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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI: Skyward Specialty Commutes the LPT, Announces Preliminary Fourth Quarter 2024 Results and Provides Guidance for 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or the “Company”) today announced that it commuted the Loss Portfolio Transfer and Adverse Development and Retrocession Agreement (“LPT”) with R&Q Re (Bermuda) Ltd. (“R&Q”) related to accident years 2018 and prior. The Company received $11.7 million in cash. Additionally, at December 31, 2024 the Company strengthened LPT loss reserves by $25.3 million and recognized approximately $9.8 million, net of tax, of uncollectible reinsurance recoverable from R&Q.

    Skyward Specialty also announced the following fourth quarter 2024 preliminary results and provided 2025 guidance:

    Highlights for the fourth quarter included:

    • Gross written premiums of $388.4 million, an increase of $66.8 million, or 20.8%, when compared to 2023;
    • Adjusted combined ratio(1) of 91.6%, including catastrophe losses of 2.2 points;
    • Net investment income of $20.7 million;
    • Net income of $14.4 million; and,
    • Adjusted operating income(1) of $33.2 million.

    Guidance for the year ending 2025:

    • Net income between $138.0 million and $150.0 million; and,
    • Combined ratio between 91.0% and 92.0%, inclusive of 2.0 to 2.5 points of catastrophe losses.

    (1) See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures”

    Lastly, the Company has reviewed its exposure to the January California wildfires and expects total losses and loss adjustment expenses to be less than $10.0 million, net of reinsurance.

    Skyward Specialty Chairman and CEO Andrew Robinson commented, “We are pleased to have completed the commutation of the LPT and remove future reinsurance recoverable credit risk related to this portfolio. We believe our reserve charge represents a conservative view of the ultimate losses at December 31, 2024.”

    “With respect to our fourth quarter, our preliminary results are simply outstanding with growth over 20% driven by the intentional investments we have been making in our surety, global agriculture, accident & health, transactional E&S, and mortgage and credit divisions and lines of business. Our adjusted combined ratio for the fourth quarter is a continuation of the excellent underwriting results that we have delivered every quarter since our IPO. With respect to our outlook for 2025, we believe we are positioned to produce another strong year of financial results. While competitive dynamics can change our outlook as we progress through the year, we would expect growth in gross written premiums to be in the low to mid-teens. Our guidance of a combined ratio between 91% and 92% and net income between $138.0 million and $150.0 million reinforces our strong conviction in the outlook of our business, and our sustained delivery of top quartile results while continuing to strategically invest in our business.”

    Fourth Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Skyward Specialty expects to issue its fourth quarter 2024 earnings results after the market closes on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. At 9:30 a.m. eastern time on February 26, Skyward Specialty management will hold a conference call to discuss quarterly results with insurance industry analysts. Interested parties may listen to the discussion at investors.skywardinsurance.com under Events & Presentations. Additionally, investors can access the earnings call via conference call by registering via the conference link. Users will receive dial-in information and a unique PIN to join the call upon registering.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This release contains certain financial measures and ratios that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). We refer to these measures as “non-GAAP financial measures.” We use these non-GAAP financial measures when planning, monitoring, and evaluating our performance.

    We have chosen to exclude the net impact of the Loss Portfolio Transfer (“LPT”), all development on reserves fully or partially covered by the LPT and amortization of deferred gains associated with recoveries of prior LPT reserve strengthening in certain non-GAAP metrics, where noted, as the business subject to the LPT is not representative of our continuing business strategy. The business subject to the LPT is primarily related to policy years 2017 and prior, was generated and managed under prior leadership, and has either been exited or substantially repositioned during the reevaluation of our portfolio. We consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for our management and investors to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. While we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating our business, this information should be considered supplemental in nature and is not meant to be a substitute for revenue or net income, in each case as recognized in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate such measures differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. For more information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of such measures to comparable GAAP financial measures, see the section entitled “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

    About Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.

    Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through eight underwriting divisions – Accident & Health, Captives, Global Property & Agriculture, Industry Solutions, Professional Lines, Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S. SKWD stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which represents the top fourth of all Nasdaq listed companies.

    Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, Great Midwest Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. Additional information about Skyward Specialty can be found on our website at www.skywardinsurance.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Except for historical information, all other information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified through use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “enable,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intends,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “predict,” “probable,” “potential,” “possible,” “should,” “continue,” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in Skyward Specialty’s Form 10-K, and include (but are not limited to) legislative changes at both the state and federal level, state and federal regulatory rule making promulgations and adjudications, class action litigation involving the insurance industry and judicial decisions affecting claims, policy coverages and the general costs of doing business, the potential loss of key members of our management team or key employees and our ability to attract and retain personnel, the impact of competition on products and pricing, inflation in the costs of the products and services insurance pays for, product development, geographic spread of risk, weather and weather-related events, other types of catastrophic events, our ability to obtain reinsurance coverage at prices and on terms that allow us to transfer risk and adequately protect our company against financial loss, and losses resulting from reinsurance counterparties failing to pay us on reinsurance claims. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

    Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.

    Investor contact:
    Natalie Schoolcraft,
    nschoolcraft@skywardinsurance.com
    614-494-4988

    or

    Media contact:
    Haley Doughty
    hdoughty@skywardinsurance.com
    713-935-4944

    Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
     

    Adjusted operating income – We define adjusted operating income as net income excluding the impact of certain items that may not be indicative of underlying business trends, operating results, or future outlook, net of tax impact. We use adjusted operating income as an internal performance measure in the management of our operations because we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Adjusted operating income should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define adjusted operating income differently.      

    ($ in thousands) Three months ended December 31,
    (unaudited)   2024  
      Pre-tax   After-tax
    Income $             18,554     $             14,406  
    Less (add):      
    Net investment losses               (10,409 )                   (8,223 )
    Net impact of loss portfolio transfer               (12,398 )                   (9,794 )
    Other income                         35                             28  
    Other expenses                 (1,042 )                       (823 )
    Adjusted operating income $             42,368     $             33,218  
           
           

    Adjusted Loss Ratio / Adjusted Combined Ratio – We define adjusted loss ratio and adjusted combined ratio as the corresponding ratio (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding losses and LAE related to the LPT and all development on reserves fully or partially covered by the LPT and amortization of deferred gains associated with recoveries of prior LPT reserve strengthening. We use these adjusted ratios as internal performance measures in the management of our operations because we believe they give our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Our adjusted loss ratio and adjusted combined ratio should not be viewed as substitutes for our loss ratio and combined ratio, respectively.

    ($ in thousands) Three months ended December 31,
    (unaudited) 2024
      $   % of Net Earned Premiums
    Net earned premiums                                      293,240      
           
    Losses and LAE                                      196,320       66.9 %
    Less: Pre-tax net impact of LPT                                        12,398       4.2 %
    Adjusted losses and LAE                                      183,922       62.7 %
           
    Net policy acquisition costs                                        44,702       15.3 %
    Other operating and general expenses                                        40,785       13.9 %
    Less: commission and fee income                                            (806 )     (0.3 )%
    Total net expenses                                        84,681       28.9 %
           
    Combined ratio       95.8 %
    Less: net impact of LPT       4.2 %
    Adjusted combined ratio       91.6 %
           
           

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Welcome to IADC’s 2025 Executive Committee!

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Welcome to IADC’s 2025 Executive Committee!

    KEVIN NEVEU, CHAIR

    Precision Drilling Corporation

    Kevin Neveu is President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Precision Drilling Corporation and has held these positions since joining the company in 2007. Mr. Neveu has 43 years of experience in the oilfield services sector holding various technical, marketing, and management positions over his career. Mr. Neveu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a graduate of the University of Alberta and is a registered Professional Engineer in the province of Alberta. He has also completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program in Boston, Massachusetts.

    RODDIE MACKENZIE, VICE CHAIR

    Transocean

    Named to his current position in February 2022, Mr. Mackenzie is responsible for identifying innovative technologies that create demonstrable value for Transocean’s customers and differentiate Transocean from its competitors in addition to leading Transocean’s Marketing organization. Mr. Mackenzie served previously as Senior Vice President, Marketing, Innovation and Industry Relations; Vice President, Marketing and Contracts; Managing Director, Business Development and Strategic Accounts, and as a Marketing Director with increasing roles of responsibility in the United States, France, and Dubai. He brings over 20 years of industry experience and prior to his time in Marketing, Mr. Mackenzie served in various operational and project roles around the globe, starting his career at Transocean as a rig-based engineer in 1997. He has worked on all manner of drilling rigs in Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Brazil, and the US Gulf of Mexico.

    Mr. Mackenzie currently serves as Vice President for Offshore Division of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and on various committees for the Offshore Energy Center.

    Mr. Mackenzie graduated from the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 2016 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Strathclyde in Civil Engineering with Environmental Studies in 1997.

    BRAD JAMES, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

    Enterprise Offshore Drilling

    Mr. James has served as founding President, CEO and Board Member of Enterprise Offshore Drilling LLC since 2016. He previously served as Sr. Vice President – Marketing of Hercules Offshore from 2006 through 2016 and was responsible for managing worldwide marketing activity for Hercules drilling divisions. Prior to that he held various leadership roles at Transocean Offshore (including R&B Falcon and Cliffs Drilling), was founding President of Field Drilling Company and Vice President of Southland Drilling. He currently serves on the IADC Executive Committee and is a board member of IADC Drillers PAC and is a former Chairman of the IADC Houston Chapter. Mr. James obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southwest Texas State University in 1981.

    JENNIFER YEUNG, SECRETARY/TREASURER

    Noble Corporation

    Ms. Yeung was named Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of Noble in November 2023. Prior to joining Noble, she served at Ernst & Young LLP, an accounting and professional services firm, in various roles of increasing responsibility since January 2007. Most recently, Ms. Yeung served as Audit Managing Director from October 2020 through September 2023, and as Audit Senior Manager from July 2014 through October 2020, serving clients across a range of industries including offshore drilling.

    Ms. Yeung is a certified public accountant and received a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance from Loyola University.

    LEE WOMBLE, DIVISION VP DRILLING SERVICES

    SLB

    Lee Womble is Vice President and Global Accounts Director for SLB with global responsibility for drilling contractor accounts over all SLB divisions and basins.

    He joined Cameron Iron Works in 1988 as a Product Design Engineer after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Lee received his registered Professional Engineer license from the State of Texas in 1993 and obtained his first patent in 1994. He has since managed engineering, repair operations, manufacturing, field service and sales.

    Mr. Womble has since held numerous positions throughout his 36-year career such as Design Engineer, Repair and Sales Mgr., Regional Manager, Director and now Vice President since 2007. He has lived in locations such as the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Lee has served on committees for API, AADE, IADC and The Joint Industry Task Force. He is currently focused on help SLB lead in technology, performance, and customer centricity.

    GENE STAHL, DIVISION VP NORTH AMERICA ONSHORE

    Precision Drilling Corporation

    Gene Stahl was appointed as President, North American Drilling in 2023 and previously held the position of Chief Marketing Officer since 2019. Since joining Precision Drilling in 1993, Mr. Stahl has progressed his way through the organization holding several positions with increasing responsibility, including Contracts, Investor Relations, Engineering, Manufacturing, Rig Construction, Procurement, Field Training and Development, and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE). Mr. Stahl holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, Advanced Management Program.

    JON RICHARDS, DIVISION VP OFFSHORE

    Noble Corporation

    Jon Richards currently serves as Vice President Operations for Noble Corporation. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Diamond Offshore. Mr. Richards joined Diamond Offshore in 1997 and has over 27 years of experience in the offshore drilling industry.

    Jon started his career as an Operations Development Trainee with Diamond and has since held various leadership roles and responsibilities managing operations in the United States, United Kingdom, West Africa, and Brazil. Jon holds a degree in Business Management from Texas Tech University and participates in various roles as a member of the IADC. In his free time, Jon enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and volunteering with youth sports.

    JIM NOWOTNY, DIVISION VP INTERNATIONAL ONSHORE

    Helmerich & Payne

    Jim Nowotny is the Vice President International and Offshore Business Development at Helmerich & Payne.  He has extensive domestic and international leadership experience in multiple areas of the offshore and land drilling industry, including marketing and business development, commercial and technical contracts, operations, manufacturing, and engineering.  He has worked in the energy industry since 1995.

    Prior to joining Helmerich & Payne, he worked for an international oil field equipment manufacturer.  There he was responsible for four manufacturing business units within Canada and the USA.  He oversaw all aspects of business operations, including the manufacturing, engineering, and business development groups. Jim also worked for over 16 years in various roles for Atwood Oceanics, an international offshore drilling contractor.  He worked in increasing roles of responsibility in the areas of engineering, operations, marketing, and business development.

    Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and has completed several executive education courses at Columbia Business School, Harvard Law School and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Confirmation of Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    02.04.25
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after voting to confirm former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General:
    “Pam Bondi has years of law enforcement experience, including as a prosecutor and the former attorney general of Florida. She has committed to leading the Department of Justice with a focus on its core mission of prosecuting crime and keeping the American people safe. We look forward to working with her to improve public safety in North Dakota and across the nation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Duckworth-Daines-Cruz-Hirono Bill to Better Protect Parents Traveling with Breast Milk Passes Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    February 05, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to make it easier for parents to safely embark on air travel with breast milk and breastfeeding supplies successfully passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST). The Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Enhancement Act, which Duckworth reintroduced last week alongside co-leads U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to clarify and regularly update guidance on handling breast milk, baby formula and other related nutrition products, including ice packs, in consultation with leading maternal health groups. This swift committee passage comes after the bipartisan legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent late last year in the 118th Congress.
    “After hearing far too many stories about traveling moms being mistreated and wrongfully denied access to their breast milk and the breastfeeding equipment they need to take care of their babies, I’m thrilled our bipartisan legislation passed through committee—bringing us that much closer to preventing these incidents from ever happening again,” said Senator Duckworth. “Ensuring that the TSA keeps its employees up to speed on their own policies and updates those policies as necessary is the least we can do to help parents travel through airports with the dignity and respect they deserve. The Senate already passed this legislation by unanimous consent last year—now, the full Senate must pass it again so we can send it to the House as soon as possible.”
    “Moms have a tough job, and the last thing they need to worry about is traveling safely with breast milk and formula for their babies,” said Senator Daines. “I’m glad to see this bipartisan legislation pass out of committee and become one step closer to becoming law.”
    “Far too often, families traveling with infants and young children are subjected to inconsistencies when going through TSA’s screening, causing inconveniences that can make traveling together even more difficult. This simple legislation to update the TSA’s compliance guidance for the 3-1-1 liquids will help families travel without added hassles,” said Senator Cruz.
    “The BABES Enhancement Act will require TSA to clarify and regularly update its guidance on handling breast milk and baby formula, helping to ensure that parents and their young children can travel by air with peace of mind, knowing they can keep milk and supplies they need to keep their babies fed,” said Senator Hirono. “I am glad to see this important legislation passed out of committee and I look forward to working with Senators Duckworth, Daines, and Cruz to pass this bill to keep families and their children safe and healthy.”
    The bipartisan BABES Enhancement Act would help keep breastfeeding parents and their kids safe and healthy while traveling by air. Mishandled breast milk can become contaminated, which puts children at risk. Moreover, parents who lactate typically need to breastfeed or pump once every few hours. Failure to do so can result in a clogged milk duct, or a painful infection called mastitis. The legislation would better protect families by requiring TSA to:
    Issue guidance promoting the hygienic handling of any breast milk, baby formula and other infant nutrition products, as well as accessories required to preserve these products;
    Consult with nationally recognized maternal health organizations in establishing and communicating this guidance; and
    Update guidance every five years to respond to emerging needs of parents and to account for developments in technology.
    This legislation would also direct an independent government watchdog to conduct an audit of compliance with TSA screening policies for passengers traveling with breast milk and other infant nutrition products, providing lawmakers with information related to violations of policies.
    A copy of the bill text is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
    Duckworth has been a strong advocate in ensuring moms receive the dignity and respect they deserve while traveling. In 2022, Duckworth pressed TSA Administrator David Pekoske for improved treatment of new mothers and Americans with disabilities from employees of the TSA. That same year, Duckworth also called on TSA to address inconsistent implementation of the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule Exemption travel policy for breast milk and formula at airport security checkpoints as well as ensure new moms and their infants can travel safely without fear of harassment.
    Duckworth has also championed several policies that help make air travel easier for new moms. Her bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Improvement Act, which was signed into law in 2020, is helping ensure our small airports across the country support new moms and promote breastfeeding-friendly environments. The legislation builds on Duckworth’s success in enacting a law that ensures all large and medium airports provide a clean, private space where moms can breastfeed or pump. As a result of her legislation, O’Hare and Midway Airports both installed free-standing lactation pods.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch: Loeffler will Strengthen Idaho Small Businesses, Achieve Trump Priorities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), senior member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, released the following statement today on the importance of Idaho’s small businesses and his support for President Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), Kelly Loeffler.

