiring former Confederate states to ratify the 14th Amendment as a condition of readmission to the Union. But Congress could not override the pardons the president had granted.

    This continued political warfare resulted in Johnson being impeached – but not convicted or removed from office. But the back-and-forth also stalled Reconstruction and efforts toward racial equality, ultimately dooming the effort.

    In 1986, the Ku Klux Klan marched through the streets of Pulaski, Tenn., to protest the national celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
    AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

    The rise of the KKK

    Nathan Bedford Forrest was not covered by Johnson’s general amnesty. As a former Confederate general, he had to apply for a personal presidential pardon, which Johnson granted on July 17, 1868. Two months later, Forrest represented Tennessee at the Democratic Party’s national convention in New York City.

    He also took command of the Ku Klux Klan, the unofficial militant wing of the Democratic Party. Forrest initiated the title “Grand Wizard,” a bizarre title derived from his Civil War nickname, “Wizard of the Saddle.” He became a leader of former Confederates who resisted Reconstruction through violence and terror.

    After his pardon, Forrest perfected a rhetorical technique for his extremism. His biographer Court Carney described it as a multistep process, starting with, “Say something exaggerated and inflammatory that plays well with supporters.” Then, deny saying it “to maintain a semblance of professional decorum.” Then, blur the threats with “crowd pleasing humor.” It proved an effective way of threatening violence while being able to deny responsibility for any violence that occurred.

    Nathan Bedford Forrest, center, in a Confederate uniform, joins a caricature of an Irish immigrant, left, and Democratic Party chairman August Belmont in trampling the rights of a Black Union veteran, depicted lying on the ground.
    Thomas Nast, Harper’s Weekly, 1868.

    Under Forrest’s leadership, membership in the violent, racist Ku Klux Klan spread almost everywhere in the South. Records are sketchy, so it’s impossible to say how many people were lynched, but the Equal Justice Initiative has documented 2,000 lynchings of Black Americans during Reconstruction. Black women and girls were often raped by klansmen or members of its successor militias.

    It’s also not possible to say how many pardoned ex-Confederates participated in the lynchings. But the violence was so widespread that just about everyone, North and South, thought the political violence was a resumption of the Civil War.

    In the Piedmont of the Carolinas, klan violence amounted to a shadow government of white nationalists. Grant ordered the U.S. Army to apprehend the klansmen, and a newly minted Department of Justice prosecuted the insurrectionists for violating civil rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th amendments. After several trials that proved to be what the federal judiciary’s official history calls “dramatic spectacles,” federal judges handed down conviction after conviction.

    The federal government’s decisive action allowed for a relatively free presidential election in 1872. Black voters helped Grant win in eight Southern states, contributing to his landslide victory.

    But after his reelection, Grant appointed a new attorney general, who dropped the pending klan cases. Grant also pardoned klansmen who had already been convicted of crimes.

    Grant hoped his gesture would encourage Southerners to accept the nation’s new birth of freedom.

    It didn’t. The pardons told former Confederates that they were winning.

    John Christopher Winsmith, an ex-Confederate who embraced racial equality and whose father had been killed by the KKK, wrote to Grant in 1873, “A few trials and convictions in the U.S. Courts, and then the pardoning of the criminals” had emboldened what he called “the hideous monster – Ku Kluxism.”

    A group of Red Shirts pose at a polling place in North Carolina on Election Day, Nov. 8, 1898.
    State Archives of North Carolina via Wikimedia Commons

    And a new gang arose, too: the Red Shirts, who began to murder Black people openly, not even in secret as the klan did. Two of the Red Shirts were later elected to the U.S. Senate.

    Paramilitary groups established anti-democratic one-party rule in every former Confederate state, imposing discriminatory laws known as Jim Crow, which were enforced by lynchings and other forms of racial violence.

    The federal government took no substantive action against this for a century, until the 20th century’s Civil Rights Movement sparked change. And it wasn’t until 2022 that Congress passed an anti-lynching bill.

    I was for several years a volunteer with the Charleston County (SC) Democratic Party.

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

    – ref. The US has pardoned insurrectionists twice before – and both times, years of violent racism followed – https://theconversation.com/the-us-has-pardoned-insurrectionists-twice-before-and-both-times-years-of-violent-racism-followed-249412

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Beyond AI regulation: How government and industry can team up to make the technology safer without hindering innovation

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paulo Carvão, Senior Fellow, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School

    One of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders in his second term called for developing an AI action plan. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Imagine a not-too-distant future where you let an intelligent robot manage your finances. It knows everything about you. It follows your moves, analyzes markets, adapts to your goals and invests faster and smarter than you can. Your investments soar. But then one day, you wake up to a nightmare: Your savings have been transferred to a rogue state, and they’re gone.

