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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Global: Too distracted to watch? Netflix has the perfect ‘second-screen’ show for you

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daphne Rena Idiz, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Arts, Culture and Media, University of Toronto

    Overly expository dialogue, repeating plot points and lots of voice-overs to narrate action help distracted viewers along. (Shutterstock)

    Netflix knows we’re on our phones while we watch TV. Recent articles discuss Netflix’s or streamers’ requests for creatives to produce content optimized for casual viewing, meaning intentionally scripted for distracted viewers.

    I’ve spent the last few years researching how Netflix shapes European screen production, a region where the streaming giant has invested billions in original content.

    I first encountered the concept of “second-screen shows” — created with distracted viewing in mind — in 2022.

    At the time, I was doing interviews with producers, showrunners, screenwriters and directors who had worked on European Netflix originals (due to confidentiality, they have been given pseudonyms here). Two of my interviewees described what they saw as very unusual feedback coming from Netflix executives: make a show that the audience can follow without looking at the screen.

    Recipe for a ‘second-screen show’

    So, how exactly do you make a second-screen show?

    One of my interviewees, Eleven, said that Netflix explicitly labels certain series “second-screen shows” and develops them as such. Another, Tokyo, shared their experience encountering similar directives:

    “[Netflix] basically said, ‘What you need to know about your audience here is that they will watch the show, perhaps on their mobile phone, or on a second or third screen while doing something else and talking to their friends, so you need to both show and tell, you need to say much more than you would normally say. […] You need your audience to understand what’s going on, even if they’re not looking at the screen.’”

    These series are designed around the viewing behaviours of their target audience, described by my interviewees as “younger” and “young adult” viewers.

    As Eleven explained, a Netflix executive would talk about how “in this show, we have to make sure that the points come through, even though kids are watching TikTok while they watch it.”

    Because Netflix knows a certain target audience will be “second-screening” these series, the streamer wants the show’s writing to facilitate this practice. Concretely, this means overly expository dialogue, repeating plot points and adding lots of voice-overs to narrate the action and help the distracted viewer follow along.

    Other sources cite examples where screenwriters were told to have characters announce what they’re doing and make the show less distracting from the viewer’s “primary screen” (their phone).

    Eleven joked about how if a character was sad, Netflix would ask to include a line of dialogue for the character saying, “I’m sad” with tears streaming down their face, while rain pours, and mournful violins play in the background.

    Here, the golden rule of screenwriting “show, don’t tell,” is cast aside for “show and tell” (and tell again). Joking aside, they reflected: “It saddens me, on behalf of great storytelling traditions.”

    The revival of casual viewing

    But are second-screen shows really the final nail in the coffin for prestige TV? The idea of casual or background viewing is not new.

    There is a long history of content targeting the distracted viewer.
    (Shutterstock)

    From soap operas to sitcoms to reality TV, there is a long history of content targeting the distracted viewer.

    Sometimes we’re just tired and need an easy watch. But these types of series are a far cry from the era of HBO-style Netflix, hyping itself as the home of quality TV, a place where showrunners could find unprecedented creative freedom.

    There is still a time and place for complex storytelling. But data suggests
    that over half of viewers in many national markets — including in India, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, the United States, Britain and Denmark — are periodically checking their phones while watching TV. And Netflix is creating shows that enable this ritual.

    ‘Cult’ of data

    Netflix’s strategy has always hinged on a granular understanding of its users. Netflix collects a huge amount of data on its subscribers and their viewing behaviors: what they’re watching, how, when, where and on what device. This information is used by teams of data scientists to not only improve Netflix’s personalization but also to help with decisions about what content to develop and how.

    Yet research suggests Netflix has really cultivated the “myth of big data,” flip-flopping over the years about how much data influences the creative process of Netflix productions.

    And while screen workers may resist what they sense about analytics as they participate in creative processes, ultimately, it is the executives greenlighting content who interpret data and choose how to use it.

    Geralt, another producer I interviewed, described how “whenever you talk to the algorithm people and the data people at Netflix, it feels like a cult. They talk about the algorithm like it’s a god, like ‘Well the algorithm tells us…’”

    One part of the content strategy

    With that said, it’s critical to take blanket statements about Netflix’s operations with a grain of salt.

    The behemoth operates in more than 190 countries, with offices in 30, housing different teams and producing content around the globe. It’s estimated that 589 new Netflix originals were added in 2024.

    Recent articles about “second screen” productions focused on the U.S. context, and my research did not seek to determine how many Netflix productions are made this way.

    Netflix’s goal these days, according to CEO Ted Sarandos, is to be “equal parts HBO and FX and AMC and Lifetime and Bravo and E! and Comedy Central.”

    Second-screen shows, it seems, are one part of this strategy.

    Outlook for storytellers

    It’s clear that viewing behaviours are driving changes in storytelling. But for screenwriters today, second-screen shows are only a symptom of bigger problems.

    Between a shrinking drama market and the competition for attention from platforms like YouTube and TikTok, streamers are investing a lot less in content than they used to. They’re also much more risk-averse with these investments.

    Even before now, producing for streamers brought its own set of challenges.

    Writer advocates with the 2023 TV writers strikes highlighted how streaming introduced new and exciting formats for TV writing, but also a new kind of precarity. And concerns continue to loom around how AI might impact creativity, career sustainability and IP rights.

    Last year, the Canadian Media Producers Association joined production organizations around the world in issuing a call for streaming regulation that underscores independence, IP rights and fair remuneration.



    Read more:
    Online Streaming Act: As we revisit Netflix support for Canadian content, it’s about more than money

    It’s no surprise the mantra across the media industries last year was “survive ‘til ’25.”

    As media creators become increasingly dependent on data-driven tech companies, they will continue producing content to the whims of executives following the holy algorithm.

    The next time you’re watching a Netflix show and feel the urge to scroll during another repetitive voice-over, the question is: Are some shows written like this because the audience is disengaged, or is the audience disengaged because shows are written like this?

    Daphne Rena Idiz 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. Too distracted to watch? Netflix has the perfect ‘second-screen’ show for you – https://theconversation.com/too-distracted-to-watch-netflix-has-the-perfect-second-screen-show-for-you-249012

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Canada can learn from the European Union about dealing with chaos and crises

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jörg Broschek, Professor and Laurier Research Chair, Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University

    As United States President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada’s economic and political sovereignty, some observers have floated the idea of Canada becoming a member of the European Union.

    Since there is no feasible pathway to EU membership in the short term, current efforts rightly focus on strengthening Canada’s existing trade relationships, most notably through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

    But something else is often overlooked: Canada should also learn from the EU how to cope with the monumental challenges ahead. Europe is not only less vulnerable than Canada due to its geographic position and economic power, it’s also more resilient.

    Three goals

    Unlike “Team Canada,” “Europe United” has already crafted a multi-pronged policy framework to encounter the risks arising from a fundamentally changing geopolitical environment over the long term. The EU also has a more robust institutional framework for intergovernmental co-operation.

    Under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission has launched a cascade of relatively coherent policies aimed at facilitating three broad goals: decarbonization, economic sovereignty and national security.

    Key pillars of this new policy framework are the European Green Deal of 2019, the European Industrial Strategy of 2020, the European Economic Security Strategy of 2023 and the 2024 European Defence Industrial Strategy.

    These policy initiatives have been continuously updated, fine-tuned and aligned with each other. They have created an umbrella that enables the EU and its member states to simultaneously promote the green transition, strengthen the internal market and domestic industries as well as reduce economic and security risks.

    The geopolitical and industrial changes in the EU resemble what used to exist in Canada as well: national policies — the conscious, nation-building initiatives of successive federal governments.

    But Canada has lost the ability to plan strategically for the long term and now responds to every crisis in a reactive, punctuated manner. In doing so, Canadian officials address symptoms without tackling root causes.

    EU architecture

    The institutional architecture of the EU also furnishes governments with more capacity to collaborate. In all federal systems, most policies are largely shared, which is why intergovernmental co-ordination is important to buttress and consolidate such innovations.



    Read more:
    Canada-U.S. history provides lessons on how Canada can deal with a hostile Donald Trump

    Notably, the Council of the European Union plays a key role for co-ordinating and negotiating policies, in addition to its function as the main decision-making body (together with the European Parliament).

    It is composed of ministers of the EU member states. Accordingly, it works in different configurations, depending on the portfolio. The head of governments themselves meet regularly through a separate institution, the European Council.

    In Canada, by contrast, federal intergovernmental institutions are fragile or don’t even exist, even though they’re comparatively strong on the municipal level.

    Municipalities co-ordinate through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), which was established in 1901. But it was not until 2004 that provinces and territories established the Council of the Federation. This body, however, has remained weak, with very little administrative support.

    What’s even more striking is that there is no formalized, institutionalized framework at all at the federal level. The First Ministers’ Conference meetings are held at the discretion of the prime minister. In their communique following a Council of the Federation meeting in November 2023, premiers complained that “the prime minister has not convened a full in-person First Ministers’ Meeting since December 2018 despite repeated requests from premiers.”

    Widespread tariffs against Canada may be on hold until March, but there is no way back. As Canadians experience their very own “Zeitenwende” — the end of an era — in the wake of Trump’s desire to absorb Canada into the U.S., the country’s leaders should draw two lessons from the EU.

    All-encompassing approach needed

    On the policy level, Canada does need a new “national policy,” as I have argued previously.

    More than 40 years ago, the Macdonald Commission paved the way for a major transformative shift in Canadian policy-making, including free trade with the U.S. But since the global financial crisis of 2007-2008, it has become increasingly clear that this model of socioeconomic development is outdated.

    Yet the model has never been replaced. Unlike the EU, Canadians have comforted themselves with patchwork policies instead of crafting a new, all-encompassing approach.

    The challenges the EU and Canada face are similar, but Canada needs to find its own response. Forging a new model will require mobilizing and aligning key sectors like trade, infrastructure and industrial policy in a coherent manner.

    On the institutional level, Canada must — finally — institutionalize Team Canada. It’s a positive development that First Ministers’ Conference meetings have resumed, but an ad hoc approach to intergovernmental collaboration is no longer sufficient.

    Team Canada may work under pressure when facing a short-term threat. Without a stronger institutional foundation, however, Canada won’t be able to consolidate a new national policy over the long term.

    The EU has accomplished a remarkable resurgence, despite all remaining difficulties. Rather than chasing the idea of joining the EU, Canada should use the European example as a road map for enhancing its policy and governance capacities.

    Jörg Broschek receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    – ref. What Canada can learn from the European Union about dealing with chaos and crises – https://theconversation.com/what-canada-can-learn-from-the-european-union-about-dealing-with-chaos-and-crises-249462

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canadian immigrants are overqualified and underemployed — reforms must address this

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Marshia Akbar, Director of the BMO Newcomer Workforce Integration Lab and Research Lead on Labour Migration at the CERC Migration and Integration Program at TMU, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Canada’s labour market struggles are not caused by the number of newcomers, but by systemic issues such as underemployment and skills-job mismatches. (Shutterstock)

    Recent immigration reforms in Canada have cut international student and temporary resident numbers, restricted work permits for them and their spouses and aim to reduce permanent resident admissions by 21 per cent in 2025, with further cuts ahead.

    Such changes are aimed to avoid competition with local unemployed Canadians at a time of rising unemployment. However, these changes may eventually intensify dysfunctions in the Canadian labour market.

    With an overall unemployment rate of 6.6 per cent and a youth unemployment rate of 13.6 per cent alongside a worsening housing crisis, these policies reflect growing pressures.

    However, blaming newcomers — particularly international students and their spouses — for job shortages overlooks deeper structural issues in the labour market. Canada’s labour market struggles are not caused by the number of newcomers, but by systemic issues such as underemployment and skills-job mismatches.

    Unemployment and underemployment

    While rising unemployment is affecting everyone, newcomers have been hit especially hard. In 2024, the unemployment rate for immigrants hit 11 per cent — more than double the 5.6 per cent rate for Canadian-born workers.

    Underemployment is also a persistent issue for immigrants. In 2021, only 44 per cent of immigrants who had arrived in Canada within the previous decade were employed in jobs matching their education level, compared to 64 per cent of Canadian-born workers aged 25 to 34.

    The over-education rate — the proportion of university graduates working in jobs for which they are over-qualified despite holding a bachelor’s degree or higher — was 26.7 per cent for immigrants, more than double the 10.9 per cent rate for Canadian-born workers in 2021.

    Immigrants, particularly those with foreign credentials, are significantly more likely to experience these job-education mismatches compared to Canadian-born workers.

    Approximately two thirds of recent immigrants held a degree from a foreign institution. The over-education rate for these immigrants was 24 per cent higher than that of younger Canadian-born workers.

    Under-employment experienced by many newcomers is largely driven by employers favouring Canadian experience — despite such preferences being illegal in Ontario — and relying on referral networks, which often disadvantage newcomers.

    Hiring managers frequently undervalue international credentials, even when assessed by organizations like World Education Services. Many employers struggle to assess foreign work experience. Some also perceive a lack of familiarity with Canadian workplace norms as a hiring risk.

    Ultimately, hiring managers tend to choose the less risky option, as a bad hire can reflect poorly on them. An exceptional hire, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily bring them equivalent rewards.

    International experience is undervalued

    International graduates with Canadian degrees generally achieve better labour market outcomes than those educated entirely overseas, experiencing higher earnings and improved job matches.

    However, many still face significant barriers, primarily due to employers’ preference for specific Canadian experience and biases in assessing their skills.

    Although many international students (277,400 in 2018) gain Canadian work experience during their studies and develop soft skills — often in low-paying, customer-facing roles such as accommodation and food services, retail, hospitality or tourism — this experience is often dismissed as irrelevant to professional roles.

    This creates a paradox: employers require Canadian experience for entry-level positions in their field, yet without prior experience, graduates struggle to get hired in the first place.

    In addition, employers often lack clarity about international graduates’ visa statuses, work permit durations and future stays in Canada. Constantly changing policies exacerbate this confusion, deterring employers from hiring.

    A path forward

    Canada’s long-term competitiveness is hindered not by immigration, but by systemic labour market discrimination and inefficiencies that prevent skilled newcomers from fully contributing to the economy.