    “Small businesses are the lifeblood of Idaho—fueling our economy, creating jobs, and strengthening our communities. Yet, many small businesses have been stifled by bureaucratic complexity and the heavy-handed regulations implemented under the Biden administration,” said Risch. “With former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler leading the Small Business Administration, I am confident that Idaho’s small businesses will have greater freedom to innovate and access much-needed resources for success. I was proud to support her nomination by President Trump through the Small Business Committee and look forward to her confirmation by the full Senate.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, Representative Chu reintroduce bill to prevent Muslim bans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.) reintroduced the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act, which would prevent future bans by the Trump administration on Muslims or any other religious group by strengthening the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion. The bill would also require that any suspension of entry into the United States be narrowly tailored, backed by credible evidence, and subject to appropriate consultation with Congress.

    “President Trump’s Muslim ban during his first term was un-American, unjust, and weakened our standing in the world,” said Senator Coons. “Now, as the country enters President Trump’s second term, fear and prejudice are once again guiding immigration policy, and his flurry of executive orders have laid the groundwork for another attempt at a Muslim ban. The NO BAN Act is needed now more than ever to ensure that the Trump administration cannot implement discriminatory measures and to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to religious freedom and equality under the law.”

    “A hateful stain on our nation’s history, the Muslim Ban that President Trump instituted in his first term was fueled by bigotry and Islamophobia and did lasting damage to the families it separated,” said Representative Chu. “Distressingly, President Trump has already started the process to fulfill his campaign promise to reinstate a ban, signing an Executive Order on his first day back in office that lays the groundwork for a future, and potentially expanded, Muslim Ban. That’s why I am joining Senator Coons and my Democratic colleagues to once again introduce the NO BAN Act to make certain that no president can ever ban people from entering the country solely because of their religion.”

    Additionally, Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) reintroduced the Access to Counsel Act, which Senator Coons cosponsored. This bill ensures that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status are able to consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports. As a result of President Trump’s Muslim Ban in 2017, individuals were held for long periods of time, often without access to legal counsel.

    The NO BAN Act was initially introduced in the 116th Congress in response to President Trump’s attempts in 2017 to introduce a Muslim ban. Courts initially struck down the bans, but a conservative Supreme Court upheld a version of the ban in a 5-4 decision. As a result, families were separated, couples were forced to live apart, and communities were unable to reunite for milestones of joy and grief. While former President Biden rescinded the bans, President Trump has signaled intent to issue a new travel ban in the coming months.

    The NO BAN Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in both 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the Biden administration issued a statement in support of the legislation, noting that the prior “bans were a stain on our national conscience and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths.”   

    An executive order issued by President Trump on his first day of his second term requires government departments to identify over the course of 60 days nations whose migration and screening processes are “so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.” The order lays the groundwork for another ban on migration from predominantly Muslim countries.

    The NO BAN Act would push back on Trump’s Muslim ban or any other travel ban by:

    • Providing that the Immigration and Nationality Act nondiscrimination provisions apply to religion, as well as to the issuance of non-immigrant visas and benefits;
    • Requiring that any travel restriction imposed under Immigration and Nationality Act be based on specific and credible facts, and in a way narrowly tailored to address a compelling government interest; and
    • Establishing procedural requirements, including notice to Congress within 48 hours, and periodic reporting.

    The NO BAN Act has received endorsements from numerous immigrants’ rights organizations, faith-based organizations, and civil rights organizations, including Care in Action, 18 Million Rising, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, African Public Affairs Committee, America Indivisible, American Humanist Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Americans for Immigrant Justice, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, ANAR, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Church World Service, Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Refuge, Hindus for Human Rights, Human Rights First, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Immigrants Act Now, Interfaith Alliance, International Refugee Assistance Project, League of Conservation Voters, Muslims for Just Futures, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Law Center, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National Partnership for New Americans, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Poligon Education Fund, Queer Crescent, Quixote Center, Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), Refugees International, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Social Workers for Immigration Justice, South Asian Legal Defense Fund, South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA), The Advocates for Human Rights, The Sikh Coalition, Union for Reform Judaism, Win Without War, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, ACLU, Brennan Center for Justice, Arab American Civic Council, ASATA Power, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), CAIR Washington, California Immigrant Policy Center, Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, Civic Ark, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Education Law Center-PA, Estrella del Paso, Family Action Network Movement, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), Indo-American Center, Islamic Society of Central Jersey, Malikah, Muslim Justice League, Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center, Womankind, and Concerned Christian Citizen.

    “As President Trump fulfills his racist campaign promises by indefinitely blocking all vulnerable refugees and by preparing a potential resurrection of categorical bans on people who come to the U.S. from African, Muslim-majority, or other countries, we welcome the timely reintroduction of an essential policy rooted in the highest American aspirations of equality, religious freedom, and refuge from tyrannical leaders,” said Sumayyah Waheed, Senior Policy Counsel, Muslim Advocates. “With the reintroduction of the NO BAN Act, we hope to check discriminatory and cruel abuses of presidential power at our borders. We remember clearly the hate, chaos, and family separation resulting from President Trump’s first-term Muslim and African bans – effects that remain unresolved to this day. Meanwhile, people seeking safety at our borders are forced to face unlawful, dehumanizing, debilitating, and even lethal barriers to doing so. We thank Rep. Chu and Sen. Coons for their leadership and urge Members in both houses to swiftly pass this bill.”

    “The first time President Trump was in the White House, as we all watched his xenophobic Muslim ban wreak havoc on families in airports and communities across the country, the ACLU took to the courts for relief. This time around, the landscape includes the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Trump’s previous ban to go into effect. We can’t sit back as Trump again seeks to inflict cruelty. The NO BAN Act is an important effort to uphold our fundamental values and ensure our laws prevent discriminatory bans from being enacted in the future,” said Naureen Shah, deputy director of government affairs with the ACLU Equality Division. 

    “Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban was a stain on America’s conscience and President Biden’s Executive Order rescinding the various versions of the ban was an important first step,” said Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director at MPower Change Action Fund. “During the campaign trail, Trump vowed not only to reinstate the Muslim Ban but to expand it, and has made good on that promise by previewing a travel ban on his first day back in office. To ensure our communities do not face the threat of family separation, xenophobia, and Islamophobia through the implementation of another unconstitutional and unconscionable ban by Trump, Congress needs to take action and pass the NO BAN Act. We’re grateful for the leadership of Representative Chu and Senator Coons in reintroducing the NO BAN Act and urge Congress to pass the bill swiftly.”

    “Trump’s discriminatory Muslim and African bans inflicted unthinkable cruelty and separated families. The policy was met with widespread resistance, with thousands of people making their voices heard in protests at airports across the country. With Trump’s return to office, and his day-one executive order signaling another forthcoming ban, we must all do everything in our power to ensure these harmful bans do not return. We commend Senator Coons’ and Representative Chu’s leadership on this issue and call on Congress to pass the NO BAN Act today to protect communities from lasting harm,” said Raha Wala, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center.

    “Thousands of American families will soon be separated and America’s economic competitiveness will be damaged if President Trump reimposes the so-called travel ban. The scars of the first ban have not yet fully healed, and some who were denied entry under the first ban are staring down more than four years of separation from their families. As members of Trump’s own coalition have noted, U.S. innovation and economic strength are fueled by immigrants from Iran and other countries that will potentially be banned. It is not stable or secure or fair to American families for the U.S. to impose and repeal such policies every four years by executive fiat — Congress must act as a co-equal branch and establish guardrails that protect the rights, security, and economy for all Americans by passing the NO BAN Act,” said Jamal Abdi, President of National Iranian American Council Action.

    “The reintroduction of the NO BAN Act in the 119th Congress is a crucial step in reaffirming America’s historic role as a beacon of hope and opportunity for immigrants. For generations, the United States has stood as a nation that values diversity, equity, and justice. This legislation ensures that the executive power cannot be misused to undermine these principles or to close our doors to those seeking opportunity and refuge. We extend our gratitude to Representative Judy Chu, Senator Chris Coons, and the original co-sponsors of this critical bill and urge Congress to act swiftly to pass it, preserving the ideals that have long defined and strengthened our nation,” said Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action. 

    The text of the bill is available here. 

    A section-by-section summary of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, Foreign Relations Committee Democrats push Secretary Rubio for answers on national security risks stemming from pauses to USAID programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and the rest of the Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an explanation of recent developments at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This includes recent reports that individuals who identified themselves as working for the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) requested unauthorized access to USAID’s main headquarters, American citizens’ data and classified spaces, and illegally demanded access to classified documents, creating a national security risk. 
    Senator Coons has long advocated to strengthen USAID given its vital role in advancing U.S. national security and global stability. He introduced the bipartisan Locally Led Development and Humanitarian Response Act last year, aiming to increase and improve USAID’s collaboration with local partners when implementing humanitarian and development programs around the world. Until recently, he was the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS), responsible for overseeing USAID and our nation’s entire foreign aid spending.
    “Congress established the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, separate from the Department of State, to ensure that we can deploy development expertise and U.S. foreign assistance quickly, particularly in times of crisis, to meet our national security goals,” the senators wrote. “For this reason, any effort to merge or fold USAID into the Department of State should be, and by law must be, previewed, discussed, and approved by Congress.” 
    “We received reports that individuals who identified themselves as working for the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) accessed USAID’s main headquarters, including classified spaces,” the senators continued. “The potential access of sensitive, even classified, files which may include the personally identifiable information of Americans working with USAID, and this incident as a whole raises deep concerns about the protection and safeguarding of matters related to U.S. national security.” 
    “We request an immediate update about the access of USAID’s headquarters, including whether the individuals who accessed the headquarters were authorized to be there and by whom, whether all individuals who accessed classified spaces have active security clearances at the appropriate level, what they were seeking to access, if any [personally identifiable information] of American citizens was breached, and whether any review is underway regarding potential unauthorized access to sensitive personnel information and classified materials,” concluded the senators. 
    You can read the full letter here and below.
    Dear Secretary Rubio:
    Congress established the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, separate from the Department of State, to ensure that we can deploy development expertise and U.S. foreign assistance quickly, particularly in times of crisis, to meet our national security goals. For this reason, any effort to merge or fold USAID into the Department of State should be, and by law must be, previewed, discussed, and approved by Congress. Congress has also made clear that any attempt to reorganize or redesign USAID requires advance consultation with, and notification to, Congress.
    Consistent with past precedent, we expect and welcome the Department of State’s and USAID’s engagement on any proposed organizational reforms, and other matters implicating congressional requirements.
    While we continue to welcome such engagement, we write with deep concern about this weekend’s developments at USAID’s headquarters.
    We received reports that individuals who identified themselves as working for the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) accessed USAID’s main headquarters, including classified spaces. While some of the individuals purported to have security clearances, it is unclear whether those who accessed secure classified facilities had proper clearance or what they were seeking to access. We understand that the security guards present at the facility were threatened when they raised questions. As members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, we had not been notified of any such visit to USAID by DOGE or other agency officials. Following this incident, the senior management of the Office of Security, which secures USAID personnel and facilities and safeguards national security information, were placed on administrative leave. The potential access of sensitive, even classified, files, which may include the personally identifiable information (PII) of Americans working with USAID, and this incident as a whole, raises deep concerns about the protection and safeguarding of matters related to U.S. national security.
    We request an immediate update about the access of USAID’s headquarters, including whether the individuals who accessed the headquarters were authorized to be there and by whom, whether all individuals who accessed classified spaces have active security clearances at the appropriate level, what they were seeking to access, if any PII of American citizens was breached, and whether any review is underway regarding potential unauthorized access to sensitive personnel information and classified materials.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Moran, Peters, Rep. Norton Reintroduce Legislation to Remove Derogatory Language from D.C. Code

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Congressional Down Syndrome Task Force – Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), today reintroduced legislation that would update the District of Columbia (D.C.) Code by eliminating the words “mentally retarded” and replacing it with language that better respects the dignity of individuals with disabilities.

    In 2010, Congress passed Rosa’s Law which eliminated the word “mental retardation” from federal law. However, Title 11 of the D.C. Code still uses various forms of those words and can only be amended by Congress. The Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act would replace the term with “persons of moderate intellectual disabilities.”

    “Individuals with disabilities deserve to be respected and valued,” said Sen. Moran. “Language that is degrading to individuals with disabilities should be eliminated from our laws and courts. This legislation makes certain the D.C. courts are using language that is both accurate, appropriate and maintains the dignity of all people.”

    “Our words have power, and every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Sen. Peters. “It’s long past time to remove this derogatory language from D.C. code, so that we can better ensure every individual is treated with compassion and decency.”

    “Words indisputably matter,” said Rep. Norton. “Certain words can become antiquated and offensive over time, and I am pleased to be joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in modernizing the D.C. Code. My own daughter, Katherine, has Down syndrome. I’m appalled at the thought of someone using the ‘R-word’ slur toward her, and it is beyond the pale that the derogatory term is still a part of the D.C. Code.”

    This legislation is also supported by the National Down Syndrome Society, National Down Syndrome Caucus, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and Special Olympics.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Moran, Duckworth Call on FAA to Continue Restricting Non-Essential Helicopter Operations Near Ronald Reagan National Airport

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) – the chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation –  called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to continue the restrictions placed on non-essential helicopter operations near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following the mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, and a United States Army H-60 Blackhawk on the night of January 29, 2025.
    “We write to you to request the Federal Aviation Administration continue the restrictions placed on non-essential helicopter operations near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport until the completion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report and a briefing by FAA to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, regarding the safety of resuming non-essential helicopter operations,” the senators wrote. “Until investigators complete this work, restricting helicopter operations, while allowing for essential medical support, active law enforcement, active air defense, and presidential transport traffic will help keep the area safe and improve public trust in commercial air travel.”
    The full letter can be found here and below.Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau,
    We write to you to request the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continue the restrictions placed on non-essential helicopter operations near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport until the completion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report and a briefing by FAA to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation (Subcommittee) regarding the safety of resuming non-essential helicopter operations. Until investigators complete this work, restricting helicopter operations, while allowing for essential medial support, active law enforcement, active air defense, and presidential transport traffic will help keep the area safe and improve public trust in commercial air travel. 
    The mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, and a United States Army H-60 Blackhawk on the night of January 29, 2025, is a tragic event which requires a thorough evaluation of air traffic in the vicinity of airport. As the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, we intend to conduct a subcommittee review into the January 29th tragedy by examining the facts and expert findings to determine whether policy changes may be necessary to increase safety and improve public trust. We look forward to your cooperation as we conduct our review to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
    We are grateful for our first responders, military and civilian men and women who have contributed to the response efforts and for your actions in response to this tragic event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: How real-world businesses are transforming with AI – with 50 new stories

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: How real-world businesses are transforming with AI – with 50 new stories

    Updated February 5, 2025: The post contains 50 new customer stories, which appear at the beginning of each section of customer lists. The post will be updated regularly with new stories.

    One of the highlights of my career has always been connecting with customers and partners across industries to learn how they are using technology to drive their businesses forward. In the past 30 years, we’ve seen four major platform shifts, from client server to internet and the web to mobile and cloud to now — the next major platform shift to AI.  

    As today’s platform shift to AI continues to gain momentum, Microsoft is working to understand just how organizations can drive lasting business value. We recently commissioned a study with IDC, The Business Opportunity of AI, to uncover new insights around business value and help guide organizations on their journey of AI transformation. The study found that for every $1 organizations invest in generative AI, they’re realizing an average of $3.70 in return — and uncovered insights about the future potential of AI to reshape business processes and drive change across industries.

    Check out the top 5 AI trends to watch from IDC and Microsoft

    Today, more than 85% of the Fortune 500 are using Microsoft AI solutions to shape their future. In working with organizations large and small, across every industry and geography, we’ve seen that most transformation initiatives are designed to achieve one of four business outcomes:  

    1. Enriching employee experiences: Using AI to streamline or automate repetitive, mundane tasks can allow your employees to dive into more complex, creative and ultimately more valuable work.
    2. Reinventing customer engagement: AI can create more personalized, tailored customer experiences, delighting your target audiences while lightening the load for employees.
    3. Reshaping business processes: Virtually any business process can be reimagined with AI, from marketing to supply chain operations to finance, and AI is even allowing organizations to go beyond process optimization and discover exciting new growth opportunities.
    4. Bending the curve on innovation: AI is revolutionizing innovation by speeding up creative processes and product development, reducing the time to market and allowing companies to differentiate in an often crowded field.

    In this blog, we’ve collected more than 300 of our favorite real-life examples of how organizations are embracing Microsoft’s proven AI capabilities to drive impact and shape today’s platform shift to AI. Today, we’ve added new stories of customers using our AI capabilities at the beginning of each section. We’ll regularly update this story with more. We hope you find an example or two that can inspire your own transformation journey.

    Enriching employee experiences

    Generative AI is truly transforming employee productivity and wellbeing. Our customers tell us that by automating repetitive, mundane tasks, employees are freed up to dive into more complex and creative work. This shift not only makes the work environment more stimulating but also boosts job satisfaction. It sparks innovation, provides actionable insights for better decision-making and supports personalized training and development opportunities, all contributing to a better work-life balance. Customers around the world have reported significant improvements in employee productivity with these AI solutions:

    New Stories:

    1. Acentra Health created MedScribe using Azure OpenAI Service. The solution has saved 11,000 nursing hours and nearly $800,000. It also helped each nurse process 20 to 30 letters daily, while achieving a 99% approval rate for MedScribe-generated letters.
    2. Brisbane Catholic Education provides Microsoft 365 Copilot to 12,500 educators, and uses Microsoft Copilot Studio to create a generative AI tool to help educators integrate Catholic traditions and values into the classroom.
    3. Crediclub saves 96% per month in auditing expenses and analyzes 150 meetings per hour with Azure AI, freeing up time for 800 sales advisors and 150 branch managers to interact directly with customers.
    4. eClinicalWorks developed a tool using Azure AI services and Azure AI Document Intelligence to help healthcare workers scan, sort and match thousands of faxes each year to match the faxed data with current patient files.
    5. Education Authority of Northern Ireland (EANI) introduced Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce admin work, allowing teachers to focus on students. The Microsoft partnership ensures secure and ethical AI use, while teacher training focuses on prompt writing and effective tool adoption.
    6. Ma’aden uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance productivity, saving up to 2,200 hours monthly. Tasks like drafting emails, creating documents and data analysis have become more efficient, helping Ma’aden achieve its growth goals.
    7. Marketing org mci group uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance the use of AI and other technological advances to boost employee efficiency.
    8. Michelin deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot and a generative AI in-house chatbot based on Azure OpenAI Service called “Aurora” designed to help employees optimize work and team performance, boosting productivity tenfold.
    9. Raiffeisen Bank International built its own ChatGPT using Azure OpenAI Service to automate repetitive tasks like documenting intelligence and more rapidly summarize legal, regulation and banking documents.
    10. Sanabil Investments deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to help employees reduce the time spent on manual everyday tasks that diverted focus from more strategic and valuable work. Within two months, approximately 70% of employees regularly used Copilot.
    11. Sensei rolled out Microsoft 365 to reduce the number of internal apps and better connect systems for easier collaboration, and is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to increase efficiency.
    12. Sikshana Foundation is working with Microsoft Research India to introduce an AI copilot for teachers that shortens preparation time for lessons from an hour or more to just minutes.
    13. The University of Hong Kong adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance productivity by automating administrative tasks and providing intelligent assistance, allowing faculty to focus more on teaching.
    1. Accenture and Avanade launched a Copilot business transformation practice, supported by Microsoft, and co-invested in new capabilities, solutions and training to help organizations securely and responsibly reinvent their business functions with generative and agentic AI and Copilot technologies.
    2. Access Holdings Plc adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot, integrating generative AI into daily tools and, as a result, writing code now takes two hours instead of eight, chatbots launch in 10 days instead of three months and presentations are prepared in 45 minutes instead of six hours.
    3. Adobe is connecting Adobe Experience Cloud workflows and insights with Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver generative-AI powered capabilities that enable marketers to increase collaboration, efficiency and creativity.
    4. Amadeus empowers its teams to focus their time and skills on value-added tasks with Microsoft 365 Copilot, by summarizing email threads, chat or transcripts and summing up information from diverse sources.
    5. ANZ has invested in Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot and Copilot in Microsoft Edge to boost productivity and innovation across its workforce.
    6. Asahi Europe & International (AEI) has adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot, saving employees potentially 15% of time previously spent on administrative tasks.
    7. AXA developed AXA Secure GPT, a platform powered by Azure OpenAI Service that empowers employees to leverage the power of generative AI while targeting the highest level of data safety and responsible use of the tool.
    8. Axon Enterprise developed a new AI tool with Azure OpenAI Service called Draft One, resulting in an 82% decrease in time spent on reports, which freed up officers to engage more with their community.
    9. Aztec Group enhanced productivity and client experience by trialing Microsoft 365 Copilot with 300 staff, uncovering “unlimited” use cases and plans for a wider rollout.
    10. Bader Sultan & Bros. Co. W.L.L. implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance employee productivity and speed up customer response times.
    11. Bancolombia is using GitHub Copilot to empower its technical team, achieving a 30% increase in code generation, boosting automated application changes to an average of 18,000 per year, with a rate of 42 productive daily deployments.
    12. Bank of Queensland Group is using Microsoft 365 Copilot, with 70% of users saving two-and-a-half to five hours per week.
    13. BaptistCare Community Services is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to save employees time as they navigate workforce shortage challenges allowing them to focus more on the people they care for.
    14. Barnsley Council was recognized as “Double Council of the Year in 2023” for its implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot, which modernized operations and reduced administrative tasks, leading to improved job satisfaction and increased creativity.
    15. BlackRock purchased more than 24,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses spanning all employees, functions and locations, helping improve the Copilot experience, including codeveloping new features and functions.
    16. British Heart Foundation is testing Microsoft 365 Copilot and in its initial test, users estimate that Microsoft 365 Copilot could save them up to 30 minutes per day.
    17. Buckinghamshire Council deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot with staff reporting productivity improvements, quality enhancements and time savings which are enabling the different teams to do more with less.
    18. Campari Group adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to help employees integrate it into their workflow, resulting in time savings of about two hours a week from the support of routine activities such as email management, meeting preparation, content creation and skill acquisition.
    19. Canadian Tire Corporation moved its data from on-premises systems to Microsoft Azure and built digital assistants using Azure OpenAI Service, and now more than 3,000 corporate employees save 30 to 60 minutes a day using its ChatCTC digital assistant.
    20. Capita is using GitHub Copilot for productivity improvements as well as improvements in developer satisfaction, recruitment and retention.
    21. Cathay leverages Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline meetings and manage information more effectively, reducing time-consuming tasks and fostering creativity.
    22. CDW used Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve work quality for 88% of users, enabling 77% to complete tasks faster, and increasing productivity for 85% of users.
    23. Chi Mei Medical Center is lightening workloads for doctors, nurses and pharmacists with a generative AI assistant built on Azure OpenAI Service.
    24. Clifford Chance adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline tasks, automate processes and enhance collaboration. Lawyers use it to draft and manage emails and ensure compliance, allowing them to focus on complex legal work and improve productivity.
    25. DLA Piper chose Microsoft 365 Copilot to boost productivity for operational and administrative teams, saving up to 36 hours weekly on content generation and data analysis.
    26. Eaton adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate the creation of 1,000 standard operating procedures to streamline customer service operations and improve data access across teams, cutting creation time from one hour to 10 minutes.
    27. E.ON is focused on Germany’s energy transition, leveraging Microsoft 365 Copilot to manage the complex grid in real-time, increasing productivity and efficiency for its workforce.
    28. Enerijisa Uretim has adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline meeting summaries, reformat documents and compile reports, enabling employees to concentrate on more strategic and fulfilling activities instead of spending six hours in meetings.
    29. EPAM is deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot to consolidate information and generate content and documents.
    30. Farm Credit Canada implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot which resulted in time savings on routine tasks for 78% of users, with 30% saving 30 to 60 minutes per week and 35% saving over an hour per week, allowing employees to focus on more value-added tasks.
    31. Finastra used Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate tasks, enhance content creation, improve analytics and personalize customer interactions, with employees citing a 20%-50% time savings.
    32. Four Agency Worldwide increased employee productivity using Microsoft 365 Copilot to generate ideas for creative work and support administrative-heavy processes, data analysis and report generation, allowing staff to focus on outreach and less time doing paperwork.
    33. Goodwill of Orange County developed an AI-powered app using Azure AI capabilities to help more people, including those with developmental, intellectual and physical disabilities, work in unfilled e-commerce positions.
    34. Harvey uses Azure OpenAI to simplify routine tasks across hundreds of law firms and legal teams, with one corporate lawyer saying he saved 10 hours of work per week.
    35. Honeywell employees are saving 92 minutes per week — that’s 74 hours a year! Disclaimer: Statistics are from an internal Honeywell survey of 5,000 employees where 611 employees responded.
    36. Insight employees using Copilot are seeing four hours of productivity gained per week from data summarization and content creation.
    37. Joos uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to grow its brand with worldwide collaboration by streamlining meetings, optimizing presentations and improving communications.
    38. Kantar is harnessing the power of Microsoft 365 Copilot by reducing costly, time-consuming IT processes and boosting productivity for employees.
    39. KMS Lighthouse enhanced its knowledge management platform with Microsoft Teams and Dynamics 365 integration, enabling users to leverage KMS Lighthouse without having to switch applications. And with Azure OpenAI Service, companies can create relevant content more quickly within the KMS Lighthouse application.
    40. KPMG Australia is using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Search and Microsoft Copilot 365 to perform advanced text analysis of dozens of client source documents to identify full or partial compliance, or noncompliance, in a fraction of the time required for manual assessments.
    41. LGT is launching Microsoft Copilot LGT to improve efficiency, showing users save an average of an hour a week even in the pilot phase.
    42. Localiza&Co, a leader in the mobility industry in Latin America, implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate processes and improve efficiency, and reduced 8.3 working hours per employee per month.
    43. Lotte Hotels & Resorts has been creating a new work culture that allows employees to work more efficiently and focus on the nature of the work by adopting Microsoft Power Platform for automation.
    44. MAIRE is leveraging Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate routine tasks, saving over 800 working hours per month, freeing up engineers and professionals for strategic activities while supporting MAIRE’s green energy transition by reducing their carbon footprint.
    45. McDonald’s China chose Microsoft Azure AI, GitHub Copilot and Azure AI Search to transform its operations, resulting in a significant increase in AI adoption, consumption and retention from 2,000 to 30,000 employee transactions monthly.
    46. McKnight Foundation adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot for all staff, saving time, increasing productivity and freeing space to focus on strategic priorities.
    47. Medigold Health uses Azure OpenAI Service to significantly reduce the time that clinicians spend writing reports during their consultation and administrative time.
    48. Morula Health is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance productivity, streamline medical writing tasks and ensure data security, ultimately improving efficiency and client satisfaction.
    49. Motor Oil Group is achieving remarkable efficiency gains by integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot into its workflows, with staff spending minutes on tasks that used to take weeks.
    50. Nagel-Group uses Azure OpenAI Service to help employees quickly access information which saves time, creates efficiency and transparency and leads to higher-quality answers overall.
    51. National Australia Bank is leveraging Microsoft 365 Copilot for daily productivity and data analysis and insights and Microsoft Copilot for Security to quickly analyze millions of security event logs and allow engineers to focus on more important areas.
    52. NFL Players Association integrated Azure AI Services and Azure App Service into their video review process, reducing review time by up to 73%, significantly increasing efficiency and enhancing player safety through consistent rule enforcement.
    53. O2 Czech Republic boosts productivity and streamlines meetings with Microsoft 365 Copilot, revolutionizing how information is shared and making automation a part of daily work.
    54. Onepoint developed a secure conversational agent based on Azure OpenAI which delivers productivity gains of between 10% and 15% across all business lines.
    55. Orange Group has over 40 use cases with Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot across business functions to support employees in their day-to-day tasks, enabling them to concentrate on higher value-added activities.
    56. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve staff report productivity by saving one to two hours a week, or simple formatting tasks down to a matter of seconds, enabling more resources to deliver frontline services.
    57. PA Consulting transformed its sales operations with Microsoft 365 Copilot, so its people can invest more time on the activities that have the biggest impact for clients and maximize the strategic value they provide.
    58. Petrobras used Azure OpenAI Service to create ChatPetrobras, which is streamlining workflows, reducing manual tasks and summarizing reports for its 110,000 employees.
    59. Petrochemical Industries Company automates work processes to save time with Microsoft 365 Copilot from weeks to days, hours to seconds.
    60. PIMCO built ChatGWM with Azure AI Studio, a comprehensive platform that provides the ability to ask questions, receive responses and verify answers all in one place, so teams can spend more time engaging clients and having deeper conversations.
    61. PKSHA Technology is optimizing their time on critical work by increasing efficiency in meeting preparations, data analytics and ideation with the help of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
    62. Providence has collaborated with Nuance and Microsoft to accelerate development and adoption of generative AI-powered applications, helping improve care quality and access, and reduce physician’s administrative workloads.
    63. RTI International adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to gain productivity wherever possible, allowing staff to focus on their areas of expertise, delivering even better science-backed solutions for clients.
    64. SACE, an Italian finance and insurance firm, is using Microsoft 365 Copilot and Viva to boost productivity and unlock employee potential while enhancing overall well-being — and productivity improvement data from the first nine months of implementation shows a 23% increase.
    65. Sandvik Coromant is using Microsoft Copilot for Sales to drive efficiency and accuracy, shaving at least one minute off each transaction, allowing sellers and account managers to focus their expertise on responding to customers’ needs with analysis, creativity and adaptability.
    66. Sasfin Bank built a solution on Microsoft Azure that centralized 20,000 documents to analyze contract clauses and provide real-time snapshots, moving guesswork into data-driven decision-making.
    67. Scottish Water implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot reducing mundane tasks to a minimum, and thus freeing up time for employees to work on the more meaningful tasks.
    68. Shriners Children’s developed an AI platform allowing clinicians to easily and securely navigate patient data in a singular location, enhancing patient care, and improving the efficiency of their healthcare services.
    69. Siemens is leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to improve efficiency, cut downtime and address labor shortages.
    70. Softchoice employees are experiencing firsthand how Microsoft 365 Copilot can transform daily workflows, realizing productivity gains of 97% reduction in time spent summarizing technical meetings and up to 70% less time spent on content creation.
    71. Syensqo utilized Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to develop a custom AI chatbot in three months, which improved their internal data management, decision-making and overall efficiency.
    72. Teladoc Health uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to revolutionize its telehealth operations, automating routine tasks, boosting efficiency and increasing productivity.
    73. Telstra developed two cutting-edge generative AI tools based on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service: 90% of employees are using the One Sentence Summary tool which resulted in 20% less follow-up customer contact and 84% of customer service agents using the Ask Telstra solution.
    74. Topsoe achieved 85% AI adoption among office employees in seven months, significantly enhancing productivity and business processes.
    75. Torfaen County Borough Council utilized Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline back-office processes, resulting in significant time savings and enhanced productivity for both business and children’s services teams, with further rollouts planned.
    76. Trace3 leveraged Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline and enhance processes across the business and with clients, such as reducing the time it takes HR recruiting managers to respond to applicants within a couple of days instead of several weeks.
    77. Unilever is reinventing their marketing process with Copilot, saving time on briefing tasks, automatically pulling in relevant market data, content and insights to accelerate campaign launches.
    78. Uniper SE implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce time spent on manual and repetitive tasks, and help workers focus on more pressing work, such as developing enhanced solutions to speed up the energy transition.
    79. Unum Group built a custom AI application to search 1.3 terabytes of data with 95% accuracy using Azure OpenAI Service.
    80. Virgin Atlantic adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot and GitHub Copilot and is seeing real business benefits, including productivity improvements, enabling new ways of working.
    81. Visier built a generative AI assistant that leverages Azure AI and Azure OpenAI Services to deliver workforce analytics and actionable insights for more than 50,000 customers.
    82. Virtual Dental Care developed an AI application Smart Scan that leverages Microsoft Azure to reduce paperwork for mobile dental clinics in schools by 75% and frees dentists to devote more time to patient care.
    83. Zakladni Skola As Hlavkova adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot and saw a 60% improvement in handling administrative documents, decreased lesson preparation from hours to few minutes, increased inclusivity and enhanced communication with students and parents.