    You seek remedies and justice but find none. Who’s to blame? The robot’s developer? The artificial intelligence company behind the robot’s “brain”? The bank that approved the transactions? Lawsuits fly, fingers point, and your lawyer searches for precedents, but finds none. Meanwhile, you’ve lost everything.

    This is not the doomsday scenario of human extinction that some people in the AI field have warned could arise from the technology. It is a more realistic one and, in some cases, already present. AI systems are already making life-altering decisions for many people, in areas ranging from education to hiring and law enforcement. Health insurance companies have used AI tools to determine whether to cover patients’ medical procedures. People have been arrested based on faulty matches by facial recognition algorithms.

    By bringing government and industry together to develop policy solutions, it is possible to reduce these risks and future ones. I am a former IBM executive with decades of experience in digital transformation and AI. I now focus on tech policy as a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. I also advise tech startups and invest in venture capital.

    Drawing from this experience, my team spent a year researching a way forward for AI governance. We conducted interviews with 49 tech industry leaders and members of Congress, and analyzed 150 AI-related bills introduced in the last session of Congress. We used this data to develop a model for AI governance that fosters innovation while also offering protections against harms, like a rogue AI draining your life savings.

    Striking a balance

    The increasing use of AI in all aspects of people’s lives raises a new set of questions to which history has few answers. At the same time, the urgency to address how it should be governed is growing. Policymakers appear to be paralyzed, debating whether to let innovation flourish without controls or risk slowing progress. However, I believe that the binary choice between regulation and innovation is a false one.

    Instead, it’s possible to chart a different approach that can help guide innovation in a direction that adheres to existing laws and societal norms without stifling creativity, competition and entrepreneurship.

    Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tamlin Bason explains the regulatory landscape and the need for a balanced approach to AI governance.

    The U.S. has consistently demonstrated its ability to drive economic growth. The American tech innovation system is rooted in entrepreneurial spirit, public and private investment, an open market and legal protections for intellectual property and trade secrets. From the early days of the Industrial Revolution to the rise of the internet and modern digital technologies, the U.S. has maintained its leadership by balancing economic incentives with strategic policy interventions.

    In January 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the development of an AI action plan for America. My team and I have developed an AI governance model that can underpin an action plan.

    A new governance model

    Previous presidential administrations have waded into AI governance, including the Biden administration’s since-recinded executive order. There has also been an increasing number of regulations concerning AI passed at the state level. But the U.S. has mostly avoided imposing regulations on AI. This hands-off approach stems in part from a disconnect between Congress and industry, with each doubting the other’s understanding of the technologies requiring governance.

    The industry is divided into distinct camps, with smaller companies allowing tech giants to lead governance discussions. Other contributing factors include ideological resistance to regulation, geopolitical concerns and insufficient coalition-building that have marked past technology policymaking efforts. Yet, our study showed that both parties in Congress favor a uniquely American approach to governance.

    Congress agrees on extending American leadership, addressing AI’s infrastructure needs and focusing on specific uses of the technology – instead of trying to regulate the technology itself. How to do it? My team’s findings led us to develop the Dynamic Governance Model, a policy-agnostic and nonregulatory method that can be applied to different industries and uses of the technology. It starts with a legislative or executive body setting a policy goal and consists of three subsequent steps:

    1. Establish a public-private partnership in which public and private sector experts work together to identify standards for evaluating the policy goal. This approach combines industry leaders’ technical expertise and innovation focus with policymakers’ agenda of protecting the public interest through oversight and accountability. By integrating these complementary roles, governance can evolve together with technological developments.

    2. Create an ecosystem for audit and compliance mechanisms. This market-based approach builds on the standards from the previous step and executes technical audits and compliance reviews. Setting voluntary standards and measuring against them is good, but it can fall short without real oversight. Private sector auditing firms can provide oversight so long as those auditors meet fixed ethical and professional standards.