    Eliminating biases related to Canadian work experience and soft skills is key to ensuring newcomers can find fair work. The lack of recognition of foreign talent has a detrimental effect on the Canadian economy by under-utilizing valuable human capital.

    To build a more inclusive labour market, a credential recognition system should support employers in assessing transferable skills and experience to mitigate perceived hiring risks related to immigrants.

    For international students, enhanced career services at educational institutions are critical. Strengthening partnerships between universities, colleges and employers can expand internships, co-op placements and mentorship programs, providing students with relevant Canadian work experience before graduation.

    Such collaboration is also key to implementing employer education initiatives that address misconceptions about hiring international graduates and highlight their contributions to the workforce.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) can also play a role in reducing hiring biases and improving job matching for new immigrants and international graduates. Our recent report, which gathered insight from civil society, the private sector and academia, highlights the following AI-driven solutions:

    • Tools like Toronto Metropolitan University’s AI resume builder, Mogul AI, and Knockri can help match skills to roles, neutralize hiring bias and promote equity.

    • Wage subsidies and AI tools can encourage equitable hiring, while AI-powered programs can help human resources recognize and reduce biases.

    • Tools like the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council Mentoring Partnership, can connect newcomers with mentors, track their skills and match them to employer needs.

    Harnessing AI-driven solutions, alongside policy reforms and stronger employer engagement, can help break down hiring barriers so Canada can fully benefit from the skills and expertise of its immigrant workforce.

    Marshia Akbar receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    Anna Triandafyllidou receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Tri-Agency of Research Councils, Canada and Horizon Europe framework program of the European Commission.

    – ref. Canadian immigrants are overqualified and underemployed — reforms must address this – https://theconversation.com/canadian-immigrants-are-overqualified-and-underemployed-reforms-must-address-this-247974

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Namibia’s Shark Island: Europe’s push for green hydrogen risks compromising sites of colonial genocide

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Rosanna Carver, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Victoria

    An aerial view of Shark Island and the town of Lüderitz in Namibia. (Black Court Studios)

    In September 2025, Namibia will host the Global African Hydrogen Summit. The Namibian government has ambitions to turn the country into a leading producer of green hydrogen for export to markets in Europe and elsewhere. However, the lands and waters now regarded as being essential to Europe’s energy transition are tied to traumatic memories of colonial violence; especially the ocean, which is the final resting place for thousands of Namibians.

    As countries around the world transition to renewable energy, an inconspicuous peninsula in Namibia known as Shark Island is positioned to play a key role in the production of so-called “green” hydrogen, which is a proposed alternative to fossil fuels.

    However, the peninsula and its waters are at risk of being compromised by proposed port expansions to support the transportation of green hydrogen. Shark Island, near the town of Lüderitz, is now a campsite for tourists.

    But Shark Island is also called Death Island, and it was a concentration camp and a site of genocide during German colonial rule from 1884 to 1915. The concentration camp has since been destroyed, leaving little evidence of the violence that occurred there. However, recent international investigations highlight what many Namibians have known and worked on for generations.

    Germany’s colonization and genocide

    In 1884, German colonizer Adolf Lüderitz annexed Namibia, intending to finance colonial rule through minerals. Between 1904 and 1908, German colonial forces killed approximately 100,000 people (80 per cent of the Herero and half of the Nama population). The genocide also affected the ǂNukhoen and the ǂAonin communities.

    During the genocide, those who were not immediately killed were sent to concentration camps, where they were forced to perform manual labour, such as working on railways and harbours. This occurred across Namibia, including on the coast: in Swakopmund and Lüderitz alone, more than 1,550 Nama died.

    The research agency Forensic Architecture has digitally reconstructed the camps and identified evidence of burial places. On Shark Island, they demonstrate that the port expansion “poses further imminent risk to the site.”

    Attention has been given to the land-based component of green hydrogen projects including the multinational joint venture, Hyphen Energy. But the ocean, which Namibia’s development projects also interact with, is often overlooked as a space of memory, justice and relations. This is in part due to colonial and apartheid histories that erased or excluded people from the coasts and oceans.

    During colonial rule, German colonizers incarcerated Namibians offshore aboard ships. They also threw the bodies of those who had died in the concentration camp into the ocean. The local saying “the sea will take you” highlights how the ocean is involuntarily tied to memories of death and trauma.

    Namibians have not forgotten the violence that occurred on the land and at sea. Local groups are restoring grave sites and establishing memorials. The discussion of recognition, justice and equitable rights and access to the coast and ocean are important for Namibia’s communities and the decedents of those killed during the genocide.

    Waves of energy colonialism

    Green hydrogen has a central role in global decarbonization ambitions. Namibia is considered an “export production site” for Europe’s future hydrogen economy. This is due to its solar and wind potential, and access to the ocean.

    Hydrogen can only be produced in Namibia if the infrastructure exists to enable it. For example, hydrogen requires the industrial and transportation infrastructure to get it to international markets. To meet these demands, the Namibian Ports Authroity is proposing port expansions in the city of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, where expansion could have implications for Shark Island and its waters.

    Campaigners in Namibia are demanding the government and industry halt the expansion plans on Shark Island, and meaningfully engage with reconciliation. Among them is the Windhoek-based Black Court Studio, where Natache Iilonga, co-author of this article, is the creative director.

    These proposed developments signal the continued European dominance in Namibia’s blue and green economy projects. They enable energy colonialism, where the push for green energy continues colonial injustices. European countries and industry perpetuate ecological, social and cultural harm to satisfy their own climate change agendas.

    Projects and partnerships between Namibia and European countries like Germany are emblematic of (neo)colonial power relations. While these projects propose to foster co-operation, they also continue to dispossess communities from their lands and waters, and erase environmental and cultural relations.

    Through “development assistance,” the German government and non-governmental organizations continue to influence economic projects in Namibia, while avoiding discussion of meaningful reparations for colonial crimes.



    Read more:
    Germany’s genocide in Namibia: deal between the two governments falls short of delivering justice

    The land and ocean are not merely passive witnesses to colonial violence. Black Court Studio incorporates the ocean as a dynamic participant in the conversation about these violent histories, and justice and healing. Through community exercises and counter-mapping, the studio explores people’s socio-cultural relations with the ocean.

    Together, the studio’s interventions are beginning to resituate previously erased and forgotten connections with Shark Island. This work also highlights cultural and spiritual relations with the ocean that persist despite this dispossession.

    Namibia’s ocean and coasts are not empty spaces to be exploited for the benefit of Europe’s energy future. A deeper understanding of histories, and present day connections, provide lessons for meaningful reconciliation.

    Natache Iilonga is a practicing architect with Iilonga Architects Inc and the co-founder of Black Court Studios Namibia.

    Rosanna Carver 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. Namibia’s Shark Island: Europe’s push for green hydrogen risks compromising sites of colonial genocide – https://theconversation.com/namibias-shark-island-europes-push-for-green-hydrogen-risks-compromising-sites-of-colonial-genocide-239549

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Observing non-earthquake signals on the Yellowstone Seismic Network

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Jamie Farrell, associate research professor with the University of Utah Seismograph Stations and Chief Seismologist of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

    It is well-known that the Yellowstone region, with an average of 1,500-2,500 earthquakes per year, is one of the most-seismically active areas in the western U.S.  The Yellowstone Seismic Network is designed to record the ground shaking from these earthquakes and send the data back to the University of Utah in real time for analysis.  There are a lot of other things that cause the ground to shake, however, and this shaking is recorded by seismic stations in and around Yellowstone.  Most of the time, it is easy to differentiate these signals from those of real earthquakes.

    So, what else besides earthquakes makes the ground shake in Yellowstone?

    Webicorders of Yellowstone Seismic Network stations YMR (West Entrance road) and YNM (Norris Geyser Basin Museum) showing traffic signals (left) and visitors walking (right) during daytime hours.  Both records span the entire 24-hour period of July 23, 2024, MDT. 

    Some of the most common causes of non-earthquake ground shaking are humans and the vehicles that they drive.  As a general guideline, seismic stations are located far away from roads to avoid these signals, but there are some that are close enough to record every car/truck/bus/RV that drives by.  A seismic station that is located near the Madison-West Entrance Road, designated YMR, is notorious for recording road noise. In addition, a seismic station that is located in the Norris Geyser Basin Museum (designated YNM) records the thousands of visitors that walk by it every day during the summer.  Signals that are related to human activity can be identified by their prevalence during the daytime hours and their absence during nighttime hours.

    Signals recorded at station YDD in Yellowstone National Park from the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcanic eruption. The seismometer at YDD recorded both the direct seismic phase (top left) as well as the atmospheric Lamb Wave that coupled to the ground as it propagated (top right).  The infrasound microphone at YDD recorded the atmospheric disturbance from the Lamb wave (bottom right) that arrived in Yellowstone ~9 hours after the eruption.  Seismic waves travel through the earth much faster than sound waves travel through the atmosphere, which explains the long delay in timing between when the two signals were recorded.

    Signals related to non-earthquake geologic events far from Yellowstone can sometimes be seen as well.  An example of this is the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcanic eruption in the south Pacific.  The volcano is located about 9,742 km (6,053 miles) from Yellowstone National Park, but the signals from that violent eruption are clearly seen on many stations in the Yellowstone Seismic Network.  In fact, that eruption produced two signals that are evident in the Yellowstone seismic record.  The first signal is the direct P-wave (seismic phase) that traveled through the earth from the eruption site to Yellowstone—the wave arrived ~27 minutes after the eruption occurred.  The eruption also produced very powerful atmospheric waves.  The most energetic of these atmospheric waves was something called a Lamb wave, which travelled through the atmosphere but along the Earth’s surface. The Lamb waves from the eruption traveled around the earth 4 times over 6 days.  The first of these arrived in Yellowstone ~9 hours after the eruption—moving at the speed of sound, which is much slower than the speed of earthquake waves through the ground—and is evident on both seismometers and infrasound microphones. This shows that as the Lamb wave propagated along the Earth’s surface, not only did it cause an atmospheric disturbance (as recorded by the infrasound microphone) but energy was also transferred into the Earth (as recorded by the seismometer).  In this sense, the wave was similar to a sonic boom or thunderclap.

    Other non-earthquake signals are sometimes recorded on seismometers around rivers due to ground shaking from large floods in Yellowstone, like those that occurred in June 2022.  Near Yellowstone Lake, seismometers record “icequakes” from cracking of the ice cover during winter, and when the lake is free of ice during summer months ground shaking can be caused by wave action on the lake during daytime hours.  In addition, seismometers record signals related to hydrothermal activity and even hydrothermal explosions.

    Even though these non-earthquake signals are not what the Yellowstone Seismic Network was originally designed to record, they still provide valuable insights into the Yellowstone volcanic and tectonic system.  Scientists are increasingly using these data to better understand the dynamic nature of geologic activity in the Yellowstone region.

    Signals from a suspected icequake that occurred on Yellowstone Lake recorded at Yellowstone Seismic Network stations YLA on Lake Butte (top) and YTP at The Promontory (bottom 3 plots). Plot shows about 2 minutes of data from January 24, 2022, starting at about 7:43:34 p.m. MST.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4454-4457: Getting Ready to Fill the Long Weekend with Science

    Source: NASA

    Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
    Curiosity is continuing to make progress along the strategic route, traversing laterally across the sulfate (salt) bearing unit toward the boxwork structures. The team celebrated the completion of another successful drive when we received the downlink this morning, and then we immediately got to work thinking about what’s next. There is a holiday in the United States on Monday, so instead of the typical three-sol weekend plan, we actually planned four sols, which will set us up to return to planning next Tuesday.
    The first sol of the plan focuses on remote sensing, and we’ll be taking several small Mastcam mosaics of features around the rover. One of my favorite targets the team picked is a delightfully pointy rock visible toward the left of the Navcam image shown above. The color images we’ll take with Mastcam will give us more information about the textures of this rock and potentially provide insight into the geologic forces that transformed it into this comical shape. The team chose what I think is a very appropriate name for this Martian pyramid-shaped target — “Pyramid Lake.” The terrestrial inspiration behind this name is a human-made reservoir (lake) near Los Angeles with a big (also human-made) pyramidal hill in it.
    On the second sol of the plan, we’ll use the instruments on Curiosity’s arm to collect data of rock targets at our feet, including “Strawberry Peak,” a bumpy piece of bedrock, “Lake Arrowhead,” a smooth piece of bedrock, and “Skyline Trail,” a dark float rock. ChemCam will also collect chemical data of Skyline Trail, “Big Tujunga” — which is similar to Strawberry Peak — and “Momyer.” We’ll also take the first part of a 360-degree color mosaic with Mastcam!
    In the third sol of the plan, we’ll complete the 360-degree mosaic and continue driving to the southwest along our strategic route. The fourth sol is pretty quiet, with some atmospheric observations and a ChemCam AEGIS. Atmospheric observations are additionally sprinkled throughout other sols of the plan. This time of year we are particularly interested in studying the clouds above Gale crater!
    I’m looking forward to the nice long weekend, and returning on Tuesday morning to see everything Curiosity accomplished.
    Written by Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Permanent Representative of Haiti Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Ann-Kathryne Lassegue, the new Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Prior to her appointment, Ms. Lassegue had been serving as Head of Mission a.i. at the Permanent Mission of Haiti to the United Nations Office in Geneva since June 2024, and prior to that, as Minister Counsellor at the Mission since 2021.  She served as Head of Mission a.i. at the Embassy of Haiti in Canada from 2020 to 2021, and as Minister Counsellor from 2014 to 2021.  She served as Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Haiti in Benin from 2012 to 2014.

    Ms. Lassegue holds a master’s degree in international development and globalization from the University of Ottowa (2021) and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of New York (2010), as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science from Queens College of New York (2008) and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Bordeaux (2005).  She is married with two children.