    Reinventing customer engagement

    We’ve seen great examples of how generative AI can automate content creation, ensuring there’s fresh and engaging materials ready to go. It personalizes customer experiences by crunching the numbers, boosting conversion rates. It makes operations smoother, helping teams launch campaigns faster. Plus, it drives innovation, crafting experiences that delight customers while lightening the load for staff. Embracing generative AI is key for organizations wanting to reinvent customer engagements, stay ahead of the game and drive both innovation and efficiency.

    New Stories:

    1. Aditya Birla Capital built the SimpliFi chatbot on Microsoft Azure to simplify financial services information and offers through intelligent search and proactive nudging with minimum latency and high scalability.
    2. AIA is using Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service to allow customer service representatives to handle more cases in less time by automating time-consuming tasks like drafting customer emails and summarizing lengthy chats and case histories.
    3. Aydem Energy and Microsoft partner Softtech used Azure OpenAI Service to create an AI assistant for WhatsApp, providing customers with real-time updates and handling meter readings, bill checks and claims.
    4. The City of Buenos Aires developed Boti with ChatGPT using Azure OpenAI Service to manage multiple service channels and personalize key services for residents and tourists. The chatbot centralizes data, enables natural language interactions and scales to handle high demands, managing 2 million queries per month without human intervention, alleviating the operational burden by 50%, improving the citizen experience and increasing efficiency.
    5. de Alliantie built a generative AI chatbot using Azure OpenAI to digest information in their online knowledge base so staff can get accurate answers in seconds. Another Azure AI-based solution transcribes and summarizes calls, then categorizes them by theme.
    6. Haceb created a virtual technical support assistant with generative AI, helping on-the-ground technicians troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve product issues faster and more efficiently.
    7. Lloyds Banking Group developed the Branch Translation App using Microsoft Power Apps and Azure AI services with a goal to improve communication with non-English speaking customers and the innovation enhanced service delivery, receiving positive feedback from employees and customers alike.
    8. Staffbase provides its clients with Staffbase Companion, which helps it enhance internal communication with quick content generation, summarization, translation and future capabilities — and remain confident in data protection.
    9. Tekion built Automative Retail Cloud, a unified, cloud-native platform that uses generative AI to analyze communications, extract insights and provide customer-specific recommendations for sales agents.
    10. Welcome Account created a banking application with a conversational agent based on Azure OpenAI Service, in order to help people manage their finances and administrative procedures. This multilingual agent already assists no less than a thousand refugees on a daily basis.
    11. UBS is using Azure AI solutions, including Azure AI Search and Azure OpenAI Service, to power “Smart Assistants” that streamline content access and provide real-time information to Client Advisors, boosting efficiency and client engagement.
    12. Virbe enables businesses to interact with customers through AI-powered avatars, and with Azure AI services like Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Search, Virbe enhanced its AI avatars and simplified engagement with enterprise customers — and customers are seeing up to a 10x increase in leads.

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    1. Absa has adopted Microsoft Copilot to streamline various business processes, saving several hours on administrative tasks each day.
    2. Adobe leverages Microsoft Azure to streamline the customer experience, harnessing the power of the connected cloud services and creating a synergy that drives AI transformation across industries.
    3. Acentra Health developed Medscribe, a web application that uses Azure OpenAI Service to generate draft letters in a secure, HIPPA-compliant enclave that responds to customer appeals for healthcare services within 24 hours, reducing the time spent on each appeal letter by 50%.
    4. Air India leveraged Azure OpenAI Service to develop a virtual assistant that has handled nearly 4 million customer queries with full automation, significantly enhancing customer experience and avoiding millions of dollars in customer support costs.
    5. Alaska Airlines is using Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Defender, and GitHub to ensure its passengers have a seamless journey from ticket purchase to baggage pickup and started leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to unlock more business value for its customer care and contact centers.
    6. Ally Financial is using Azure OpenAI Service to reduce manual tasks for its customer service associates, freeing up time for them to engage with customers.
    7. BMW Group optimizes the customer experience connecting 13 million active users to their vehicles with the MyBMW app on Azure, which supports 450 million daily requests and 3.2TB data processing.
    8. Boyner has tripled its e-commerce performance using Microsoft Azure, seeing a rise in customer satisfaction, engagement, conversion rate and revenue.
    9. Bradesco Bank integrated Microsoft Azure to its virtual assistant, BIA, resulting in reduced response time from days to hours, improving operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
    10. Capgemini Mexico integrated GitHub Copilot to support scalable AI implementations which has led to improved customer experiences and increased efficiency.
    11. Capitec Bank uses Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling their AI-powered chatbot to assist customer service consultants in accessing product information more efficiently, saving significant time for employees each week.
    12. Cdiscount is leveraging GitHub Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service to enhance developer efficiency, optimize product sheet categorization and improve customer satisfaction.
    13. Cemex used Azure OpenAI Service to launch Technical Xpert, an AI tool used by sales agents to provide instant access to comprehensive product and customer solution information, significantly reducing search time by 80%.
    14. Chanel elevated their client experience and improved employee efficiency by leveraging Microsoft Fabric and Azure OpenAI Service for real-time translations and quality monitoring.
    15. City of Burlington created two AI-powered solutions: MyFiles system using Microsoft Power Platform for building permits, and CoBy, a 24/7 customer support assistant using Microsoft Copilot Studio.
    16. City of Madrid created an AI virtual assistant with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service offering tourists accurate, real-time information and personalized responses in 95-plus languages.
    17. Cognizant is making performance management more effective and meaningful with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning to help clients across industries envision, build, and run innovative digital enterprises.
    18. Coles Group has leveraged Microsoft Azure to enhance its digital presence and improve customer engagement, rolling out new applications to its stores six times faster without disrupting workloads.
    19. Commercial Bank of Dubai used Microsoft Azure to upgrade its application infrastructure, improving transaction security and speed so individual customers can now open an account and start banking in about two minutes.
    20. Cradle Fund, dedicated to nurturing startups in Malaysia, introduced an AI-driven chatbot to boost user interaction and increase public engagement. User engagement quadrupled while resolution time was reduced from two days to a few clicks. Cradle also decreased customer service costs by 35%, increased international interactions by 40% and increased daily average visits 10-fold.
    21. Doctolib, a leading eHealth company in France, leverages Microsoft technology to develop an AI-powered medical assistant, integrating both Azure OpenAI Service and Mistral Large on Azure.
    22. Docusign used Azure AI to develop its Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, which supports millions of workflows, reducing contract processing times and enhancing customer satisfaction with advanced AI-powered analytics.
    23. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has significantly improved productivity and customer satisfaction by integrating multiple Microsoft AI solutions, reducing task completion time from days to hours and achieving a 98% customer happiness rate.
    24. Elcome uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve the customer experience, reducing response times from 24 hours to eight hours.
    25. elunic developed shopfloor.GPT based on Azure OpenAI leading to increased productivity for customers saving 15 minutes per request.
    26. Estée Lauder Companies is leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to create closer consumer connections and increase speed to market with local relevancy.
    27. First National Bank (FNB) is using Microsoft Copilot for Sales to help bankers create professional, thoughtful emails in 13 native South African languages, to enhance customer interactions, streamline communications and reinforce its commitment to innovation and customer service.
    28. Flora Food Group migrated to Microsoft Fabric to offer more detailed and timely insights to its customers, enhancing service delivery and customer satisfaction.
    29. Groupama deployed a virtual assistant using Azure OpenAI Service that delivers reliable, verified and verifiable information, and boasts an 80% success rate.
    30. Holland America Line developed a virtual agent using Microsoft Copilot Studio that acts as a digital concierge on their website to support new and existing customers and travel advisors, which has achieved a strong resolution rate and is currently handling thousands of conversations per week.
    31. International University of Applied Sciences (IU) adopted Azure OpenAI Service to revolutionize learning with a personalized study assistant that can interact with each student just like a human would.
    32. Investec is using Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales to enhance the bank’s client relationships, estimating saving approximately 200 hours annually ultimately boosting sales productivity and delivering personalized, seamless customer experience.
    33. Jato Dynamics used Azure OpenAI Service to automate content generation, helping dealerships save approximately 32 hours each month.
    34. Kenya Red Cross worked with Pathways Technologies to develop a mental health chatbot in Azure AI.
    35. LALIGA is delivering a seamless fan experience and AI insights with Azure Arc, using AI in Azure for optimizing match scheduling and other key operations.
    36. Legrand used Azure OpenAI Service to reduce the time to generate product data by 60% and improve customer support interactions with fast, accurate information.
    37. Linum is using Microsoft Azure to train their text-to-video models faster and more efficiently without losing performance or wasting resources.
    38. Lumen Technologies is redefining customer success and sales processes through the strategic use of Microsoft 365 Copilot, enhancing productivity, sales and customer service in the global communications sector.
    39. Mars Science & Diagnostics used the Azure AI catalog to build generative AI apps to enhance accuracy and extract data insights quickly, helping pets with critical, undiagnosed conditions receive the care they require faster.
    40. McKinsey & Company is creating an agent to reduce client onboarding process by reducing lead time by 90% and administrative work by 30%.
    41. Meesho leveraged Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot to enhance customer service and software development, resulting in a 25% increase in customer satisfaction scores and 40% more traffic on customer service queries.
    42. Milpark Education integrated Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio and in just four months, improved efficiency and accuracy of student support, decreasing the average resolution time by 50% and escalation time by more than 30%.
    43. National Basketball Association is using Azure OpenAI Service to speed up the time to market, helping fans connect with the league with personalized, localized insights to enhance the fan experience.
    44. NC Fusion chose a comprehensive Microsoft solution to make marketing engagement activities easier and accurately target the best audience segments.
    45. Medgate, a telehealth subsidiary of Otto Group developed a medical Copilot powered by Azure OpenAI which summarizes consultations, supports triage and provides real-time translations.
    46. Orbital Witness embraced the use of large language models (LLMs) in Azure OpenAI to build its innovative AI Agent application, Orbital Copilot, which can save legal teams 70 percent of the time it takes to conduct property diligence work.
    47. Pacific Gas & Electric built a chatbot using Microsoft Copilot Studio that saves $1.1 million annually on helpdesk support.
    48. Parloa took a “voice-first” approach and created an enterprise-grade AI Agent Management platform to automate customer interactions across phone, chat and messaging apps.
    49. Pockyt is using GitHub Copilot and anticipates a 500% increase in productivity in the medium to long term as they continue adapting AI and fine-tuning their software development life cycle.
    50. South Australia Department for Education launched an AI-powered educational chatbot to help safeguard students from harmful content while introducing responsible AI to the classrooms.
    51. Sync Labs is using Microsoft Azure to create AI-driven solutions that have led to a remarkable 30x increase in revenue and a 100x expansion of their customer base.
    52. Syndigo is using Azure to accelerate digital commerce for its customers by more than 40% and expand its customer base.
    53. Telkomsel created a virtual assistant with Azure OpenAI Service, resulting in a leap in customer self-service interactions from 19% to 45%, and call volume dropped from 8,000 calls to 1,000 calls a day.
    54. Torrens University chose to use Azure OpenAI to uplift its online learning experience, saving 20,000 hours and $2.4 million in time and resources.
    55. Trusting Social integrated Microsoft Azure services to launch AI-driven agents that are changing how banks function and transforming their customer’s banking experience.
    56. University of California, Berkeley used Azure OpenAI Service to deploy a custom AI chatbot that supports student learning and helps students with complex coursework.
    57. University of Sydney created a self-serve AI platform powered by Azure OpenAI Service, to enable faculty to build custom chatbots for enhancing student onboarding, feedback, career simulation and more.
    58. Van Lanschot Kempen is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce the time needed for daily tasks, freeing up time to invest in that crucial personal connection.
    59. Virgin Money built an award-winning virtual assistant using Copilot Studio to help build customers’ confidence in their digital products and services.
    60. VOCALLS automates over 50 million interactions per year, resulting in a 78% reduction in average handling time aside from a 120% increase in answered calls.
    61. Vodafone Group is leveraging Microsoft’s AI solutions, including Azure AI Studio, OpenAI Service, Copilot and AI Search, to achieve a 70% resolution rate for customer inquiries through digital channels and reduce call times by at least one minute.
    62. Walmart is using Azure OpenAI Service to deliver a helpful and intuitive browsing experience for customers designed to serve up a curated list of the personalized items a shopper is looking for.
    63. Weights & Biases created a platform which runs on Microsoft Azure that allows developers to keep records, log successes and failures and automate manual tasks.
    64. World2Meet is providing better customer service and operations with a new virtual assistant powered by Microsoft Azure.
    65. Xavier College is modernizing its student information systems on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Azure to unlock powerful insights, fostering innovation and data-driven decision making.
    66. Zavarovalnica Triglav implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure OpenAI Service to streamline its operations with automated responses and smart rerouting of customer enquiries.
    67. Zurich Insurance Group used Azure OpenAI Service to develop advanced AI applications that led to more accurate and efficient risk assessment evaluations, accelerating the underwriting process, reducing turnaround times and increasing customer satisfaction.

    Reshaping business process

    Transforming operations is another way generative AI is encouraging innovation and improving efficiency across various business functions. In marketing, it can create personalized content to truly engage different audiences. For supply chain management, it can predict market trends so companies can optimize their inventory levels. Human resources departments can speed up the hiring process, while financial services can use it for fraud detection and risk assessments. With generative AI, companies are not just refining their current processes, they’re also discovering exciting new growth opportunities.

    New Stories:

    1. Bank of Queensland is modernizing its operations with Azure, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 Copilot, using AI to optimize business processes such as creating marketing content, building reports and plans and drafting HR content.
    2. Document360 created an AI-powered knowledge base and service platform for companies to create, manage and publish online documentation, including product manuals, SOPs and wikis.
    3. Eduvos is simplifying the student enrollment experience with Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365, reducing the time from 90 days to nearly instantaneous and associated costs by 90%.
    4. Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) uses Azure Local to support its digital manufacturing platform, including support for safety-critical applications that use AI. Through its hybrid Azure environment, EGA has achieved 10 to 13 times faster AI response time and 86% cost savings for AI image and video use cases.
    5. Hellenic Cadastre built a system that reads and categorizes property contracts, applies legal rules and provides assessments for approval using Azure OpenAI Service. Today, property transaction assessments take less than 10 minutes instead of hours, reducing costs from 15 euros to 0.11 euros per assessment. The system also enhanced property owners’ legal security and boosted the Greek economy by enabling transactions to be completed sooner.
    6. Startup legal-i is using AI to analyze unstructured data and help expensive insurance specialists make better decisions faster — speeding up healthcare and insurance processes and improving the accuracy of outcomes.
    7. Publishing company SHUEISHA Inc. is using Microsoft Security Copilot to enable faster incident response, boosting the confidence and effectiveness of cybersecurity personnel.
    8. thyssencrupp is using the Siemens Industrial Copilot, built on Azure OpenAI Service, to address a skilled labor gap while revolutionizing how it programs and operates machinery.
    9. U.S. AutoForce implemented Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management to centralize warehouse data, connect processes and improve operational efficiency while using Microsoft Copilot for Finance to automate monthly reconciliations.