    3. Set up accountability and liability for AI systems. This step outlines the responsibilities that a company must bear if its products harm people or fail to meet standards. Effective enforcement requires coordinated efforts across institutions. Congress can establish legislative foundations, including liability criteria and sector-specific regulations. It can also create mechanisms for ongoing oversight or rely on existing government agencies for enforcement. Courts will interpret statutes and resolve conflicts, setting precedents. Judicial rulings will clarify ambiguous areas and contribute to a sturdier framework.

    Benefits of balance

    I believe that this approach offers a balanced path forward, fostering public trust while allowing innovation to thrive. In contrast to conventional regulatory methods that impose blanket restrictions on industry, like the one adopted by the European Union, our model:

    • is incremental, integrating learning at each step.
    • draws on the existing approaches used in the U.S. for driving public policy, such as competition law, existing regulations and civil litigation.
    • can contribute to the development of new laws without imposing excessive burdens on companies.
    • draws on past voluntary commitments and industry standards, and encourages trust between the public and private sectors.

    The U.S. has long led the world in technological growth and innovation. Pursuing a public-private partnership approach to AI governance should enable policymakers and industry leaders to advance their goals while balancing innovation with transparency and responsibility. We believe that our governance model is aligned with the Trump administration’s goal of removing barriers for industry but also supports the public’s desire for guardrails.

    Carvão advises tech startups and invests in venture capital.

    – ref. Beyond AI regulation: How government and industry can team up to make the technology safer without hindering innovation – https://theconversation.com/beyond-ai-regulation-how-government-and-industry-can-team-up-to-make-the-technology-safer-without-hindering-innovation-251010

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Who was the fastest on the target?

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    About the U.S. Army:
    The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: https://www.goarmy.com/?iom=BNL7-22-0029_N_OSOC_OCPA_YT_ocpagen_xx_xx

    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
    X: https://twitter.com/USArmy
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army

    #Soldiers #Military

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAsawyzmQxw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests criminal alien wanted for indecent assault and battery, other charges, after release by noncooperative jurisdiction

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a 25-year-old criminal alien from the Dominican Republic on charges of indecent assault and battery, assault and battery, and gross lewdness, Jan. 29.

    “This arrest underscores ICE’s unyielding commitment to public safety and our resolve to hold dangerous criminal aliens accountable, no matter the obstacles,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde. “When jurisdictions fail to cooperate, ICE will take every necessary step to locate and apprehend those whose release poses a significant threat to the community.”

    The U.S. Border Patrol initially arrested the illegal alien June 2022 after he unlawfully entered the United States near Rio Grande, Texas, without inspection or admission by an immigration officer. He was subsequently detained at Bluebonnet Detention Facility before being released on parole.

    The Boston Police Department later arrested the alien July 1, 2024, for indecent assault and battery, assault and battery, and open and gross lewdness. ICE attempted to place an immigration detainer to transfer custody in the jail, but was forced by the noncooperative jurisdiction to conduct an operation Jan. 29 in Dorchester to apprehend the alien.

    The criminal alien remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

    Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria

    South Africa took over the presidency of the G20 at the end of 2024. Since then the world has become a more complex, unpredictable and dangerous place. The most powerful state in the world, the US, seems intent on undermining the existing order that it created and on demonstrating its power over weaker nations. Other influential countries are turning inward.

    These developments raise concerns about how well mechanisms for global cooperation, such as the G20, can continue to operate, particularly those that work on the basis of consensual decision making. Danny Bradlow sets out how the G20 works, and what’s at stake.

    What’s the G20’s purpose?

    The G20 is a forum in which the largest economies in the world meet regularly to discuss, and attempt to address, the most urgent international economic and political challenges. The group, which includes both rich and developing countries, accounts for about 67% of the world’s population, 85% of global GDP, and 75% of global trade.

    The G20, in fact, is a misnomer. The actual number of G20 participants in any given year far exceeds the 19 states and 2 international entities (the European Union and the African Union) that are its permanent members. Each year they are joined by a number of invited “guests”. While there are some countries, for example Spain and the Netherlands, that are considered “permanent” G20 guests, the full list of guests is determined by the chair of the G20 for that year. This year, South Africa has invited 13 countries, including Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. They are joined by 24 invited international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations and eight African regional organisations, among others.

    The G20 should be understood as a process rather than a set of discrete events. Its apex is the annual leaders’ summit at which the participating heads of state and government seek to agree on a communiqué setting out their agreements on key issues. These agreements are non-binding and each of the participating states usually will implement most but not all the agreed points.