    ____

    CR.25.052E

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in December 2024

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in December 2024
    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in December 2024
    **************************************************************************

         Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for December 2024 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (February 17) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.      In December 2024, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods increased by 2.3%, while the volume of imports of goods decreased by 3.6% over December 2023.      Comparing 2024 with 2023, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 4.9% and 2.6% respectively.      Comparing the fourth quarter of 2024 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods remained virtually unchanged, while the volume of imports of goods decreased by 0.8%.      Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.      Comparing December 2024 with December 2023, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 2.7% and 2.3% respectively.      As regards price changes in 2024 over 2023, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 3.6% and 3.2% respectively.      Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.      The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2023, the index increased by 0.4% in both December 2024 and 2024 as a whole.      Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.      Comparing December 2024 with December 2023, increases were recorded for the total export volume to Vietnam (47.9%), the mainland of China (the Mainland) (11.2%) and Taiwan (1.2%). On the other hand, the total export volume to the USA (-18.2%) and India (-31.7%) decreased.      Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to the USA (3.4%), the Mainland (3.3%), Vietnam (2.5%) and Taiwan (2.3%) increased. On the other hand, the total export prices to India decreased by 3.8%.      Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.      Comparing December 2024 with December 2023, declines were recorded for the import volume from Korea (-13.8%), the Mainland (-4.6%) and Japan (-0.7%). On the other hand, the import volume from Taiwan (2.4%) and Singapore (8.3%) increased.      Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (8.6%), Singapore (3.7%), the Mainland (1.8%), Japan (1.2%) and Taiwan (1.2%). Further information      Details of the above statistics are published in the December 2024 issue of “Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers”. Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).      Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).

     
    Ends/Monday, February 17, 2025Issued at HKT 16:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: What We Heard report released on child naming and parentage laws

    What We Heard report released on child naming and parentage laws
    jlutz

    The Government of Yukon has released the Inclusive Yukon Families: What We Heard report, summarizing feedback on child naming and parentage laws. The public-engagement, which took place from February to April 2024, aimed to understand barriers, burdens and inequities within the current legislative framework and explore how the Yukon’s laws can be modernized to better reflect the diversity of Yukon families.

    The report identifies key challenges in the Yukon’s current naming and parentage laws. It highlights barriers faced by Indigenous communities seeking to reclaim traditional names, 2SLGBTQIA+ families striving for legal recognition and individuals using assisted reproduction or surrogacy to grow their families.

    Key findings in this report include the following.

    • 44 per cent of respondents agreed that parents should be able to include letters and characters that are not part of the Roman alphabet in their child’s name.
    • Many Indigenous respondents emphasized the importance of name reclamation as a step toward reconciliation and cultural preservation.
    • Feedback on parentage laws indicated a need for more inclusive definitions that recognize diverse family compositions, including families formed through surrogacy, egg and sperm donation and polyamorous relationships.
    • There is broad support for ensuring children’s rights and best interests remain central in determining legal parentage.

    This report will inform the Government of Yukon’s next steps in potential legislative changes to the Children’s Law Act, Vital Statistics Act and Change of Name Act.

    Related information:

    Read the Inclusive Yukon Families: What We Heard report

    Read the Children’s Law Act

    Read the Vital Statistics Act

    Read the Change of Name Act

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Munich Security Conference: G7 foreign ministers’ statement, February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    G7 foreign ministers and the EU gave a joint statement on the margins of the Munich Security Conference on 15 February 2025.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy with G7 foreign ministers and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas at the Munich Security Conference.

    Joint statement:

    The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference for the first time under Canada’s 2025 Presidency.

    The G7 members discussed Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine.  They underscored their commitment to work together to help to achieve a durable peace and a strong and prosperous Ukraine and reaffirmed the need to develop robust security guarantees to ensure the war will not begin again.  

    The G7 members welcomed their discussion today with Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.  They recalled the G7’s important contribution towards ending the war in Ukraine, including through measures pursuant to the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, by supporting Ukraine financially through the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from Russian Sovereign Assets, by imposing further cost on Russia, if they do not negotiate in good faith, through caps on oil and gas prices, and by making sanctions against Russia more effective. Any new, additional sanctions after February should be linked to whether the Russian Federation enters into real, good-faith efforts to bring an enduring end to the war against Ukraine that provides Ukraine with long-term security and stability as a sovereign, independent country.  The G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

    The G7 members discussed the provision to Russia of dual-use assistance by China and of military assistance by DPRK and Iran.  They condemned all such support.

    The G7 members discussed political, security and humanitarian issues in the Middle East, including in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, and their commitment to advancing regional peace and stability.  They underscored the importance of a durable, Israeli-Palestinian peace.  They reaffirmed their support for the full implementation of the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas, including for the release of all hostages and the expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza.  The G7 members stand behind the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States in continuing to work towards a permanent ceasefire.  They reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and the need to ensure that Hamas neither reconstitutes militarily nor participates in governance.  They recognized Israel’s inherent right to self-defence, consistent with international law. 

    The G7 members welcomed the outcomes of the International Conference on Syria, hosted by France on February 13, 2025.  They reiterated their shared commitment to the people of Syria and their support for an inclusive political transition process, in the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.  They welcomed, as well, positive developments in Lebanon, including the recent election of President Joseph Aoun, the designation of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, and the formation of a new government.  The G7 members reaffirmed their commitment to both countries’ stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

    The G7 members unequivocally condemned Iran’s destabilizing actions, including its rapid advancement of uranium enrichment without credible civil justification, its facilitation of terrorism organizations and armed groups across the Middle East and Red Sea, its proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and its transnational repression and violation of fundamental human rights.

    The G7 members reiterated their commitment to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region, grounded in respect for the rule of law and sovereignty.  They strongly opposed any attempts to change unilaterally the status quo using force and underscored the importance of resolving disputes peacefully.  They strongly opposed China’s attempts to restrict freedom of navigation through militarization and coercive activities in the East and South China Sea. 

    The G7 members expressed serious concern over the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). They underscored that direct DPRK support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. They urged the DPRK to cease immediately all assistance for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including by withdrawing its troops. The called upon DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.

    The G7 members also discussed urgent situations of conflict and instability elsewhere in the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan, and in Haiti and Venezuela.

    The G7 Foreign Ministers looked forward to their meeting in Canada in Charlevoix, Quebec on March 12-14.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Launches Global Graduate Program to Cultivate the Next Generation of Web3 Talent

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, announced the launch of its first Bitget Graduate Program, an initiative designed to recruit and cultivate the next generation of blockchain and Web3 talent from top global universities. As part of Bitget’s Blockchain4Youth Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, this program aligns with the company’s plans of driving education, innovation, and long-term growth in the blockchain industry.

    The Bitget Graduate Program seeks outstanding graduates with a global mindset, a passion for innovation, and a strong drive to explore the future of Web3. The program provides career opportunities across various fields, including operations, product management, marketing, risk & compliance, data management, and engineering, enabling participants to gain hands-on experience in one of the fastest-growing sectors.

    Applications are now open on the Bitget official website and will remain available until March 15, 2025. Successful candidates will receive offer letters to join Bitget, with the earliest start date being April 1. Through this program, Bitget plans to hire around 30 exceptional graduates, offering them a structured development program, cross-functional training, and direct mentorship from industry experts. Participants will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge blockchain projects and contribute to expanding Web3 applications.

    “At Bitget, we believe the future of Web3 lies in the hands of the next generation,” said Vugar Usi Zade, Chief Operating Officer at Bitget. “The Graduate Program is designed to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity, providing young professionals with a direct pathway to immerse themselves in the blockchain industry. As Web3 adoption accelerates, we are committed to equipping future leaders with the skills and experiences they need to shape the decentralized world.”

    Bitget offers a dynamic and diverse workplace, with over 1,800 employees from over 60 countries and a culture that values efficiency, innovation, and collaboration. The program offers competitive compensation, clear career development pathways, and growth opportunities within Bitget.

    Launched in May 2023, Blockchain4Youth aligns with Bitget’s commitment to inspiring the next generation to embrace blockchain. With a $10 million pledge over five years, the initiative offers courses, hackathons, and scholarships. By the end of 2024, Bitget had entered over 60 universities, including  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University College London (UCL), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, National Technological University of Argentina, National Taiwan University, and RMIT University, hosting nearly 100 talks and reaching over 13,000 students.

    For more details on the Bitget Graduate Program and application process, visit this link.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships,  such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices may fluctuate and experience price volatility. Only invest what you can afford to lose. The value of your investment may be impacted and it is possible that you may not achieve your financial goals or be able to recover your principal investment. You should always seek independent financial advice and consider your own financial experience and financial standing. Past performance is not a reliable measure of future performance. Bitget shall not be liable for any losses you may incur. Nothing here shall be construed as financial advice.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b8e4841-98ea-487c-b176-1a3359695920

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Xiamen exports over 30 mln e-commerce parcels via air route to Sao Paulo

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China’s Xiamen exports over 30 mln e-commerce parcels via air route to Sao Paulo

    Updated: February 17, 2025 15:58 Xinhua

    China’s Xiamen has exported over 30 million cross-border e-commerce parcels since an air cargo route linking it with Sao Paulo in Brazil was launched two years ago.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transcript: Governor Hochul Speaks at Annual Gala

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at the New York State Association Of Black & Puerto Rican Legislators annual scholarship gala.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    You can do better than that. You’re a little tired, aren’t you? Okay. Okay. All right. I feel the love from you, I truly do.

    It’s been a long weekend, but what a weekend of conversation and engagement and commitment to re-engaging the fight. And this organization is the powerhouse that not just the State needs to take the fight to Washington, but the whole country is counting on us here in the State of New York.

    The genesis of the Civil Rights Movement; the founding of the Niagara Movement, gave us the NAACP; the Women’s Rights Movement started right here; the LGBTQ+ movement started right here; the environmental justice movement started right here. I will tell you, in Stonewall, what they’re doing to our trans community, making them feel like a “T” does not matter on websites and in our museums and places of history — this is what I’m talking about, my friends. We’ve been down a road like this before. We’ve had to fight back injustice, discrimination, hatred, but we are ready for the fight.

    And I want to thank the leaders of this organization. Senator Latrice Walker, thank you so much for bringing us to this point, you’ve done amazing. It’s so great to see you in action. I want to thank our Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Speaker Carl Heastie; our Attorney General, Tish James; our Senator Chuck Schumer is right behind me, you’re going to hear from him in a couple minutes.

    But here’s my one message, my friends, we will not sit on the sidelines during this fight. We will be engaged. We’ll be ready. Just like we’ve had to fight things in our own state, we must take on the fight for America. We’ve done a lot here. We passed Clean Slate to give people a second chance at life. We have a reparations commission to say, “We must undo the injustices of the past.” We’ve doubled the amount of investment in higher education and TAP programs. You know what we’re going to do next? Free community college for people 25 to 55 going into specific careers, because they should have another shot at the American dream. And we’re going to put $5,000 back in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers because they’re so sick and tired of getting beaten down when they’re trying to pay their utility bills and pay the grocery bill at the end of the day.

    We’re there for them, and that is the message that Democrats, and all of us in the elected office, must deliver. We are the fighters. We’re the ones who are going to stand up. And whatever Washington sends our way, we are ready on the front lines to kick back and fight back hard. It’s coming from here. You’re part of the team. Let’s get it done. Thank you, everybody.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The threat of 3D-printed ‘ghost guns’ is growing, but NZ is yet to act on these 3 big legal gaps

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    It’s an unfortunate fact that bad people sometimes want guns. And while laws are designed to prevent guns falling into the wrong hands, the determined criminal can be highly resourceful.

    There are three main ways to source an illegal weapon: find a lawful owner willing to provide one unlawfully, buy one from another criminal, or make your own.

    The first two options aren’t as easy as they sound. The buyer might “know a guy” willing to sell, but the seller generally has good reason to be cautious about who they sell to.

    The price of the right firearm can be high, too, as is how “clean” its history is. No criminal wants to be connected to someone else’s crimes by their weapon’s history.

    Which leads us to the third option. Privately made firearms, manufactured to avoid detection by the authorities, are nothing new. What has grown is the computer-aided manufacture, of which 3D-printing technology is the best known form, enabling manufacture without traditional gunsmithing skills.

    The resulting “ghost guns” will potentially become more prevalent in New Zealand, and are already posing a significant challenge in overseas jurisdictions. With public submissions on the planned rewriting of the Arms Act closing at the end of February, it’s an issue we can’t ignore.

    No room for complacency

    Although blueprints of fully 3D-printed firearms are most common, hybrid designs, conversion kits, and firearms components sold as a kit or as separate pieces, are all gaining ground.

    These are all far more advanced and deadly than the homemade wood and metal weapon used in 2022 to kill former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

    Their ease of manufacture, improved reliability and performance, non-traceability and lower cost all appear to be driving demand. There is also the ideological attraction of avoiding state scrutiny that makes 3D-printing popular with far-right extremist groups.

    New Zealand authorities seized their first 3D-printed firearm in the middle of 2018. As of the end of last year, 58 3D-printed guns and between 200 and 300 firearms parts had been seized.

    This growth mirrors overseas trends. But it’s important to keep the numbers in perspective. Of the 9,662 firearms (including airguns) the New Zealand Police seized between August 2016 and July 2022, the most common were conventional rifles and shotguns.

    However, that is no cause for complacency. If proposed firearms law reforms – such as a new registry – help shrink the black market, we can expect the ghost gun market to grow.

    3D printed guns and gun conversion devices held by the US National Firearm Reference Vault.
    Getty Images

    Gaps in the law

    Legislation passed in 2020 makes the crime of illegal manufacturing (by unlicensed people) punishable by up to ten years’ imprisonment.

    Additional penalties can be added for making certain prohibited items, such as large-capacity magazines. In October last year, an Otago man became the first to be imprisoned in New Zealand for 3D-printing firearms.

    Despite this, and the foreseeable risk, there are several significant gaps in New Zealand law.

    1. Making guns detectable

    Unlike the US and some other countries, New Zealand does not mandate that every gun be detectable by containing enough metal to set off X-ray machines and metal detectors.

    The US also prohibits any firearms with major components that do not show up accurately in standard airport imaging technology.

    2. Penalties for obtaining blueprints

    While the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms is illegal, there is nothing specific in New Zealand law about downloading blueprints.

    There may be scope within existing censorship laws around downloading objectionable material. But this may be limited by the need to classify each plan or blueprint as objectionable. And artificial intelligence means these plans can change and evolve rapidly.

    More wholesale laws covering the computer-aided manufacture of firearms or their individual parts would be preferable.

    Canada, for example, introduced recent changes to firearms law making it a crime to access or download plans or graphics. Knowingly sharing or selling such data online for manufacturing or trafficking is also a crime, with penalties of up to ten years in prison.

    New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia are all making new laws in this area. In the case of South Australia, offenders face up to 15 years in prison for the possession of 3D-printer firearms blueprints.

    3. Preventing ‘ghost ammunition’

    Privately manufactured firearms still require ammunition to be effective, and the Arms Act is only partly effective in this area.

    Only firearms licence holders can lawfully possess non-prohibited ammunition, and all firearms dealers and ammunition sellers must keep a record of those transactions.

    But that obligation does not apply when firearms licence holders give, share or otherwise supply ammunition among themselves. Furthermore, there are only limited regulations around obtaining the precursors or tools for making ammunition, with only a few key ingredients, like gunpowder, restricted to licence holders.

    This is similar to the Australian approach. But Australia also requires licensed owners to purchase only the type of ammunition required for their specific firearms type.

    Trying to the correct balance here is tricky: the law must be practical to work but also ensure a potential ghost gun market does not create a “ghost ammunition” market, too.

    The ability to privately manufacture firearms, by computer-aided methods in particular, is a foreseeable and potentially hard-to-police problem. But by learning from other jurisdictions and making a few simple law changes, New Zealand can move now to make communities safer.

    The author thanks Clementine Annabell for assisting with the research for this article.

    Alexander Gillespie is a recipient of a Borrin Foundation Justice Fellowship to research comparative best practice in the regulation of firearms. He is also a member of the Ministerial Arms Advisory Group. The views expressed here are his own and not to be attributed to either of these organisations.

    – ref. The threat of 3D-printed ‘ghost guns’ is growing, but NZ is yet to act on these 3 big legal gaps – https://theconversation.com/the-threat-of-3d-printed-ghost-guns-is-growing-but-nz-is-yet-to-act-on-these-3-big-legal-gaps-248541

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: First Woman Presidentially Appointed as United States Attorney for the District of Utah Departs from Post

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The first woman presidentially appointed as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah and sworn into office as the 38th United States Attorney to serve in the State of Utah, leaves the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Honorable Trina A. Higgins was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on January 31, 2022. Her last day as United States Attorney is February 16, 2025.

    Under Higgins’ leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah focused on cases that have the largest impact and cause the most harm to Utah citizens. Working with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office significantly increased the number of financial crime prosecutions in Utah; brought more complex narcotics and firearm cases focused on defendants higher in criminal organizations; and prosecuted many significant violent crime cases, including murders, sexual assaults, child exploitation, human trafficking, robberies, and carjackings.

    During her tenure, The U.S. Attorney’s Office tried 35 jury trials, including three homicides committed in Tribal communities. United States Attorney Higgins was the trial attorney in one case where a man brutally murdered a Navajo woman in front of her two young daughters in the Navajo Nation. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

    United States Attorney Higgins also served on several Attorney General’s Advisory Committee subcommittees for Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Those included the Environmental Justice Subcommittee, the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee, and the Native American Issues Subcommittee.

    Maintaining the United States Attorney’s strong partnerships with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, United States Attorney Higgins made it a priority to strengthen and build upon those relationships to pursue justice and better serve the people of Utah.

    Leaders in the law enforcement community offered comments regarding U.S Attorney Higgins’ service.

    “Strong partnerships between law enforcement and prosecutors are essential to upholding the rule of law. U.S. Attorney Higgins has been an invaluable friend to the FBI and a staunch supporter of our mission,” said Mehtab Syed, Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City FBI. “During her tenure, she championed the safety of Utahns, and we thank her for her years of dedicated public service.”

    “United States Attorney Trina Higgins has been an engaged and dedicated law enforcement partner as well as a steadfast advocate of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Her extensive experience as a career prosecutor, and unwavering commitment in her pursuit of justice have been pivotal in the successful prosecution of many complex cases.”

    “I would like to thank United States Attorney Higgins for her many years of dedicated service as a federal prosecutor and as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah,” said U.S. Marshal Justin Martinez of the District of Utah. “USA Higgins is a consummate professional and has always kept the lines of communication open.  USA Higgins is an extremally effective leader and a real change agent.  She will be greatly missed by the U.S. Marshals Service and every federal, state and local agency she works with.”

    “With appreciation, we thank United States Attorney Higgins for her dedication to DEA efforts in the state of Utah,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “Cooperation and hard work between DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, has led to many successful prosecutions. On behalf of the men and women of DEA, we wish nothing but the best for United States Attorney Higgins now and into the future.”

    “HSI is grateful for its long-standing relationship with United States Attorney Higgins and her staff,” said HSI Utah Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Crane. “The collaboration has had a significant impact on public safety throughout Utah and stands as an example for future collaborations.”

    “United States Attorney Higgins has been a tremendous partner in supporting the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to safeguard the U.S. Mail, postal workers, and the public,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.  “United States Attorney Higgins was committed to holding accountable those who harm postal employees or exploit the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including narcotics distribution.  It has been a pleasure to collaborate with United States Attorney Higgins and we wish her continued success in all her future endeavors.”

    “I want to thank United States Attorney Higgins for her partnership and outstanding leadership in working with our local law enforcement agencies,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “She prioritized complex and violent offender cases to improve safety within the communities we serve.”

    “United States Attorney Trina Higgins’ dedication to justice and service to the community is truly exceptional and will be greatly missed,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown. “Her career as a dedicated prosecutor made our city safer—whether it was prosecuting some of our first Project Safe Neighborhood cases or complex, high-profile, or challenging cases. United States Attorney Higgins handled every case with professionalism and a true sense of duty. Never did she hide from the difficult cases. We will always remember USA Higgins’ compassion for crime victims and their families. She made sure victims’ voices were heard and understood in the pursuit of justice. While we will miss United States Attorney Higgins greatly, I know her legacy will endure through the District of Utah because of her distinguished career.”

    United States Attorney Higgins has been in public service for 30 years. Prior to her leadership role as U.S. Attorney, Higgins served as an Assistant United States Attorney for over two decades and as a Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney. At the time of her nomination, Higgins was serving as the Mediterranean Legal Advisor at the United States embassies in Valletta, Malta and Nicosia, Cyprus. A Utah native, Higgins earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State University and Juris Doctor degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, where she also worked as an adjunct professor for a decade. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Donald J. Trump Approves Emergency Declaration for Kentucky

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    President Donald J. Trump Approves Emergency Declaration for Kentucky

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced today that federal disaster assistance is available to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to supplement response efforts to the emergency conditions in the area affected by severe storms, straight-line winds flooding and landslides beginning on Feb. 14 and continuing. The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. This assistance is for all 120 counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75% federal funding.  Jeremy Slinker has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected areas.
    amy.ashbridge
    Sun, 02/16/2025 – 21:14

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Inspires High School Engineering Club

    Source: NASA

    A group of enthusiastic high school students recently visited NASA to learn about facilities and capabilities that enable the agency’s researchers to explore, innovate, and inspire for the benefit of humanity.
    Engineering club students from Palmdale High School in California were able to connect classroom lessons to real-world applications, sparking curiosity and ambition while at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “I learned a lot about the different careers that you can get at a place like NASA,” student Roberto Cisnero said.
    Through partnerships with the regional STEM community, NASA’s STEM Engagement provides local students with hands-on opportunities aligned with NASA’s missions. “Many students do not get the opportunity to be encouraged to pursue STEM careers. Part of our NASA mission is to be that encourager,” said Randy Thompson, deputy director for NASA Armstrong Research and Engineering.
    Highlights from the visit included demonstrations at a mission control room, the Subscale Flight Research Laboratory, the Flight Loads Laboratory, and the Experimental Fabrication Shop, all of which support high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects. Students engaged with laboratory technicians, engineers, and program managers, asking questions about the work they do. “It was fun to see what the valued people at NASA do with all of the resources,” student Jonathan Peitz said.
    NASA’s California Office of STEM Engagement hosted the visit in celebration of National Aviation History Month. By supporting students, educators, and expanding STEM participation, NASA aims to inspire future leaders and build a diverse, skilled workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Weeks Left for Crow Tribe Members to Apply for Disaster Assistance: Applicants Should Keep In Touch With FEMA

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Two Weeks Left for Crow Tribe Members to Apply for Disaster Assistance: Applicants Should Keep In Touch With FEMA

    Two Weeks Left for Crow Tribe Members to Apply for Disaster Assistance: Applicants Should Keep In Touch With FEMA

    Crow Agency, Mont. – Crow Tribe members who had damage caused by the August 6, 2024 severe storm and straight-line winds have until February 28, 2025 to apply for disaster assistance. They can apply at the Disaster Recovery Center located at the Black Lodge Community Center, I-90 at the Dunmore exit, #503. More than 650 applications have already been submitted. FEMA is asking applicants to stay in touch as there are several steps in the assistance process.Damage InspectionsAfter applying for assistance, a FEMA inspector and a Crow Tribal Guide will call to schedule a time to come to your home. The number may show as “Unknown” or be an out of state area code. Please answer the call and schedule your visit as soon as possible.FEMA letters and next stepsAfter the damage inspection, applicants receive one or more letters on the status of their application. The letter(s) may say ineligible, not approved, or even denied. Don’t be discouraged, FEMA may just need more information. Read each letter to find out what is needed to continue moving the application forward. It may be missing information or a document that is needed. Come to the Disaster Recovery Center for help with next steps. It is helpful to have the nine-digit application number you were given when you applied. This number is included in all correspondence FEMA sends to you — it is very important to use this number.Stay in touch through the Disaster Recovery CenterThe deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance is February 28, 2025, but FEMA will still be here to help. Please visit the Disaster Recovery Center at the Black Lodge Community Center. Bring your letter and any additional requested information with you if possible. Black Lodge Community Center 6772 Crow River Road, Hardin, MT 59034 (I-90 at the Dunmore exit, #503)Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mon.– Sat. (Closed Sundays and holidays)If you have questions or need to check on possible weather delays or closures, call 406-679-0022. 
    Brian.Hvinden
    Fri, 02/14/2025 – 21:40

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024 State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology Report is Released

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) is pleased to announce the official release of the highly anticipated 2024 State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology report. This significant accomplishment was made possible by the contributions of numerous dedicated people across NASA who graciously supported the preparation of the document as authors and reviewers. We also want to extend our gratitude to all the companies, universities, and organizations that provided content for this report.
    The 2024 report can be found online at https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute/sst-soa. The report is also available in PDF format as a single document containing all report content as well as individual chapters available on their respective chapter webpages. This 2024 edition reflects updates in several chapters to include: the Formation Flying and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations section within the “Guidance, Navigation, and Control” chapter; the Additive Manufacturing section within the “Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms” chapter; the Free Space Optical Communications section within the “Communications” chapter; and the Hosted Orbital Services section within the “Complete Spacecraft Platforms” chapter.
    As in previous editions, the report contains a general overview of current state-of-the-art SmallSat technologies and their development status as discussed in open literature. The report is not intended to be an exhaustive representation of all technologies currently available to the small spacecraft community, nor does the inclusion of technologies in the report serve as an endorsement by NASA. Sources of publicly available date commonly used as sources in the development of the report include manufacturer datasheets, press releases, conference papers, journal papers, public filings with government agencies, and news articles. Readers are highly encouraged to reach out to companies for further information regarding the performance and maturity of described technologies of interest. During the report’s development, companies were encouraged to release test information and flight data when possible so it may be appropriately captured. It should be noted that technology maturity designations may vary with change to payload, mission requirements, reliability considerations, and the associated test/flight environment in which performance was demonstrated.
    Suggestions or corrections to the 2024 report toward a subsequent edition, should be submitted to the NASA Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute Agency-SmallSat-Institute@mail.nasa.gov for consideration prior to the publication of the future edition. When submitting suggestions or corrections, please cite appropriate publicly accessible references. Private correspondence is not considered an adequate reference. Efforts are underway for the 2025 report and organizations are invited to submit technologies for consideration for inclusion by August 1, 2025.
    NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Summary of the 10th DSCOVR EPIC and NISTAR Science Team Meeting

    Source: NASA

    Introduction
    The 10th Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) Earth Polychromatic Camera (EPIC) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Radiometer [NISTAR] Science Team Meeting (STM) was held October 16–18, 2024. Over 50 scientists attended, most of whom were from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), with several participating from other NASA centers, U.S. universities, and U.S. Department of Energy laboratories. There was one international participant – from Estonia. A full overview of DSCOVR’s Earth-observing instruments was published in a previous article in The Earth Observer and will not be repeated here. This article provides the highlights of the 2024 meeting. The meeting agenda and full presentations can be downloaded from GSFC’s Aura Validation Data Center.
    Opening Presentations
    The opening session of the 10th DSCOVR STM was special. Former U.S., Vice President Al Gore attended the opening session and gave a presentation at the panel discussion “Remote Sensing and the Future of Earth Observations” – see Photo. Gore was involved in the early days of planning the DSCOVR mission, which at that time was known as Triana. He reminisced about his involvement and praised the team for the work they’ve done over the past decade to launch and maintain the DSCOVR mission. Following the STM Opening Session, Gore spoke at a GSFC Engage session in Building 3 later that afternoon on the same topic, but before a wider audience. [Link forthcoming.]
    Following Gore’s remarks, the remainder of the opening session consisted of a series of presentations from DSCOVR mission leaders and representatives from GSFC and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Thomas Neumann [GSFC, Earth Sciences Division (ESD)—Deputy Director] opened the meeting and welcomed Vice President Gore and the STM participants on behalf of the ESD. Adam Szabo [GSFC—DSCOVR Project Scientist] briefly reported that the spacecraft was still in “good health.” The EPIC and NISTAR instruments on DSCOVR continue to return their full science observations. He also gave an update on DSCOVR Space Weather research. Alexander Marshak [GSFC—DSCOVR Deputy Project Scientist] briefly described DSCOVR mission history and the science results based on DSCOVR observations from the first Sun–Earth Lagrange point (hereinafter, the L1 point). He also summarized the major EPIC and NISTAR results to date. At this time, more than 125 papers related to DSCOVR are listed on the EPIC website. Elsayed Talaat [NOAA, Office of Space Weather observations—Director] discussed the future of Earth and space science studies from the L1 point.

    Updates on DSCOVR Operations
    The DSCOVR mission components continue to function nominally. The meeting was an opportunity to update participants on progress over the past year on several fronts, including data acquisition, processing, and archiving, and release of new versions of several data products. The number of people using DSCOVR data continues to increase, with a new Science Outreach Team having been put in place to aid users in several aspects of data discovery, access, and user friendliness.
    Amanda Raab [NOAA, DSCOVR Mission Operations and Systems] reported on the current status of the DSCOVR mission. She also discussed spacecraft risks and issues such as memory fragmentation and data storage task anomalies but indicated that both these issues have been resolved.
    Hazem Mahmoud [NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC)] discussed the work of the Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC), which is based at LaRC. He showed DSCOVR mission metrics since 2015, focusing on data downloads and the global outreach of the mission. He noted that there has been a significant rise in the number of downloads and an increasing diversity of countries accessing ozone (O3), aerosol, and cloud data products. Mahmoud also announced that the ASDC is transitioning to the Amazon Web Services cloud, which will further enhance global access and streamline DSCOVR data processing.
    Karin Blank [GSFC] covered the discovery of a new type of mirage that can only be seen in deep space from EPIC. The discussion included the use of a ray tracer in determining the origin of the phenomenon, and under what conditions it can be seen.
    Alexander Cede [SciGlob] and Ragi Rajagopalan [LiftBlick OG] gave an overview of the stability of the EPIC Level-1A (L1A) data over the first decade of operation. They explained that the only observable changes in the EPIC calibration are to the dark count and flat field can – and that these changes can be entirely attributed to the temperature change of the system in orbit compared to prelaunch conditions. No additional hot or warm pixels have emerged since launch and no significant sensitivity drifts have been observed. The results that Cede and Rajagopalan showed that EPIC continues to be a remarkably stable instrument, which is attributed to a large extent to its orbit around the L1 point, which is located outside the Earth’s radiation belts and thus an extremely stable temperature environment. Consequently, in terms of stability, the L1 point is far superior to other Earth observation points, e.g., ground-based, low-Earth orbit (LEO), polar orbit, or geostationary Earth orbit (GEO).
    Marshall Sutton [GSFC] discussed the state of the DSCOVR Science Operation Center (DSOC). He also talked about processing EPIC Level-1 (L1) data into L2 science products, daily images available on the EPIC website, and special imaging opportunities, e.g., volcanic eruptions.
    EPIC Calibration
    After 10 years of operation in space, the EPIC instrument on DSCOVR continues to be a remarkably stable instrument. The three presentations describe different ways that are used to verify the EPIC measurements remain reliable.
    Conor Haney [LaRC] reported on anomalous outliers during February and March 2023 from the broadband shortwave (SW) flux using EPIC L1B channel radiances. To ensure that these outliers were not a result of fluctuations in the EPIC L1B channel radiances, both the EPIC radiance measurements and coincident, ray-matched radiance measurements from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) platform, were processed using the same deep convective cloud invariant target (DCC-IT) algorithm. This analysis confirmed that the anomalous behavior was due to the DCC-IT algorithm – and not because of fluctuations in the EPIC L1B channel radiances. The improved DCC-IT methodology was also applied to the EPIC L1B radiances. The results indicate that the EPIC record is quite stable with a lower uncertainty than when processed using the previous DCC-IT methodology.
    Igor Geogdzhaev [NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)/Columbia University] reported that EPIC Visible–Near Infrared (VIS-NIR) calibration based on VIIRS (on Suomi NPP) data has showed excellent stability, while VIIRS (on NOAA-20 and -21) derived gains agree to within 1–2%. Preliminary analysis showed continuity in the gains derived from Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) data. (ABI flies on NOAA’s two operational Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite–Series R satellites – GOES-17 and GOES-18.
    Liang–Kang Huang [Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI)] reported on updates to the EPIC ultraviolet (UV) channel sensitivity time dependences using Sun-normalized radiance comparisons between EPIC and measurements from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Nadir Mapper (NM) on Suomi NPP, with coinciding footprints and solar/satellite angles. Huang’s team determined vignetting factors in the sensitivity calibration between 2021–2024, as a function of charge coupled device (CCD) pixel radius and pixel polar angles, using special lunar measurement sequences.
    NISTAR Status and Science with Its Observations
    The NISTAR instrument remains fully functional and continues its uninterrupted data record. The NISTAR-related presentations during this meeting included more details on specific topics related to NISTAR as well as on efforts to combine information from both EPIC and NISTAR.
    Steven Lorentz [L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc.] reported that the NISTAR on DSCOVR has been measuring the irradiance from the sunlit Earth in three bands for more than nine years. The three bands measure the outgoing total and reflected-solar radiation from Earth at a limited range of solar angles. To compare the long-term stability of EPIC and NISTAR responses, researchers developed a narrowband to wideband conversion model to allow the direct comparison of the EPIC multiband imagery and NISTAR SW – see Figure 1 – and silicon photodiode channels. Lorentz presented daily results spanning several years. The comparison employed different detectors from the same spacecraft – but with the same vantage point – thereby avoiding any model dependent orbital artifacts.

    Clark Weaver [University of Maryland, College Park (UMD)] used spectral information from the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY), which flew on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Envisat satellite from 2002–2012, to fill EPIC spectral gaps. He reported on construction of a composite height resolution spectrum that was spectrally integrated to produce SW energy. Weaver explained that he compared the EPIC reflected SW with four-hour averages from Band 4 on NISTAR. He used spectral information from SCIAMACHY to fill in gaps. Weaver also discussed results of a comparison of area integrated EPIC SW energy with observations from NISTAR . 
    Andrew Lacis [GISS] reported on results of analysis of seven years of EPIC-derived planetary albedo for Earth, which reveal global-scale longitudinal variability occurring over a wide range of frequencies – with strong correlation between nearby longitudes and strong anticorrelation between diametrically opposed longitudes. This behavior in the Earth’s global-scale energy budget variability is fully corroborated by seven years of NISTAR silicon photodiode measurements, which view the Earth with 1º longitudinal resolution. This analysis establishes the DSCOVR mission EPIC/NISTAR measurements as a new and unmatched observational data source for evaluating global climate model performance– e.g., see Figure 2.

    Wenying Su [LaRC] discussed global daytime mean SW fluxes within the EPIC field of view produced from January 2016–June 2024. These quasi-hourly SW fluxes agree very well with the Synoptic data product from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments (currently flying on the Terra and Aqua, Suomi NPP, and NOAA-20 platforms) with the root mean square errors (rmse) less than 3 W/m2. This SW flux processing framework will be used to calculate NISTAR SW flux when Version 4 (V4) of the NISTAR radiance becomes available. Su noted that SW fluxes from EPIC are not suitable to study interannual variability as the magnitude of EPIC flux is sensitive to the percentage of daytime area visible to EPIC.
    Update on EPIC Products and Science Results
    EPIC has a suite of data products available. The following subsections summarize content during the DSCOVR STM related to these products. The updates focus on several data products and the related algorithm improvements. 
    Total Column Ozone
    Jerry Ziemke [Morgan State University (MSU), Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research–II (GESTAR II)] and Natalya Kramarova [GSFC] reported that tropospheric O3 from DSCOVR EPIC shows anomalous reductions of ~10% throughout the Northern Hemisphere (NH) starting in Spring 2020 that continues to the present. The EPIC data, along with other satellite-based (e.g., Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura platform) and ground-based (e.g., Pandora) data, indicate that the observed NH reductions in O3 are due to combined effects from meteorology and reduced pollution, including reduced shipping pollution in early 2020 (during COVID) – see Figure 3. EPIC 1–2 hourly data are also used to evaluate hourly total O3 and derived tropospheric O3 from NASA’s Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) geostationary instrument. Ziemke explained that comparison of TEMPO data with EPIC data has helped the researchers characterize a persistent latitude-dependent offset in TEMPO total O3 data of ~10–15% from south to north over the North American continent.

    Algorithm Improvement for Ozone and Sulfur Dioxide Products
    Kai Yang [UMD] presented a comprehensive evaluation of total and tropospheric O3 retrievals, highlighting the long-term stability and high accuracy of EPIC measurements. He also validated EPIC’s volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) retrievals by comparing them with ground-based Brewer spectrophotometer measurements and summarized EPIC’s observations of SO2 from recent volcanic eruptions.
    Simon Carn [University of Michigan] showed the first comparisons between the EPIC L2 volcanic SO2 product and SO2 retrievals from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) on the Korean GEO-Kompsat-2B satellite. GEMS observes East Asia as part of the new geostationary UV air quality (GEO-AQ) satellite constellation (which also includes TEMPO that observes North America and will include the Ultraviolet–Visible–Near Infrared (UVN) instrument on the European Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, that will be launched in 2025 to observe Europe and surrounding areas) – but is not optimized for measurements of high SO2 columns during volcanic eruptions. EPIC SO2 data for the 2024 eruption of Ruang volcano in Indonesia are being used to validate a new GEMS volcanic SO2 product. Initial comparisons show good agreement between EPIC and GEMS before volcanic cloud dispersal and confirm the greater sensitivity of the hyperspectral GEMS instrument to low SO2 column amounts.
    Aerosols
    Alexei Lyapustin [GSFC] reported that the latest EPIC aerosols algorithm (V3) simultaneously retrieves aerosol optical depth, aerosol spectral absorption, and aerosol layer height (ALH) – achieving high accuracy. He showed that global validation of the single scattering albedo in the blue and red shows 66% and 81–95% agreement respectively, with Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observations – which is within the expected error of 0.03 for smoke and dust aerosols. Lyapustin also reported on a comparison of EPIC aerosol data collected from 2015–2023 by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), which flew on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) mission. The results show that ALH is retrieved with rmse ~1.1 km (0.7 mi). ALH is unbiased over the ocean and is underestimated by 450 m (1470 ft) for the smoke and by 750 m (2460 ft) for the dust aerosols over land. 
    Myungje Choi and Sujung Go [both from University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC), GESTAR II] presented results from a global smoke and dust characterization using Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm. This study characterized smoke and dust aerosol properties derived from MAIAC EPIC processing, examining spectral absorption, ALH, and chemical composition (e.g., black and brown carbon). Regions with smoldering wildfires, e.g., North America and Siberia, exhibited high ALH and a significant fraction of brown carbon, while Central Africa showed lower ALH with higher black carbon emissions.
    Omar Torres [GSFC] discussed how L1 DSCOVR-EPIC observations are being used to study air quality (i.e., tropospheric O3 and aerosols) globally. Torres noted that this application of EPIC-L1 observations is of particular interest in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) where, unlike over the NH, there are currently no space GEO-based air quality measurements – and no plans for them in the foreseeable future.
    Hiren Jethva [MSU, GESTAR II] presented the new results of the aerosol optical centroid height retrieved from the EPIC Oxygen-B band observations. He described the algorithm details, showed retrieval maps, and reviewed the comparative analysis against CALIOP backscatter-weighted measurements. The analysis showed a good level of agreement with more than 70% of matchup data within 1–1.5 km (0.6–0.9 mi) difference.
    Jun Wang [University of Iowa] presented his team’s work on advancing the second generation of the aerosol optical centroid height (AOCH) algorithm for EPIC. Key advancements included: constraining surface reflectance in aerosol retrieval using an EPIC-based climatology of surface reflectance ratios between 442–680 nm; incorporating a dynamic aerosol model to characterize aged smoke particles; and employing a spectral slope technique to distinguish thick smoke plumes from clouds. Results show that both atmospheric optical depth (AOD) and AOCH retrievals are improved in the second generation of AOCH algorithm.
    Olga Kalashnikova [NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)] reported on improving brown carbon evolution processes in the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model with EPIC products. She indicated that DSCOVR product evaluation, using lidar aerosol height measurements from CALIOP, led to an improved operational brown carbon product. To better resolve the temporal evolution of brown carbon, chemical transport models need to include more information about near-source fires.
    Mike Garay [NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)] discussed constraining near-source brown carbon emissions from 2024 Canadian ‘zombie’ fires with EPIC products. He reported that fires in British Columbia, Canada showed differences in brown carbon emission near the sources.  Garay explained that their investigation has revealed that these differences were related to fire intensity and variations in vegetation/soil content.
    Yuekui Yang [GSFC] presented work that examined the impact of Earth’s curvature consideration on EPIC cloud height retrievals. Biases under the Plane Parallel (PPL) assumption is studied by comparing results using the improved pseudo-spherical shell approximation. PPL retrievals in general bias high and for a cloud with height of 5 km (3 mi), the bias is about 6%.
    Alfonso Delgado Bonal [UMBC] stated that the EPIC vantage point offers a unique opportunity to observe not only the current state of the Earth but also its temporal evolution. By capturing multiple observations of the planet throughout the day, EPIC enables statistical reconstruction of diurnal patterns in clouds and other atmospheric parameters. Bonal’s team focused their research on O3 (primarily tropospheric) over the U.S. to demonstrate the presence of a diurnal cycle in the western regions of the continental U.S. However, ground-based data from PANDORA for specific locations do not support these diurnal variations – underscoring the critical role of space-based O3 retrievals. The proposed methodology is not limited to clouds or O3 but is broadly applicable to other EPIC measurements for the dynamic nature of our planet.
    Elizabeth Berry [Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER)] presented results from a coincident DSCOVR–CloudSat dataset [covering 2015–2020]. Cloud properties (e.g., cloud height and optical depth) from DSCOVR and CloudSat are moderately correlated and show quite good agreement given differences in the instruments sensitivities and footprints. Berry explained that a machine-learning model trained on the coincident data demonstrates high accuracy at predicting the presence of vertical cloud layers. However, precision and recall metrics highlight the challenge of predicting the precise location of cloud boundaries.
    Anthony Davis [JPL] presented a pathway toward accurate estimation of the cloud optical thickness (COT) of opaque clouds and cloud systems, e.g., supercells, mesoscale convective complexes, and tropical cyclones (TCs). He described the approach, which uses differential oxygen absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) that has resolving power greater than 104 – which is comparable to that of the high-resolution spectrometers on NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory–2 (OCO-2) – but is based upon the cloud information content of EPIC’s O2 A- and B-band radiances. Unlike the current operational retrieval of COT – which uses data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Terra and Aqua – the DOAS-based technique does not saturate at COT exceeding ~60. According to a popular TC model with two-moment microphysics, COT in a tropical storm or hurricane can reach well into the hundreds, sometimes exceeding 1000. Davis said that once the new COT estimates become available, they will provide new observational constraints on process and forecast models for TCs.
    Ocean
    Robert Frouin [Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California] discussed ocean surface radiation products derived from EPIC data. He explained that significant advancements have been achieved in processing and evaluating ocean biology and biogeochemistry products derived from EPIC imagery. V1 updates enhanced accuracy by integrating Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications V2 (MERRA-2) ancillary data and refining calculations for atmospheric and surface parameters. Frouin introduced several diurnal products, including hourly photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) fluxes, spectral water reflectance, and chlorophyll-a concentrations. He said that these new MODIS-derived products have been validated through comparisons with data from the Advanced Himawari Imager on the Japanese Himawar–8 and –9 satellites. In order to address the gaps in these diurnal products, Frouin explained that the team developed a convolutional neural network that has been used effectively to reconstruct missing PAR values with high accuracy.
    Vegetation
    Yuri Knyazikhin [Boston University] reported on the status of the Vegetation Earth System Data Record (VESDR) that provides a variety of parameters including: Leaf Area Index (LAI), diurnal courses of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Sunlit LAI (SLAI), Fraction of incident Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) absorbed by the vegetation, Directional Area Scattering Function (DASF), Earth Reflector Type Index (ERTI), and Canopy Scattering Coefficient (CSC). Knyazikhin discussed analysis of the diurnal and seasonal variations of these quantities. EPIC LAI and FPAR are consistent with MODIS-derived measurements of the same parameters.
    Jan Pisek [University of Tartu/Tartu Observatory, Estonia] discussed efforts to derive leaf inclination information from EPIC data. The very first evaluation over Tumbarumba site (in New South Wales, Australia) showed that the angular variation in parameters obtained from EPIC reflects the expected variations due to the erectophile vegetation present at the site.
    Sun Glint
    Tamás Várnai [UMBC, JCET] discussed EPIC observations of Sun glint from ice clouds. The cloud glints come mostly from horizontally oriented ice crystals and have strong impact in EPIC cloud retrievals. Várnai reported that the EPIC glint product is available from the ASDC – see Figure 4. Glint data can help reduce the uncertainties related to horizontally oriented ice crystals and yield additional new insights about the microphysical and radiative properties of ice clouds.

    Alexander Kostinski [Michigan Technology University] explained that because they detected climatic signals (i.e., longer-term changes and semi-permanent features, e.g., ocean glitter), they developed a technique to suppress geographic “noise” in EPIC images that involves introducing temporally (monthly) and conditionally (classifying by surface/cover type, e.g., land, ocean, clouds) averaged reflectance images – see Figure 5. The resulting images display seasonal dependence in a striking manner. Additionally, cloud-free, ocean-only images highlight prominent regions of ocean glitter.

    Jiani Yang [Caltech] reported that spatially resolving light curves from DSCOVR is crucial for evaluating time-varying surface features and the presence of an atmosphere. Both of these features are essential for sustaining life on Earth – and thus can be used to assess the potential habitability of exoplanets. Using epsilon machine reconstruction, the statistical complexity from the time series data of these light curves can be calculated. The results show that statistical complexity serves as a reliable metric for quantifying the intricacy of planetary features. Higher levels of planetary complexity qualitatively correspond to increased statistical complexity and Shannon entropy, illustrating the effectiveness of this approach in identifying planets with the most dynamic characteristics.
    Other EPIC Science Results
    Guoyong Wen [MSU, GESTAR II] analyzed the variability of global spectral reflectance from EPIC and the integrated broadband reflectance on different timescales. He reported that on a diurnal timescale, the global reflectance variations in UV and blue bands are statistically similar – and drastically different from those observed in longer wavelength bands (i.e., green to NIR). The researchers also did an analysis of monthly average results and found that temporal averaging of the global reflectance reduces the variability across the wavelength and that the variability of broadband reflectance is similar to that for the red band on both timescales. These results are mainly due to the rotation of the Earth on diurnal timescale and the change of the Earth’s tilt angle. 
    Nick Gorkavyi [Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI)] reported that EPIC – located at the L1 point, 1.5 million km (0.9 million mi) away from Earth – can capture images of the far side of the Moon in multiple wavelengths. These images, taken under full solar illumination, can be used to calibrate photographs obtained by lunar artificial satellites. Additionally, he discussed the impact of lunar libration – the changing view of the Moon from Earth, or it’s apparent “wobble” – on Earth observations from the Moon. 
    Jay Herman [UMBC] discussed a comparison of EPIC O3 with TEMPO satellite and Pandora ground-based measurement. The results show that total column O3 does not have a significant photochemical diurnal variation. Instead, the daily observed diurnal variation is caused by weather changes in atmospheric pressure. This measurement result agrees with model calculations.
    Conclusion
    Alexander Marshak, Jay Herman, and Adam Szabo led a closing discussion with ST participants on how to make the EPIC and NISTAR instruments more visible in the community. It was noted that the EPIC website now allows visitors to observe daily fluctuations of aerosol index, cloud fraction, cloud height, and the ocean surface – as observed from the L1 point. More daily products, (e.g., aerosol height and sunlit leaf area index) will be added soon, which should attract more users to the website.
    Overall, the 2023 DSCOVR EPIC and NISTAR STM was successful. It provided an opportunity for participants to learn the status of DSCOVR’s Earth-observing instruments, EPIC and NISTAR, the status of recently released L2 data products, and the science results being achieved from the L1 point. As more people use DSCOVR data worldwide, the ST hopes to hear from users and team members at its next meeting. The latest updates from the mission can be found on the EPIC website. 
    Alexander MarshakNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centeralexander.marshak@nasa.gov
    Adam SzaboNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centeradam.szabo@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – Adaptive Ocean Sports Program Receives Ala Wai Space for Storage and Parking

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – Adaptive Ocean Sports Program Receives Ala Wai Space for Storage and Parking

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    ADAPTIVE OCEAN SPORTS PROGRAM RECEIVES ALA WAI SPACE FOR STORAGE AND PARKING

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Feb. 14, 2025

    HONOLULU  – The days of storing equipment in Kapolei or in volunteers’ garages for an ocean sports program, are coming to an end, thanks to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR).

    The board today approved a Revocable Permit (RP) for the nonprofit AccesSurf, well known for adaptive surfing, swimming, and paddling programs for people with disabilities. The RP allows AccesSurf to utilize 1,200 square feet of land at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor for parking and storage.

    Ann Yoshida, a trainer, and innovation specialist for the organization told the board, “As a person in a wheelchair, understanding the challenges that we have in accessing natural environments, such as the ocean, gives people choices.” Each year AccesSurf hosts what it calls 5,000 experiences, reaching thousands of disabled people.

    Eric Walton, who has a prosthetic leg, said he’s been with the group for 16 years, starting as a volunteer, then a participant, as a competitive adaptive athlete and as a board member. “The impact that AccesSurf has had on my life has been monumental,” he said.

    Now, the large and expensive equipment and devices needed for adaptive programs are spread across numerous locations, none of them close to Waikīkī, where much of the training and experiences are conducted. “That’s the big thing,” said AccesSurf Executive Director Cara Short. “We have all this equipment that is quite literally stored in a ton of different places, different vehicles, different homes, and storage containers far away from Waikīkī,” she said. Short told the BLNR that the organization explored numerous storage places that could accommodate its large, heavy equipment, but the cost was prohibitive. Her nonprofit will pay the DLNR $40 a month and the area will have several shipping containers donated by Pasha Hawaii, along with room to park vehicles.

    From the outset, board members were clearly in support of approving the RP and asked if AccesSurf is going to expand its programs beyond O‘ahu. Short said it has just expanded to Maui, has had programs on Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island, and hopes to replicate its offerings statewide. All programs are free to participants and dozens of volunteers donate their time and talents to the cause.

    After the unanimous decision to approve the permit, board members and AccesSurf staff and volunteers shook hands and hugged. BLNR Chair Dawn Chang said it felt good to have something positive come out of a board meeting and it’s a positive for the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and the greater Waikīkī area. She and AccesSurf thanked the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) for facilitating and being so supportive of the plan.

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

    HD video – AccesSurf storage area at Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor (Feb. 14, 2025):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3ap10ayv0to360k82rysl/Access-Surf-storage-at-Ala-Wai-SBH-2-14-2025.mov?rlkey=nnzqmcfvhi4of9dg13dagc72m&st=xqvf8l0x&dl=0

    HD video – Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting (Feb. 14, 2025):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6pzk8k5oepikjk2o0d634/AccessSurf-RP-BLNR-2-14-25.mov?rlkey=00luyihv54jywdbm4o7kfoab0&st=gxyy846s&dl=0

    (Transcript/shot sheet attached)

    Photographs – AccesSurf Storage Area and BLNR Meeting (Feb. 14, 2025):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/t137yzr8tyejqtk8n0y69/AFOEHu_q_ObFwjF0tG26ddQ?rlkey=4jh0di2r8hjdbta8ajvli3m8w&st=cqfonvyo&dl=0

     

    Media Contact:

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release-Releasing Mosquitoes to Help Kaua’i’s Forest Birds

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release-Releasing Mosquitoes to Help Kaua’i’s Forest Birds

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    RELEASING MOSQUITOES TO HELP KAUA‘I’S FOREST BIRDS

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Feb. 14, 2025

    ALAKAʻI PLATEAU, Kauaʻi – It seems counterintuitive to release hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes into an area where the insects are spreading avian malaria and bringing several species of Hawaiian honeycreepers to the precipice of extinction.

    Nonetheless, staff from the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) heralded Thursday’s first release of male mosquitoes, into a state forest reserve on the vast Alakaʻi Plateau, as momentous.

    Ten years of planning, permitting and community outreach led the team and its partners, to the release of male mosquitoes that are reproductively incompatible with female mosquitoes, which bite and spread the often-deadly disease.

    “Incompatible Insect Technology, or IIT, leads to mosquito population suppression, and we hope it will reduce the amount of avian malaria which is driving the declines of native forest birds,” explained Dr. Lisa ‘Cali’ Crampton, the head of KFBRP.

    IIT has been deployed successfully around the world, mostly to combat human malaria. This is the first time it’s been used on Kaua‘i as a biological control to try and severely reduce the number of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. “It is a tried and true and safe technique that has been used hundreds of times,” Crampton said.

    The mosquitoes are flown from a facility in California and each week, half a million bugs will be loaded onto a helicopter in biodegradable cones that resemble an ice cream sugar cone.

    The deployment helicopters are outfitted with a specially designed tube which directs each cone out of the bottom of the aircraft, where they float to the ground. “We do this twice a week to ensure there’s a very, very high likelihood that a wild female will encounter one of the incompatible males. We’re really trying to interrupt the reproductive cycle,” explained Crampton.

    She says she is very hopeful, a sentiment shared by DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife planner Justin Hite. He spent a decade leading KFBRP field teams into the remote areas favored by species like the ‘akikiki and the ‘akeke’e, two of the honeycreepers with such low numbers they’re likely to completely disappear from the wilds in the next year or two.

    Hite observed yesterday’s releases and said, “We hope this really moves the needle for these species.”

    The bird recovery teams are employing what Crampton calls, “integrated pest management.” In addition to the IIT releases, they’re using a common larvicide known as BTi, which targets one phase of the mosquito life cycle – the larval phase. It’s been  used on the ground on the Alakaʻi for nine years, and over the past year it’s also been applied from helicopters. IIT targets the adult stage and the egg production stage. “So, the idea is the BTi reduces populations of adult mosquitoes to begin with, making it more likely that females will encounter one of these incompatible males,” according to Crampton.

    The insurance they have for the continued existence of the most critically endangered birds, are conservation breeding populations. Crampton said that once IIT and BTi have been used for a year or so over the best forest bird habitat on Kaua‘i, they remain hopeful birds in the conservation programs, or their offspring will one day be released back into the wild.

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

    HD video – Releasing Mosquitoes to Help Kaua‘i’s Forest Birds (web feature):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6hv63q7cz0cmra5grhlpj/IIT-Release-Kaua-i-Feb-13-2025.mov?rlkey=c6xk5tnaewj3bshe597btjmos&st=wy41ek9r&dl=0

    HD video – First IIT releases on Kaua‘i media clips (Feb. 13, 2025):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xhkeb3tpvpnh570jx1a6w/Releasing-Mosquitoes-to-Protect-Kaua-i-s-Forest-Birds-Media-Clips-2-13-25.mov?rlkey=y62f8en2z7nbl8v5hrswhqh3u&st=kfs8zvo3&dl=0

    (Transcription/shot sheet attached)

    Photographs – First IIT releases on Kaua‘i (Feb. 13, 2025):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/acq8elu7txlt7glmn6yku/AMAD6fGCxVlS25ryEWyKLUI?rlkey=b389cqjz3qi4osthdt43qeqyl&st=zprjpsww&dl=0

    Media Contact:

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release – DOH Reopens Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release – DOH Reopens Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

    KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIA‘ĀINA

    KENNETH S. FINK, M.D., MGA, MPH
    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

    DOH REOPENS PARADISE SUPERMART FAST FOOD & CATERING

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 14, 2025                                                                                                    25-013

    KAHULUI — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Maui Food Safety Branch allowed Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering to reopen, issuing a green “pass” placard during a follow-up inspection on Feb. 13, 2025. The establishment is operated by Paradise Asian Foods Inc., and is located at 207 East Wakea Ave., in Kahului, Maui.

    The establishment corrected all critical violations cited during a routine inspection conducted on Feb. 5, 2025. The corrected violations include the following:

    • All grease and food debris accumulation were removed from kitchen surfaces and a cleaning schedule was established.
    • Cockroach and fly activity was not observed, and procedures were implemented for pest monitoring and treatment.
    • All refrigeration units were holding temperatures of not greater than 41 F;
    • Written procedures were in place for the monitoring of proper hot, cold and cooling of foods; and,
    • The person in charge obtained a food handler’s certification.

    The DOH is requiring the establishment to continue:

    • Working with its pest control company to have weekly pest control treatments for a month, then move to biweekly and provide completed work orders to DOH; and,
    • Having the identified person in charge continue to demonstrate managerial control of critical food safety requirements.

    The DOH Food Safety Branch protects and promotes the health of Hawai‘i residents and visitors through education of food industry workers and regulation of food establishments statewide. The branch conducts routine health inspections of food establishments where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed or sold.

    The branch also investigates sources of foodborne illnesses and potential adulteration. It is also responsible for mitigating the effects of these incidents to prevent any future occurrences. The DOH food safety specialists strive to work with business owners, food service workers and the food industry to ensure safe food preparation and employee hygiene practices.

    To obtain restaurant inspection reports for Maui, please call the Maui Food Safety Branch at 808-984-8230. For more information on the department’s placarding program go to http://health.hawaii.gov/san/.

    # # #

    Media Contact:

    Kristen Wong

    Information Specialist

    Hawaiʻi State Department of Health

    Phone: 808-586-4407

    Email: [email protected]

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HDOA News release on sea snake found ashore

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    HDOA News release on sea snake found ashore

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

    ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

    SHARON HURD
    CHAIRPERSON

    HAWAIʻI BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

     

    DEAN M. MATSUKAWA
    DEPUTY TO THE CHAIRPERSON

    HAWAIʻI BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

      

    HIGHLY VENOMOUS SEA SNAKE FOUND ASHORE ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND

    Caution Advised on Handling Sea Snakes

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    NR25-04

    Feb. 14, 2025

    HONOLULU – A highly venomous yellow-bellied sea snake was found washed up on the shore at Honoli’i Beach in Hilo last week. While these sea snakes are rarely seen onshore in Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) strongly advises beach and ocean goers not to touch the venomous sea snakes which are often mistaken for eels. A sea snake is easily distinguished by the bright yellow markings on its underside.

    On Feb. 4, the Hilo PQB office received a call from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) that a Hilo resident had reported that a live snake had been found pinned  under a log at Honoli’i Beach. PQB inspectors responded to the beach and collected the 3-foot-long snake, which had been contained by lifeguards in a 5-gallon bucket. No one was injured.

    “We want to take this opportunity to inform the public to be wary of any snake-like reptile in or near the ocean,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “This type of sea snake can be more venomous than a cobra and potentially lethal to humans.”

    Sightings of yellow-bellied sea snakes on land are rare in Hawai‘i and usually occur when strong winds or currents cause them to wash up along the shoreline. Although yellow-bellied sea snakes inhabit the Pacific Ocean, it is prohibited to import or possess that species in Hawai‘i.

    If a sea snake is spotted onshore, do not touch it and contact the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).

    # # #

    Media Contact:
    Janelle Saneishi
    Public Information Officer
    Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture
    Phone: 808-973-9560
    Cell: 808-341-5528
    Email:     [email protected]
    Website:     http://hdoa.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release-Woman Cited for Entering Sacred Falls State Park

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release-Woman Cited for Entering Sacred Falls State Park

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    WOMAN CITED FOR ENTERING SACRED FALLS STATE PARK

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Feb. 14, 2024

    HONOLULU — After more than 25 years, countless news stories, and thousands of social media posts, some people have not heard the message that Sacred Falls State Park was closed, after a 1999 rockfall that killed eight people and injured 30 others.

    A visiting California woman and her husband were rescued last Sunday afternoon, from the park after the man fell off the trail and was seriously injured. The husband remains in the hospital, so their names are not being released to protect their privacy.

    Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources (DOCARE) interviewed a 67-year-old California woman who told them they were staying at a property close to Sacred Falls. They decided to follow a streambed to explore the Sacred Falls area, which led them to the Sacred Falls Trail.

    The woman was issued a Civil Resources Violation System (CRVS) citation for a violation of HAR 13-146-4 (a) Closing of Areas under DLNR Division of State Parks Administrative Rules. This carries an administrative, non-criminal penalty of $1000.

    DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla commented, “It’s unfortunate this man was hurt so badly, though the incident could have been avoided had the couple known about the dangers of Sacred Falls and the reason it was closed more than 25 years ago. In addition to rock falls and eroding trails, first responders like the Honolulu Fire Department and Emergency Services put their lives at risk when they have to rescue people from the closed park.”

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

    HD video – Sacred Falls State Park-closed (May 9, 2020):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/li2qo1ld0ahqsl3txmunv/Sacred-Falls-Enforcement-May-9-2020.mov?rlkey=2i27lvmxbbm6h3hc2cenlw7t7&st=4xd8b70k&dl=0

    Photographs – Sacred Falls enforcement (May 9, 2020):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/srxuqy3jbkiaxbo30lvhs/ALAdBu3h5abme5DIybkf5LE?rlkey=mafu00gary7g727d8bsn8rz6r&st=j3hhy2eb&dl=0

    Media Contact:

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    Communications Office: 808-587-0396

    Email: dlnr.comms@hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLE NEWS RELEASE – Warning Public of Latest Phone Scam 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLE NEWS RELEASE – Warning Public of Latest Phone Scam 2025

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Ka ʻOihana Hoʻokō Kānāwai

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR 

    KE KIAʻĀINA

    MIKE LAMBERT

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

    SHERIFF IMPERSONATORS, EXTORTION SCAM ALERT

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 14, 2025

    HONOLULU – Recurring Sheriff impersonator incidents have prompted the Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) to issue additional scam warnings. In recent weeks, several people have had callers claiming to be deputy sheriffs tell them that they have outstanding warrants because they failed to appear in court. These are similar to scam calls that happened around this time last year.

    Hawaiʻi residents are also advised not to provide credit card numbers, bank account information or other personal information to callers claiming to represent a law enforcement agency.

    If you receive a call, text or email matching this scam, please alert the DLE Criminal Investigation Division by calling 808-587-5050.

    TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

    • Do not communicate with unsolicited email or phone text senders.
    • Do not open emails, attachments or links sent by text from unknown individuals.
    • Never provide personal information of any sort via phone, text or email. Be aware that many emails requesting your personal information appear to be legitimate.

    # # #

    Media Contacts:

    Wayne Ibarra

    Acting Public Information Officer

    Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement

    Office: 808-587-5031

    Cell: 808-757-0500

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.14.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 14, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Melissa Stone, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Department of Child Support Services. Stone has been Deputy Director of the Disability Insurance Branch at the Employment Development Department since 2022, where she was previously a Division Chief from 2020 to 2022. She held several roles at the Franchise Tax Board from 2014 to 2020, including Section Manager, Assistant Section Manager, and Compliance Program Manager. Stone was Chief of the Casualty Insurance Section at the Department of Health Care Services from 2011 to 2014, where she was previously Chief of the Overpayments Unit from 2009 to 2011. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $189,600. Stone is registered with no party preference.

    Stephanie Weldon, of McKinleyville, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon has been Chief Operations Officer at United Indian Health Services since 2024. She was the Director of the Office of Tribal Affairs at the California Department of Social Services from 2021 to 2024. Weldon was a Program Associate for the Indian Child Welfare Act and Tribal Social Services Specialist at the Child and Family Institute of California from 2020 to 2021. She was Director of Health and Human Services for the Yurok Tribe from 2019 to 2020. Weldon held several roles at the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services from 2014 to 2019, including Child Welfare Director, Social Services Branch Director, and Deputy Director. She was Director of Social Services for the Yurok Tribe from 2010 to 2013. Weldon is a member of the Yurok Tribe, National Indian Child Welfare Association, and California Department of Public Health Tribal Equity Advisory Group. She earned a Master of Social Work degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American Studies from Humboldt State University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $191,868. Weldon is a Democrat.

    Melissa Gear, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Deputy Director of Legislative and Governmental Affairs at the Department of Health Care Access and Information. Gear has been Deputy Director of Board and Bureau Relations at the California Department of Consumer Affairs since 2022. She was the Chief Deputy Legislative Director at the Department of Insurance from 2014 to 2022. Gear was a Legislative Advocate at the California State Teachers’ Retirement System from 2008 to 2014. She was a Legislative Coordinator and Fiscal Coordinator at the California Attorney General’s Office from 2005 to 2008. Gear was a Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office from 2003 to 2005. She was an Executive Fellow and Legislative Representative at the California Department of Education from 2002 to 2003. She is a Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program Senior Fellow. Gear earned a Master of Public Health and Administration degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $158,400. Gear is a Democrat.

    Daniel Millsap, of Folsom, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Real Estate Services Division at the California Department of General Services. Millsap has been Deputy Director for Capital Outlay Programs at the California Conservation Corps since 2019. He was Project Director III at the California Department of General Services in 2018. Millsap held several positions at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2007 to 2018, including Construction Supervisor III, Construction Supervisor II Lead, and Construction Supervisor II. He was Project Manager at 4Leaf, Inc., from 2006 to 2007. Millsap was Regional Health and Safety Officer at Kennedy Jenks Consultants from 2002 to 2006. He was Staff Engineer at Kleinfelder from 2001 to 2002. Millsap is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Civil Engineering from University of the Pacific. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $195,960. Millsap is a Democrat.

    Katie Hardeman, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director at the State Board of Education. She has been a Legislative Advocate at the California Teachers Association since 2019. She was a Consultant for the California Assembly Budget Committee from 2013 to 2019. Hardeman was a Senior Legislative Aide for Assemblymember Susan Bonilla at the California State Assembly from 2011 to 2013. She was an Executive Assistant for Assemblymember Jose Solorio at the California State Assembly in 2011. Hardeman was a Legislative Assistant at Johan Klehs and Company from 2009 to 2010. She is a member of the Women’s Leadership Program at Leadership California and a player for the California Storm, a semi-professional women’s soccer team. Hardeman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $210,000. Hardeman is a Democrat.

    Richard Roth, of Riverside, has been appointed to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Roth was a State Senator at the California State Senate from 2012 to 2024. He was a Managing Member at Roth Carney LLC from 2011 to 2012. Roth was a Managing Partner at Roth Carney Knudsen LLP from 2008 to 2011. He was a Partner at Carney and Delany LLP from 2003 to 2008. Roth was a Partner and Managing Partner at Reid & Hellyer, APC from 1981 to 2003. He served in the United States Air Force from 1975 to 2007, where he retired as a Major General. Roth is a member of the Monday Morning Group of Western Riverside County and Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. He earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Miami University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $180,840. Roth is a Democrat.

    Seanna Griffis, of Sacramento, has been appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary and Undersecretary at the Government Operations Agency. Griffis has been Legislative Manager at the California Department of Food and Agriculture since 2024. She was an Associate Governmental Program Analyst at the Government Operations Agency from 2022 to 2024. Griffis was Management Services Technician at the California Energy Commission from 2021 to 2022. She was a Paralegal at HealthSentry from 2020 to 2021. Griffis was Legislative Coordinator at the California Veterinary Medical Association from 2019 to 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business and Management from the California State University, Chico. The position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100,008. Griffis is registered without party preference.

    Christopher Contreras, of Northridge, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. He has been Chief Operating Officer at Brilliant Corners since 2023, where he has held several roles since 2014, including Chief Program Officer, Director of Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool, Associate Director of Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool Operations & Housing Acquisitions and Housing Acquisitions Manager for the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool. Contreras was a Data Analyst and Surveyor at Data Stream Market Intelligence Inc. from 2008 to 2014. Contreras was a Program Coordinator at the University of California, Santa Barbara Community Housing Office from 2005 to 2007. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Contreras is a Democrat. 

    Makenzie Cross, of Elk Grove, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Cross has been a Youth Leader at KAI Partners since 2024. She was a Service Coordinator for Early Intervention at Alta California Regional Center in 2024. Cross was a Behavioral Specialist at the Center for Social Dynamics from 2022 to 2023. She is a member of Impact 100 Greater Sacramento. Cross earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Merced. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Cross is a Democrat. 

    Robert Callan, Jr., of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Callan has been a Realtor at Sotheby’s International Realty since 2020. He was a Realtor at McGuire Real Estate from 2005 to 2020. Callan is a member of The Olympic Club, Screen Actors Guild, The Dolphin Club, California Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, and San Francisco Association of Realtors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Callan is registered with no party preference. 

    Jody Kolbach, of Watsonville, has been appointed to the 14th District Agricultural Association Santa Cruz Fair Board. Kolbach has been the Senior Director of HR Services at Granite Construction since 2025, where she held multiple positions from 2008 to 2021 including Director of HR Transformation and Services, Continuous Improvement Leader, Supply Chain Sourcing Manager, and Senior Finance Analyst. Kolbach was a Worldwide Operations Controller at Seagate Technologies from 2003 to 2008. She earned a Master of Business degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Art degree in Accounting from Kansas State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Kolbach is a Democrat.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 14, 2025

    News What you need to know: California’s work to pre-deploy resources ahead of this week’s major storms paid off with successful rescue efforts and no major damage reported. SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today praised the proactive emergency response efforts that…

    Feb 14, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 14 Superior Court Judges: seven in Los Angeles County; one in Modoc County; two in Riverside County; one in San Diego County; one in San Mateo County; one in Tulare County; and one in Ventura…

    Feb 14, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today announced that the Delta Conveyance Project has received a required permit to advance the project, which will upgrade the State Water Project to allow the state to capture and move more water efficiently.  SACRAMENTO —…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State and local actions to pre-deploy resources for storms helps save lives

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 14, 2025

    What you need to know: California’s work to pre-deploy resources ahead of this week’s major storms paid off with successful rescue efforts and no major damage reported.

    SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today praised the proactive emergency response efforts that helped save lives and prevent significant impacts from the latest major winter storms. Thanks to California’s advanced planning, coordination and strategic pre-deployment of state and local emergency resources, the storm resulted in only minor debris flows, with no major structural damage or significant injuries reported.

    The Governor directed the pre-deployment of resources earlier in the week, ahead of the storm. Specifically, the California National Guard cleared debris basins near burn scars ahead of this week’s rain event. CalGuard proactively removed 298,335 cubic yards of debris and materials from the Sierra Madre Villa Basin and Eaton Canyon Reservoir which worked as intended to protect homes from debris runoff.

    Additionally, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force deployed over 120 miles of protective measures in an unprecedented effort to protect vulnerable communities.

    In the face of another severe weather event, California once again demonstrated the power of preparation. Our pre-storm efforts saved lives and kept our communities safe. We continue to be grateful to our first responders for running into danger and saving countless lives and property.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Pre-deployed personnel, equipment, and resources in 20 counties across the state led to life-saving efforts:

    • In Los Angeles County, urban search and rescue teams and swiftwater rescue teams worked to support 12 flood related incidents. One incident included a LAFD member who was swept off the road and into the ocean near Malibu.
    • In Orange County, prepositioned swiftwater rescue teams and a prepositioned helicopter were instrumental in the rescue of 2 individuals.
    • In San Bernardino County swiftwater rescue teams rescued multiple unhoused individuals along HWY 330 from rising water.
    • In Riverside County, swiftwater rescue teams conducted multiple rescues of individuals including one individual and two dogs holding onto a tree in rising waters.
    • In Mendocino County, Caltrans and State Parks personnel supported a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter conducting a rescue of a stranded motorist whose vehicle became stranded by rising waters.

    Actions to pre-deploy resources 

    • Cal OES pre-deployed flood fighting and debris flow resources to Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Marin, Lake, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Sonoma, Colusa, Glenn, Nevada, Tuolumne, Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside counties.
      • 114 Fire Engines
      • 10 Bulldozers
      • 4 Front Loaders
      • 4 Excavators
      • 1 Road Grader
      • 5 Helicopters
      • 11 Hand Crews
      • 55 Specialized Personnel
      • 18 Swiftwater Rescue Teams
      • 10 US&R Companies
      • 1 Regional Task Force
    • 319,000 sandbags and 5,600 super sacks were deployed to Southern California locations through the Department of Water Resources (DWR).
    • 242 total CAL FIRE engines deployed throughout the state to rapidly respond, including 109 engines CAL FIRE Southern Region and 133 engines CAL FIRE Northern Region. CAL FIRE also pre-positioned 22 crews.
    • CalGuard proactively removed 298,335 cubic yards of debris and materials from the Sierra Madre Villa Basin and Eaton Canyon Reservoir.
    • The Cal OES Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force deployed over 120 miles of protective measures:
      • 606,576 feet of compost sock.
      • 22,625 feet straw wattle.
      • 7,500 feet silt fence.
      • 7,960 feet of K-rail secured for use by local government partners.

    “The close coordination between state, local, and federal partners played a critical role in protecting lives and property,” said Cal OES Director Nancy Ward. “This storm was another reminder that California must remain vigilant and ready to respond as our climate brings increasingly severe weather patterns.”

    California leverages investments in real-time intelligence systems

    The state-of-the-art ALERTCalifornia wildfire and disaster monitoring system operated by the University of California San Diego in partnership with Cal OES, CAL FIRE and other agencies provided real-time access to over 1,000 cameras strategically positioned across California.

    During the storm, ALERTCalifornia played a critical role in situational awareness by enabling first responders and the public to assess rain conditions, debris flows, and make data-driven decisions to protect communities. 

    Californians are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts, review their evacuation plans, and heed warnings from local officials.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 14, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 14 Superior Court Judges: seven in Los Angeles County; one in Modoc County; two in Riverside County; one in San Diego County; one in San Mateo County; one in Tulare County; and one in Ventura…

    Feb 14, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today announced that the Delta Conveyance Project has received a required permit to advance the project, which will upgrade the State Water Project to allow the state to capture and move more water efficiently.  SACRAMENTO —…

    Feb 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today issued an executive order to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Los Angeles area firestorms.  SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces judicial appointments 2.14.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 14, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 14 Superior Court Judges: seven in Los Angeles County; one in Modoc County; two in Riverside County; one in San Diego County; one in San Mateo County; one in Tulare County; and one in Ventura County.
     

    Los Angeles County Superior Court

    Phu Nguyen, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Nguyen has served the Los Angeles County Superior Court as Court Counsel since 2017. She has been a Lecturer in Law at UCLA School of Law since 2022. Nguyen served as Senior Counsel at Dykema Gossett from 2014 to 2017, an Associate at Fayer Gipson from 2013 to 2014, and an Associate at Huron Law Group from 2008 to 2012. Nguyen was an Associate at Irell & Manella from 2006 to 2007. She received a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Louise Suzette Clover. Nguyen is a Democrat.

    Sonia Dujan, of Ventura County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has served as a Commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2024. Dujan has been a sole practitioner since 2004. She received a Juris Doctor degree from University of San Francisco School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Margaret Oldendorf. Dujan is a Democrat.

    Mike Madokoro, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Madokoro has been a Partner at Bowman and Brooke LLP since 1999, served as a Managing Partner or Co-Managing Partner from 2006 to 2024. He previously worked as an Associate at Morgan, Wenzel and McNicholas from 1990 to 1994. Madokoro served as a Law Clerk and Associate at Adams and Kirkpatrick from 1989 to 1990. Madokoro received a Juris Doctor degree from McGeorge School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gergory Keosian. Madokoro is a Republican.

    James Montgomery Jr., of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Montgomery has served as a Commissioner at Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2023. He was a Partner at Gibbs Giden Locher Turner Senet & Wittbrodt LLP from 1999 to 2023. He served as an attorney at Daniels, Fine, Israel, Schonbuch & Lebovits, LLP from 1982 to 1999. Montgomery received a Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Yvette Palazuelos. Montgomery is a Democrat.

    Jacob Yim, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Yim has served as the Deputy-in-Charge of the Real Estate Fraud Section in the White Collar Crime Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2022. Yim has served as a deputy in several roles and units of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 2000 to 2008 and 2009 to 2022. He was a Special Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office – Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section from 2008 to 2009. Yim received a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Carol Elswick. Yim is a Democrat.

    Helen Yang, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Yang was a Partner at Squire Patton Boggs since 2016 and an Associate at Squire Patton Boggs from 2005 to 2008 and 2009 to 2016. She was Deputy in the Riverside County Counsel’s Office from 2008 to 2009. Yang received a Juris Doctor degree from Cornell Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Linfield. Yang is registered as no party preference.

    Louis Parise, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Parise has served various roles as a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1998. He was an Associate Attorney at Ferrari, Olsen, Ottoboni, and Bebb from 1997 to 1998. Parise received a Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Martin L. Herscovitz. Parise is registered as no party preference.

    Modoc County Superior Court

    Randall Harr, of Shasta County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Modoc County Superior Court. Harr was a Partner at Maire & Deedon since 2022. He worked at the Law Office of Randall Harr from 2011 to 2022. Harr served as a Partner at Gifford & Harr from 2009 to 2011. He was a Partner at Harr Arthofer & Ayres from 2001 to 2009. Harr worked at Borton Petrini & Conron as a Partner from 1985 to 2000 and an Associate Attorney from 1982 to 1985. Harr received a Juris Doctor degree from McGeorge School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Francis W. Barclay. Harr is registered as no party preference.

    Riverside County Superior Court

    Mickie Reed, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Riverside County Superior Court. Reed has served as a Commissioner in the Riverside County Superior Court since 2014. She previously worked as a Professor of Professional Responsibility at the California Desert Trial Academy from 2014 to 2018. Reed was a sole practitioner from 1996 to 2014. She worked as a Planning Commissioner at the City of Indio from 2004 to 2010. Reed received a Juris Doctor degree from Western State University School of Law. She fills the position created by the retirement of Judge Gregory Olson. Reed is a Democrat.

    Michael Martin, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Riverside County Superior Court. Martin previously served as Lead Appellate Court Attorney at the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 6 since 2017. Martin worked as an Adjunct Professor at The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law from 2017 to 2022. He was an Adjunct Professor at the University of California College of Law, San Francisco in 2021. Martin was a Legal Research Assistant at the San Francisco County Superior Court from 2014 to 2017. He served as a Contract Attorney at Valdez Todd & Doyle LLP in 2014. Martin was a Contract Attorney at Harowitz & Tigerman LLP in 2014. He served as a Contract Attorney at Podo Legal in 2013. Martin worked as a Contract Attorney at the Law Office of E. Craig Moody in 2013. He was a Bridge Fellow at Legal Services of Northern California in 2012. Martin received a Juris Doctor degree from University of California College of Law, San Francisco. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Irma Asberry. Martin is a Democrat.

    San Diego County Superior Court

    Chandra Reid, of San Diego County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Diego County Superior Court. Reid has served as a Commissioner at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2021. She served as a Deputy District Attorney in several roles at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office from 2005 to 2021. She served as a Deputy City Attorney at the San Diego City Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2004. Reid received a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kenneth Medel. Reid is a Democrat.

    San Mateo County Superior Court

    Mark McCannon, of San Francisco County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Mateo County Superior Court. McCannon has served at Alameda County Superior Court as a Superior Court Judge since 2013. He worked as a Deputy District Attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2013. McCannon received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Marie S. Weiner. McCannon is a Democrat.
     

    Tulare County Superior Court

    Jason Taylor, of Kings County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Tulare County Superior Court. Taylor has worked as a sole practitioner since 2014. He worked at the Tulare County Public Defender Conflict Panel as a Contract Attorney from 2018 to 2025. Taylor served at the Kings County Public Defender’s Office as a Contract Attorney from 2019 to 2022. He worked at the Tulare County Public Defender’s Office as a Deputy Public Defender in 2014. Taylor received a Juris Doctorate degree from the San Joaquin College of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Walter L. Gorlick. Taylor is registered as no party preference.
     

    Ventura County Superior Court

    Amy Van Sickle, of Ventura, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Ventura County Superior Court. Van Sickle has served as a Commissioner at the Ventura County Superior Court since 2023. She worked at the Law Office of Amy Van Sickle as an Attorney from 2012 to 2023. Van Sickle worked as an Attorney at Van Sickle & Rowley, LLP from 2003 to 2012. Van Sickle received a Juris Doctorate degree from the Ventura College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patricia M. Murphy. Van Sickle is a Republican. 

    The compensation for each of these positions is $244,727.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 14, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today announced that the Delta Conveyance Project has received a required permit to advance the project, which will upgrade the State Water Project to allow the state to capture and move more water efficiently.  SACRAMENTO —…

    Feb 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today issued an executive order to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Los Angeles area firestorms.  SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive…

    Feb 12, 2025

    News Kate Hoit, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Hoit has been the PACT Act Enterprise Program Management Office Communications and Outreach Lead at the U.S. Department of Veterans…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom marks new milestone in Delta Conveyance Project

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 14, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom today announced that the Delta Conveyance Project has received a required permit to advance the project, which will upgrade the State Water Project to allow the state to capture and move more water efficiently. 

    SACRAMENTO — Governor Newsom announced today another important step in the state’s work to modernize its water infrastructure through the Delta Conveyance Project. Passing yet another critical milestone, the project received a required Incidental Take Permit. The permit includes measures to minimize, avoid, and fully mitigate impacts on threatened or endangered species as a result of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Delta Conveyance Project.

    “California doesn’t have to choose between safeguarding endangered species and protecting our water supply — this permit demonstrates we can do both.” 

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    The Delta Conveyance Project will upgrade the State Water Project, enabling California’s water managers to capture and move more water during high-flow atmospheric rivers to better endure dry seasons. The tunnel, a modernization of the infrastructure system that delivers water to millions of people, would improve California’s ability to take advantage of intense periods of rain and excess flows in the Sacramento River.

    By developing infrastructure – including intake and tunneling facilities – on the Sacramento River in the Delta region, the Delta Conveyance Project would better equip the State Water Project to take advantage of the types of atmospheric rivers that are becoming more common. This would expand the state’s ability to improve water supply reliability, while maintaining fishery and water quality protections. During atmospheric rivers last year, the Delta Conveyance Project could have captured enough water for 9.8 million people’s yearly usage.

    California is expected to lose 10% of its water supply due to hotter and drier conditions, threatening the water supply for millions of Californians. Extreme weather whiplash will result in more intense swings between droughts and floods – California’s 60-year-old water infrastructure is not built for these climate impacts. 

    “We are proceeding with confidence towards implementing this critical project to protect our state’s primary supply of clean, affordable water,” said Karla Nemeth, Director of California’s Department of Water Resources.

    Safeguarding protected species

    The Incidental Take Permit was issued to the Department of Water Resources by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Incidental take permits are most commonly issued for construction, utility, transportation, and other infrastructure-related projects. Permittees must implement species-specific minimization and avoidance measures and fully mitigate the impacts of the project including:  

    • Erecting protective fencing around sensitive habitat within construction sites.
    • Limited operating periods to avoid species breeding, migration, etc.
    • Pre-construction surveys to identify and mark sensitive or suitable habitat features.
    • Onsite construction personnel education programs covering species identification, protected status, and measures to take if one is found.

    The Delta Conveyance Project is critical to the Governor’s build more, faster agenda to modernize our water infrastructure and increase resilience to protect communities in the face of extreme droughts and floods. Learn more at build.ca.gov.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 14, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 14 Superior Court Judges: seven in Los Angeles County; one in Modoc County; two in Riverside County; one in San Diego County; one in San Mateo County; one in Tulare County; and one in Ventura…

    Feb 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom today issued an executive order to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Los Angeles area firestorms.  SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive…

    Feb 12, 2025

    News Kate Hoit, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Hoit has been the PACT Act Enterprise Program Management Office Communications and Outreach Lead at the U.S. Department of Veterans…

    MIL OSI USA News –