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    1. ABB Group integrated Azure OpenAI Service into their Genix Copilot platform enabling customers to achieve up to 30% savings in operations and maintenance, 20% improvement in energy and emission optimization and an 80% reduction in service calls.
    2. Accelleron used Microsoft Power Platform to support numerous business applications and simplify processes for service agents and employees, resulting in the onboard of new agents in 30 minutes, compared to two days for other solutions.
    3. Accenture developed an AI-powered financial advisor that leverages RISE with SAP on Microsoft Azure to enhance their infrastructure and integrate financial data.
    4. Atomicwork leverages Azure OpenAI to bring together three power capabilities: a conversational assistant, a modern service management system and a workflow automation platform.
    5. Blink Ops fully embraced generative AI to build the world’s first Security Automation Copilot with more than 8,000 automated workflows to help any Security/IT task through prompts.
    6. Chalhoub Group is using Microsoft Fabric to modernize its data analytics and streamline its data sources into one platform, increasing agility, enhancing analytics and accelerating processes.
    7. Cineplex is developing innovative automation solutions for finance, guest services and other departments, saving the company over 30,000 hours a year in manual processing time.
    8. ClearBank moved its services to Microsoft Azure to gain scalability and efficiency, pushing out 183% more monthly system releases, gaining both scalability and efficiency.
    9. Danske Statsbaner increases productivity up to 30% with help from Microsoft AI solutions.
    10. Dentsu implemented Microsoft Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service to build a predictive analytics copilot that supports media insights, cutting analysis time by 80% and overall time to insight by 90%, reducing analysis costs.
    11. Dow implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to empower teams with AI-driven insights and streamline essential workflows by automating tasks across departments, saving millions of dollars on shipping operations in the first year.
    12. Eastman implemented Microsoft Copilot for Security realizing the benefits of accelerated upskilling, step-by-step guidance for response and faster threat remediation.
    13. Fast Shop migrated to Microsoft Azure creating a self-service culture of access to data, eliminating delays, reducing costs and increasing leadership satisfaction with data while providing more agility in reporting.
    14. Florida Crystals adopted a value-added solution across Microsoft products including Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce telecom expenses and automate industrial process controls.
    15. GHD is reinventing the RFP process in construction and engineering with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
    16. GovDash is a SaaS platform that leverages artificial intelligence to streamline the entire business development life cycle for government contracting companies using Azure OpenAI.
    17. Grupo Bimbo is deploying Microsoft’s industrial AI technologies to modernize its manufacturing processes, optimizing production and reducing downtime, driving significant cost savings, and empowering global innovation.
    18. Insight Canada implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline business operations, with 93% of users realizing productivity gains in functions including sales, finance and human resources.
    19. Intesa Sanpaolo Group enhanced its cybersecurity with AI-enabled Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Copilot for Security, resulting in faster threat detection, increased productivity and reduced storage costs.
    20. Kaya deployed a custom implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI to modernize its supply chain, leading to enhanced visibility, improved planning and streamlined inter-department operations.
    21. Lenovo leveraged Dynamics 365 Customer Service to rapidly manage customer inquiries by streamlining repetitive tasks, boosted agent productivity by 15%, reduced handling time by 20% and reached record-high customer satisfaction.
    22. Lionbridge Technologies, LLC is using Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI Service to accelerate its delivery times and improve quality, reducing project turnaround times by up to 30%.
    23. LTIMindtree integrated Microsoft Copilot for Security, offering automated incident response, integrated threat intelligence and advanced threat analysis.
    24. Mania de Churrasco used Microsoft Azure, Power Platform and Microsoft 365 to achieve high efficiency, security and scalability in its operations, in addition to improving its data intelligence, which indirectly participated in a 20% increase in sales year on year.
    25. National Bank of Greece built an Azure-powered Document AI solution to transform its document processing, improving the bank’s accuracy to 90%.
    26. Nest Bank has revolutionized its operations by integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service, resulting in doubled sales and increased daily transactions from 60,000 to 80,000, showcasing the transformative impact of generative AI in the financial sector.
    27. Network Rail modernized their data analytics solution with Microsoft Azure, helping engineers understand data 50% faster than before and improve efficiency, passenger experiences and safety — all while saving costs.
    28. Nsure developed an AI-powered agent that uses Copilot Studio and Power Automate to reduce manual processing time by 60% while also reducing associated costs by 50%.
    29. Oncoclínicas implemented Microsoft Azure to transform its entire data ecosystem with a web portal and mobile application that performs all image processing and storage.
    30. Operation Smile used Azure OpenAI Service, Fabric and Power Apps to eliminate manual data entry, resulting in reduced translation errors by about 90% and the time required for completing reports from four to five hours to just 15 to 20 minutes.
    31. Pacifico Seguros has adopted Microsoft Copilot for Security to optimize its security operations and anticipate and neutralize threats more efficiently and effectively.
    32. Parexel adopted Azure Databricks and Microsoft Power BI, achieving an 85% reduction in data engineering tooling costs, a 30% increase in staff efficiency and a 70% reduction in time to market for data product delivery.
    33. Paysafe used Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline meetings, information management and document creation, addressing language barriers, eliminating time-consuming tasks and boosting creativity along the way.
    34. Planted is integrating Azure OpenAI to manage everyday tasks more efficiently and facilitate the search for information for innovative process development.
    35. Presidio realized dramatic productivity gains saving 1,200 hours per month on average for the employees using Microsoft 365 Copilot and created 70 new business opportunities.
    36. Qatar Charity used Copilot Studio to increase its call center efficiency, reducing average handle time by 30%, increased customer satisfaction by 25%, and achieved a 40% reduction in IT maintenance costs.
    37. Saphyre uses Microsoft Azure and AI to provide an intelligent cloud-based solution that automates and streamlines financial trading workflows around client and counterparty life cycle management, reducing manual efforts by 75%.
    38. StarKist Foods used Azure to effectively unite production and demand processes with finance, reducing the planning cycle from 16 hours to less than one.
    39. Swiss International Air Lines migrated and modernized with Microsoft Azure, achieving up to 30% cost savings, a remarkable boost in platform stability along with enhanced security visibility.
    40. ZEISS Group uses Microsoft Fabric to create a secure and trusted data supply chain that can be shared effortlessly across a range of business units.
    41. ZF Group builds manufacturing efficiency with over 25,000 apps and 37,000 unique active users on Power Platform.

    Bending the curve on innovation

    Generative AI is revolutionizing innovation by speeding up creative processes and product development. It’s helping companies come up with new ideas, design prototypes, and iterate quickly, cutting down the time it takes to get to market. In the automotive industry, it’s designing more efficient vehicles, while in pharmaceuticals, it’s crafting new drug molecules, slashing years off R&D times. In education, it transforms how students learn and achieve their goals. Here are more examples of how companies are embracing generative AI to shape the future of innovation.

    New Stories:

    1. Agricultural Development Trust (ADT) of Baramati is analyzing water, weather, nutrient, pH data and more with AI to increase crop yields in India.
    2. DrumBeat.AI is using Microsoft AI services to predict, identify and treat ear diseases in communities that are both rural and remote, helping to prevent hearing loss among Indigenous communities in Australia.
    3. Dynamic Health Systems created its VitruCare365® platform on the Microsoft Cloud for healthcare technologies to enable motivational care planning. Built on Microsoft Azure, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) and Dynamics 365, it provides personalized apps powered by Azure OpenAI Service to each patient and is deployed as an extension to the Microsoft 365 tools clinicians use every day.
    4. Cities can use Esri’s ArcGIS geospatial platform to create environmental digital twins that simulate heavy rainfall and apply hot spot analysis to highlight flooding. Adding Azure AI to the geospatial digital twin will reveal insights in impossible amounts of data.
    5. Digital employment agency Gojob developed Aglae, a virtual assistant based on Azure OpenAI Service, to pre-qualify candidates within 15 minutes, enabling recruiters to achieve record employment placement rates.
    6. Institut Curie and Microsoft partner Witivio developed Copilot for Researcher, an agent that can help researchers with some of the administrative tasks in their jobs so they have more time to spend on actual new ideas in the fight against cancer.
    7. NASA created Earth Copilot to transform how people interact with Earth’s data.
    8. Parity is helping women athletes use data and AI to help improve their well-being, performance and careers.
    9. Petbarn created “PetAI” using Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Search and Azure App Service to provide Australian pet owners highly personalized advice and product recommendations.
    10. Project Guacamaya is using daily satellite images and various AI models tailored to the Amazon ecosystem to help prevent its deforestation, allowing for quicker action to be taken in at-risk areas.
    11. Properstar developed a solution to simplify the analysis of unstructured real estate data and create a dynamic, AI-powered filtering system that provides more nuanced search results.
    12. RadarFit is using generative AI and a unique gamification strategy to encourage healthy habits in Brazil, with a comprehensive health and wellness program aimed at helping companies reduce chronic disease rates.
    13. SEDUC is using Microsoft 365 Copilot for administrative tasks — such as generating legal documents and handling administrative inquiries — and has expanded to include AI usage with students and teachers, including personalized learning to cater to individual student needs and help them recover from learning losses during the pandemic.
    14. Indonesia’s Universitas Terbuka used Microsoft Azure OpenAI services and Azure AI Foundry to build an AI tutor that delivers accurate, curriculum-aligned responses and streamlines student assessment. The tutor currently supports 500 classes and some 100,000 students.
    15. World Traveler is using AI including Microsoft Reading Progress and Microsoft Immersive Reader to help teachers reach its globally and educationally diverse students with personalized learning experiences.
    16. South Korean startup Wrtn Technologies brings ATI close to people, with a “superapp” that compiles an array of AI use cases and services, but localized for Korean users to integrate AI into their everyday lives.

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    1. Air India has incorporated Microsoft 365 Copilot into multiple departments, unlocking a new realm of operational insights that not only provides critical data on flight punctuality and operational hurdles, but also empowers proactive, collaborative decision making.
    2. Agnostic Intelligencedeployed Azure OpenAI Service to eliminate time-consuming tasks, saving users up to 80% of their time, and enabling IT managers to focus on innovation and quality assurance.
    3. Albert Heijn is using Azure OpenAI for everything from customer personalization to demand forecast and food waste projects, making it easier for its customers to change their lifestyle.
    4. Amgen is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to boost productivity and has the potential to speed up drug development and support advancements in their business processes.
    5. APEC leverages Microsoft Azure and deep neural network algorithms to develop an app that enables healthcare providers to capture retinal images, increasing the accuracy to identify Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP) to 90%.
    6. ASOS is using Azure AI Studio to help customers discover new looks with genuine shopping insights, personalized conversations, naturalism and even humor to enliven the shopping journey.
    7. Auburn University is incorporating Microsoft Copilot to promote AI literacy, accessibility and collaboration, with the aim to expand educational and economic opportunities for its entire academic community with AI-centric tools.
    8. B3 launched an AI assistant using Azure OpenAI Service that aids 10,000 users a day to answer Brazilians’ questions about how to start investing.
    9. Basecamp Research aims to build the world’s largest database of national biodiversity and apply AI and machine learning to advance bioscience.
    10. Bayer is using Microsoft Copilot to contribute to feeding a growing global population and helping people lead healthier, disease-free lives.
    11. BMW AG implemented Azure AI to develop a mobile data recorder copilot for faster data management helping engineers reduce the lead time for insights from days to hours or sometimes minutes.
    12. Brembo leveraged Azure OpenAI to develop ALCHEMIX, a solution to generate innovative compounds for its brake pads, drastically reducing the development time of new compounds from days to mere minutes.
    13. Canary Speech can now train new vocal models in as little as two months and handle millions of transactions per month with Microsoft Azure.
    14. CapitaLand simplified internal processes increasing efficiency to more than 10,000 man-days saved per year and deployed Azure OpenAI Service to build the first AI hospitality chatbot for its lodging business.
    15. Cassidy is using Azure OpenAI Service to enhance efficiency across various industries, supporting over 10,000 companies.
    16. Coca-Cola is implementing Azure OpenAI Service to develop innovative generative AI use cases across various business functions, including testing how Microsoft 365 Copilot could help improve workplace productivity.
    17. Denso is developing “human-like” robots using Azure OpenAI Service as the brain to help robots and humans work together through dialogue.
    18. eFishery is using Azure OpenAI for farmers to get the data and insights on fish and shrimp farming, including more precise feeding and water quality monitoring.
    19. EY developed an application that automatically matches and clears incoming payments in SAP, resulting in an increase from 30% to 80% in automatically cleared payments and 95% matched payments, with estimated annual time savings of 230,000 hours globally.
    20. EY worked with Microsoft to make Azure AI Foundry more inclusive for all, serving the 20% of the global workforce identifying as neurodivergent.
    21. FIDO is using Azure OpenAI Service to develop an AI tool that uses sound to pinpoint leaky pipes, saving precious drinking water.
    22. Georgia Tech is using Azure OpenAI Service to enhance the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, achieving rapid data classification and predictive modeling, highlighting the reliability of networked chargers over non-networked ones.
    23. GigXR developed a solution to create the intelligence for specific AI patients using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and other Azure services.
    24. GoTo Group is significantly enhancing productivity and code quality across its engineering teams by adopting GitHub Copilot, saving over seven hours per week and achieved a 30% code acceptance rate.
    25. GovTech used Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to create LaunchPad, sparking more than 400 ideas and 20 prototypes, laying the foundation for the government to harness the power of generative AI.
    26. H&R Block is using Azure AI Studio and Azure OpenAI Service to build a new solution that provides real-time, reliable tax filing assistance.
    27. Haut.AI provides skin care companies and retailers with customizable, AI-based skin diagnostic tools developed with the help of Microsoft AI.
    28. Helfie is building a solution that caters to healthcare providers who can arm their patients with an application to more quickly and accurately access the care they need.
    29. Hitachi will implement Azure Open AI Service, Microsoft 365 Copilot and GitHub Copilot to create innovative solutions for the energy, mobility and other industries.
    30. Icertis is providing AI-based tools that will recognize contract language and then build algorithms to automatically choose the right approach based on the content of the contract.
    31. Iconem leveraged AI-generated imagery to process and analyze a vast amount of photogrammetry data used to create the 3D digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing visitors to explore every intricate detail from anywhere in the world.
    32. ITOCHU is using Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Studio to evolve its data analytics dashboard into a service that provides immediate recommendations by automatically creating evidence-based product proposals.
    33. IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is using the power of Azure OpenAI Service to develop Syntea, an AI avatar integrated into Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot, making learning more personalized, autonomous and flexible.
    34. Khan Academy has partnered with Microsoft to bring time-saving and lesson-enhancing AI tools to millions of educators.
    35. Lufthansa Group developed an animated 3D avatar called Digital Hangar to help guide passengers from initial travel inspiration to flight booking through an exchange with an Avatar in natural language.
    36. Mia Labs implemented Azure OpenAI to produce and protect its conversational AI virtual assistant Mia that provides fast support from investors, along with the sophisticated security posture and threat protection capabilities for AI workloads.
    37. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is using Azure OpenAI Service to help accelerate digital innovation in power plants.
    38. Molslinjen has created an AI analytics toolbox that has reduced fuel emissions, improved customer satisfaction and brought in millions of additional revenue.
    39. New Sun Road implemented AI into a local controller for energy systems to balance the supply, storage and use requirements. This optimized loads to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy for local clean power for communities.
    40. Novo Nordisk recently published initial results with predictive AI models for advanced risk detection in cardiovascular diseases, including an algorithm that can predict patients’ cardiovascular risk better than the best clinical standards.
    41. Ontada implemented Azure AI and Azure OpenAI Service to target nearly 100 critical oncology data elements across 39 cancer types and now accesses an estimated 70% of previously unanalyzed or unused information, accelerating its life science product development, speeding up time to market from months to just one week.
    42. Paige.AI​ is using AI and Microsoft Azure to accelerate cancer diagnoses with data from millions of images.
    43. Pets at Home created an agent to help its retail fraud detection team investigate suspicious transactions.
    44. Plan Heal is using Microsoft AI to create solutions that enable patients to monitor and report health metrics so care providers can better serve them.
    45. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is testing a new battery material that was found in a matter of weeks, not years, as part of a collaboration with Microsoft.
    46. Rijksmuseum is harnessing the power of Copilot to make art accessible at scale by joining forces with Microsoft to improve and expand the art experience for blind and low-vision community members.
    47. Royal National Institute of Blind People is using Azure AI services to develop an AI-based solution that quickly and accurately converts letters to braille, audio, and large print formats.
    48. Schneider Electric provides productivity-enhancing and energy efficiency solutions and is using a whole suite of AI tools to hasten its own innovation and that of its customers.
    49. SPAR ICS created an award-winning, AI-enabled demand forecasting system achieving 90% inventory prediction accuracy.
    50. SustainCERT deployed GenAI and machine learning for automated data verification, extraction from documents and to accelerate auditing processes to enable verifying the impacts and credibility of carbon credits.
    51. Suzuki Motor Corporation is adopting Azure OpenAI Service for data security, driving company-wide use with five multipurpose apps.
    52. Tecnológico de Monterrey created a generative AI-powered ecosystem built on Azure OpenAI Service with the goal to personalize education based on the students’ needs, improve the learning process, boost teachers’ creativity and save time on tedious tasks.
    53. TomTom is using Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Kubernetes Service to revolutionize the driver experience.
    54. Toyota is deploying AI agents to harness the collective wisdom of engineers and innovate faster in a system named “O-Beya,” or “big room” in Japanese. The “O-Beya” system currently has nine AI agents — from a Vibration Agent to a Fuel Consumption Agent.
    55. Unilever is partnering with Microsoft to identify new digital capabilities to drive product innovation forward, from unlocking the secrets of our skin’s microbiome to reducing the carbon footprint of a multibillion-dollar business.
    56. Unity used Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to build Muse Chat, an AI assistant that can guide creators through common questions and help troubleshoot issues to make game development easier.
    57. University of South Florida is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to alleviate the burden of repetitive, time-consuming tasks so faculty and staff can spend this time creatively solving problems, conducting critical research, establishing stronger relationships with peers and students and using their expertise to forge new, innovative paths.
    58. Utilidata built the first distributive AI and accelerated computing platform for the electric grid allowing flexible transformation and dynamic infrastructure to increase electrification and decarbonization.
    59. Visma has developed new code with GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Azure DevOps and Microsoft Visual Studio as much as 50 percent faster, contributing to increased customer retention, faster time to market and increased revenue.
    60. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot and using Microsoft Viva to drive sustainable adoption, streamlining processes, empowering better decision making and cultivating a culture of innovation and inclusion.
    61. Wipro is committed to delivering value to customers faster and improving the outcomes across the business by investing $1 billion in AI and training 200,000 employees on generative AI principles with Microsoft Copilot.