    The communiqué is the outcome of a two track process: a finance track, consisting of representatives of the finance ministries and central banks in the participating counties, and a “sherpa” track that deals with more political issues. In total these two tracks will involve over 100 meetings of technical level officials and policymakers.

    Most of the work in each track is done by working groups. The finance track has seven working groups dealing with issues ranging from the global economy and international financial governance to financial inclusion and the financing of infrastructure. The sherpa track has 15 working groups dealing with issues ranging from development and agriculture to health, the digital economy, and education.

    The agenda for the working group meetings is based on issues notes prepared by the G20 presidency. The issues notes will discuss both unfinished business from prior years and any new issues that the president adds to the G20 agenda.

    The working group chairs report on the outcomes of these meetings to the ministerial meetings in their track. These reports will first be discussed in meetings of the deputies to the ministers. The deputies will seek to narrow areas of disagreement and sharpen the issues for discussion so that when they are presented at the ministerial meeting the chances of reaching agreement are maximised.

    The agreements reached at each of these ministerial meetings, assuming all participants agree, will be expressed in a carefully negotiated and drafted communiqué. If the participants cannot agree, the minister chairing the meeting will provide a chair’s summary of the meeting. These documents will then inform the communiqué that will be released at the end of the G20 summit. This final communiqué represents the formal joint decision of the participating heads of state and government.

    The G20 process is supplemented by the work of 13 engagement groups representing, for example, business, labour, youth, think tanks, women and civil society in the G20 countries. These groups look for ways to influence the outcomes of the G20 process.

    What is the G20 troika and how does it operate?

    The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat. Instead, the G20 president is responsible for organising and chairing the more than 100 meetings that take place during the year. The G20 has decided that this burden should be supported by a “troika”, consisting of the past, present and future presidents of the G20. This year the troika consists of Brazil, the past chair; South Africa, the current chair; and the US, the future chair.

    The role of the troika varies depending on the identity of the current chair and how assertive it wishes to be in driving the G20 process. It will also be influenced by how active the other two members of the troika wish to be.

    The troika helps ensure some continuity from one G20 year to another. This is important because there is a significant carryover of issues on the G20 agenda from one year to the next. The troika therefore creates the potential for the G20 president to focus on the issues of most interest to it over a three year period rather than just for one year.

    How successful has the G20 process been?

    The G20 is essentially a self-appointed group which has designated itself as the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.

    The G20 was first brought together during the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s. At that time, it was limited to a forum in which ministers of finance and central bank governors could meet to discuss the most important international economic and financial issues, such as the Asian financial crisis.

    The G20 was elevated to the level of heads of state and government at the time of the 2008 global financial crisis.

    The G20 tends to work well as a cooperative forum when the world is confronting an economic crisis. Thus, the G20 was a critical forum in which countries could discuss and agree on coordinating actions to deal with the global financial crisis in 2008-9.

    It has performed less well when confronted with other types of crises. For example, it was found wanting in dealing with the COVID pandemic.

    It has also proven to be less effective, although not necessarily totally ineffective, when there is no crisis. So, for example, the G20 has been useful in helping address relatively technical issues such as developing international standards on particular financial regulatory issues or improving the functioning of multilateral development banks. On other more political issues, for example climate, food security, and funding the UN’s sustainable development goals, it has been less effective.

    There’s one less obvious, but nevertheless important, benefit. The G20 offers officials from participating countries the chance to interact with their counterparts from other G20 countries. As a result, they come to know and understand each other better, which helps foster cooperation between states on issues of common interest. It also ensures that when appropriate, these officials know whom to contact in other countries and this may help mitigate the risk of misunderstanding and conflict.

    These crisis management and other benefits would be lost if the G20 were to stop functioning. And there is currently no alternative to the G20 in the sense of a forum where the leading states in the world, which may differ on many important issues, can meet on a relatively informal basis to discuss issues of mutual interest. Importantly, the withdrawal of one G20 state, even the most powerful, should not prevent the remaining participants from using the G20 to promote international cooperation on key global challenges.

    In this way it can help manage the risk of conflict in a complex global environment.

    Danny Bradlow, in addition to his position at the University of Pretoria, is working as a G20 senior advisor to the South African Institute of International Affairs and is co-chair of the T20 Taskforce on Financing of Sustainable Development.

    – ref. The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed – https://theconversation.com/the-g20-how-it-works-why-it-matters-and-what-would-be-lost-if-it-failed-251500

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –