NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry by a Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – MAURILIO JASTINTO-JUAREZ (“JASTINTO-JUAREZ”), age 50, a citizen  of Mexico, was sentenced on  January 27, 2025 for illegal reentry by a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.  He was sentenced to (6) six months imprisonment, (1) one year of supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. 

    According to court documents, JASTINTO-JUAREZ, illegally reentered the United States after being previously removed on December 16, 2022.  JASTINTO-JUAREZ was discovered in the United States when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems became alerted to his presence via the collection of his  fingerprints by the Louisiana State Police (“LSP”).  The LSP obtained his fingerprints subsequent to their arrest of him for driving while intoxicated in Houma, La. on March 17, 2024.

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Grenada

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 4, 2025

    Washington, DC: On January 24, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Grenada.

    Through end-June 2024, Grenada’s economy was experiencing sustained strong growth supported by buoyant tourism, moderating inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. A surge in Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue supported a strong improvement in the fiscal position and reduction in public debt. The financial system remained stable. On July 1, Hurricane Beryl caused damage in excess of 16 percent of GDP on the Grenadian islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as in the northern parishes of the main island. The authorities responded swiftly with a package of fiscal measures, including suspension of fiscal rules to permit temporary deficit spending in support of the recovery and reconstruction.

    Grenada’s near-term economic growth is projected to remain resilient at 3.9 percent in 2025, buoyed by limited hurricane damages to tourism infrastructure and the authorities’ large recovery and reconstruction spending. Sizable government savings and triggering of disaster-contingent instruments create fiscal space for these spending needs. Assuming a subsequent timely return to the fiscal rules, public debt is projected to continue falling and reach the debt target of 60 percent of GDP by 2030.

    Over the medium-term GDP growth is projected to slow given the tourism sector operates near its peak-season capacity. Key downside risks include the threat of further natural disasters, potential shocks to tourism demand, and the uncertain scale of future CBI inflows, while the domestic non-bank financial system faces rising vulnerabilities from the continued rapid expansion of credit unions and the rising costs of property insurance. Prospective hotel developments and public investment projects represent upside risks to the medium-term growth outlook.

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Grenada’s robust economic performance in 2023 and the first half of 2024, buoyed by strong tourism. Directors also commended the authorities’ swift and prudently tailored response to Hurricane Beryl, which supported disaster-relief and helped mitigate the impact on economic growth. Noting that the medium-term outlook remains subject to risks from natural disasters, uncertain Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) flows, and other external shocks, they encouraged the authorities to exercise continued fiscal prudence and to pursue structural reforms to boost long-term growth and enhance resilience, while leveraging Fund technical assistance.

    Directors welcomed Grenada’s commitment to fiscal prudence and debt sustainability and emphasized the importance of a timely return to the suspended fiscal rules. In that context, they noted the need for continued expenditure prioritization and revenue mobilization to create fiscal space for future investment needs, including for climate resilience. Further strengthening public investment management and budget planning processes would also be important. Directors also saw merit in developing a more uniform framework for managing all CBI resources and encouraged continued progress in resolving outstanding official arrears.

    Directors welcomed the banking system’s resilience despite repeated shocks. They emphasized the need for vigilance and strengthened oversight in the rapidly expanding credit union sector. Directors encouraged strengthening data collection and regional collaboration in the property insurance sector, given rising premiums. They also agreed that further enhancements in the AML/CFT frameworks are essential, including to safeguard correspondent banking relationships.

    Directors commended the authorities’ implementation of Grenada’s Disaster Resilience Strategy including investments in a risk-layering framework of disaster-contingency insurance and financing instruments. Moving forward and noting the risk of future natural disasters, they emphasized the importance of further advancing the energy transition and investment in disaster resilient infrastructure, with support from private financing.

    Directors also encouraged sustained structural reform efforts to foster long-term growth, including investing in active labor market policies and continuing efforts to support off-season and niche tourism. Addressing data gaps is also important.

    It is expected that the next Article IV Consultation with Grenada will be held on the standard 12-month consultation cycle.

    Table 1. Grenada: Selected Social and Economic Indicators, 2019–29

     

    Rank in UNDP Human Development Index

    73

    Infant mortality rate per ‘000 births (2021)

    14.4

    out of 189 countries (2021)

    Adult illiteracy rate in percent (2014)

    1

    Life expectancy at birth in years (2021)

    75

    Poverty rate in percent of population (2019)

    25

    GDP per capita in US$ (2021)

    10,449

    Population in millions (2021)

    0.13

    Unemployment rate (2021 Q2)

    11.1

     

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    Est.

    Proj.

    National income and prices

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    GDP at constant prices

    0.7

    -13.8

    4.7

    7.3

    4.7

    3.6

    3.9

    3.3

    2.7

    2.7

    2.7

    GDP deflator

    3.3

    -0.3

    2.8

    2.2

    2.7

    1.4

    1.4

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Consumer prices, end of period

    0.1

    -0.8

    1.9

    2.9

    2.2

    1.2

    1.9

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Money and credit, end of period

    Credit to private sector

    1.4

    3.1

    3.8

    2.1

    3.8

    3.8

    4.2

    4.4

    4.6

    4.5

    4.5

    Broad money (M2)

    2.9

    9.1

    8.5

    9.9

    1.4

    3.7

    5.2

    5.4

    4.8

    4.8

    4.8

    Central government balances (accrual)

    Revenue and grants

    26.6

    28.1

    31.5

    32.7

    36.9

    44.1

    30.5

    29.3

    29.2

    28.9

    28.8

    Expenditure

    21.6

    32.7

    31.2

    31.8

    28.9

    39.5

    39.4

    33.1

    29.6

    29.2

    28.9

    o.w. Capital expenditure

    2.6

    9.6

    8.6

    10.2

    9.3

    11.7

    12.2

    8.7

    6.2

    5.8

    5.6

    Primary balance

    6.8

    -2.6

    2.1

    2.6

    9.5

    8.0

    -5.1

    -1.2

    1.5

    1.5

    1.5

    Overall balance

    5.0

    -4.5

    0.3

    1.0

    8.0

    4.7

    -8.9

    -3.8

    -0.4

    -0.3

    -0.1

     

    Central government debt (incl. guaranteed) 1/

    58.5

    71.4

    70.0

    62.8

    60.5

    59.3

    58.1

    53.9

    53.2

    51.4

    49.6

    Domestic

    14.6

    16.2

    15.3

    12.8

    11.3

    11.1

    9.7

    7.8

    7.1

    6.9

    7.0

    External

    44.0

    55.2

    54.7

    50.0

    49.2

    48.2

    48.5

    46.1

    46.0

    44.5

    42.6

    Public debt (incl. debt of SOEs and SBs)

    62.7

    89.5

    86.6

    78.8

    75.2

    73.3

    71.4

    66.5

    65.2

    62.9

    60.6

    Savings-Investment balance

    -10.4

    -16.1

    -14.5

    -11.0

    -9.1

    -13.1

    -13.8

    -10.6

    -9.9

    -9.1

    -9.1

    Savings

    14.6

    16.3

    15.6

    18.0

    30.8

    28.3

    18.1

    17.8

    15.8

    15.3

    14.9

    Investment

    24.9

    32.4

    30.1

    29.1

    39.9

    41.5

    31.9

    28.4

    25.7

    24.5

    24.0

    External Sector

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Gross international reserves (millions of dollars)

    234.1

    290.9

    324.2

    352.6

    389.1

    435.1

    364.5

    364.8

    390.3

    405.6

    424.6

    (in months of imports)

    5.2

    5.6

    4.9

    5.0

    4.8

    5.2

    4.3

    4.2

    4.3

    4.3

    4.3

    Current account balance, o/w:

    -10.4

    -16.1

    -14.5

    -11.0

    -9.1

    -13.1

    -13.8

    -10.6

    -9.9

    -9.1

    -9.1

    Exports of goods and services

    54.6

    41.1

    47.9

    57.8

    62.8

    63.8

    62.5

    62.8

    63.0

    62.6

    62.3

    Imports of goods and services

    55.8

    52.2

    55.4

    64.3

    63.7

    69.9

    68.5

    65.6

    65.0

    63.8

    63.4

    External debt (gross)

    64.7

    92.5

    94.8

    90.0

    86.9

    85.4

    85.4

    82.6

    82.3

    80.5

    78.4

    Sources: Ministry of Finance; Eastern Caribbean Central Bank; United Nations, Human Development Report; World Bank WDI; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

    1/ Includes the impact of the debt restructuring agreement for the 2025 bonds.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/03/pr25026-grenada-imf-executive-board-concludes-2024-article-iv-consultation

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Investor Alert: Maple Bit Is Not Registered

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 4, 2025

    The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) warns investors of the online entity known as Maple Bit.

    “We encourage Saskatchewan residents to check the registration status of any investment entity at aretheyregistered.ca before considering investing with them,” FCAA Securities Division Executive Director Dean Murrison said. “Checking the registration status is easy and ensures that who you work with is reputable.”

    Maple Bit claims to offer Saskatchewan residents trading opportunities, including cryptocurrencies, stocks, forex, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), commodities, indices and contracts for difference (CFDs).

    This alert applies to the online entity using the website “maple-bit com” (this URL has been manually altered so as not to be interactive).

    Maple Bit is not registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives in Saskatchewan. The FCAA cautions investors and consumers not to send money to companies that are not registered in Saskatchewan, as they may not be legitimate businesses. 

    If you have invested with Maple Bit or anyone claiming to be acting on their behalf, contact the FCAA’s Securities Division at 306-787-5936.

    In Saskatchewan, individuals or companies need to be registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives. The registration provisions of The Securities Act, 1988, and accompanying regulations are intended to ensure that only honest and knowledgeable people are registered to sell securities and derivatives and that their businesses are financially stable.

    Tips to protect yourself:

    • Always verify that the person or company is registered in Saskatchewan to sell or advise about securities or derivatives. To check registration, visit The Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Registration Search at aretheyregistered.ca.
    • Know exactly what you are investing in. Make sure you understand how the investment, product, or service works.
    • Get a second opinion and seek professional advice about the investment.
    • Do not allow unknown or unverified individuals to remotely access your computer.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina

    NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina
    hejones1

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is investing $3 million to expand access to Child First, an evidence-based, early childhood intervention program proven to reduce the risk of child maltreatment and prevent young children and families from entering the foster care system. This investment, awarded to Alliance Health, Trillium Health Resources and Vaya Health, will expand Child First services to additional counties across the state, providing critical, community-based access to behavioral health care and family support services.

    Child First is a nationally recognized, two-generation care model that provides home-based clinical therapy for young children (prenatal through age five) and their parents or primary caregivers while also connecting families to essential resources in their communities. The program has been proven to strengthen parent-child relationships, reduce maternal depression and build resilience for families experiencing challenges like poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness or incarceration. 

    Child First is a front-end, upstream resource that can support young families before abuse or neglect occurs, preventing the need for intervention through child welfare services in the future. 

    “We know that the earliest years of life set the foundation for a child’s future health and well-being,” said North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “By expanding access to Child First, we are ensuring that more families receive the support they need to create stable, nurturing environments where young children can thrive.”

    The goal of NCDHHS’ $3 million investment is to expand access to evidence-based programs in underserved communities in North Carolina to improve outcomes for children and families. Trillium Health Resources and Alliance Health have been awarded $1 million each to expand Child First into a combined 22 additional counties across the state. Vaya Health has dedicated $350,000 to expanding Child First in western North Carolina, and the remainder of their $1 million award will support other evidence-based behavioral health programs, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

    Child First is currently available in 31 North Carolina counties through providers such as Children’s Home Society, RHA Health Services, Easter Seals PORT Health and Coastal Horizons. With this expansion, more families will have access to trauma-informed, family-focused care and support in their own homes.

    “Investing in early intervention and prevention services is one of the most effective ways we can support children and families, helping them build stability and resilience before a challenge becomes a crisis,” said NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being Susan Osborne. “By expanding access to Child First, we are ensuring more families receive comprehensive, evidence-based support – laying the foundation for lifelong health and well-being.”

    To strengthen the overall impact of the program across the state, NCDHHS is launching a Child First Learning Collaborative. The collaborative will bring together providers, the participating LME/MCOs and Child First NC partners to assess the program’s effectiveness, support successful implementation and help to inform the department’s future investments in evidence-based, community-based services.

    This initiative is part of the department’s broader $835 million investment to transform behavioral health in North Carolina. Of these funds, $80 million is committed to building a child behavioral health system that improves outcomes for children and families through trauma-informed, family-centered care. The goal is to integrate a continuum of services into North Carolina’s homes, communities and schools to meet children and families where they are, ensuring access to the right services at the right time to meet their needs.

    For more information, go to the Child First NC website.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está invirtiendo $3 millones para ampliar el acceso a Child First, un programa de intervención en la primera infancia basado en la evidencia que ha demostrado reducir el riesgo de maltrato infantil y evitar que los niños pequeños y las familias ingresen al sistema de cuidado de crianza. Esta inversión, otorgada a Alliance Health, Trillium Health Resources y Vaya Health, ampliará los servicios de Child First a condados adicionales en todo el estado, proporcionando acceso crítico y basado en la comunidad a la atención de salud conductual y los servicios de apoyo familiar.

    Child First es un modelo de atención de dos generaciones reconocido a nivel nacional que proporciona terapia clínica en el hogar para niños pequeños (prenatales hasta los cinco años) y sus padres o cuidadores principales, al tiempo que conecta a las familias con recursos esenciales en sus comunidades. Se ha demostrado que el programa fortalece las relaciones entre padres e hijos, reduce la depresión materna y desarrolla la resiliencia de las familias que experimentan desafíos como la pobreza, la violencia doméstica, el abuso de sustancias, la falta de vivienda o el encarcelamiento.

    Child First es un recurso inicial y ascendente que puede apoyar a las familias jóvenes antes de que ocurra el abuso o la negligencia, evitando la necesidad de intervención a través de los servicios de bienestar infantil en el futuro.

    “Sabemos que los primeros años de vida establecen los principios básicos para la salud y el bienestar futuros de un niño”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai. “Al ampliar el acceso a Child First, nos aseguramos de que más familias reciban el apoyo que necesitan para crear entornos estables y enriquecedores donde los niños pequeños puedan prosperar”.

    El objetivo de la inversión de $3 millones de NCDHHS es ampliar el acceso a programas basados en evidencia en comunidades desatendidas en Carolina del Norte para mejorar los resultados para los niños y las familias. Trillium Health Resources y Alliance Health han recibido $1 millón cada una para expandir Child First a un total combinado de 22 condados adicionales en todo el estado. Vaya Health ha dedicado $350,000 a expandir Child First en el oeste de Carolina del Norte, y el resto de su subvención de $1 millón apoyará otros programas de salud conductual basados en evidencia, incluida la terapia de interacción entre padres e hijos y la terapia cognitiva conductual centrada en el trauma.

    Child First está actualmente disponible en 31 condados de Carolina del Norte a través de proveedores como Children’s Home Society, RHA Health Services, Easter Seals PORT Health y Coastal Horizons. Con esta expansión, más familias tendrán acceso a atención y apoyo informados sobre el trauma centrados en la familia y en sus propios hogares.

    “Invertir en servicios tempranos de intervención y prevención es una de las formas más efectivas en que podemos apoyar a los niños y las familias, ayudándoles a desarrollar estabilidad y resiliencia antes de que un desafío se convierta en una crisis”, dijo Susan Osborne, Secretaria Adjunta de Oportunidades y Bienestar de NCDHHS. “Al ampliar el acceso a Child First, nos aseguramos de que más familias reciban un apoyo integral y basado en la evidencia, sentando las bases para la salud y el bienestar de por vida”.

    Para fortalecer el impacto general del programa en todo el estado, NCDHHS está lanzando una Colaboración de Aprendizaje Infantil Primero (Child First Learning Collaborative). La colaboración reunirá a los proveedores, las entidades locales de administración/organizaciones de asistencia administrada (LME/MCO, por sus siglas en inglés) participantes y los socios de Child First NC para evaluar la efectividad del programa, apoyar la implementación exitosa, y ayudar a informar las inversiones futuras del departamento en servicios comunitarios basados en evidencia.

    Esta iniciativa es parte de la inversión más amplia del departamento de $835 millones  para transformar la salud del comportamiento en Carolina del Norte. De estos fondos, $80 millones se comprometen a construir un sistema de salud conductual infantil que mejore los resultados para los niños y las familias a través de una atención centrada en la familia e informada sobre el trauma. El objetivo es integrar una gama continua de servicios en los hogares, comunidades y escuelas de Carolina del Norte para satisfacer a los niños y las familias donde se encuentran, asegurando el acceso a los servicios adecuados en el momento adecuado para satisfacer sus necesidades.

    Para obtener más información sobre Child First NC, visite childfirst.org.

    Feb 4, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and the Cosmosphere Bring AI Education to Hutchinson Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HUTCHINSON, Kan., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Mark Cuban Foundation is proud to announce a pioneering museum pilot program in partnership with the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. The program will bring the highly acclaimed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp to Hutchinson area high school students. This collaboration emphasizes the Foundation’s mission to reach students in underserved and previously unconnected regions, providing them with opportunities to engage with innovative technology.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation for their future, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for underserved high school students with a transparent focus on recruiting girls, students of color, first generation college students, and those from low to moderate income households. The AI Bootcamp Program provides students with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with the Cosmosphere, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place in Hutchinson on March 17- 19, is hosted and staffed by the Cosmosphere, a space museum with one of the largest collections of U.S. and Soviet space artifacts. It features the Apollo 13 command module, an SR-71 Blackbird, a planetarium, and hands-on exhibits for all ages.

    Cosmosphere is one of more than 25 host companies selected to host camps across the U.S.

    “At the Cosmosphere, we’re passionate about igniting curiosity in young minds and empowering the next generation of innovators. This AI bootcamp, in partnership with the Mark Cuban Foundation, represents a tremendous opportunity to do just that,” said JoAnna Strecker, Cosmosphere Vice President of Education. “We’re grateful to the Mark Cuban Foundation for their support in making this dream a reality, and we can’t wait to see the incredible things these students will achieve.”

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About Cosmosphere

    The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Located at 1100 North Plum in Hutchinson, KS, its collection includes U.S. space artifacts second only to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. This unique collection allows the Cosmosphere to tell the story of the Space Race better than any museum in the world while offering fully immersive education experiences that meet Next Generation Science Standards. The Cosmosphere also features the Carey Digital Dome Theater, offering daily documentary showings, a digital Planetarium, Dr. Goddard’s Rocket Lab Experience, where visitors experience live science demonstrations, and CosmoKids, an interactive STEAM area for children accompanied by an adult.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons declares in a new Washington Post op-ed that President Trump’s attacks on USAID are an assault on Americans’ safety and national security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in the Washington Post discussing the national security consequences of President Donald Trump’s efforts to freeze U.S. foreign assistance funding and halt operations at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

    This weekend, reports broke that President Trump plans to sign an executive order drastically reducing USAID’s budget and operations and folding it into the State Department. It’s one of many steps to decapitate our foreign aid apparatus, including freezing nearly all U.S. foreign aid for 90 days on his first day back in office.

    In his op-ed, Senator Coons pointed out that for less than one percent of the federal budget, USAID and foreign aid spending keep Americans abroad and within the 50 states safe. Whether containing dangerous diseases before they can reach this country or preventing security vacuums in which terrorist groups thrive, USAID funds keep Americans safe and our nation secure. Additionally, cutting our foreign aid budget will create a vacuum that will allow China and our adversaries to expand their influence.

    The Washington Post: Trump’s attack on USAID is an assault on Americans’ safety

    Donald Trump ran for president on a promise that he would keep Americans safe. His effort to defund and destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development shows he has a misguided idea of how to do that.

    …

    U.S. foreign assistance makes up 1 percent of our federal budget, and this money isn’t charity. It bolsters our security and advances our values. The reckless steps the Trump administration is taking as part of its isolationist “America First” agenda are, simply put, dangerous for Americans. Our foreign assistance and engagement wins us friends around the world, establishes our leadership and, more important, neutralizes distant threats to the United States well before they put our country at risk.

    …

    U.S. foreign and development assistance carried out by USAID might occur out of the public eye and far from our borders, but it addresses instability and keeps Americans safe. It keeps Americans living overseas safe. It keeps our service members stationed around the world safe. It keeps my constituents in Wilmington safe. As Gen. Jim Mattis, Trump’s first defense secretary, said, if we don’t fund foreign aid, “then I need to buy more bullets.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McClain Statement on President Trump’s Tariff Negotiations

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – WASHINGTON – Earlier today, President Donald Trump announced he reached a deal with Mexico to start reversing the deadly fentanyl and border crises, pausing the anticipated tariffs for one month. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also initially agreed to send 10,000 soldiers to the United States-Mexico border to help stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration.
     
    Then, following a phone call with President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada will implement its $1.3 billion border plan. Canada will also appoint a new Fentanyl Czar and launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering. 
     
    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain released the following statement:
     
    “The days of America getting walked all over are gone. Countries are starting to find out that negotiations will no longer be a one-way street,” McClain said. “President Trump made a promise to put American farmers, producers, and workers first – and he has kept it. Today’s deals are major steps toward leveling the playing field, securing our borders, and saving lives. House Republicans look forward to working alongside the President on policies that put our country first.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Archive Evolves While Still Calling USGS Home

    Source: US Geological Survey

    NASA Archive Evolves While Still Calling USGS Home

    The LP DAAC and EROS both benefit from their connections

    NASA established the LP DAAC at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center more than three decades ago to manage some data from its Earth Observing System (EOS). But NASA’s roots at EROS run even deeper: The center began as NASA’s archive partner in the 52-year-old Landsat satellite program. 

    The dedication ceremony at USGS EROS in 1990 for the establishment of the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). 

    About 40 USGS EROS federal and contract employees provide the workforce for the LP DAAC, which archives NASA-funded land data from sensors located on satellites and the International Space Station. Some LP DAAC employees first worked at other positions at EROS, which has expanded from its initial archive purpose into Landsat satellite operations and science applications. Similarly, some previous LP DAAC employees have shifted into other departments at EROS.

    Today, data from both the LP DAAC and USGS EROS archives are used by scientists in government agencies, universities and other organizations around the world to monitor and make decisions about topics that range from agriculture and wildfires to urban planning, flooding and hotspot detections. 

    The recent LP DAAC Annual User Working Group (UWG) Meeting at EROS spotlighted just a few of the many uses for remote sensing data. The LP DAAC UWG is made up of 15 representatives in various career stages at universities, government agencies and commercial endeavors whose work involves using LP DAAC data, tools and resources. 

    The data come from well-known sensors such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and newer sensors like the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI). The LP DAAC also archives the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) data, produced from a combination of data from Landsat satellites and European Sentinel-2 satellites.

    Some LP DAAC users also use EROS-generated data—commonly Landsat, but also science products like the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), now called Annual NLCD; LANDFIRE (Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools); and Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS).  

    ‘Tons of Connections’ Between LP DAAC Users and EROS

    Cole Krehbiel of the USGS, project scientist for the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) at EROS, welcomes attendees to the recent LP DAAC Annual User Working Group Meeting at EROS. USGS EROS photo

    The User Working Group was designed to help the LP DAAC learn more about current and future user needs and to collect feedback on how to better support user communities. The working group learned, too—from updates about changes at the LP DAAC and NASA’s 11 other Distributed Active Archive Centers around the country to status reports about the LP DAAC’s active sensors. 

    They also heard about Landsat updates and were given an overview of the science work at EROS. EROS employees were invited to attend as well to become more familiar with the LP DAAC.

    “Hosting at EROS gives us a unique opportunity to kind of expand our User Working Group, because you’ve got the USGS science projects that are also users of LP DAAC data. There’s tons of connections. And then it’s kind of a two-way street because I’ve also got UWG members that are using LANDFIRE data and a lot using Landsat data,” said USGS LP DAAC Project Scientist Cole Krehbiel.

    The User Working Group members who attended in person learned more about the EROS archive (below left) firsthand as they were led on a basement tour showing aisles and aisles of shelves loaded with older media containing Landsat and aerial imagery. “It’s funny that the basement is always everyone’s favorite, I think, and seeing those old rolls of film,” Krehbiel said.

    In technological contrast, they also viewed supercomputers, available for use by USGS and other Department of Interior scientists, in a climate-controlled computer room at EROS (below right). The computer room also contains several storage racks of LP DAAC data—at least for now. 

     

    Updates on LP DAAC Data Access Efforts

    Chris Torbert, USGS Project Manager for the LP DAAC, updates attendees at the recent LP DAAC Annual User Working Group Meeting at EROS about developments at the LP DAAC. USGS EROS photo

    One LP DAAC update that the User Working Group heard about will affect those EROS computer room racks. 

    The LP DAAC has been in the process of moving its archive data into the commercial cloud environment for several years so it can be more interoperable, or more easily used in combination with other datasets by scientists. “Datasets are important on their own and stand alone. But they’re better together,” said Chris Torbert, USGS Project Manager for the LP DAAC. 

    The vast majority of the LP DAAC data that users work with has now been moved to the cloud, the User Working Group was informed, and the LP DAAC will reduce its physical storage footprint at EROS within a year. Still taking up room at EROS for a couple of years will be data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor, which launched in 1999. At the conclusion of a processing effort to create a collection in the cloud of all the ASTER data, that data will be removed physically from EROS, too.

    Another update provided to the User Working Group included the LP DAAC’s web presence, which soon will shift from an individual website managed by the USGS to a unified NASA website with the other DAACs. LP DAAC data is accessed through the LP DAAC-developed AppEEARS (Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples) tool, which serves several other DAACs, too. AppEEARS also currently offers Landsat U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Surface Reflectance products; integrating those data into AppEEARS was a recommendation from the UWG and a collaborative effort between USGS EROS and the LP DAAC.

    AppEEARS provides access, processing and visualization of popular LP DAAC data all in one spot. The LP DAAC wants to explore adding other EROS data products, in addition to Landsat ARD, to AppEEARS for the convenience of its user community using multiple datasets. At the top of the wish list from the UWG was the Annual NLCD products, which the LP DAAC plans to integrate into AppEEARS this year.  

    EROS Scientist Joins User Working Group

    Birgit Peterson, a new LP DAAC User Working Group member, describes her research that uses LP DAAC data during the recent Annual User Working Group meeting at EROS. Peterson is a USGS supervisory geographer and the fire science team lead in the EROS Integrated Science and Applications Branch. USGS EROS photo

    Among the LP DAAC User Working Group’s newest members is EROS’ own Birgit Peterson, a USGS supervisory geographer and the fire science team lead in the Integrated Science and Applications Branch. Peterson uses GEDI data that’s stored in the LP DAAC to get a three-dimensional view of vegetation that can act as fuel for fires and help indicate how a fire would behave in a forest, for example. 