    Read more:

    IDC InfoBrief: sponsored by Microsoft, 2024 Business Opportunity of AI, IDC# US52699124, November 2024

    Tags: AI, AI Azure, Azure OpenAI Service, Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bills to Make Federal Government More Efficient, Slash Wasteful Spending

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and colleagues introduced two bills to hold the federal government accountable for managing taxpayer dollars. The Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act would establish a commission to send a report to Congress on moving non-national security related agencies out of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area based on a variety of factors and instruct the commission to develop the report with an aim of relocating at least 100,000 federal employees out of the D.C. metro area.
    “Just like agencies such as the FAA is in Oklahoma City, and CDC is in Atlanta, then other federal agencies can be scattered across our nation,” said Dr. Cassidy. “That will work better to connect those agencies with the Americans they are serving and also help other communities benefit from the economic development of having highly skilled workers in their community.”
    “Under President Trump’s leadership, Republicans have the opportunity to slash wasteful spending and rein in outsized bureaucracy,” said Senator Blackburn. “The DOGE Acts would get the federal government back on track by requiring federal employees to return to the office, move federal agencies into the heartland of America, cut bloated federal spending, lower taxes on social security for seniors, and freeze federal hiring and salaries until we can right size the federal government.” 
    The Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act would require government agencies to reinstate their pre-COVID telework policies within 30 days and direct agency heads to submit to Congress a report on the adverse impacts of agencies’ expansion of telework policies for employees during COVID. Further, it would prevent federal agencies from permanently expanding telework without submitting to Congress details on how remote work policies will bolster agency mission performance.
    “When someone calls the Social Security office and is put on hold and stays on hold and then the call drops, they understandably believe that if workers were in the office, there would be more oversight and quality control,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    Cassidy and Blackburn were joined by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) in introducing the Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act.
    Cassidy and Blackburn were joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the SHOW UP Act.
    Background
    In January, Cassidy introduced the Federal Employee Return to Work Act would exclude certain federal employees who telework at least one day a week from receiving raises and special locality bonuses for their office location being in a high-cost-of-living area despite working from home.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Cramer Reintroduce Fair Access to Banking Act to Protect Legal Industries from Debanking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and 39 Republican colleagues reintroduced the Fair Access to Banking Act, which protects fair access to financial services and ensures banks operate in a safe and sound manner. The legislation requires that lending and services decisions must be based on impartial, risk-based analysis, not political or reputational favoritism. 
    “It’s wrong for banks to single out individuals or industries for political and social reasons,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This legislation guarantees fairness for essential employers in Louisiana, such as oil and gas development.”
    “When progressives failed at banning these entire industries, what they did instead is they turned to weaponizing banks as sort of a backdoor to carry out their activist goals,” said Senator Cramer. “Financial institutions are backed by taxpayers, for crying out loud! They should be obligated to provide services in an unbiased, risk-based manner. The Fair Access to Banking Act ensures that banks provide fair access to services and enacts strict penalties for categorically discriminating against legal industries and individuals.”
    In recent years, prominent American banks have engaged in a discriminatory practice, referred to as debanking. Banks and financial institutions use their economic standing to categorically exclude law-abiding, legal industries by refusing to lend or provide services to them. This includes industries such as firearms, ammunition, crypto, federal prison contractors, as well as energy producers. 
    Specifically, this legislation penalizes banks and credit unions with over $10 billion in total consolidated assets, or their subsidiaries, if they refuse to do business with any legally compliant, credit-worthy person. It also prevents payment card networks from discriminating against any qualified person because of political or reputational considerations. The bill requires qualified banks to provide written justification for why they are denying a person financial services. Further, the Fair Access to Banking Act would penalize providers who fail to comply with the law by disqualifying institutions from using discount window lending programs, terminating status as an insured depository institution or credit union, or imposing a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. 
    The bill is based on President Trump’s Fair Access Rule, which was introduced during his first administration and required financial institutions to make individual risk assessments rather than broad decisions regarding entire industries or categories of customers. The Fair Access to Banking Act codifies these protections. The Biden administration paused the rule’s implementation in early 2021.
    The legislation is a response to United States banks and financial institutions increasingly using their economic standing to categorically discriminate against legal industries and conservatives. For example, Citigroup instituted a policy in 2018 to withhold project-related financing for coal plants, and in 2020, five of the country’s largest banks announced they would not provide loans or credit to support oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, despite explicit congressional authorization. Such exclusionary practices also extend to industries protected by the Second Amendment, with Capital One, among other banks, previously including “ammunitions, firearms, or firearm parts” in the prohibited payments section of its corporate policy manual, and payment services like Apple Pay and PayPal denying their services for transactions involving firearms or ammunition. First Lady Melania Trump and technology companies alike allege banks have debanked them or refused to do business. During his address to the World Economic Forum in January, President Trump highlighted big banks and their discriminatory practices of targeting conservatives.  
    Cassidy and Cramer were joined by U.S. Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in cosponsoring the legislation. U.S. Representative Andy Barr (R-KY-06) introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. 
    Support for the Fair Access to Banking Act has grown every Congress. At the state level, Florida and Tennessee passed Fair Access laws and similar legislation was introduced in Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and South Dakota. Banks have dropped membership in discriminatory groups which were aimed at starving specific industries.
    The Fair Access to Banking Act is endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Rifle Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, The Digital Chamber, Blockchain Association, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Online Lenders Alliance, Day 1 Alliance, GEO Group, Lignite Energy Council, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, and National Mining Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Kaine In Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos At Critical National Security Agencies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 05, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-IL), along with 34 of their Senate colleagues, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

    USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability.  Earlier this week, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do.  The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the Senators.

    The Senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy.  The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world.  Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research.  China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the Senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming.  However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

    The full text of the letter is available here and below:

    February 4, 2025

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
    2. Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 
    3. The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
    4. Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 
    5. Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
    2. The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
    3. The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
    4. Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
    5. Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
    6. Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
    7. Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
    8. Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
    9. Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
    10. Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
    11. Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
    12. Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
    13. Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1. The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
    2. The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
    3. The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
    4. Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
    5. Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 02/5/2025 Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Supreme Court Justices from Intimidation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act to increase the maximum term of imprisonment for those who attempt to intimidate and influence the decision-making process of a judge.

    Introduction of this bill follows a recent report detailing new and concerning information about a suspect who hatched a plan to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Prior to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) attempted to intimidate Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh by name on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.

    “Supreme Court Justices must be able to do their jobs without fear of intimidation, harm, or violence against them or their families,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act will deter intimidation of our Justices and send a clear message that anyone who attempts to harm them will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “The integrity of our judicial system is dependent on justices being able to interpret the law freely and impartially,” said Senator Cruz. “I am proud to join my colleagues in re-introducing the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act to ensure that those who attempt to coerce or intimidate Supreme Court justices face penalties for interfering in the administration of justice. No member of the Court should fear for their or their family’s safety while carrying out their constitutional duty.”

    “Supreme Court Justices have faced a disturbing number of threats seeking to change the outcomes of cases for political ends,” said Senator Lee. “This assault on the rule of law and an independent judiciary cannot stand. Congress must be crystal clear: attempting to intimidate justices and their families will land you in prison for a long time.”

    “It is essential that the judicial branch be able to perform its duties free from threats, fear, intimidation, or coercion,” said Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. “Threats and protests against Supreme Court justices and federal judges are blatant attempts to undermine their independence. I’m proud to once again support this legislation that sends a crystal clear message that these actions will not be tolerated and those responsible will face serious legal consequences.”

    “Supreme Court Justices continue to be a target of politically motivated violence and threats of violence,” said Senator Cotton. “This bill makes clear that anyone who engages in this unlawful activity will face the full extent of the law.”

    BACKGROUND:
    • In the aftermath of the unprecedented May 2022 leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, far-left protesters immediately began demonstrating outside of the private residences of Supreme Court Justices. Subsequently, a map with the home addresses of five Republican-appointed Justices—Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett—was posted online.
    • Federal law explicitly prohibits attempts at influencing the decision-making process of a judge. Specifically, 18 U.S.C. § 1507 states that any individual who, “with the intent of influencing any judge . . . in the discharge of his duty, pickets or parades . . . in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge” is subject to criminal monetary penalties or a maximum of one year of imprisonment, or both. Section 1507 was intended to enable our judges to carry out their duty to uphold the rule of law, without fear of intimidation or retribution for doing so.
    • Under President Biden and Attorney General Garland, following the Dobbs leak, zero protesters outside of Supreme Court Justices’ homes were arrested for violating Section 1507. Just as troubling, the Biden Department of Justice did not issue any guidance on enforcing this statute. The Supreme Court Marshal, as well as Virginia Governor Youngkin and then-Maryland Governor Hogan, implored Attorney General Garland to enforce Section 1507.
    • With President Trump back at the helm, the Justice Department will finally return to focusing on law and order and enforcing our criminal laws. Nevertheless, it’s still critical that Congress act to deter this intimidation of our federal judiciary.

    PROTECTING OUR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES ACT:
    • The Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act would increase the maximum term of imprisonment for violation of Section 1507 from one year to five years. Increasing the maximum jail time for a protester under Section 1507 is an effective way to deter this intimidation of our Supreme Court Justices.
    • Additionally, now that we have a presidential administration that is committed to enforcing federal law, increased criminal penalties will send a strong message to these far-left protesters that Supreme Court Justices must be allowed to do their jobs without fearing for the safety of themselves or their families.

    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Blackburn Introduce Bill to Reduce Excessive Taxation on Social Security Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Reducing Excessive Taxation and Inefficiencies by Reforming Elder Exemptions to Support Fairness, Inflation Relief, and Simple Taxes (RETIREES FIRST) Act. This legislation will lower the tax burden on Social Security benefits for seniors and offset this tax relief by redirecting funds from inefficient non-security discretionary programs, safeguarding the Social Security and Medicare trust funds while prioritizing retirees.
    Historically, Social Security benefits were entirely exempt from federal income tax. Current tax exemptions have not been adjusted for inflation, causing “bracket creep” that increasingly taxes middle-income retirees. Today, nearly 56% of retirees pay taxes on their Social Security benefits, compared to less than 10% in 1984. Many retirees rely on Social Security as their primary source of income. The added tax burden on Social Security benefits reduces their quality of life, especially as inflation erodes the value of their benefits.
    “After four years of record-high inflation, the current tax on Social Security has been devastating to America’s retirees,” said Senator Marshall. “By cutting taxes on Social Security, this bill will ensure America’s seniors can keep more of their hard-earned money and fix a fundamental flaw in our tax system.” 
    To read the full text of the bill, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall on Newsmax: President Trump is Protecting Women’s Sports, Another Promise Made, Promise Kept

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined National Report on Newsmax to discuss the Senate advancing the nomination of RFK, Jr. to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Prayer Breakfast, and National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

    [embedded content]

    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:
    On HHS Secretary nominee RFK, Jr. getting across the finish line:
    “I think that he’ll make it across the finish line. This may be down partisan lines, but I just want to thank all the people that reached out to their Senators in support of Bobby Kennedy, Jr. Look, he’s going to be a great disruptor. He’s going to focus on chronic health and trying to make people healthy again by preventing these diseases, by focusing on proper nutrition, by decreasing the toxins we are exposed to. I think he’s going to be a game-changer.” 
    “So, yeah, the Democrats are going to bring out all the all the tools that they’ve got. They’re just really hung up on a couple issues. It feels like a barroom brawl here in DC right now, but we’ll get him across the finish line.”
    On history, importance of the National Prayer Breakfast:
    “America’s faith has provided a moral compass for this nation since its beginning. This country was founded by people of faith, and from President Washington to President Lincoln and then President Eisenhower, who really kicked this thing off in 1953 have all been people of faith that have turned to their faith in those most crucial moments in history.” 
    “And I just want to take people back to 1953 President Eisenhower, former five-star Supreme Allied Commander, is now the president of the United States, and a senator from Kansas reaches out to the President. Says, How are you doing, Mr. President? And he says, Look, this is the loneliest job in the world right now. They invite him to a prayer breakfast that turns into this National Prayer Breakfast, a day when this country gets on our knees and says, Look, God, we’ve fallen short. We’ve drifted away. We need you. We want to be on your side. And I think that’s the theme you’re going to hear tomorrow is that America is on God’s side, and we’re just so grateful, and just want to be that shining city on the hill again. So faith a very important his part of this nation’s history.” 
    On President Trump protecting women and girls in sports:
    “I just appreciate the President leadership’s once again, that he’s doing what he said he was going to do. Promises made, promises kept.”
    “I was in middle school when Title IX was passed, 1972 and I think many people, everyone would agree with me that it was day and night when that happened, and all of a sudden there were more opportunities for young ladies to compete in sports.”
    “I have yet to meet a person that thinks it’s okay for boys to compete against girls, let alone boys be in the girls’ locker rooms…It’s not safe for boys to compete in girls’ sports, and it’s not fair. This country was built on fairness enough. So I appreciate President Trump’s leadership. Once again, promises made, promises kept from Donald J. Trump.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Introduces Bill to Cut Regulatory Red Tape for Main Street Grocery Stores

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Marshall introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to block the implementation of the Biden Administration’s EPA “management” rule related to phasing out hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigeration units. The EPA’s rule goes way too far and would raise operational costs for Main Street grocery stores, which are already facing high labor, utility, and merchandise costs. Representative Dunn introduced a similar bill in the House.
    “My Main Street grocers are already operating on tight margins,” said Senator Marshall. “The massive increase in costs associated with this rulemaking will force grocers to increase their prices, or in more dire circumstances, close completely. Gone are the days of the Biden Administration’s inflationary, burdensome rules and the heavy hand of the federal government hounding our mom-and-pop shops.”
    “I’m incredibly thankful to Senator Marshall for introducing this important resolution,” said Jenny Osner, owner of Hired Man’s Grocery & Grill in Conway Springs, Kansas. “As the only grocer in town, people depend on us to help feed their families. The financial strain from these regulations will put our dependability and community’s ability to access fresh food in jeopardy.”
    “The EPA’s refrigeration regulations put the viability of our nation’s independent supermarkets in significant danger,” cautioned Chris Jones, NGA’s chief government relations officer. “These mandates will inflict crippling costs upon an industry that already operates on razor-thin margins. This kind of overreach will inevitably translate to higher food prices for consumers and, in the direst of circumstances, could force the closure of community grocery stores. NGA wholeheartedly applauds Senator Marshall’s defense of independent community grocers and his strong commitment to averting these potentially catastrophic consequences.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human Rights Council to Hold Special Session onthe Democratic Republic of the Congo on 7February

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold a special session on the human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Friday, 7 February 2025.

    The session will start at 10 a.m. in room XX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The meeting will be webcast live in the six official languages of the United Nations.

    The special session is being convened per an official request submitted on Monday evening, 3 February, by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been supported by 27 States thus far.

    For a special session to be convened, the support of one-third of the 47 members of the Council – 16 or more – is required. This request is thus far supported by the following States members of the Council (27): Algeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burundi, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Morocco, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, the Republic of Korea, Romania, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland.

    The request is also supported by the following 21 observer States: Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

    The list of signatories remains open up to the holding of the special session. Therefore, the above list of States is to be considered provisional.

    In connection with this special session, the Council will convene an organizational meeting on Thursday, 6 February at 10 a.m. when specific details on the special session and its scenario will be announced. This organizational meeting will also be webcast live.

    This will be the thirty-seventh special session of the Human Rights Council. On 28 November 2008, the Council held a special session on the situation of human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The full list of special sessions of the Human Rights Council can be seen here .

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently. 