    Attending the LP DAAC meeting was eye-opening for Peterson, who had given little thought to how the data she downloaded and used became available. Now, she realizes, “there’s a whole science behind it. There’s a whole technology. It makes me want to go out and try different ways to get at some of the data that were talked about.”

    Times have changed for the better, she said. “The level of thought that is being put into how we get data out there, just comparing back to 10, 15, close to 20 years ago, has improved so dramatically.”

    Peterson hopes to not only represent her own project interests on the User Working Group, but also help represent the perspective of scientists she knows who, with severely limited time, need remote sensing data to be easy to access and use.

    “Birgit was an extremely good candidate with her experience with the LANDFIRE program and also wildfire management, fire ecology and those sorts of things,” Krehbiel said. “We were definitely interested in bringing someone into the User Working Group to represent EROS because it is such a huge user community.”

     

    Big Developments Expected for Data Management at EROS

    Both the LP DAAC and USGS archive at EROS are looking forward to separate planned Earth observation missions that would significantly expand their data management work in coming years. 

    The Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission is building a new satellite with aspirations for a second, each collecting different data. “I would say, for 30 years, by and large, the LP DAAC has been the MODIS and ASTER DAAC. That’s really been our identity,” Torbert said. “In the future, it’s SBG.”

    Meanwhile, the next iteration of Landsat satellites, labeled Landsat Next, is planned to be a constellation of three satellites offering more frequent revisit times around the Earth than previous Landsat satellites. Landsat Next is expected to collect about 20 times the amount of data collected by its predecessor, Landsat 9, which is currently orbiting with Landsat 8.

    “To have Landsat Next and SBG both be managed at USGS EROS is a huge accomplishment, and we should be very proud of our center for that,” Krehbiel said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Local 778 Ratifies Strong New Contract with Kansas City Auto Dealers

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Local 778 and Teamsters Local 41 members working at Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet dealerships ratified a strong new three-year agreement with the Kansas City Dealers Association on Jan. 6. 

    The new contract covers IAM and Teamsters members at various dealerships throughout Kansas City and the surrounding area. After narrowly avoiding a strike while bargaining their last two agreements, members overwhelmingly passed this contract, which contains many enhancements.

    “The Midwest Territory is proud of our strong presence in the automotive industry,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “This bargaining committee worked hard to bring the membership an outstanding new contract that they deserve.”

    IAM Union Bargaining Committee member Jeff Jaenson, who has been on the negotiating committee four times, said this is the healthiest contract he has ever seen. 

    “Our members deserve a contract they can be proud of, and the vote confirmed that they are,” said IAM Local 778 Directing Business Representative Scott Brown. “IAM Business Representative Kevin Watkinson led the committee through some tough bargaining topics and ultimately made sure every need of the membership was addressed.”

    The bargaining committee negotiated to improve crucial elements of the agreement, including better wages, overtime pay, accrual language, sick time, tool insurance, 401(k) retirement contribution, and health insurance.

    “We thank everyone involved in helping to make this ratification meeting run smoothly,” said IAM Union Local 778 Business Representative and lead negotiator Kevin Watkinson. “Thank you to all of the members who came out to cast their vote and to the dedicated IAM members who volunteered their time to help with the ratification process: April Major, Joe Ester, Brad Kreisel, and Tyler Gibson.”

    April Major- Secretary-Treasurer for IAM Local 778
     Joe Ester- Plant Engineer (BASE) and Steward at UPS
     Brad Kreisel- Full time Committee person at Honeywell (FMT)
     Tyler Gibson- Mechanic and Steward at UPS

    Jeff Jaenson- IAM Bargaining Committee
     Mike Kampman- IAM Bargaining Committee 
     Kevin Watkinson- IAM Business Representative 
     Erik Holtzclaw- IBT Bargaining Committee 
     Brad Neighbors- IBT Business Agent 
     Jim Eaton- IBT Bargaining Committee 
     Zach Alden- IBT Business Agent

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Seafarer Capital Partners Reveals Key Drivers of Performance in Emerging Markets Value Investing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LARKSPUR, Calif., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Drawing on fourteen years of fundamental research and investing in global emerging markets, and over eight years of hands-on experience in managing the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund (SIVLX, SFVLX, SFVRX), Seafarer Capital Partners (Seafarer) recently published a white paper providing empirical data and evaluating key opportunity sets found in emerging markets value investing.

    The new white paper, titled “Revisiting the Seven Sources of Value in Emerging Markets,” examines practical lessons the Seafarer Value team has learned in its pursuit of investing in seven distinct sources of value in the emerging markets, which were first identified by Seafarer in 2016. The full paper is available on Seafarer’s website here.

    “Rather than taking a traditional approach focused solely on simplistic valuation multiples, Seafarer’s approach to value investing in emerging markets started with the idea that these markets present a number of distinct underlying sources of value that may give rise to viable investment opportunities,” said Brent Clayton, author of the white paper and co-portfolio manager of the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund. “This paper looks back on our team’s practical experience pursuing these sources of value in emerging markets, including opportunities and risks we have become more attuned to.”

    The white paper reviews all seven sources of value identified at the launch of the Value Fund (read the original 2016 white paper here) and breaks out the impact of each source on the Fund’s performance since inception (see included chart). The commentary also includes a nuanced analysis of these sources of value and provides “emblematic stock” examples to help practically illustrate the sources of value in action.

    The key lessons shared in the white paper, by source of value, include the following:

    • Asset Productivity: Companies that are among the lowest-cost, highest-margin operators within their industries have been able to survive prolonged cyclical downturns. Such business resiliency can render the exact timing of the cycle less important.
    • Structural Shift: Highly-cash generative companies structurally shifting to a lower growth rate provided fruitful opportunities for the strategy, particularly in China in 2016 and Brazil in 2020.
    • Balance Sheet Liquidity: Companies with high levels of cash on their balance sheets have been more prone to be “value traps” than anticipated. While a potential source of latent value, it can also be a sign of poor capital allocation or weak corporate governance.

    The paper provides detailed discussion of lessons learned while pursuing investing in each of the seven sources of value and includes one portfolio holding for each of the sources as an illustration.

    “Finding low-priced stocks in the emerging markets is not difficult. The challenge is finding low-priced businesses with both sustainable competitive advantages and management teams that think carefully about how they steward corporate capital,” said Clayton. “A focused and long-term approach has been critical to realizing value across the seven opportunity sets that this strategy pursues.”

    About the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund
    The Seafarer Overseas Value Fund (tickers: SIVLX, SFVLX, SFVRX) seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. The Fund invests primarily in the securities of companies located in developing countries. The Fund invests primarily in common and preferred stocks. The Fund’s portfolio is comprised of securities identified through a bottom-up security selection process based on fundamental research. The Fund seeks to produce a minimum long-term rate of return by investing in securities priced at a discount to their intrinsic value.

    About Seafarer Capital Partners
    Seafarer Capital Partners is an investment adviser focused on emerging markets. Seafarer offers investment portfolios that seek to participate in the opportunities afforded by the growth and progress in the developing world. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach. Seafarer’s objective is to provide long-term investment portfolios that offer sustainable growth, reasonable income, suitable diversification and which mitigate volatility. The firm serves as the investment adviser to the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund and the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund. Founded in 2011, Seafarer is a wholly employee-owned firm located in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.seafarerfunds.com.

    1 Percentages in the chart are based on the aggregate contribution to total return for portfolio holdings in each primary source of value divided by the aggregate contribution to total return of all portfolio holdings from the inception of the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund on May 31, 2016 through September 30, 2024. They exclude cash and other assets and liabilities held by the Fund. A portfolio holding’s primary source of value is defined as the intended driver of value Seafarer was targeting over the majority of a position’s holding period. Sources: Bloomberg, Seafarer.

    ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor for the Seafarer Funds.

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before making an investment decision. This and other information about the Funds are contained in the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling (855) 732-9220. Please read the Prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

    Important Risks:  An investment in the Funds involves risk, including possible loss of principal. International investing involves additional risks, including social and political instability, market and currency volatility, market illiquidity, and reduced regulation. Emerging markets are often more volatile than developed markets, and investing in emerging markets involves greater risks. Fixed income investments are subject to additional risks, including but not limited to interest rate, credit, and inflation risks. Value investments are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may not be recognized by the broad market. An investment in the Funds should be considered a long-term investment.

    The views and information discussed herein are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect Seafarer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the portfolios or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Seafarer does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3388df52-1d76-4853-aa15-51bbf250f6dd

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Smart brands rein in ad spending when a rival faces a setback − here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Vivek Astvansh, Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics, McGill University

    When a rival business stumbles, it’s both a threat and an opportunity. Matt Molloy via Getty Images Plus

    Imagine: You’re in charge of marketing for a major automaker, and your biggest competitor just recalled thousands of vehicles. Now customers are worried about the safety of cars like yours. Do you seize the moment and ramp up advertising to steal market share? Or do you pull back on ads, fearing that customers will connect your brand with the bad press?

    For what marketing professors like me call “substitute brands,” this sort of dilemma pops up all the time. Whether it’s a product recall, a customer data breach or a scandal, bad news for one brand can shake customers’ confidence in an entire product category.

    The big question: Should competitors respond by increasing or decreasing their advertising? And will these adjustments help or hurt sales?

    At first glance, the answer might seem obvious. More ad spending should mean bigger market share, right? But the reality is more complex. In a recent study looking at how 62 car brands responded to a 2014 recall, my colleagues and I found that, on average, when a rival brand issues a recall, its competitors cut their ad spending in half. In other words, most brands treat a rival’s crisis as a threat rather than an opportunity.

    And when we looked at the ads’ content, we saw something even more interesting. When a rival brand stumbled, we found substitutes boosted their price-focused advertising by 25% on average, likely in an attempt to attract deal seekers. At the same time, they cut quality-focused advertising by 71%, possibly to avoid drawing unwanted comparisons.

    And here’s the kicker: This strategy works.

    We found, on average, a rival’s recall raises a substitute’s monthly sales by 35.3% – and the more a brand pulls back on ad spending, the greater the effect. So, when a competitor falters, the best response isn’t necessarily to shout louder. Instead, the data suggests a smarter play: Spend strategically, focus on price messaging, and avoid drawing attention to quality comparisons.

    How we did our work

    To understand how brands respond when a competitor faces a crisis, we focused on a real-world case: Volkswagen’s recall of nearly half a million cars branded under the Sagitar model in October 2014. This provided the perfect opportunity to study how rival brands adjusted their advertising strategies.

    We identified Sagitar’s substitute models – 62 other sedans in the A-class category, sold by more than 30 manufacturers – and collected data on sales and ad spending across 308 media markets in the months before and after the recall. We then did a statistical analysis, controlling for several other variables that could influence ad spending.

    Why it matters

    Prior research offers mixed guidance on how a substitute brand should adjust its ad spending after a rival’s marketing crisis. Anecdotal evidence from the automotive and consumer goods industries is also mixed. For example, after Samsung recalled its Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 due to faulty batteries, competing phonemakers aggressively ramped up their advertising in an attempt to increase their market share.

    Similarly, in 2010, after a Toyota recall, General Motors offered incentives for Toyota owners to switch to a GM car. GM’s chief marketing officer positioned these incentives as GM’s way to meet car buyers’ desire for peace of mind, and reports suggest that GM’s and other rival carmakers’ sales increased following Toyota’s recall.

    But my team’s research suggests that this sort of strategy might not be the best one. Sometimes, saying less actually says more.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

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

    – ref. Smart brands rein in ad spending when a rival faces a setback − here’s why – https://theconversation.com/smart-brands-rein-in-ad-spending-when-a-rival-faces-a-setback-heres-why-248842

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What the ‘moral distress’ of doctors tells us about eroding trust in health care

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel T. Kim, Assistant Professor of Bioethics, Albany Medical College

    I sit on an ethics review committee at the Albany Med Health System in New York state, where doctors and nurses frequently bring us fraught questions.

    Consider a typical case: A 6-month-old child has suffered a severe brain injury following cardiac arrest. A tracheostomy, ventilator and feeding tube are the only treatments keeping him alive. These intensive treatments might prolong the child’s life, but he is unlikely to survive. However, the mother – citing her faith in a miracle – wants to keep the child on life support. The clinical team is distressed – they feel they’re only prolonging the child’s dying process.

    Often the question the medical team struggles with is this: Are we obligated to continue life-supporting treatments?

    Bioethics, a modern academic field that helps resolve such fraught dilemmas, evolved in its early decades through debates over several landmark cases in the 1970s to the 1990s. The early cases helped establish the right of patients and their families to refuse treatments.

    But some of the most ethically challenging cases, in both pediatric and adult medicine, now present the opposite dilemma: Doctors want to stop aggressive treatments, but families insist on continuing them. This situation can often lead to moral distress for doctors – especially at a time when trust in providers is falling.

    Consequences of lack of trust

    For the family, withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatments from a dying loved one, even if doctors advise that the treatment is unlikely to succeed or benefit the patient, can be overwhelming and painful. Studies show that their stress can be at the same level as people who have just survived house fires or similar catastrophes.

    While making such high-stakes decisions, families need to be able to trust their doctor’s information; they need to be able to believe that their recommendations come from genuine empathy to serve only the patient’s interests. This is why prominent bioethicists have long emphasized trustworthiness as a central virtue of good clinicians.

    However, the public’s trust in medical leaders has been on a precipitous decline in recent decades. Historical polling data and surveys show that trust in physicians is lower in the U.S. than in most industrialized countries. A recent survey from Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company, found that mistrust of the medical system is even worse among low-income and minority Americans, who experience discrimination and persistent barriers to care. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the public’s lack of trust.

    In the clinic, mistrust can create an untenable situation. Families can feel isolated, lacking support or expertise they can trust. For clinicians, the situation can lead to burnout, affecting quality and access to care as well as health care costs. According to the National Academy of Medicine, “The opportunity to attend to and ease suffering is the reason why many clinicians enter the healing professions.” When doctors see their patients suffer for avoidable reasons, such as mistrust, they often suffer as well.

    At a time of low trust, families can be especially reluctant to take advice to end aggressive treatment, which makes the situation worse for everyone.

    Ethics of the dilemma

    Physicians are not ethically obligated to provide treatments that are of no benefit to the patient, or may even be harmful, even if the family requests them. But it can often be very difficult to say definitively what treatments are beneficial or harmful, as each of those can be characterized differently based on the goals of treatment. In other words, many critical decisions depend on judgment calls.

    Consider again the typical case of the 6-month-old child mentioned above who had suffered severe brain injury and was not expected to survive. The clinicians told the ethics review committee that even if the child were to miraculously survive, he would never be able to communicate or reach any “normal” milestones. The child’s mother, however, insisted on keeping him alive. So, the committee had to recommend continuing life support to respect the parent’s right to decide.

    Physicians inform, recommend and engage in shared decision-making with families to help clarify their values and preferences. But if there’s mistrust, the process can quickly break down, resulting in misunderstandings and conflicts about the patient’s best interests and making a difficult situation more distressing.

    Moral distress in health care.

    Moral distress

    When clinicians feel unable to provide what they believe to be the best care for patients, it can result in what bioethicists call “moral distress.” The term was coined in 1984 in nursing ethics to describe the experience of nurses who were forced to provide treatments that they felt were inappropriate. It is now widely invoked in health care.

    Numerous studies have shown that levels of moral distress among clinicians are high, with 58% of pediatric and neonatal intensive care clinicians in a study experiencing significant moral distress. While these studies have identified various sources of moral distress, having to provide aggressive life support despite feeling that it’s not in the patient’s interest is consistently among the most frequent and intense.

    Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers. But as long as they are appropriately respecting the patient’s right to decide – or a parent’s, in the case of a minor – they are not violating their professional duty, as my colleagues and I argued in a recent paper. Doctors sometimes express their distress as a feeling of guilt, of “having blood on their hands,” but, we argue, they are not guilty of any wrongdoing. In most cases, the distress shows that they’re not indifferent to what the decision may mean for the patient.

    Clinicians, however, need more support. Persistent moral distresses that go unaddressed can lead to burnout, which may cause clinicians to leave their practice. In a large American Medical Association survey, 35.7% of physicians in 2022-23 expressed an intent to leave their practice within two years.

    But with the right support, we also argued, feelings of moral distress can be an opportunity to reflect on what they can control in the circumstance. It can also be a time to find ways to improve the care doctors provide, including communication and building trust. Institutions can help by strengthening ethics consultation services and providing training and support for managing complex cases.

    Difficult and distressing decisions, such as the case of the 6-month-old child, are ubiquitous in health care. Patients, their families and clinicians need to be able to trust each other to sustain high-quality care.

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

    – ref. What the ‘moral distress’ of doctors tells us about eroding trust in health care – https://theconversation.com/what-the-moral-distress-of-doctors-tells-us-about-eroding-trust-in-health-care-246377

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hunger rises as food aid falls – and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jonas Gamso, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Knowledge Enterprise for the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University

    Volunteers hand out USAID flour at the Zanzalima Camp in Ethiopia. J. Countess/Getty Images

    “No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy,” observed Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen in his 1999 book “Development as Freedom.”

    My recent research doesn’t tackle Sen’s central argument – premised on the belief that democratic leaders prioritize food security because they cannot win reelection if the most basic needs of their constituents are not met – head on. Instead, I explored an auxiliary question: Do democratic governments cope better than their autocratic counterparts when their countries are confronted by sudden drops in food aid?

    The answer is a resounding “yes.”

    I came to that conclusion by analyzing food insecurity data from 110 countries from 2000 to 2020.

    Food aid – a form of international assistance in which donors give food, or funds to buy food, to low- or middle-income countries – has recently fallen, reaching fewer people in 2024 than in 2023, according to estimates from the World Food Program, a United Nations agency. Major donors like Germany and the United States have reduced or suspended aid, citing budgetary constraints or concerns about theft, including to some of the neediest countries, such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Ethiopia. Adding to concerns, the Trump administration has signaled that it may move to “close down” the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the largest provider of global food assistance.

    At the same time, the world has faced a significant hunger crisis since 2019 due to a combination of factors, including the impacts of civil conflict, climate change and stubbornly high prices.

    I wanted to determine whether food aid cuts and rising hunger are connected, and if democracy matters. I started by cataloging instances when countries had experienced significant reductions in food aid inflows. I then looked at whether those “aid shocks” were followed by upticks in food insecurity, using data from the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization. Finally, I assessed whether the relationship between aid shocks and food insecurity varied across countries and political systems.

    The results indicate that autocracies experience heightened food insecurity when sharp cuts to international food assistance occur, whereas democracies keep their people fed.

    For example, autocratic Eswatini, an absolute monarchy in southern Africa that was formerly known as Swaziland, experienced a food aid shock in 2010 that was followed by a 2 percentage point uptick in the prevalence of undernourishment. In contrast, when Mongolia, a robust democracy, experienced an aid shock in 2007, undernourishment actually declined by about 3 percentage points.

    On the one hand, this isn’t entirely surprising, as democratic leaders – unlike their autocratic counterparts – have to face the public in national elections, and winning is difficult when people are experiencing widespread hunger. Because leaders in a democracy are more accountable to their citizens, they make more of an effort to make up for the lost aid or cushion the adverse effects of food aid shocks on their populations.

    On the other hand, democracies often struggle to move quickly, due to their complex policymaking processes and checks and balances. This may lead some to conclude that it is harder for them to move nimbly during a foreign aid crisis.

    Why it matters

    While many question the effectiveness of aid, including food aid, my findings suggest that cutting it – as some critics suggest – will have negative effects on the health and well-being of vulnerable people around the world. Already, food systems experts have expressed fears over the Trump administration’s proposed aid freezes and the potential breaking up of USAID.

    For this reason, donor nations should be cautious about halting or rapidly shifting their foreign giving.

    At the same time, donor governments, which are mostly Western democracies, have often used aid as a tool for promoting democratic institutions, at times cutting off aid to autocratic countries that abuse human rights. While this practice seems sensible to donors that wish to punish or discourage autocrats, my findings raise a significant concern: People living in autocratic countries may be left starving when aid is withdrawn.

    And donor nations could take further steps to support democratization and democratic resilience, particularly in countries that are vulnerable to food insecurity. For example, donors can engage with civil society groups in aid-recipient nations, empowering them with tools and techniques to promote, protect and preserve democratic institutions. This way, countries will be more resilient and less likely to fall into crisis levels of hunger if and when aid cuts occur.

    What’s next

    While there is a tendency to treat governments as either “democratic” or “autocratic,” that approach obscures a good deal of nuance. Democracies vary in terms of their rules, procedures and governing structures. Likewise, autocracies can differ greatly from one another, with military regimes, personalist dictatorships and party-based autocracies each having unique characteristics.

    Moving forward, I hope to dig into these varieties of democracy and autocracy to see how countries representing each respond to aid shocks.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

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

    – ref. Hunger rises as food aid falls – and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt – https://theconversation.com/hunger-rises-as-food-aid-falls-and-those-living-under-autocratic-systems-bear-the-brunt-247759

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why are rubies red and emeralds green? Their colors come from the same metal in their atomic structure

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel Freedman, Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout

    Rubies get their bright color from some fascinating chemistry. Matthew Hill/Bloomberg Creative Photos via Getty Images

    The colors of rubies and emeralds are so striking that they define shades of red and green – ruby red and emerald green. But have you ever wondered how they get those colors?

    I am an inorganic chemist. Researchers in my field work to understand the chemistry of all the elements that make up the periodic table. Many inorganic chemists focus on the transition metals – the elements in the middle of the periodic table. The transition metals include most of the metals you are familiar with, like iron (Fe) and gold (Au).

    One feature of compounds made with transition metals is their intense color. There are many examples in nature, including gemstones and paint pigments. Even the color of blood comes from the protein hemoglobin, which contains iron.

    Investigating the colors of compounds containing transition metals leads you into some really amazing science – that’s part of what drew me to study this field.

    Rubies and emeralds are great examples of how a small amount of a transition metal – in this case, chromium – can create a beautiful color in what would otherwise be a fairly boring-looking mineral.

    Minerals and crystals

    Rubies appear red because they absorb blue and green light.
    benedek/E+ via Getty Images

    Both rubies and emeralds are minerals, which is a type of rock with a consistent chemical composition and a highly ordered structure at the atomic level.

    When this highly ordered structure extends in all three dimensions, the mineral becomes a crystal.

    With a theory developed by physicists in the 1920s called crystal field theory, scientists can explain why rubies and emeralds have the colors they do. Crystal field theory makes predictions about how a transition metal ion’s structure is affected by the other atoms surrounding it.

    Rubies are mainly made up of the mineral corundum, which is composed of the elements aluminum and oxygen in a regular, repeating array. Each aluminum ion is surrounded by six oxygen ions.

    A crystal of corundum looks like this at the atomic level, with the aluminum ions shown as red balls and the oxygen ions shown as white balls. Each aluminum ion is surrounded by six oxygen ions, and each oxygen by four aluminums.
    Eigenes Werk/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Emeralds are mainly made up of the mineral beryl, which is made from the elements beryllium, aluminum, silicon and oxygen. Beryl’s crystal structure is more complicated than corundum’s because of the additional elements in the formula, but each aluminum ion is again surrounded by six oxygen ions.

    Emeralds appear green because they absorb red and blue light.
    SunChan/E+ via Getty Images

    Pure corundum and beryl are colorless. The brilliant colors of rubies and emeralds come from the presence of very small amounts of chromium. The chromium replaces about 1% of the aluminum in the corundum or beryl crystal when a ruby or emerald forms underground at a high temperature and pressure.

    But how can one element – chromium – create the red color of a ruby and green color of an emerald?

    Color science

    Rubies and emeralds have the colors they do because, like many substances, they absorb some colors of light. Most visible light, like sunlight, is composed of all the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These colors make up the visible light spectrum, which is easy to remember as ROY G BIV.

    Objects absorb some visible light wavelengths and reflect others, which is why we see them as having a color.
    Fulvio314/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    One of the main reasons why objects have a color is because they absorb one or more of these visible colors of light. If a substance absorbs, for instance, red light, it means that the red light gets trapped in the substance and the other colors reflect back to your eyes. The color you see is the sum of the remaining light, which will be in the green-to-blue range. If a substance absorbs blue, it will look red or orange to you.

    Unlike the colorless aluminum ion, the chromium ion absorbs blue and green light when surrounded by the oxygen ions. The red light is reflected back, so that’s what you see in rubies.

    In an emerald, even though the chromium is surrounded by six oxygen ions, there is a weaker interaction between the chromium and the surrounding oxygen ions. That’s due to the presence of silicon and beryllium in the beryl crystal. They cause the emerald to absorb blue and red light, leaving the green for you to see.

    The ability to tune the properties of transition metals like chromium through changing what is surrounding it is a core strategy in my field of inorganic chemistry. Doing so can help scientists understand the basic science of metal-containing compounds and the design of chemical compounds for specific purposes.

    You can take delight in the amazing colors of the gemstones, but through chemistry, you can also see how nature creates those colors using an endless variety of complex structures made with the elements in the periodic table.

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

    – ref. Why are rubies red and emeralds green? Their colors come from the same metal in their atomic structure – https://theconversation.com/why-are-rubies-red-and-emeralds-green-their-colors-come-from-the-same-metal-in-their-atomic-structure-247978

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Some viruses prefer mosquitoes to humans, but people get sick anyway − a virologist and entomologist explain why

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lee Rafuse Haines, Associate Research Professor of Molecular Parasitology and Medical Entomology, University of Notre Dame

    The _Aedes_ mosquito is a vector of several viral diseases, including eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, and West Nile fever. Lee Haines, CC BY-ND

    Humans have an exceptional ability to deal with viruses. In most cases, your immune system is able to fight an infection. On the other hand, your body provides a spa-like environment that is temperate and stable, optimal for viruses to replicate. Human behavior, including close contact with animals and frequent travel, also increases the likelihood of becoming infected.

    From the perspective of viruses spread by insects, or arboviruses, making the evolutionary leap from insects to humans is a tough battle. Viruses cannot replicate very well in humans, which means transmission from mosquitoes is often very difficult.

    One might think arboviruses continually evolve in ways that enable them to infect more species. But do they?

    We are a virologist and an entomologist who study insect-borne and viral diseases and how human and insect immune systems respond to invading pathogens. Our work provides insights on the complex journey of an arbovirus as it cycles between insect and vertebrate hosts.

    As an example, let’s use a Togavirus, the mosquito-transmitted arbovirus that causes eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. This rare but serious disease can cause a potentially fatal neurological condition in humans and horses. Although EEE is primarily endemic to the eastern United States, its incidence in recent years has increased in regions farther north, with several reported cases in states such as Michigan, Massachusetts and New York.

    While rare, a EEE infection in people can lead to severe complications or death.

    From animals to mosquitoes

    A female mosquito’s inner workings – particularly its guts and salivary glands – create the perfect environment for a virus to flourish.

    When a mosquito bites an infected nonhuman host, such as a sick bird, the virus is transported with freshly ingested blood into the mosquito’s midgut – the equivalent to the human stomach and intestines where food is stored and digested. The virus quickly infects midgut cells to avoid a hostile digestive environment and quietly replicates without activating the mosquito’s immune pathways.

    Within days, the virus will be released by damaged midgut cells to migrate to the mosquito’s salivary glands, where it will be positioned for transmission. Now, each time the mosquito feeds, it will pump virus-saturated saliva into its new animal host and continue the disease transmission cycle.

    This image shows a tissue section of the salivary gland of a mosquito infected with EEE. The virus particles are colored red.
    Fred Murphy and Sylvia Whitfield/CDC

    It is easy for the virus to avoid detection by the mosquito’s relatively primitive immune system. Compared with humans, the immune system of mosquitoes can launch only a generalized and overall less effective attack on pathogens. This means an arbovirus can usually establish a persistent, lifelong, almost symbiotic infection without damaging the mosquito’s health, perfect for the virus to disseminate itself.

    Mosquitoes have evolved over millions of years to become tolerant to arboviral infections. This relationship has allowed the mosquito to maintain viral populations without having to launch energy-expensive immune responses. However, this does not mean mosquitoes are just passive virus carriers. An arbovirus can change how infected mosquitoes behave or reproduce.

    For example, viruses can manipulate mosquitoes in two ways: by making them feed more frequently, and by increasing their attraction to infected hosts. However, this behavior puts the mosquito at greater risk of being killed by irritated hosts who notice the repeated biting attempts. Arboviruses can also affect mosquito reproduction by sometimes reducing the number of eggs a female mosquito produces and increasing the length of time it takes for the eggs to mature. In some cases, these viruses can even sterilize female mosquitoes.

    Arboviruses have evolved to expertly use mosquitoes as both transportation vehicles and breeding grounds. By spreading and multiplying without severely harming their insect hosts, these viruses ensure their own survival and continued transmission.

    From mosquitoes to humans

    The virus must overcome several barriers to successfully colonize a human host.

    The initial step for successful disease transmission – the virus’s ultimate goal – is perhaps the easiest: The EEE virus infects humans when a virus-infected female mosquito has an unquenchable appetite for warm blood. From the moment the virus is deposited under the skin through the mosquito’s infected saliva, a tough battle ensues.

    The first battle for the virus is to adapt to a typically much hotter setting than the ambient environment – the human body temperature of around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celcius) or higher.

    Then, the virus must evade the host’s immediate defenses, which includes physical barriers, such as layers of skin and mucosa, as well as immune cells that detect and attack invading microbes. Once in the bloodstream, the virus faces the adaptive arm of the human immune system, which is capable of targeting specific viral components with exquisite precision, like a biological sniper.

    Once the EEE virus reaches the central nervous system – the brain and spinal cord – the immune system can overreact to the infection and inadvertently cause inflammation and damage nerve cells. This can lead to serious long-term effects, such as cognitive impairment.

    The human immune response is more robust than that of a mosquito.
    Sashunita/Cavan Images via Getty Images

    To persist in this hostile human environment, the virus uses various survival strategies. One technique is creating new mutations on its surface and shape-shifting to avoid immune detection. Another strategy is to hijack human cells to replicate itself, such as using the cell’s machinery to synthesize new viral components and altering how the cell regulates division.

    As viruses adapt to overcome immune defenses, both humans and mosquitoes evolve countermeasures to fight infection. The greater complexity of the human immune system makes it especially challenging for viruses to survive and spread between human hosts.

    From human to human?

    Like many other arboviruses, the EEE virus cannot be transmitted from person to person, which effectively limits its spread among human populations. Your body keeps the virus contained. Consequently, when the EEE virus infects people via the bite from an infected mosquito, it is considered a dead end, as it cannot escape its human host or infect another bloodthirsty mosquito.

    So, what does the virus that causes EEE gain by infecting people? Not likely anything. A mosquito-borne virus like the Togavirus that causes EEE prefers its established transmission cycle between mosquitoes and birds. Human infections occur only when a mosquito deviates from its typical menu of birds.

    EEE spreads more easily between mosquitoes and birds than it does in humans, which helps explain why human infections don’t happen very often. Thankfully, human bodies simply aren’t the virus’s currently preferred environment.

    Pilar Pérez Romero is affiliated with the spin-off company Vaxdyn SL as a founding partner.

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

    – ref. Some viruses prefer mosquitoes to humans, but people get sick anyway − a virologist and entomologist explain why – https://theconversation.com/some-viruses-prefer-mosquitoes-to-humans-but-people-get-sick-anyway-a-virologist-and-entomologist-explain-why-247076

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Tillis, Rouzer Introduce Bill to Ensure Aid Access for All Types of WNC Homes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with Reps. David Rouzer (R-NC), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) have introduced the Disaster Assistance Fairness Act.

    The bill would require the President to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remove debris from real estate owned by homeowners associations and condominiums when a state or local government determines the debris and wreckage constitute a threat to life, public health, or safety, or the economic recovery of the community.

    The bill would also clarify that FEMA should provide homeowners with financial assistance for the repair of “essential common elements,” such as roofs, heating and cooling equipment, stairwells, and plumbing or electricity.

    Senator Budd said in a statement:

    “The scope of the devastation in Western North Carolina continues to require the federal government to work quickly to help folks in their time of need. Our legislation will cut through red tape and remove dangerous debris from mountain homes. It will also make sure that all North Carolinians are eligible for disaster assistance regardless of the type of community they live in.  I will continue to work with my colleagues to provide Western North Carolina with the assistance they need, as quickly as possible.”

    Senator Tillis said:

    “As I have said since Helene struck Western North Carolina, we must respond differently to natural disasters. This commonsense bill ensures that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to the same critical resources and assistance programs they need to restore their homes and recover after a disaster.”

    Rep. Rouzer:

    “Last year’s hurricane season reminded us natural disasters do not discriminate among neighborhoods, location, or housing arrangements.  No matter your living situation, every individual deserves the same access and support in recovery. Yet, under FEMA’s current eligibility rules, certain individuals in condos, co-ops, and homeowner associations do not have access to Individual Assistance to cover the damage of common elements, often requiring increased costs for individuals to rebuild. This Disaster Assistance Fairness Act allows these individuals to receive the same assistance as everyone else.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: One School Division Loss in First Quarter

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 4, 2025

    The Board of Education of Lloydminster Roman Catholic Separate School Division No. 89 has reported a loss of public money in the amount of $16,399 for the first quarter (September 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024) of the 2024-25 school division fiscal year. The school division may be contacted for inquiries.

    The Ministry of Education has tabled its report to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces New Executive Counsel and Legal Staff

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced changes to his legal staff, following the announcement that current Executive Counsel Kristyn Long will depart the Governor’s Office to serve as General Counsel for the Georgia Hospital Association, effective February 14. Sam Hatcher will then serve as Executive Counsel, as Christine Hayes and Rachel Byers continue to serve as Deputy Executive Counsel and Associate Executive Counsel, respectively. Additionally, Governor Kemp announced Evan Meyers departed at the end of January following over three years of dedicated service as Deputy Executive Counsel.

    “Marty, the girls, and I are excited to welcome Sam to this leadership role as Executive Counsel and for the continued service of the entire legal team, which remains indispensable to my office and the success of this administration,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “We are confident their commitment and hard work will help us keep Georgia the best state in which to live, work, and raise a family.”

    “We also want to thank Kristyn for her years of service and leadership at a time when our state faced unprecedented challenges,” Gov. Kemp continued. “Her intellect, skill, and countless hours of relentless work through multiple roles — some of which she filled simultaneously — helped our state weather many storms, both literal and figurative. We are happy to congratulate her on this new chapter and wish her and her family all the best in the coming years. We also want to thank Evan for his years of service and sacrifice, improving legislation and helping us streamline agency regulations and cut red tape so hardworking Georgians don’t have to worry about government negatively impacting their lives or businesses. As his family moves to be closer to their loved ones, we wish them well in their next steps.”

    Sam Hatcher currently serves as Deputy Executive Counsel in the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp and will become Executive Counsel. Prior to joining the Governor’s staff, he worked in private practice with a focus on securities litigation, commercial litigation, antitrust law, state government, and government procurement. Hatcher holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Dartmouth College and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Allison, reside in Brookhaven.

    Christine Hayes is Deputy Executive Counsel in the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp. Prior to joining the Governor’s staff, she was Director of Governmental Affairs for the State Bar of Georgia. She also held roles at the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts, Georgia General Assembly, and Fields Howell. Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florida and a law degree from Emory University. She and her husband, Jonathan, live in Atlanta with their 2 kids.

    Rachel Byers is an Associate Executive Counsel in the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp. She previously clerked for Georgia Supreme Court Justice Verda M. Colvin. Byers holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a law degree from the University of Georgia. She lives in Atlanta and attends Christ Covenant Church.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/PARAGUAY – Appointment of new director of the Pontifical Mission Societies

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 4 February 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On January 2, 2025, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), appointed Sister Justina Santander, SSPS, as national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Paraguay for the period 2025-2030.Sister Justina Santander, 66, and of Paraguayan nationality, has more than 40 years of religious and missionary life in the Missionary Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit. For 33 years, she worked as a missionary abroad, mainly in Botswana. She has a diploma in spirituality and pastoral care from The Milltown Institute in Ireland, where she also studied English. She obtained a degree in religious education and another in educational management from the University of South Africa, and has participated in numerous specialization courses, including one on sign language and inclusive education.Last year, she took part in leadership and spiritual development at the Mater Dei Pastoral Center in South Africa. Her pastoral duties include her work as director of the St. Arnold Primary School in Tonota (Botswana), coordinator of the HIV/AIDS program at St. Joseph School, superior in the community of Gaborone, and teacher of religious and Christian education at St. Joseph Kale School, where she developed a pastoral program for orphanage students with specific needs, among other tasks. In addition, she worked at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert in Francistown and is a member of missionary animation at the Society of the Divine Word, in Paraguay. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 4/2/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Follow-up Mission Recognizes Spain’s Continued Commitment to Improve Nuclear and Radiation Safety

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    An IAEA team of experts today completed a follow-up review of Spain’s regulatory framework for nuclear and radiological safety. (CSN)

    An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts assessed that Spain showed a strong commitment to nuclear and radiation safety, and confirmed that Spain has successfully enhanced its regulatory framework, fully implementing recommendations made during the Agency’s 2018 mission.

    The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) follow-up mission, which took place from 27 January to 3 February at the request of the Government of Spain was hosted by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), the Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Its purpose was to review progress on the recommendations and suggestions identified in the initial IRRS mission in 2018, except for those covering  the management of radioactive waste, spent fuel and decommissioning. These will be covered by an upcoming Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (ARTEMIS) follow-up mission, which is expected to take place later in 2025.

    IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national nuclear and radiation safety regulatory infrastructure, based on IAEA safety standards and international good practices, while recognizing the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.

    Spain utilizes nuclear and radiation technologies for energy production, medical applications, industry and research. The country has seven operating nuclear power reactors, producing around 20 per cent of its electricity. Three nuclear power plants are in permanent shutdown, which are in different stages of decommissioning and closure. Most of the reactor sites have interim spent fuel storage facilities, and Spain has one disposal facility for very low, low and intermediate level radioactive waste. 

    As part of its review, the IRRS team – comprised of four regulatory experts from France, Germany, Switzerland and the United States of America, as well as four IAEA staff members – conducted interviews and discussions with CSN and MITECO staff and representatives from the MoH and MoI. The team reviewed the actions taken by Spain to address the recommendations and suggestions made in 2018 and found that 12 recommendations and 20 suggestions have been adequately addressed. As a result, they have been either fully closed or closed on the basis of progress made and confidence in effective completion in due time.

     “The IRRS team was very impressed with the high degree of commitment and professionalism demonstrated by our Spanish counterparts,” said Scott Morris, Regional Administrator for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Team Leader for this mission. “Their focus on continuous improvement of the legal and regulatory framework for nuclear and radiological safety in Spain is commendable.”

    The mission team identified notable achievements by CSN in the following areas:

    • Developing a human resource plan, including a systematic training approach for all staff.
    • Strengthening the safety culture of the CSN.
    • Establishment of a national radon action plan.
    • Ensuring CSN’s effective collaboration with the Autonomous Communities of Spain.

    Two good practices were also highlighted:

    • The Digital Radiation Passbook, a digital platform created by CSN that provides users with real time dose data, reduces the need for manual data input and enables the regulator to conduct real-time statistical analyses; and
    • A centralized digital dosimetry system, provided by the CSN, to be used during emergencies for real-time radiation dose monitoring of emergency workers of all off-site response organizations.

    The IRRS team suggested that Spain establish guidance documents related to possible radiation risks delivered to the public by authorized parties as required by legal provisions, in accordance with a graded approach.

    Juan Carlos Lentijo, CSN President, said: “The IRRS follow-up mission reinforces Spain’s commitment to nuclear safety and radiation protection. This process is a valuable tool to work on robust and future-proof safety systems, where excellence continues to be the highest priority.”

    The final mission report will be provided to the Government in about three months.

    IAEA Safety Standards

    The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Solicits Impact of Trump Administration’s Federal Funding Freeze on Vermonters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) on Friday convened Vermonters to discuss how the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze has impacted communities, families and workers across the state.  
    “This Administration is blocking the federal funding that Vermonters rely on—for their health care, child care, education, nutrition, community safety, disaster recovery, firefighting, and so much more. This is shocking, appalling, and it also happens to be illegal. When it comes to Congressional appropriations and the Article I powers of Congress, President Trump does not have the right to pick and choose what he’ll honor. It’s clear his main mission is to create incredible chaos and confusion for our communities,” said Senator Welch. “I am working with my Democratic colleagues in the Senate and with the Vermont Delegation to push back on this cruelty and do everything we can to stop this federal funding freeze.” 
    President Trump’s order to halt the disbursement of trillions of dollars in federal funding was issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The federal courts temporarily blocked the order, and on Monday extended the temporary restraining order. In addition, the court has required OMB to re-open funding currently held by the government and provide the court a compliance report by the end of the week. 
    Senator Welch heard directly from a variety of impacted Vermonters on Friday. Read the concerns of Vermonters below, and watch the full roundtable to hear from every participant here: 

    “Federal funding in Vermont supports emergency shelter and hotline services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and many of our programs also provide rapid rehousing, including paying rents for survivors who have had access to housing. And as with the other nonprofits on this call, our work is done on a reimbursement basis with the federal government. So many of our organizations were frozen out of payment systems earlier this week, and for those that have been able to access those portals, many of the payments still show us pending and not deposited. Despite this, these amazing organizations continue to provide 24-hour access to services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.” – Sarah Robinson, Vermont Network Against Sexual and Domestic Violence 
    ■■■
    “This has been a week like none other that threatened the continuation of our health center in operations and has dearly affected the feeling of safety for our staff and patients…This week when the Health and Human Services payment management system went down—and it really did, I have the screenshots of the different statuses it had had—it literally brought us to our knees. And we’re here standing strong…It rippled through all our staff, our board of directors, and threatened the care of about 10,000 Vermonters. We also have capital projects that have had long standing federal loans across Northern Borders, USDA, Health and Human Services. We had a pause, and the current next step for progression on those was approval by USDA, and they weren’t able to work with us…which puts a threat on our subcontractors, which then puts a threat on completing these projects…But we’re here. We have a lot of tenacity.” – Andy Barter, Little Rivers Health Care 
    ■■■
    “Our agencies are currently serving 78 youth, and any further delay in receiving our resources would be hugely detrimental to the 78 youth. And this is at a time when we’ve seen the number of Vermont’s youth experiencing housing instability or homelessness quadruple in the last five years. We meet a fraction of the need in the state. Right now, our programs are already underfunded due to years of level funding with the expectation that our agencies would continue to do the same level of work. There is inadequate support provided for grants administration and no possibility of using funds to maintain reserves, meaning that direct program work always takes precedent over capacity building and development work. So, things are tight.” – Vermont State Rep. Kate Logan, Elevate 
    ■■■
    “We have 79 families in temporary housing. This is very challenging for us. It’s a lot of funds—we don’t have the funds, and it’s a public safety issue because there’s homelessness, and we don’t have the funds to go on paying their rents.” – Sonali Samarasinghe, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants 
    ■■■
    “The Executive Order, and the memo, has thrown all of our funding that we have relied on into disarray. We had problems accessing our funding portals. On Tuesday, we had no idea whether we would receive any more funding. We suspended all of our planned activities. We talked about furloughing our employees…We have employees, we have operational expenses. Cash flow for a nonprofit like the [Family Network] is tight, we cannot sustain a prolonged non receipt of funding. Every day since Tuesday has been filled with anxiety and uncertainty.” – Karen Price, Vermont Family Network 
    ■■■
    “We administer federal funds that helped build housing and help to make farmland affordable to farmers, and this week we had to contemplate what it looks like to Vermonters to not have that support. We see that federal funds play a critical role in filling the gaps in projects to make sure they can go forward, and that they’re done through a reimbursement basis, which puts housing projects to fill Vermont’s great housing need at incredible risk…We have developers that want to meet the housing needs of our state, that would not be able to do so if this federal funding were to be pulled back, so we are highly concerned about the path the federal government is going down, and what it means to builders, to construction teams, to anyone who is on wait lists depending on these homes, to secure housing if these federal funds are pulled back.” – Pollaidh Major, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board 
    ■■■
    “We do things like weatherization, housing, our food insecurity programs, and our Head Start programs. So primarily, about 50% of each of our community action agencies’ budgets are federal funding, that we don’t have access to right now. Head Start, although it’s been rescinded, we do not have access to payments. So, we are able to get into the payment management system, but we are not able to draw down any funds…We have many leases on properties our Head Start sites that were unable to pay landlords, and we are, we are in a really tough situation.” – Jenna O’Farrell, Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NECKA) 
    ■■■
    “For Landmark College specifically, this funding represented the single greatest, largest grant in our 40-year history, and if granted in full, it will be transformational to our research endeavors, creating new opportunities for our faculty and students, as well as for innovative businesses, not for not-for-profits and local governments in our area. As a college that serves exclusively neurodivergent individuals and is proud to do so in rural Vermont, we are firmly committed to the success and wellbeing of our students, as well as the families of the more than 200 individuals who make our college run in both white and blue collar jobs. For all of these folks, students, parents, staff and faculty alike, Monday night’s Executive Order up ended daily life, introduced new and urgent questions and severely disrupted our ability to do our jobs…” – Jim Dlugos, Landmark College 
    ■■■
    “70 percent of our work is with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the State Department. Before Secretary of State’s and Secretary Marco Rubio’s foreign assistance stop work order, we had 88 full time staff here in the United States. With the stop work order, 62 of those have now been laid off, furloughed or put on reduced hours…We are currently owed in excess of $3 million in current and past due invoices from USAID and State. This is for work that has been completed to the full satisfaction of the government, and we are not receiving payment. USAID has switched off its payment systems, so no payments are being processed. We believe this is illegal. Best estimate right now this is happening across the foreign assistance field. This is a $40 billion field.” – Steve Schmida, Resonance 
    ■■■
    “When you’ve already got nine months out the door and you’re expecting money back, and suddenly that’s in question, you really have to think about laying off this staff immediately to stop the bleeding at that point, which is extremely painful. For the municipal and the nonprofit projects that are either ready to go or already have a shovel in the ground, it means they really have to stop and think about whether they want to continue at this point.” – Andy Julow, Regional Development Corporations of Vermont 
    If allowed to proceed, the order would cause chaos in Vermont. The funding freeze could: 

    Freeze funding for Head Start, which provides early childhood education for around 1,200 children in Vermont. The state received around $26.8 million last year for the program.  
    Freeze funding for Community Health Centers in Vermont, which supported the state with $25.1+ million in funding for health care in 2023 and served nearly 200,000 patients.  
    Freeze funding for more than 10,000 women, infants, and children in Vermont who use WIC to keep from going hungry, as well as stop funding for more than 12,000 Vermont seniors who rely on nutritious food from Meals on Wheels and at senior centers. 
    Freeze grant funding from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, which provided $625,000 for our law enforcement in Vermont last year.  
    Freeze funding for home heating assistance for nearly 24,000 Vermonters who use the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to stay warm through the winter.  
    Freeze funding for 9,000 Vermonters who rely on Section 8 vouchers to keep a roof over their head, and risk shutting down housing and shelter services for unhoused youth. 
    Freeze funding for Vermont’s opioid response, which could lose around $5.9 million in funding to prevent, treat and support recovery services.   
    Freeze funding for Vermont’s small businesses impacted by disasters, which would lose $30.3 million on small business loans.  
    Freeze funding for Violence Against Women Act Grant Funding for Vermont. 
    Freeze funding for disaster recovery for Vermont. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Applied Systems and Applied Client Network Announce Applied Net 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems and Applied Client Network today announced the opening of registration for Applied Net 2025. Applied Net will take place October 6 – 9 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Building on its recognition from the Best in Biz 2024 Awards and IMCA 2024 Showcase Awards, plus the success and record-breaking attendance at last year’s event, Applied Net 2025 is set to provide even more educational sessions, inspiring keynotes and networking opportunities that will explore the Intelligent Insurance Era.

    “Each year, our members benefit from our partnership with Applied to drive greater collaboration and connectivity at all stages of the product development lifecycle – and that comes to life no better than at our annual user conference each year,” said Brian Langerman, chief executive officer, Applied Client Network. “We look forward to providing more opportunities to learn and explore the latest trends and technology at this year’s Applied Net for the whole insurance ecosystem.”

    This year’s conference will feature inspiring keynotes, more than 250 education sessions, and new product innovation across Applied’s portfolio, including EZLynx, Tarmika, Ivans and Planck, to bring stakeholders into the Intelligent Insurance Era. Applied Net 2025 will also offer the opportunity to build connections with colleagues and participate in hands-on workshops, as well as gain knowledge about the latest trends influencing the insurance industry.

    “Applied Net continues to be the leading forum for insurance innovation, bringing agents, brokers, carriers and MGAs from around the world together to connect and learn from each other,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “We are excited to raise the bar this year with world-class content and networking opportunities that will explore trends and technology innovations in this Intelligent Insurance Era, like data and AI, that are empowering our industry to make smarter decisions that can grow their book and optimize staff productivity more than ever.”  

    Register today!

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s trade war is forcing Canada to revive a decades-old plan to reduce U.S. dependence

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Blayne Haggart, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brock University

    After threatening Canada and Mexico with illegal tariffs, and Canada with annexation, United States President Donald Trump has agreed to hold off on imposing tariffs on Canada for at least 30 days. This decision came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Trump and committed to strengthening border security.

    While this temporary reprieve provides some breathing room, the long-run question of how Canada should handle Trump and the American descent into authoritarianism remains.

    Early responses seem to have coalesced around two policies: for Canada to trade less with the U.S. and more with other countries and to strengthen the internal Canadian economy.

    Reducing Canada’s dependence on the U.S. economy is necessary in our current moment, as I’ve previously argued. But it will impose significant costs on Canadians and require a fundamental readjustment in how we think about our economy and society.

    The Third Option, revived

    This current crisis isn’t taking place in a historical vacuum. More than 50 years ago, similar concerns about Canada’s dependence on the U.S. led to a policy discussion centred on what became known as the “Third Option.”

    In 1972, then-Secretary of State for External Affairs Mitchell Sharp wrote a paper called “Canada-US Relations: Options for the Future.” At the time, international politics were in a moment of transition, and the U.S. was recalibrating its understanding of its national interest.

    Sharp proposed reconsidering the Canada-U.S. relationship. He observed that while Canadians recognized the benefits of ties with the U.S., they were increasingly wary of the direction of the relationship and in support of measures to “assure greater Canadian independence.”

    Echoing today’s concerns, Sharp argued that the central question for Canada was whether its interdependence with the U.S. would “impose an unmanageable strain on the concept of a separate Canadian identity, if not on the elements of Canadian independence.”

    The options that Sharp proposed are the same ones on offer today:

    1. The First Option: Maintain Canada’s current relationship with the U.S. with minimal policy adjustments
    2. The Second Option: Move toward closer integration with the U.S.
    3. The Third Option: Pursue a long-term strategy to strengthen the Canadian economy and reduce vulnerability

    From three options to one

    Sharp’s analysis is clear on the costs and benefits of free trade. In terms of benefits, economic prosperity would be easier to attain. In fact, this proved decisive in 1988, when Canada embraced the Second Option — closer integration through the 1988 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

    But, as Sharp warned presciently, a free-trade agreement would be a “well-nigh irreversible option for Canada” because it would tie the country so closely to the U.S., raising the cost of disentanglement.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. would always be free to redefine the relationship for any reason. This is what happened in 2001 when the U.S. prioritized security over prosperity in response to the 9/11 attacks. It’s what’s happening now.

    As in 2001, deeper integration remains a tempting response to the U.S. But the risks from integration are even greater now, given that Trump is dismantling U.S. democracy at home and trying to bully its neighbours in unprecedented ways.



    Read more:
    How constitutional guardrails have always contained presidential ambitions

    Already, Canada is struggling to recruit American allies to fight against the tariffs because U.S. businesses and politicians are afraid to stand up to Trump. Choosing to more deeply integrate would only worsen Canada’s position, making it a part of the U.S. economy while losing even more political influence.

    And that’s without addressing the morality of collaborating with a country that is currently setting up a concentration camp for migrants in Guantanamo Bay.

    Autocratic governments, as Trump’s administration is demonstrating with his ultimatums against Canada and Mexico, are bullies who will always push the advantage. Taking their demands at face value is a surefire way to surrender Canadian autonomy one piece at a time. So, the First Option — maintaining the status quo — is also off the table.

    Which leaves the Third Option.

    The mortal peril facing Canada

    The Third Option has become more appealing across the political spectrum mainly because the U.S. is forcing Canada’s hand. The uncertainty Trump has injected into the relationship, even in the presence of a trade agreement, has made it more costly for businesses to engage in cross-border trade.

    If Trump’s tariff threat remains, and his attack on the rule of law continues, the U.S. market will become even more unattractive, not least because of the toxic uncertainty Trump has injected into the relationship.

    But his actions also underscore the new, extreme danger Canada now faces.

    As Sharp recognized in 1972, shared social values were the bedrock of successful Canada-U.S. relations. He understood that, for the Third Option to work, the relationship needed to be “harmonious.” Even as he considered ways to reduce Canada’s dependence, he never doubted Canada and the U.S. were “broadly compatible societies.”

    That shared foundation — “based on a broad array of shared interests, perceptions and goals” — made it possible for Canada to chart its own path while maintaining a productive relationship with the U.S.

    Today, that assumption no longer holds. The U.S., under Trump, is acting as an expansionist imperial power with little regard for international law.

    This is the needle Canadian politicians have to thread. By geography alone, Canada must continue to have a relationship with the U.S. But the absence of shared values makes it incredibly difficult to have any kind of healthy, productive relationship.

    The cost of democracy

    As Sharp recognized, there is a cost to following the Third Option. It will require a “deliberate, comprehensive and long-term strategy” on a scale not seen since the 1960s — meaning higher taxes, more government intervention and a level of global engagement Canada hasn’t undertaken in quite a while.

    This must all be done in a landscape where Canada and the U.S. no longer share values — a shift even ardent Canadian nationalists recognized was necessary for Canadian independence — while pursuing policies that do not antagonize the U.S.

    For the Third Option to be viable today, Canadians must embrace an independent Canadian identity based on respect for democracy, pluralism, the rule of law and human rights. It likely requires consensus that U.S. authoritarianism is wholly unacceptable to Canada.

    Canada is being pushed toward the Third Option as the least worst approach. But, as was true in Sharp’s time, the Third Option come at a cost. Independence and democracy don’t come for free.

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

    – ref. Trump’s trade war is forcing Canada to revive a decades-old plan to reduce U.S. dependence – https://theconversation.com/trumps-trade-war-is-forcing-canada-to-revive-a-decades-old-plan-to-reduce-u-s-dependence-248433

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The impact of Donald Trump’s anti-climate measures on our heating planet

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Bruce Campbell, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada

    Before assessing the impact of United States President Donald Trump’s climate and energy policies, some context about the current state of the planet is in order. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently called the world’s fossil fuel addiction “a Frankenstein’s monster sparing nothing and no one.”

    The year 2024 was the first in which the average temperature exceeded the Paris Agreement threshold of 1.5°C. Under a status quo scenario, Earth is on track to reach an approximate 2.7°C increase in planetary warming by 2100.

    The 2024 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report found that climate-related global health threats are reaching new records, including heat-related deaths, food insecurity and the spread of infectious diseases.

    Despite six reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 29 COP conferences and thousands of scientific papers, the world has made only minor headway on climate action.

    Main carbon polluters and their victims

    The 10 largest oil-producing and consuming countries account for 73 per cent of total oil production and consumption globally.

    The U.S. is the largest oil producer and oil consumer, accounting for almost one-quarter of global production and more than 20 per cent of consumption in 2022. Canada is the fourth-largest oil producer and the ninth-largest consumer, and also has the highest per-capita CO2 emission levels of any country.

    The world’s 60 largest banks, meanwhile, earmarked US$6.9 trillion over the last eight years to enable the fossil fuel industry.

    According to an Oxfam International report, the richest one per cent of the world’s population, most of whom live in developed countries, are responsible for more than twice as much carbon pollution each year as the poorest 50 per cent of humanity. Low-income countries that make up nearly 60 per cent of the world’s population, on the other hand, account for less than 15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

    At COP 29 in Azerbaijan last year, developed countries, including Canada, pledged to triple their financial support for poor climate-vulnerable countries to $300 billion a year by 2035 to help them mitigate emissions, adapt to climate threats and help pay for loss and damage.

    But this is far from the $1.3 trillion demanded by Global South countries. Their pledges bear little resemblance to global fossil fuel subsidies that totalled an estimated $7 trillion in 2022.

    Trump’s climate-related actions

    Ahead of Trump’s recent inauguration, and under sustained pressure by Republicans, major American and Canadian banks withdrew from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) originally led by Canada’s Mark Carney as the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Climate Action.



    Read more:
    Mark Carney might have the edge as potential Liberal leader, but still faces major obstacles

    The oil and gas industry donated more than $75 million to Trump’s campaign, though donations provided by those with links to fossil fuels were estimated to be five times greater than that.

    Trump’s more than 200 executive orders included a so-called National Energy Emergency Declaration, in which he:

    · Withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, which he called one-sided, joining only three other petro-states — Iran, Libya and Yemen — that are not signatories to the Agreement.

    · Signed an order aimed at “unleashing American energy.”

    · Signed a declaration that would allow his administration to fast-track permits for new fossil fuel infrastructure.

    · Blocked all new offshore wind power development.

    · Revoked former president Joe Biden’s order that half of vehicles sold by 2030 be electric

    · Enabled new oil and gas development on federal lands, including reversing restrictions on petroleum extraction in Alaska and the Arctic Wildlife Reserve.

    Elon Musk, among Trump’s closest billionaire allies, has been silent on the president’s 2025 exit from the Paris Climate Accord.

    This is noteworthy because after Trump’s first withdrawal from the accord in 2017, Musk announced he was leaving presidential advisory councils, stating: “Climate change is real, leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.”

    What’s ahead

    Notwithstanding the Trump fossil fuels embrace, there are some silver linings.

    Although the Trump snub of the COP climate conferences is generally seen as a setback, stronger climate action may now be possible without the U.S. at the table. Furthermore, many American states and municipalities will continue to push forward with aggressive emissions reduction measures. And thousands of climate lawsuits against U.S. governments and corporations are underway.



    Read more:
    Trump voters are not the obstacle to climate action many think they are

    Trump’s actions may also spur the migration of the U.S. renewables industry to Canada. Regardless, renewables will continue to replace fossil fuels worldwide.

    A global movement of governments, elected officials, organizations and individuals has endorsed the Canadian-founded Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation treaty initiative. Modelled on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it sets clear deadlines for the global phaseout of fossil fuels.

    At the 2025 World Economic Forum, Fortescue, a global metal mining giant, endorsed the treaty, the first major industrial company to do so.

    In his famous 2015 Lloyd’s of London speech, Carney, now the Liberal leadership frontrunner, called climate change “the tragedy of the horizon.”

    He warned that climate change will lead to financial crises and falling living standards unless the world’s biggest economies do more to ensure their companies come clean about their current and future carbon emissions.

    Payam Akhavan, an Iranian-born Canadian human rights lawyer, served as legal counsel to the Commission of Small Island States at the recent International Court of Justice climate hearings where these nations presented evidence about the devastating impact of climate change on their citizens.

    In an interview with CBC Ideas, Akhavan said: “What’s happening to the small island states today is going to happen to all of us tomorrow.”

    Ultimately, the writing is on the wall for fossil fuels. It’s not a matter of if the world moves away from them dramatically, but when.


    Bruce Campbell was awarded a Community Leadership in Justice fellowship from the Ontario Law Foundation in 2016. He is a voluntary member of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Rideau Institute for International Affairs, and the Group of 78.

    – ref. The impact of Donald Trump’s anti-climate measures on our heating planet – https://theconversation.com/the-impact-of-donald-trumps-anti-climate-measures-on-our-heating-planet-247887

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: I’m a sports psychologist and diehard Eagles fan – here’s the behavioral science behind a Super Bowl LIX win

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Eric Zillmer, Professor of Neuropsychology, Drexel University

    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ innovative plays demonstrate ‘brain connectivity at its finest,’ the author writes. Mitchell Leff via Getty Images

    The Super Bowl is one of the world’s most significant single-day sporting events.

    It attracts over 100 million U.S. viewers and [tens of millions of international viewers], making it an entertainment phenomenon. For Eagles fans who are not making the trip to the Superdome in New Orleans, there will be plenty of places to watch in Philadelphia – including rowdy bars, living rooms and even home tailgates, all while the city is lit in Eagles green.

    For me, the Super Bowl is a real-life laboratory. As a sports scientist, neuropsychology professor and the former athletic director at Drexel University in Philadelphia, I investigate how high-performance athletes prepare cognitively and psychologically for a winning performance on game day.

    When the stakes are at their highest, what can psychology reveal about who is mentally prepared to win the Super Bowl?

    Tough-minded and open to experience

    Research suggests that super-elite athletes are tough-minded and not easily rattled.

    Their psychological profiles look similar to those of high-performance solo classical guitarists or fighter pilots. On personality tests, athletes typically score at least average in extroversion, openness and agreeableness, and high in conscientiousness.

    Professional athletes work incredibly hard and are disciplined, well organized, goal-oriented, reliable and generally sociable.

    A new focus in personality research in competitive athletes is on creativity and, specifically, being open to experience, which includes being receptive to new ideas and being flexible.

    Openness has become increasingly important in the modern blueprint for winning football games. Daniel Memmert, a sports scientist at German Sport University Cologne, calls this “tactical creativity.” It is a cognitive style that allows one to be imaginative and engage in divergent thinking – which is an ability to think flexibly outside of routines and devise multiple solutions – even in real-time competitive situations.

    Divergent thinking in high-performance sports includes focusing on the task at hand and paying attention to relevant information while ignoring irrelevant information in the athletic arena. The creative athlete knows when and where to look in order to win a play or avoid a costly error.

    Creative and cool under pressure

    Creativity is essential in unscripted football plays – when a planned play has not been executed properly, like a fumble or an interception.

    Intentionally distracting your opponent has become an important part of sports competition. It is why quarterbacks often change the play at the line of scrimmage. But it becomes even more critical during improvised offensive plays when everything is unscripted. In a sport where milliseconds matter, being creative and engaging in something your opponent doesn’t expect can be the difference between winning and losing.

    When the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, backup quarterback Nick Foles calmly executed a trick play on fourth-and-goal, becoming the first player in history to both throw and catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl. The play is now called the Philly Special.

    To engage in tactical creativity, however, an athlete must be relaxed. That’s not easy when millions of people are watching your every move.

    Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Trey Burton fires a touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles, not pictured, on a trick play during Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis in 2018.
    Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

    Brain connectivity at its finest

    Performance anxiety is a leading cause of poor athletic performance. Research suggests an athlete’s competitive anxiety can be cumulative and maybe even be contagious, affecting teammates negatively.

    That makes the Super Bowl as much a battle of nerves as it is about the physical execution of plays. So, how do professional athletes do it? The athlete practices how to think as much as they practice to play. Training is intentionally hard and uncomfortable to assist with preparing the body and mind.

    Since emotions and thoughts affect behavior and performance, the concept of emotional self-regulation – or intentionally focusing on the present moment – has been introduced into competitive sports. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and grounding techniques are now integral to the toolkit for high-performance sports.

    For athletes, it is relatively easy to elevate their emotions to push the ball forward with a play like the Philadelphia brotherly shove – an almost unstoppable offensive play used by the Eagles in which the team pushes the quarterback through the opponent’s defense for a short gain when needed.

    But calming those emotions to execute a synchronized, attacking, complex passing play is more challenging cognitively.

    A successful football player must easily transition from being highly aroused to remaining composed on command within seconds.

    This cognitive efficiency and fluidity requires many hours to master. I am fully aware that while watching the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, I am not just observing a great, innovative quarterback; I am witnessing brain connectivity at its finest.

    Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrated the team’s first Super Bowl win with a victory parade on Feb. 8, 2018.
    Corey Perrine via Getty Images

    Psychology of Eagles fans

    How fans experience Super Bowl Sunday is entirely different, psychologically speaking, from the players.

    To perform at the highest level, the players are process oriented. They attempt to be present in real time and play without fear. On game day, it is advantageous for the competitor to play like a kid, full of joy and confidence.

    Fans, on the other hand, are results oriented. And they are nervous wrecks, like parents watching their kids compete.

    One remedy for managing this stress is watching the game with other fans. Philadelphians represent diverse socioeconomic and ethnic groups that often unite through sports. These social connections – which Germans, who were among the first settlers in the city, call Gemeinschaftsgefühl – are a hallmark of good psychological health.

    I know I will never forget when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII: the game, the season and the parade.

    And new research indicates why.

    According to University of California, Berkeley psychology professor Dacher Keltner, these authentic “awe” moments are shortcuts to happiness. Football fans might experience awe when a seemingly unpredictable interception or touchdown has significant consequences.

    In other words, the thrill of the game and the excitement of winning not only unite fans, but they can also transform them into happier versions of themselves.

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

    – ref. I’m a sports psychologist and diehard Eagles fan – here’s the behavioral science behind a Super Bowl LIX win – https://theconversation.com/im-a-sports-psychologist-and-diehard-eagles-fan-heres-the-behavioral-science-behind-a-super-bowl-lix-win-248643

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio holds a joint press availability with Costa Rican President Chaves – 11:50 AM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio holds a joint press availability with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in San Jose, Costa Rica, on February 4, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/

    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7fNrxsKMyM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: To Fight and WIN! | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    : DMD

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

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L

    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
    X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
    #USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Army250

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ix50MFDS4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Ed Harbison to Participate in 2025 College Tour Press Conference

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (February 4, 2025) — On Tuesday, February 4, at 1:00 p.m., Senator Ed Harbison (D–Columbus) will join House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley (D–Columbus), House Minority Caucus Chairwoman (D–Atlanta), Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook (D–Savannah) and Rep. Tremaine “Teddy” Reese (D–Columbus) for a 2025 College Tour Press Conference.

    EVENT DETAILS:                      

    • Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2025
    • Time: 1:00 p.m.
    • Where: 203 Coverdell Legislative Office Building, 18 Capitol Square, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30334
    • This Event is Open to the Public.

    MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

    We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Jantz Womack at SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    # # # #

    Sen. Ed Harbison serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on State Institutions and Property. He represents the 15th Senate District, which includes Chattahoochee, Macon, Marion, Schley, Talbot and Taylor counties, as well as a portion of Muscogee County. He may be reached at 404.656.0074 or via email at ed.harbison@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nykredit Realkredit A/S has received the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority’s approval of Nykredit’s increase of the qualifying shareholding in Spar Nord Bank A/S – Nykredit Realkredit A/S

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR TO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE DOING SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

    Nykredit Realkredit A/S has received the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority’s approval of Nykredit’s increase of the qualifying shareholding in Spar Nord Bank A/S.

    4 February 2025

    Nykredit Realkredit A/S has received the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority’s approval of Nykredit’s increase of the qualifying shareholding in Spar Nord Bank A/S.

    In accordance with section 4(1) of the Danish Takeover Order1, Nykredit Realkredit A/S (“Nykredit”) announced on 10 December 2024 that Nykredit intended to submit a voluntary public tender offer (the “Offer”) to acquire all shares in Spar Nord Bank A/S (“Spar Nord Bank”), with the exception of Spar Nord Bank’s treasury shares, for a cash price of DKK 210 per share, valuing the aggregated issued share capital of Spar Nord Bank at DKK 24.7 billion.

    On 8 January 2025, Nykredit published the offer document regarding the Offer (the “Offer Document”), as approved by the Danish FSA in accordance with section 11 of the Danish Takeover Order. The Offer Period ends on 19 February 2025 at 23:59 (CET).

    Nykredit has received the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority’s approval in accordance with section 61 of the Danish Financial Business Act to increase Nykredit’s qualifying shareholding in Spar Nord Bank up to 100 per cent of the share capital.

    In addition to the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority’s approval, the Offer is subject to fulfilment of the conditions set out in section 6.6 of the Offer Document, including approval by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority and achievement of the 67 per cent acceptance limit.

    It is Nykredit’s view that the shareholders of Spar Nord Bank find the Offer attractive. At the time of this announcement, Nykredit holds 31.1 per cent of the shares in Spar Nord Bank, and Nykredit’s information about acceptances received so far indicates that the 67 per cent acceptance limit stated in the Offer has been reached.

    Nykredit aims to delist Spar Nord Bank from Nasdaq Copenhagen A/S and to compulsorily acquire the remaining shares as soon as possible after completion of the Offer.

    Nykredit expects the Offer to be completed during H1/2025.

    The full terms and conditions of the Offer are contained in the Offer Document. The Offer Document is published in the Danish FSA’s OAM database: https://oam.finanstilsynet.dk/ and can also, with certain restrictions, be accessed at https://www.nykredit.com/en-gb/offer-spar-nord/ and https://www.sparnord.com/investor-relations/takeover-offer.   

    About Spar Nord Bank

    Spar Nord Bank was founded in 1824 and is now a nationwide bank with 58 branches. Spar Nord Bank offers all types of financial services, consultancy and products, focusing its business on retail customers and primarily small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the local areas in which the bank is represented. The bank is also focused on leasing operations and large corporate customers, which are both business areas handled by the head offices.

    Spar Nord Bank has historically been rooted in northern Jutland and continues to be a market leader in this region. However, in the period from 2002 to 2024, Spar Nord Bank has established and acquired branches outside northern Jutland. Over the course of the years, the bank has adjusted its branch network in an ongoing process and now has a nationwide distribution network comprising 58 branches. These 58 branches are distributed on 32 banking areas, each of which is headed by a manager reporting directly to the bank’s executive board.

    The Spar Nord Bank Group consists of two earnings entities: Spar Nord Bank’s branches and the Trading Division. As an entity, the Trading Division serves customers from Spar Nord Bank’s branches as well as large retail customers and institutional clients in the field of equities, bonds, fixed income and forex products, asset management and international transactions. Finally, under the concept Sparxpres, the bank offers consumer loans to personal customers through Sparxpres’ platform as well as debt consolidation loans and consumer financing via retail stores and gift voucher solutions via shopping centres and city associations.

    About Nykredit

    Nykredit Realkredit A/S (“Nykredit”) is a public limited company incorporated under the laws of Denmark, company reg. (CVR) no. 12 71 92 80, having its registered office at Sundkrogsgade 25, 2150 Nordhavn, Denmark. Nykredit is a mortgage credit institution and, together with its wholly-owned subsidiary Totalkredit A/S, is a market leader of the Danish mortgage credit market with a market share of some 45.2 per cent. Nykredit offers mortgage financing for private individuals and businesses.

    Nykredit is part of the Nykredit Group, which historically dates back to 1851. In addition to carrying on mortgage credit business, the Group carries on banking business through Nykredit Bank – including banking and wealth management operations – and has a total of around 4,000 employees in Denmark.

    Nykredit is owned by an association of the Nykredit Group’s customers, Forenet Kredit. Forenet Kredit owns close to 80 per cent of Nykredit’s shares. Other major shareholders are five Danish pension funds: Akademikernes Pension AP Pension, PensionDanmark, PFA and PKA.

    Nykredit is known for the advantages offered through the association. Forenet Kredit makes capital contributions to the Nykredit Group when times are good, and Nykredit has decided to pass these on to its customers.

    Since, 2017, Forenet Kredit has paid over DKK 8 billion in capital contributions to the Nykredit Group, and in the period to 2027, Forenet Kredit has provided a further DKK 7 billion.

    Questions and further information

    Any questions concerning the Offer may be directed to:

    Nykredit Bank A/S

    Company reg. (CVR) no.: 10 51 96 08

    Sundkrogsgade 25

    2150 Nordhavn

    Denmark

    Telephone: +45 7010 9000

    and

    Carnegie Investment Bank

    Filial af Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ), Sverige

    Company reg. (CVR) no. 35 52 12 67

    Overgaden Neden Vandet 9B

    1414 Copenhagen K

    Denmark

    E-mail: annette.hansen@carnegie.dk

    For further information about the Offer, please see: https://www.nykredit.com/en-gb/offer-spar-nord/.

    This announcement and the Offer Document are not directed at shareholders of Spar Nord Bank A/S whose participation in the Offer would require the issuance of an offer document, registration or activities other than what is required under Danish law (and, in the case of shareholders in the United States of America, Section 14(e) of, and applicable provisions of Regulation 14E promulgated under, the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). The Offer is not made and will not be made, directly or indirectly, to shareholders resident in any jurisdiction in which the submission of the Offer or acceptance thereof would be in contravention of the laws of such jurisdiction. Any person coming into possession of this announcement, the Offer Document or any other document containing a reference to the Offer is expected and assumed to independently obtain all necessary information about any applicable restrictions and to observe these.

    This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase securities or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in accordance with the Offer or otherwise. The Offer will be submitted only in the form of the Offer Document approved by the FSA, which sets out the full terms and conditions of the Offer, including information on how to accept the Offer. The shareholders of Spar Nord Bank are advised to read the Offer Document and any related documents as they contain important information.

    Restricted jurisdictions

    The Offer is not made, and acceptance of the Offer to tender Spar Nord Bank Shares is not accepted, neither directly nor indirectly, in or from any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance of the Offer would not be in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction or would require any registration, approval or any other measures with any regulatory authority not expressly contemplated by the Offer Document (the “Restricted Jurisdictions”). Neither the United States nor the United Kingdom is a Restricted Jurisdiction.

    Restricted Jurisdictions include, but are not limited to: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

    Persons obtaining documents or information relating to the Offer (including custodians, account holding institutions, nominees, trustees, representatives, fiduciaries or other intermediaries) should not distribute, communicate, transfer or send these in or into a Restricted Jurisdiction or use mail or any other means of communication in or into a Restricted Jurisdiction in connection with the Offer. Persons (including, but not limited to, custodians, custodian banks, nominees, trustees, representatives, fiduciaries or other intermediaries) intending to communicate this Offer Document or any related document to any jurisdiction outside Denmark or the United States should inform themselves about these restrictions before taking any action. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the Laws of such jurisdiction, including securities Laws. It is the responsibility of all Persons obtaining this Offer Document, an acceptance form and/or other documents relating to the Offer Document or to the Offer, or into whose possession such documents otherwise come, to inform themselves about and observe all such restrictions.

    Nykredit is not responsible for ensuring that the distribution, dissemination or communication of this Offer Document outside Denmark, the United States and the United Kingdom is consistent with applicable Law in any jurisdiction other than Denmark, the United States and the United Kingdom.

    Important Information for Shareholders in the United States

    The Offer concerns the shares in Spar Nord Bank, a public limited liability company incorporated and admitted to trading on a regulated market in Denmark, and is subject to the disclosure and procedural requirements of Danish law, including the Danish capital markets act and the Danish takeover order.

    The Offer is being made to shareholders in Spar Nord Bank in the United States in compliance with the applicable US tender offer rules under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “U.S. Exchange Act”), including Regulation 14E promulgated thereunder, subject to the relief available for a “Tier II” tender offer, and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Danish law and practice

    Accordingly, US Spar Nord Bank shareholders should be aware that this announcement and any other documents regarding the Offer have been prepared in accordance with, and will be subject to, the disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, the Offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments of Danish law and practice, which may differ materially from those applicable under US domestic tender offer law and practice. In addition, the financial information contained in this announcement or the Offer Document has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or derived therefrom, and may therefore differ from, or not be comparable with, financial information of US companies.

    In accordance with the laws of, and practice in, Denmark and to the extent permitted by applicable law, including Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Exchange Act, Nykredit, Nykredit’s affiliates or any nominees or brokers of the foregoing (acting as agents, or in a similar capacity, for Nykredit or any of its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly, purchase, or arrange to purchase, outside of the United States, shares in Spar Nord Bank or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for such shares in Spar Nord Bank before or during the period in which the Offer remains open for acceptance. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Any information about such purchases will be announced via Nasdaq Copenhagen and relevant electronic media if, and to the extent, such announcement is required under applicable law. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in Denmark, such information will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform US shareholders of Spar Nord Bank of such information.

    In addition, subject to the applicable laws of Denmark and US securities laws, including Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Exchange Act, the financial advisers to Nykredit or their respective affiliates may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Spar Nord Bank, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities.

    It may not be possible for US shareholders to effect service of process within the United States upon Spar Nord Bank, Nykredit or any of their respective affiliates, or their respective officers or directors, some or all of which may reside outside the United States, or to enforce against any of them judgments of the United States courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or other US law. It may not be possible to bring an action against Nykredit, Spar Nord Bank and/or their respective officers or directors (as applicable) in a non-US court for violations of US laws. Further, it may not be possible to compel Nykredit and Spar Nord Bank or their respective affiliates, as applicable, to subject themselves to the judgment of a US court. In addition, it may be difficult to enforce in Denmark original actions, or actions for the enforcement of judgments of US courts, based on the civil liability provisions of the US federal securities laws.

    The Offer, if completed, may have consequences under US federal income tax and under applicable US state and local, as well as non-US, tax laws. Each shareholder of Spar Nord Bank is urged to consult its independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Offer.

    NEITHER THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY SECURITIES COMMISSION OR OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY IN ANY STATE OF THE U.S. HAS APPROVED OR DECLINED TO APPROVE THE OFFER OR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, PASSED UPON THE FAIRNESS OR MERITS OF THE OFFER OR PROVIDED AN OPINION AS TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY OFFER DOCUMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES.

    1 Executive Order no. 636 of 15 May 2020

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bankruptcy Filings Rise 14.2 Percent

    Source: United States Courts

    Total bankruptcy filings rose 14.2 percent, with increases in both business and non-business bankruptcies, in the twelve-month period ending Dec. 31, 2024. This continues an ongoing rebound in filings after more than a decade of sharply dropping totals.

    According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, annual bankruptcy filings totaled 517,308 in the year ending December 2024, compared with 452,990 cases in the previous year.

    Business filings rose 22.1 percent, from 18,926 to 23,107, in the year ending Dec. 31, 2024. Non-business bankruptcy filings rose 13.9 percent to 494,201, compared with 434,064 in December 2023.

    Bankruptcy totals for the previous 12 months are reported four times annually.

    For more than a decade, total filings fell steadily, from a high of nearly 1.6 million in September 2010 to a low of 380,634 in June 2022. Total filings have increased each quarter since then, but they remain far lower than historical highs.

    Business and Non-Business Filings,
    Years Ending
    December 31, 2020-2024
    Year Business Non-Business Total
    2024 23,107 494,201 517,308
    2023 18,926 434,064 452,990
    2022 13,481 374,240 387,721
    2021 14,347 399,269 413,616
    2020 21,655 522,808 544,463
    Total Bankruptcy Filings By Chapter,
    Years Ending
    December 31, 2020-2024
    Year Chapter
      7 11 12 13
    2024 310,631 8,884 216 197,244
    2023 261,277 7,456 139 183,956
    2022 225,455 4,918 169 157,087
    2021 288,327 4,836 276 120,002
    2020 378,953 8,333 560 156,377

    The following bankruptcy filings statistics tables are available: 

    • Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending Dec. 31, 2024 (Table F-2, 12-Month),
    • A comparison of 12-month data ending December 2023 and December 2024 (Table F),
    • Filings for the most recent three months, (Table F-2, 3 Month); and filings by month (Table F-2, October, November, December),
    • Bankruptcy filings by county (Table F-5A).

    For more on bankruptcy and its chapters, view the following resources:

    MIL OSI USA News –