     

    HRC25.001E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CMS Statement on Collaboration with DOGE

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

    CMS has two senior Agency veterans – one focused on policy and one focused on operations – who are leading the collaboration with DOGE, including ensuring appropriate access to CMS systems and technology. We are taking a thoughtful approach to see where there may be opportunities for more effective and efficient use of resources in line with meeting the goals of President Trump.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Apollo 14 Moon Landing

    Source: NASA

    This Feb. 5, 1971, photo gives an excellent view of the Apollo 14 lunar module on the Moon’s surface after landing. At left, we can see that the astronauts – Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell – deployed the U.S. flag before taking this photo of the lunar module.
    Shepard and Mitchell touched down in the Fra Mauro highlands region and conducted two moonwalks lasting more than nine hours in total. They set up an experiment package and collected 93 pounds of rock and soil samples to return to waiting scientists on Earth. In the meantime, astronaut Stuart Roosa, who remained in orbit aboard the command module, conducted observations and photography of the lunar surface from orbit. After their 33-hour lunar surface stay, Shepard and Mitchell rejoined Roosa in orbit, and left lunar orbit for the three-day return trip to Earth.
    Image credit: NASA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Goes Live: First Twitch Stream from Space Station

    Source: NASA

    For the first time, NASA is hosting a live Twitch event from about 250 miles off the Earth aboard the International Space Station, bringing new audiences closer to space than ever before. Viewers will have the opportunity to hear from NASA astronauts live and ask questions about life in orbit.
    The event will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 12, livestreamed on the agency’s official Twitch channel:
    https://www.twitch.tv/nasa
    “This Twitch event from space is the first of many,” said Brittany Brown, director, Office of Communications Digital and Technology Division, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We spoke with digital creators at TwitchCon about their desire for streams designed with their communities in mind, and we listened. In addition to our spacewalks, launches, and landings, we’ll host more Twitch-exclusive streams like this one. Twitch is one of the many digital platforms we use to reach new audiences and get them excited about all things space.”
    Although NASA has streamed events to Twitch previously, this conversation will be the first NASA event from the International Space Station developed specifically for the agency’s Twitch platform.
    During the event, viewers will hear from NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is currently aboard the orbiting laboratory, and NASA astronaut Matt Dominick, who recently returned to Earth after the agency’s Crew-8 mission.
    The NASA astronauts will discuss daily life aboard the space station and the research conducted in microgravity. Additionally, the event will highlight ways for Twitch users to engage with NASA, including citizen science projects and science, technology, engineering, and math programs designed to inspire the Artemis Generation.
    NASA is committed to exploring new digital platforms to engage with new audiences. Last year, the agency introduced its own streaming platform, NASA+, and redesigned nasa.gov and science.nasa.gov websites, creating a new homebase for agency news, Artemis information, and more.
    To keep up with the latest news from NASA and learn more about the agency, visit:

    Home Page

    -end-
    Abbey DonaldsonHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Is It Really ‘FDA Approved’?

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    Español

    “FDA approved!”

    Maybe you saw those words on a company’s website or in a commercial promoting a product or treatment. Some marketers may say their products are “FDA approved.” But how can you know for sure what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved?

    The FDA is responsible for protecting public health by regulating human drugs and biological products, animal drugs, medical devices, tobacco products, food (including animal food), cosmetics, and electronic products that emit radiation.

    But not all those products undergo premarket approval — that is, a review of safety, quality, and effectiveness by FDA experts and agency approval before a product can be sold to consumers. In some cases, the FDA’s enforcement efforts focus on products after they are already for sale. That is determined by Congress in establishing the FDA’s authorities. Even when FDA approval is not required before a product is sold, the agency has legal regulatory authority to act when safety issues arise.

    Here is a guide to how the FDA regulates products for people — and what the agency does (and doesn’t) approve.

    The FDA doesn’t approve facilities.

    The FDA does not “approve” health care providers, including physician offices, or laboratories. The FDA does have authority to inspect regulated facilities to verify that they comply with current good manufacturing practices.

    Although manufacturing facilities and contract manufacturers are often inspected as part of a product application for certain products that require premarket approval, the agency does not approve manufacturing facilities independently. The FDA does have authority to inspect regulated facilities to verify that they comply with applicable current good manufacturing practices and other requirements, including an adequately designed and controlled production process.

    Unless an exemption applies, owners and operators of domestic or foreign food, drug, and most device facilities must register with the FDA before exporting products to the U.S. Owners and operators of establishments that manufacture blood products or cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products must also register with the agency.

    Mammography facilities must be FDA-certified and must display their FDA certificates where patients can see them. The certificate indicates that the facilities have met stringent standards for providing quality mammography.

    The FDA approves new human drugs and biological products.

    New drugs and biological products for people must be FDA approved before they are marketed in interstate commerce. This means that a company must demonstrate that its drug or biological product is safe and effective for the intended use, and that it can manufacture the product to federal quality standards. If the FDA grants an approval, it means the agency has determined that the benefits of the product outweigh the risks for the intended use.

    Some examples of biological products that require approval are therapeutic proteins, vaccines, allergenic products, cellular and gene therapies, and products manufactured from plasma. Manufacturers must also prove that they are able to make the drug or biological product according to federal quality standards.

    The FDA does not develop products before approving them. Instead, FDA experts conduct a careful evaluation of the results of laboratory, animal, and human clinical testing done by manufacturers. The FDA does perform lot release testing of many biological products, which provides the agency with a real-time system to continuously monitor product quality, through review and testing.

    For more information, see:

    • A directory of approved and unapproved finished drugs on the market.
    • A complete list of licensed biological products.

    The FDA doesn’t approve compounded drugs.

    Compounding is generally a practice in which a pharmacist or a doctor combines ingredients to create medications that meet the needs of individual patients, including those who are allergic to ingredients in FDA-approved medicines or who cannot swallow an FDA-approved pill.

    Be aware that compounded drugs are not FDA approved.

    This means that the FDA does not conduct premarket review for compounded drugs to evaluate their safety, effectiveness, or quality.

    The FDA uses a risk-based, tiered approach for regulating medical devices for people.

    The FDA classifies devices according to risk and the level of regulatory controls needed to provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the devices. The highest-risk devices (Class III), such as mechanical heart valves and implantable infusion pumps, generally require FDA approval of a premarket approval application before marketing. To receive FDA approval for these devices, manufacturers must demonstrate with sufficient, valid scientific evidence that there is a reasonable assurance that the devices are safe and effective for their intended uses.

    Generally, the FDA “clears” moderate-risk medical devices (Class II) (for example dialysis equipment and many types of catheters) for marketing once it has been demonstrated that the device is substantially equivalent to a legally marketed predicate device that does not require premarket approval. Class II devices are generally subject to special controls, which may include specific testing or labeling requirements for that device.

    Devices that are low risk of harm to the user (Class I) (for example non-powered breast pumps, elastic bandages, tongue depressors, and exam gloves) are subject to general controls only, and most are exempt from premarket notification requirements.

    The FDA uses a risk-based approach for human cells and tissues.

    All human cells and tissues intended for use in people — collectively referred to as human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) — are regulated to prevent the transmission of infectious disease. Examples of HCT/Ps include bone, skin, corneas, ligaments, tendons, dura mater, heart valves, and reproductive tissue.

    Those HCT/Ps that pose an additional risk because of their processing or use also require FDA approval before marketing.

    The FDA does not regulate the transplantation of vascularized human organ transplants such as kidney, liver, heart, lung, or pancreas. The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) oversees the transplantation of vascularized human organs.

    The FDA doesn’t approve tobacco products.

    There’s no such thing as a safe tobacco product, so the FDA’s safe and effective standard for evaluating medical products does not apply to tobacco products. Instead, the FDA regulates tobacco products based on a public health standard that considers the product’s risks to the population, including users and nonusers of tobacco products.

    To legally sell or distribute a new tobacco product in the U.S., manufacturers must receive authorization from the FDA. There are three pathways available to bring a new tobacco product to market: premarket tobacco product applications, substantial equivalence applications, or exemption from substantial equivalence requests.

    A marketing authorization does not indicate that the tobacco product is either safe or “approved.” It means that the manufacturer has complied with the requirements under the law to bring its product to market.

    The FDA approves food additives in food for people.

    Although the FDA does not have premarket approval of food products, it has the authority to approve certain ingredients before they are used in food or intended to contact food. Those include food additives (substances added intentionally to food, as well as substances that migrate to food from food contact products such as food packaging), and color additives.

    Companies that want to add new food additives to food are responsible for providing the FDA with information demonstrating that the additives are safe. FDA experts review the results of appropriate tests done by companies to ensure that the food additive is safe for its intended use. An approved food additive must be used in compliance with its approved uses, specifications, and restrictions.

    Certain food ingredients, such as those that are considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for their intended conditions of use by scientific experts, do not require premarket approval by the FDA. The FDA has a voluntary notification process under which a manufacturer may submit a conclusion that the use of an ingredient is GRAS.

    The FDA approves color additives used in FDA-regulated products.

    This includes those used in food (including animal food), dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, and some medical devices. These color additives (except coal-tar hair dyes) are subject by law to approval by the agency before market entry, and each must be used only in compliance with its approved uses, specifications, and restrictions.

    In the approval process, the FDA evaluates safety data to ensure that a color additive is safe for its intended purposes.

    The FDA does not approve cosmetics.

    Examples of cosmetics are perfumes, makeup, moisturizers, shampoos, hair dyes, face and body cleansers, and shaving preparations. Cosmetic products and ingredients, and their labeling, do not require FDA approval.

    There’s one exception: color additives (other than coal-tar hair dyes). Cosmetics must be safe for their intended use and properly labeled.

    The FDA doesn’t approve medical foods.

    A medical food is formulated to be consumed or administered enterally and intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation. An example of a disease or condition that a medical food could be used to manage is phenylketonuria, a genetic disorder. Someone with this disorder may need medical foods that are formulated to be free of the amino acid phenylalanine.

    A medical food is intended for use under the supervision of a physician. It doesn’t include products such as meal replacements or diet shakes, or products for the management of diseases, such as diabetes, that can be managed through modification of the normal diet alone.

    Medical foods do not undergo premarket approval by the FDA. Still, medical food companies must comply with other requirements, such as current good manufacturing practices and registration of food facilities. Medical foods do not have to include a Nutrition Facts label on their labels; however, any statements on their label or in other labeling must be truthful and not misleading.

    The FDA doesn’t approve infant formula.

    The FDA does not approve infant formulas before they can be marketed. But manufacturers of infant formula are subject to the FDA’s regulatory oversight.

    Manufacturers must ensure that their infant formula complies with federal nutrient requirements and other regulations. Manufacturers must register with the FDA and provide the agency with an infant formula submission before marketing a new formula.

    The FDA conducts yearly inspections of all facilities that manufacture infant formula and collects and analyzes product samples. The FDA also inspects new facilities. If the FDA determines that an adulterated or misbranded infant formula presents a risk to human health, the manufacturer of the formula must conduct a recall.

    The FDA doesn’t approve dietary supplements.

    The FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness. In fact, many dietary supplements can be marketed without even notifying the FDA.

    But companies are required to submit a premarket safety notification to the FDA at least 75 days before marketing dietary supplements containing certain “new dietary ingredients” (that were not marketed in the U.S. before Oct. 15, 1994).

    Dietary supplement companies must ensure their products are safe before marketing and comply with other labeling and quality requirements, such as good manufacturing practices.

    The FDA inspects facilities for compliance and monitors adverse event reports. When public health concerns arise about the safety of a dietary supplement or an ingredient, the FDA has the authority to take action to protect the public.

    The FDA doesn’t approve the food label, including the Nutrition Facts label.

    The FDA does not approve individual food labels before food products can be marketed. But FDA regulations require specific labeling elements, including nutrition information, to appear on most foods, including dietary supplements. Also, any statements on food products must be truthful and not misleading – and must comply with any regulatory requirements for the type of statement, as applicable.

    Manufacturers must provide the serving size of the food and specified information about the nutrient content of each serving on the “Nutrition Facts” label (or on the “Supplement Facts” label for dietary supplements).

    The FDA doesn’t approve structure-function claims on dietary supplements and other foods.

    Structure-function claims describe the role of a food or food component (such as a nutrient) that is intended to affect the structure or function of the human body. One example is “calcium builds strong bones.”

    Dietary supplement companies that make structure-function claims on labels or in other labeling must submit a notification to the FDA. Structure-function claims on dietary supplements carry a disclaimer stating that the claim has not been evaluated by the FDA, and that the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

    The FDA does not require conventional food manufacturers to notify the FDA about their structure-function claims or to carry a disclaimer.  By law, all such claims must be truthful and not misleading.

    Misuse of the FDA’s logo may violate federal law.

    The FDA’s logo is for official government use only. The FDA’s logo should not be used to misrepresent the agency or to suggest that the FDA endorses any private organization, product, or service.

    These are just some of the many ways the FDA is responsible for protecting the public health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Returning Home after the LA County Wildfires

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Returning Home after the LA County Wildfires

    Returning Home after the LA County Wildfires

    LOS ANGELES – As more Eaton Canyon and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods impacted by Los Angeles County wildfires open to residents, city and county officials caution that these areas are still dangerous, due to considerable risks remaining from waste, unstable burned buildings, and utility crews using heavy equipment.Everyone is eager to go home, clean up the burn site and start rebuilding. You may be worried about what you will find when you get back — but don’t rush in. If you find your home has damage, be careful. Improper handling and disposal of ash and materials may impact your health, as well as your neighbors. Recovery calls for caution. Areas Damaged by Wildfires are Reopening, but Risk Remains Almost all areas are now open, but some limited access may persist due to downed power lines, landslides, debris, unstable roads, or other utility work. Los Angeles County officials will communicate when re-entry conditions are permissible through public media. To check on your area, visit the county’s disaster website at Eaton Fire – LA County Recovers / Palisades Fire – LA County Recovers.The more a neighborhood is damaged by wildfire, the more complex and lengthier it will be to make the area safe. Below are some factors that help determine when a disaster area can be considered safe:Fire debris and ash in roadways. Crews have been working to clear roadways to ensure survivors can safely travel back to their homes or businesses. Debris removal has begun in Phase 1 of two phases. For more information on the process, visit Debris Removal – LA County Recovers Household materials removal. Exposure to certain common household materials impacted by fire may be a risk to human health, animals, and the environment. During Phase 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been surveying, removing, and disposing of household materials that may require special handling from properties affected by the wildfires. Items being removed include materials such as paints, solvents, oils, vehicle, and household batteries, and pesticides. For more information visit: 2025 California Wildfires | US EPA.In Phase 2, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to support FEMA and the Consolidated Debris Removal Program. Corps of Engineers contractors will remove fire-damaged debris from private property. Residents must opt-in to the Debris Removal Program and obtain a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form for the Corps of Engineers to access charred properties.  Property owners are not required to use these services. Residents who do not “opt-in” to the Debris Removal Program are responsible for all associated debris removal costs. In addition, for the safety of the community, property owners who choose to do their own cleanup must still follow local, state, and federal requirements.Use Caution When Returning HomeBring personal protective equipment for working in and around your home: gloves, eye protection, face masks or respirators, and boots with a steel toe and insole.Look for damaged power lines, foundation cracks and other exterior damage. Your home may be too dangerous to enter before an inspector checks it out.Don’t turn on your electrical breaker if it looks damaged. Keep the main electrical power and water systems off until you or a professional can ensure they are safe.Check your gas meter and gas lines for damage. If you smell natural gas or propane, hear a hissing noise, or notice visible damage, leave immediately and contact the fire department.If your home and electrical system appear undamaged, but the power is off, turn off all your appliances before you turn the power back on at the main breaker.Take it one step at a time. Focus on the most important clean-up tasks first. Don’t try to move large or unstable material by yourself. Ask for help and help others.Rebuild with the Future in MindYou can rebuild or repair your home in ways that reduce your risk from wildfires. Email FEMA Mitigation to request a free individualized plan: FEMA-R9-MIT@fema.dhs.gov. When choosing a contractor, please note: Contractors should be licensed and bonded and have disability and workers’ compensation insurance. If they don’t, you may be liable for accidents on your property.Make sure contractors obtain the necessary permits to do the job. Consult your local government and/or LA County to verify that they do.
    barbara.murien…
    Wed, 02/05/2025 – 17:44

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Don’t Wait! Friday is the last day to apply for FEMA assistance in Mercer County, W.Va.

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Don’t Wait! Friday is the last day to apply for FEMA assistance in Mercer County, W.Va.

    Don’t Wait! Friday is the last day to apply for FEMA assistance in Mercer County, W.Va.

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Friday is the last day for Mercer County residents to apply for FEMA Assistance if they had damages from the Sept. 25-28, 2024, remnants of Tropical Storm Helene. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS FRIDAY, FEB. 7, 2025.FEMA assistance for individuals and families affected by the flooding can cover home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.Survivors can visit the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to apply and talk face-to-face with FEMA staff. The Mercer County recovery center location and hours are as follows: Princeton Disaster Recovery CenterLifeline Princeton Church of God250 Oakvale Road Princeton, WV 24740Hours of operation:Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Closed Saturday and SundayDRCs are accessible to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.An easy way to apply for FEMA assistance is by phone at 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone line operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Residents can also apply or online at DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA app to their smartphone or tablet.Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, is also the final deadline for homeowners, renters and business owners to apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration physical disaster loan. Applicants can apply online at sba.gov/disaster, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay service.For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4851 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
    erika.osullivan
    Wed, 02/05/2025 – 15:31

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Alerts Patients of Potential to Miss Critical Safety Alerts Due to Phone Settings When Using Smartphone-Compatible Diabetes Devices

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    For Immediate Release:

    Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting patients of a safety concern regarding diabetes devices, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), insulin pumps and automated insulin dosing systems, that rely on a smartphone to deliver critical safety alerts. Users of these smartphone-compatible diabetes devices can configure alert settings, such as which alerts to receive, how often and how the alerts are delivered (e.g. audible, vibration, text only) through the app on their phone.

    The FDA has received medical device reports in which users report these alerts are not being delivered or not being heard, in cases where the users thought they had configured the alerts to be delivered. In some cases, missing these alerts may have contributed to serious harm, including severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), diabetic ketoacidosis (when the body does not have enough insulin to use blood sugar for energy) and death.

    “Modern medical devices, such as diabetes devices that connect to a smartphone, can provide users with the convenience and flexibility to configure alerts that are personalized to them. However, users should stay aware of alert settings and monitor these devices to ensure they continue to receive critical alerts as expected,” said Courtney Lias, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Products in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Even if configured correctly, certain hardware or software changes can interrupt the expected operation of these critical devices, which can lead to patient harm if undetected.”

    The FDA has identified, among others, the following hardware and software changes, updates and configurations that may lead to critical alerts not being received as expected:

    • software configuration issues, such as app notification permissions, using “do not disturb” or “focus mode” or the app entering “deep sleep” after a period of not being used;
    • connecting new hardware to the smartphone, such as connecting to car audio or using wireless earphones, that can change the default volume of alerts or prevent delivery of alerts; and
    • smartphone operating system updates that are not supported by the medical device application.

    The FDA’s safety communication provides recommendations, such as the following, for users of these devices:

    • Carefully follow the instructions provided by diabetes device manufacturers when installing, setting up or updating mobile medical apps on the smartphone;
    • turn off automatic operating system (OS) updates to the smartphone and do not update the phone’s OS until confirming the diabetes device app is compatible with the new OS version;
    • after updating the phone’s OS or adding a new accessory, such as wireless headphones, confirm alert settings then carefully monitor the medical device app to make sure alerts are received and can be heard as expected;
    • at least once a month, check that the smartphone alerts are configured as expected;
    • if alerts are not being received as expected from the mobile medical app, or cannot be heard, call the technical support number for the medical device for assistance; and
    • report any problems with the diabetes device to the FDA.

    The FDA is working with diabetes-related medical device manufacturers to ensure that smartphone alert configurations of their devices are carefully evaluated prior to use by patients. The agency is also working with manufacturers to ensure that settings in smartphones and mobile medical apps that may impact safety alerts are continuously tested and any updates to recommended configurations are communicated quickly and clearly to users.

    Related Information

    Related Information

    ###

    Boilerplate

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Inquiries

    Consumer:
    888-INFO-FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Days Left for Georgians to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Two Days Left for Georgians to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

    Two Days Left for Georgians to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

    The deadline is quickly approaching for Georgia survivors of Tropical Storm Debby (Aug. 4—20. 2024) and Hurricane Helene (Sept. 24—Oct. 30, 2024) in the counties designated for Individual Assistance to apply federal assistance.The application period to apply for federal disaster assistance ends in two days, on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.Counties approved for assistance for Hurricane Helene are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wheeler and Wilkes.Counties approved for assistance for Tropical Storm Debby are: Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long and Screven.There are four ways to apply for assistance:Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.The FEMA App for mobile devicesCall toll-free 800-621-3362.  Survivors can also contact the Georgia Call Center Monday through Saturday at 678-547-2861 for assistance with their application.FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers. For locations and hours, go online to fema.gov/drcFEMA provides help to all disaster survivors, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. Our top priority is ensuring that disaster assistance is reaching people in need.For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/helene/georgia and fema.gov/disaster/4821. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel. Also, follow Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton on X @FEMA_Cam.
    jakia.randolph
    Wed, 02/05/2025 – 13:37

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oxygen Concentrator Recall: JIANGSU JUMAO X-CARE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT CO LTD Removes JMC5A Ni/TruAire-5 Oxygen Concentrator due to the devices spontaneously catching fire

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    This recall involves removing devices from where they are used or sold. The FDA has identified this recall as the most serious type. This device may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use it.

    Affected Product

    • Product Names: TRUAIRE-5 02 CONCENTRATOR
    • Model: O2C5L
    • Serial Numbers: All units within serial number range: JA2311000001-JA2312000740

    What to Do

    • All units from the specified serial number range MUST be immediately discontinued from use and removed from service and promptly returned to Compass Health Brands.

    On November 26, 2024, Jiangsu Jumao X-Care Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. sent all affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Recall letter recommending the following actions:

    • Notify customers that have received units within the affected serial number range of this recall and the requirement to replace their oxygen concentrator.
    • Complete and return the medical device recall return response acknowledgement and receipt form to Compass Health Brands within 15 calendar days of receipt.
      • Response form must be returned even if you have no stock or have no record of purchasing this device.

    Reason for Recall

    JIANGSU JUMAO X-CARE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT CO LTD is recalling certain devices due to incidents of device melting and fire during the use of oxygen concentrators. The cause of the fires and melting remains under investigation.

    The use of affected product may cause serious adverse health consequences, including exposure to excess heat and fire that could lead to burns and possibly death.

    There have been no reported injuries. There have been no reports of death.

    Device Use

    The TRUAIRE-5 O2 CONCENTRATOR (Model O2C5L) is intended to provide supplemental oxygen to patients with respiratory disorders by separating nitrogen from room air by way of a molecular sieve. It is not intended to sustain or support life.

    Contact Information

    Customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall should contact Compass Health Brands Corp at 1-800-376-7263 x444.

    Additional FDA Resources

    Additional Company Resources

    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)

    The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from manufacturing through distribution to patient use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified, and problems potentially corrected more quickly.

    How do I report a problem?

    Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – Next Meeting of the D-MX Delegation: 12 February 2025 – Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee

    Source: European Parliament

    The next meeting of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee (D-MX) is scheduled for:

    Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 17.00-19.00

    Room: DE MADARIAGA S5 (Strasbourg)

    It will include an Exchange of views on the modernization of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement and perspectives of enhanced political and economic cooperation between the EU and Mexico.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Humanitarian and infrastructural crisis in Cuba – E-002542/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    In 2024, the Commission allocated a total of EUR 4.4 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba. The Commission has closely followed the impacts of recent hurricanes and earthquakes, compounding an already dire situation in the country. A humanitarian expert was deployed to assess the needs after the disasters stroke.

    The Commission supported the emergency response with further EUR 3.9 million. In addition, it deployed a humanitarian airbridge to transport more than 100 tons of humanitarian supplies from the United Nations, EU, and Spanish stocks in five flights, providing relief to populations affected by hurricane Oscar.

    Furthermore, it allocated EUR 500 000 in humanitarian aid to respond to urgent health needs due to medicine shortages across the country. The EU stands ready to provide additional humanitarian aid based on assessments of new needs.

    In a longer-term perspective, the EU will continue to provide support under the Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027[1] and through the Global Gateway[2] to strengthen development and resilience. This includes programmes in crucial sectors such as water and sanitation, and energy.

    The EU has a longstanding cooperation in both sectors and through the Global Gateway there is potential for European investments on renewable energy infrastructure.

    • [1] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/document/download/31833263-a4e0-4027-b987-83ac795275d9_en?filename=mip-2021-c2021-9130-cuba-annex_en.pdf
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger-europe-world/global-gateway_en
    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: B10-0061/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Members responsible: Martin Häusling, Biljana Borzan, Anja Hazekamp

    B10‑0061/2025

    European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D102174/03 – (2024/3010(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D102174/03),

    – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed[1], and in particular Article 7(3) and Article 19(3) thereof,

    – having regard to the vote of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, on 22 November 2024, at which no opinion was delivered, and the vote of the Appeal Committee on 17 December 2024, at which again no opinion was delivered,

    – having regard to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers[2],

    – having regard to the opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 19 June 2024, and published on 1 August 2024[3],

    – having regard to its previous resolutions objecting to the authorisation of genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’)[4],

    – having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety,

    A. whereas on 27 June 2022, Corteva Agriscience Belgium B.V., based in Belgium, on behalf of Corteva Agriscience LLC, based in the United States, submitted an application to the national competent authority of the Netherlands for the placing on the market of foods, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 (the ‘GM maize’);

    B. whereas the GM maize produces the Cry1B.34 toxin and is resistant to the herbicide glufosinate;

    C. whereas glufosinate is classified as toxic to reproduction 1B and therefore meets the ‘cut-off criteria’ set out in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council[5]; whereas the approval of glufosinate for use in the Union expired on 31 July 2018;

    D. whereas Cry1B.34 is a synthetic fusion protein combining Cry1B, Cry1Ca1 and Cry9Db1, engineered for insect resistance against lepidopteran pests, without demonstrated specificity to target species;

    E. whereas the genetic modification includes a two-step process using CRISPR/Cas9 to insert a ‘landing pad’, followed by microprojectile bombardment for gene expression cassette insertion;

    Lack of assessment of the complementary herbicide

    F. whereas Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013[6] requires an assessment of whether the expected agricultural practices influence the outcome of the studied endpoints; whereas, according to that Implementing Regulation, this is especially relevant for herbicide-tolerant plants;

    G. whereas the vast majority of GM crops have been genetically modified so that they are tolerant to one or more ‘complementary’ herbicides which can be used throughout the cultivation of the GM crop, without the crop dying, as would be the case for a non-herbicide tolerant crop; whereas a number of studies show that herbicide-tolerant GM crops result in a higher use of complementary herbicides, in large part because of the emergence of herbicide-tolerant weeds[7];

    H. whereas herbicide-tolerant GM crops lock farmers into a weed management system that is largely or wholly dependent on herbicides, and does so by charging a premium for GM seeds that can be justified only if farmers purchasing such seeds also spray the complementary herbicides; whereas heightened reliance on complementary herbicides on farms planting the GM crops accelerates the emergence and spread of weeds resistant to those herbicides, thereby triggering the need for even more herbicide use, a vicious circle known as ‘the herbicide treadmill’;

    I. whereas the adverse impacts stemming from excessive reliance on herbicides will worsen as regards soil health, water quality, and above and below ground biodiversity, and lead to increased human and animal exposure, potentially also via increased herbicide residues on food and feed;

    J. whereas assessment of herbicide residues and metabolites found on GM plants is considered outside the remit of the EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (‘EFSA GMO Panel’) and is therefore not undertaken as part of the authorisation process for GMOs;

    Outstanding questions concerning Bt toxins

    K. whereas a number of studies show that side effects have been observed that may affect the immune system following exposure to Bt toxins and that some Bt toxins may have adjuvant properties[8], meaning that they can increase the allergenicity of other proteins with which they come into contact;

    L. whereas a scientific study found that the toxicity of Bt toxins may also be increased through interaction with residues from spraying with herbicides, and that further studies are needed on the combinatorial effects of ‘stacked’ events (GM crops which have been modified to be herbicide-tolerant and to produce insecticides in the form of Bt toxins)[9]; whereas assessment of the potential interaction of herbicide residues and their metabolites with Bt toxins is, however, considered to be outside the remit of the EFSA GMO Panel and is, therefore, not undertaken as part of the risk assessment;

    Bt crops: effects on non-target organisms

    M. whereas, unlike the use of insecticides, where exposure is at the time of spraying and for a limited period afterwards, the use of Bt GM crops leads to continuous exposure of the target and non-target organisms to Bt toxins;

    N. whereas the assumption that Bt toxins exhibit a single target-specific mode of action can no longer be considered correct and effects on non-target organisms cannot be excluded; whereas an increasing number of non-target organisms are reported to be affected in many ways;

    Member State and stakeholder comments

    O. whereas Member States submitted many critical comments to EFSA during the three-month consultation period[10], including that the list of relevant studies, identified in the literature review of the applicant, did not include studies on the fate of Bt proteins in the environment or on potential effects of Btcrop residues on non-target organisms even though such studies exist;

    P. whereas field trials conducted for compositional and phenotypic analysis of the GM maize failed to consider diverse environmental conditions and genetic backgrounds relevant to its cultivation, particularly in countries like Brazil;

    Q. whereas the toxicity assessment of Cry1B.34 does not account for combinatorial effects with plant constituents or residues from herbicide applications;

    R. whereas glufosinate, the complementary herbicide, is associated with significant risks to biodiversity, soil and water quality, and long-term ecosystem health;

    S. whereas the risk of gene flow to wild relatives such as teosinte, reported in Spain and France, raises concerns about transgene persistence and environmental impacts;

    T. whereas the monitoring requirements under Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013 are inadequately addressed, with no independent verification of data provided;

    Ensuring a global level playing field and upholding the Union’s international obligations

    U. whereas the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture[11] call on the Commission to reassess its approach on market access for agri-food imports and exports, given the challenge of diverging standards of the Union and its trading partners; whereas fairer trade relations, on a global level, coherent with goals for a healthy environment, were one of the main demands of farmers during the demonstrations of 2023 and 2024;

    V. whereas a 2017 report by the United Nations’ (UN) Special Rapporteur on the right to food found that, particularly in developing countries, hazardous pesticides have catastrophic impacts on health[12]; whereas the UN Sustainable Development Goal (‘UN SDG’) Target 3.9 aims by 2030 to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination[13];

    W. whereas the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at the COP15 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (‘UN CBD’) in December 2022, includes a global target to reduce the risk of pesticides by at least 50 % by 2030[14];

    X. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 states that GM food or feed must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment, and requires the Commission to take into account any relevant provisions of Union law and other legitimate factors relevant to the matter under consideration when drafting its decision; whereas such legitimate factors should include the Union’s obligations under the UN SDGs and the UN CBD;

    Reducing dependency on imported feed

    Y. whereas one of the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and the still ongoing war in Ukraine is the need for the Union to end the dependencies on some critical materials; whereas in the mission letter to Commissioner Christophe Hansen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asks him to look at ways to reduce imports of critical commodities[15];

    Undemocratic decision-making

    Z. whereas, in its eighth term, Parliament adopted a total of 36 resolutions objecting to the placing on the market of GMOs for food and feed (33 resolutions) and to the cultivation of GMOs in the Union (three resolutions); whereas, in its ninth term, Parliament adopted 38 resolutions objecting to placing GMOs on the market and has adopted another 8 resolutions objecting to placing GMOs on the market already in the current 10th term ;

    AA. whereas despite its own acknowledgement of the democratic shortcomings, the lack of support from Member States and the objections of Parliament, the Commission continues to authorise GMOs;

    AB. whereas no change of law is required for the Commission to be able not to authorise GMOs when there is no qualified majority of Member States in favour in the Appeal Committee[16];

    AC. whereas the vote on 22 November 2024 of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 delivered no opinion, meaning that the authorisation was not supported by a qualified majority of Member States; whereas the vote on 17 December 2024 of the Appeal Committee again delivered no opinion;

    1. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003;

    2. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law, in that it is not compatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, which is, in accordance with the general principles laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council[17], to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, in relation to GM food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market;

    3. Calls on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and to submit a new draft to the committee;

    4. Calls on the Commission to ensure convergence of standards between the Union and its partners in free trade agreement negotiations, in order to meet Union safety standards;

    5. Calls on the Commission not to authorise the GM maize due to the increased risks to biodiversity, food safety and workers’ health in line with the One Health approach;

    6. Expects the Commission, as matter of urgency, to deliver on its commitment[18] to come forward with a proposal to ensure that hazardous chemicals banned in the Union are not produced for export;

    7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission finally recognised, in a letter of 11 September 2020 to Members, the need to take sustainability into account when it comes to authorisation decisions on GMOs[19]; expresses its deep disappointment, however, that, since then the Commission has continued to authorise GMOs for import into the Union, despite ongoing objections by Parliament and a majority of Member States voting against;

    8. Urges the Commission, again, to take into account the Union’s obligations under international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN CBD and the UN SDGs; reiterates its call for draft implementing acts to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum explaining how they uphold the principle of ‘do no harm’[20];

    9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –