NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Votes Against Confirming Pete Hegseth As Secretary Of Defense

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    January 24, 2025

    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense:
    “Pete Hegseth is woefully unqualified to serve as the Secretary of Defense. His history of misconduct is disqualifying on its own, and his personal beliefs on the role of women in combat and the laws of war are an insult to our men and women in uniform. Pete Hegseth’s main qualification for this job is his commitment to pursuing a brazenly political agenda at the behest of President Trump and his confirmation will come at a serious cost to U.S. national security.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Reinstating Expanded Global Gag Rule, Targeting Reproductive Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Tonight, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on President Donald Trump reinstating the expanded Global Gag Rule or “Mexico City Policy,” from his first term—which had detrimental effects on women, providers, and public health partners around the world. The Global Gag Rule prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion or advocating for access to abortion services in their country—even with their own money.

    Trump also issued a second executive order tonight that rescinds President Biden’s Executive Orders 14076 and 14079, which were issued to protect reproductive health in the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Executive Order 14076 directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Department of Justice (DOJ) to take and consider steps to protect reproductive health care services and access, including expanding access to contraceptives. Executive Order 14079, which took further steps to protect access to reproductive health care, including providing technical assistance for providers and directing the Secretary of HHS to advance access through Medicaid for patients traveling across state lines for care.  

    “It is unsurprising, but extremely telling, that some of the very first moves of Donald Trump’s second administration prioritize attacking reproductive health care and targeting vulnerable women and girls around the world.

    “When we invest in a safer and healthier world, that pays dividends for America. Make no mistake: this dangerous policy prevents NGOs from using their own resources to provide lifesaving reproductive health services, and it forces organizations to make impossible choices that restrict access to care for some of the most desperate people across the globe.

    “There is nothing ‘pro-life’ about reinstating a policy that, during Trump’s first term, undermined lifesaving public health work, caused widespread fear and confusion among health workers, and led to worse health outcomes and more unsafe abortions. And in the wake of the Dobbs decision here at home, the Trump administration is also pulling back important executive orders that directed agencies to protect access to reproductive health services.”

    “These are just some of the first of many attacks on reproductive health care we can expect to see from the Trump administration—Democrats will fight back every way we can, but we need everyone to raise their voices to prevent these blatant attacks from going unnoticed, or worse, becoming normalized.”

    Senator Murray has long pushed to repeal the Global Gag Rule, and is a longtime cosponsor of the bipartisan Global Health, Empowerment and Rights (HER) Act, which would permanently repeal the rule, put an end to the back-and-forth between administrations, and provide stability for global health NGOs and the women around the world who rely on them for critical health services. As the top Democrat on the HELP Committee from 2015-2022, Senator Murray spoke out forcefully against the expanded Global Gag Rule Trump issued at the beginning of his first administration.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The next president will play a key role in shaping US trade policy – here’s what voters need to know

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth

    From the ports of Los Angeles to the cornfields of Iowa, the U.S.’s international trade policy is a force that shapes the lives of every American. With the presidential election looming in November 2024, discussing trade policy isn’t just an academic exercise – it’s a civic responsibility.

    As an economist, I have spent years studying this topic. Trade policy has profound effects on how industries operate, from production locations to competitive dynamics. These changes impact everyday life, from the cost of your morning coffee to the job security in your local community.

    And, because the president has extensive control over trade policy, every presidential election is a referendum on the issue.

    The two most recent administrations – President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence from 2017 to 2021 and President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from 2021 to today – have had starkly different approaches to trade policy. The contrast shows how a president’s economic philosophy can reshape the nation’s global business strategy.

    Both Trump and Harris are on the ballot in November. Harris is expected to carry on Biden’s trade policies if she wins. This comparison offers insight into how the next U.S. president will govern on trade.

    2017-2021: Trump and Pence on trade

    Trump pursued a protectionist trade agenda during his time in office.

    Protectionism refers to government policies that limit international trade to benefit domestic industries. These measures include tariffs – taxes on imported goods – quotas and regulations that make imports more expensive.

    One of Trump’s first acts in office was withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership — a colossal 12-nation pact that would have covered 40% of global output. His decision cost America both access to lucrative Asian markets and a powerful counterweight to China’s economic influence.

    Closer to home, Trump renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,
    tightening rules for automakers. The effect? While wages for workers in the automotive industry and vehicle prices for American consumers increased, it barely spurred any additional domestic car production.

    Trump also launched a tariff-driven trade war with China and the European Union, asserting it would address unfair practices and reduce the U.S. trade deficit. The strategy, however, prompted retaliatory tariffs, resulting in higher consumer prices and job losses in U.S. industries dependent on imported components. While some sectors benefited from the approach, American farmers suffered due to export losses, necessitating government subsidies.

    Trump and his new running mate, JD Vance, have signaled their intent to revive the “America First” trade strategy. Their campaign platform calls for sweeping tariffs, including a blanket 10% tariff on all goods and a more aggressive 60% tariff specifically targeting Chinese products.

    2021-today: Biden and Harris on trade

    In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration adopted a multilateral approach emphasizing cooperation between countries.

    The administration maintained most of Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods and some on steel and aluminum imports from other countries. However, they reframed the measures as part of a broader push to rein in climate change and protect workers’ rights.

    The administration also launched initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, or IPEF, signaling a return to Obama-era trade strategies prioritizing regional partnerships in the Pacific. The IPEF aims to strengthen economic ties with Asian countries by coordinating policies to enhance supply chain resilience and promote clean energy rather than focusing solely on tariff reductions.

    The Biden-Harris approach emphasizes international cooperation while valuing domestic job creation, particularly in clean energy and manufacturing. However, maintaining many of Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, steel and aluminum has kept costs high for some U.S. businesses and consumers.

    Building on the Biden administration’s policies, the Harris campaign has signaled its aim to shield lower- and middle-income households from new tariffs that could raise prices while maintaining a tough stance on China through existing tariffs and trade restrictions.

    Presidential powers and influence on trade

    The president plays a critical role in setting America’s trade policy.

    The president can negotiate international trade deals, although Congress must approve them to become law. The executive branch also controls tariffs; under statutes such as the Trade Act of 1974, the president can impose them without congressional approval.

    In addition, the president can declare national emergencies related to trade, appoint trade representatives, issue executive orders to manage federal trade policies, and impose sanctions that can influence global trade dynamics.

    Free trade agreements can boost exports and promote economic growth, but they may also displace certain workers. In contrast, tariffs on imports protect some domestic industries but raise prices for American consumers. Studies show that tariffs imposed under Trump, and continued by Biden, have led to higher prices, reduced output and lower employment, harming the U.S. economy.

    Trade policies also affect diplomatic relationships and global supply chains. So, as voters sift through the candidates’ trade policy positions, they must look beyond the soundbites. Understanding how each approach affects job markets, consumer prices and global competitiveness will help voters cast an informed ballot that aligns with their vision for the country’s future.

    In the world of trade, every vote counts.

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

    – ref. The next president will play a key role in shaping US trade policy – here’s what voters need to know – https://theconversation.com/the-next-president-will-play-a-key-role-in-shaping-us-trade-policy-heres-what-voters-need-to-know-241301

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tariffs are back in the spotlight, but skepticism of free trade has deep roots in American history

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Erik Guzik, Assistant Clinical Professor of Management, University of Montana

    Noted economic nationalist Alexander Hamilton. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

    One of the more surprising developments in recent American politics has been the backlash against free trade.

    As recently as a decade ago, Democrats and Republicans alike generally favored free trade. But with the 2024 presidential election just days away, both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are leaning hard on protectionism. The Trump campaign in particular is promoting tariffs that would be difficult to imagine coming from a Republican presidential candidate just a decade ago.

    This new post-neoliberal moment might seem confounding. But it hearkens back to economic policies – and political parties – from around the time of the nation’s founding, and it offers clues to our divided present.

    Back in the late 18th century, the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton helped put in place a set of policies designed to encourage U.S. industry and to promote economic development and innovation.

    That arrangement, which laid the groundwork for what became known as the “American System,” emerged in part as a counterbalance to British conceptions of free trade. And the American System quickly grew as accepted economic policy as a young America developed its industrial strength.

    Hamilton’s economic nationalism

    In the early years of the republic, the U.S. didn’t have much of a trade policy at all.

    When the U.S. officially achieved independence in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the Articles of Confederation – the nation’s first constitution – greatly limited the federal government’s powers, including its ability to regulate foreign trade.

    These restrictions reflected the reality of 13 very different states that had been more united against the British – and their trade controls – than in support of a common vision of economic development.

    The economic conditions within this loosely connected nation quickly worsened. A deepening economic crisis, rising debt, inflation, cheap British manufactured goods and rising bankruptcy soon emerged. Such changing conditions gave rise to calls for a new national economic policy.

    This economic strain was an important factor leading to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1789. The Constitution gave the federal government the capacity to regulate trade with foreign countries and, for the first time, to collect taxes. Both were privileges once held exclusively by sovereign American states.

    The ‘second American revolution’

    A strengthened American Congress made passing a national Tariff Act one of its first tasks. When it was ratified in 1789, a national import tax replaced customs previously enacted by the states. Perhaps indicating the magnitude of this change, supporters called it “the Second American Revolution,” passed as it was on July 4, 1789. In effect, it helped create a new conception of the American political and economic system, with a much stronger role for the state in economic matters.

    Duties were levied on 30 commodities, including hemp and textiles. Perhaps foreshadowing trade policy of a future era, the Tariff Act also placed duties of 12.5% on goods imported from China and India.

    The main architect of this new industrial policy was Hamilton, who released his seminal work on economic policy, Report on Manufactures, in 1791. Hamilton’s ideas were based on transforming a predominantly agricultural nation into one defined, at least in part, by growing and diversified industry.

    Though often overlooked, Hamilton’s Report on Manufactures also contained a grander vision – it sought to encourage the development of American invention and ingenuity as a form of economic policy and argued for unlocking “the genius of the people” so that “the wealth of a nation may be promoted.”

    To promote this spirit of national enterprise, Hamilton encouraged promoting technological progress, subsidizing research, attracting migrants, supporting a new financial system and implementing a patent system to promote invention. Such policies were in many ways an extension of previous policy enshrined in Section 8 of the Constitution.

    Tariffs and their discontents

    As the use of tariffs continued in the decades following Hamilton’s plan, policymakers turned increasingly protective in an attempt to more directly promote American industry. They enacted tariffs to insulate growing American industries from foreign competition, primarily from the U.K.

    By the early 19th century, this growing protectionist movement coalesced around the powerful Kentucky legislator Henry Clay and his Whig Party. Clay, who first referred to the American System by name, and his allies were instrumental in raising average national tariff rates to 20% in 1816.

    Those sweetmeats will cost you.
    Library of Congress

    When crisis appeared during the Panic of 1819, a collapse in cotton prices, a tightening of credit, widespread foreclosures and rising unemployment followed. In response, Clay and his allies raised tariff rates again, to 50% in 1828.

    The increasing use of tariffs provoked a fierce response from some in the nation’s agricultural and slave-owning class, who objected to perceived Northern dominance and a strong federal government. One prominent Southern critic at the time referred to the 1828 tariff as the “tariff of abominations.”

    Indeed, opposition to elements of the American System was one of the chief policy goals of early Democratic politicians such as Andrew Jackson, and fights over the system presaged later sectional fights leading up to the Civil War.

    As an industrial revolution took root in American society in the decades that followed, tariffs remained a cornerstone of U.S. economic policy. By the late 1850s, tariffs had become integrated into the policy of the newly formed Republican Party and an important plank of Abraham Lincoln’s economic platform.

    Toward the end of the 19th century, a changing Democratic Party, supported increasingly by a strong agricultural populist movement, continued to largely oppose the tariff system, arguing it benefited powerful industrialists at the expense of the working class while offering little to counter economic crisis.

    The breakup of the American System − and why it matters today

    Between 1861 and 1933, tariffs were a standard tool of U.S. economic policy. During this period, tariffs on dutiable goods often averaged 40% to 50%, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. U.S. policymakers didn’t seriously question tariffs as a form of industrial policy until the deepening of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

    Following World War II, the U.S. decisively shifted away from tariffs. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was widely blamed for deepening the Great Depression and contributing to the international conflicts of the 1930s and 1940s, effectively ending the protectionist era of U.S. industrial history.

    The establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913 provided policymakers with a novel tool – monetary policy – to deal with economic downturns. The Keynesian revolution provided still another policy response for governments to consider during periods of economic crisis: spending as fiscal stimulus to create jobs and income.

    Finally, as postwar American policy embraced open global trade, American economic policy pursued more direct mechanisms to foster national innovation and entrepreneurship – effectively breaking up policy once dependent on activist trade intervention. With the elimination of tariffs, one of the great periods of American economic growth and innovation followed.

    In 2024, the Republican platform has, in many ways, returned to its origins by offering tariffs as a key economic strategy. Likewise, the Democratic platform, with its skepticism of concentrated corporate power, coupled with a renewed focus on financial support for small businesses and entrepreneurship, echoes its own earlier generation.

    As Americans head to the polls, it’s worth asking how current economic proposals with deep roots in the American System of old might help shape economic policy in the future.

    Erik Guzik 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. Tariffs are back in the spotlight, but skepticism of free trade has deep roots in American history – https://theconversation.com/tariffs-are-back-in-the-spotlight-but-skepticism-of-free-trade-has-deep-roots-in-american-history-241311

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: New Orleans schools still separate and unequal 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Connie L. Schaffer, Professor of Teacher Education, University of Nebraska Omaha

    First graders led the desegregation of New Orleans’ public schools in November 1960. Bettmann via Getty

    Sixty-four years ago this November, public schools in New Orleans began to desegregate. School buildings once designated as “white” opened their doors to Black students. The integration process, which deeply divided the city, was led by four first-grade girls.

    Tessie Prevost, Leona Tate and Gail Etienne were the first Black students to attend the McDonogh 19 School. Ruby Bridges was assigned to the previously all-white William Frantz Public School. Newspapers worldwide ran photographs of the girls walking past protesters and entering the schools accompanied by federal marshals.

    When Prevost died in July 2024, she was lauded as a Civil Rights hero. Oprah Winfrey paid tribute to her at the Democratic National Convention.

    Prevost herself did not realize her role in history until high school, when a teacher assigned the class a project on Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that desegregated American schools. As she researched, she discovered her own name and story. She took this discovery to her parents, and they gave her a box of photographs and letters about her place in history, including a note from Eleanor Roosevelt praising her courage.

    To some, Prevost represents the promises of the Civil Rights Movement: integration and equality. As our research on New Orleans Public Schools shows, however, neither of these promises has ever been fully realized.

    New Orleans’schools resegregated in the late 20th century, and the city’s predominantly Black schools still lag behind white schools in many ways.

    ‘All deliberate speed’

    In the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, the justices ordered U.S. public schools to desegregate “with all deliberate speed” – language that allowed Southern cities and states to drag their heels.

    New Orleans schools did not begin desegregating for six years. Even then, only four first-grade girls out of thousands of Black students were permitted to enroll in white schools.

    The New Orleans district would subsequently desegregate one additional grade per year. As a member of that first desegregated class, Prevost was always in the grade being integrated. As such, all the grades above her remained segregated.

    Indeed, McDonogh 19 remained segregated during the first year of integration because all its white students immediately stopped attending. By December 1960, the school’s only students were the three Black girls. Two white students briefly enrolled in January, but their family succumbed to the pressure of the boycott and soon withdrew their children.

    White New Orleans residents protesting school integration in 1960.
    Bettmann / Contributor via Getty

    When Prevost, Etienne and Tate entered second grade, McDonogh 19 still had very low enrollment. In third grade, in 1962, the girls transferred to T.J. Semmes Elementary School, where enrollment of white students was much higher.

    Within that white student majority, the girls encountered many cruel classmates. White students, encouraged by some teachers and parents, tormented their Black peers. Prevost recalled this as the worst time in her life.

    “The white teachers and students did not want us there,” she said. “Every day there were beatings and cursing. They spat on us and ripped off our clothes.”

    After several years, Prevost’s parents recognized the impact of this heinous racism on their daughter and transferred her into a predominantly Black junior high school. Prevost would again be separated from most of her white peers.

    Equality in name only

    The Brown ruling also promised an equal education regardless of race. In practice, that has yet to happen.

    Most white teachers in New Orleans opposed desegregation, and the district initially allowed teachers to choose where they would teach. In 1972, however, the district reassigned many teachers to work in desegregated schools, and many quit in protest. Other white teachers struggled to connect and engage with their Black students, leading to disaffection among Black students. Their academic achievement declined, and dropout rates began to rise.

    Simultaneously, white flight was working against integration. Between 1960 and 1980, the white population of New Orleans dropped 20%, resegregating many New Orleans schools. By 2004, 50 years after the Brown ruling, McDonogh 19 – which by then had been renamed Louis Armstrong Elementary – was again effectively segregated by race: Nearly 100% of its students were Black.

    Across the district, academic performance declined in predominantly Black schools. By the 1990s, student achievement became increasingly measured by standardized tests known to be biased against students of color and poor students. Black students were also more likely to be taught by teachers with fewer years of experience and less education.

    By 1998, test scores at Louis Armstrong Elementary had fallen well below national, state and district averages. The school was also in a state of deep disrepair. In the summer of 2005, the city closed the school, and a few months later, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

    The abandoned school building sustained heavy wind damage and flooding. Water reached halfway up the walls of the first floor, leaving toxic mud, peeling chalkboards and mold-encrusted furniture.

    A legacy

    Following Katrina, the State Board of Education stripped New Orleans Public School District of its authority to manage public education.

    The state of Louisiana and charter organizations took over city schools, making New Orleans Public Schools the first all-charter school district in the U.S. Despite the change in governance, New Orleans schools remained segregated by race. Over a decade later, in 2017, roughly 75% of schools had populations of 95% students of color, and test scores showed only incremental improvement.

    Prevost, whose married name was Tessie Williams, lived in New Orleans her whole life, working at Louisiana State University for over two decades.

    She returned to McDonogh 19 in 2022, when the restored building opened as the Tate, Etienne and Prevost Center. The site, once a symbol of resistance to civil rights, is now a community center and museum committed to advancing the unfulfilled promises of the Brown ruling.

    As an adult, when Prevost spoke publicly about desegregation, she recalled the difficulty and disappointment she and others faced. But she tended to emphasize her hope for the future.

    “The ways that we are different are things that we should celebrate,” she said in a Black History Month interview with Louisiana State University. “There is so much power and freedom when we see differences in a positive light.”

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. New Orleans schools still separate and unequal 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education – https://theconversation.com/new-orleans-schools-still-separate-and-unequal-70-years-after-brown-v-board-of-education-235642

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rust Belt voters aren’t all white, but election coverage of the region often ignores the concerns of people of color there

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christabel Devadoss, Assistant Professor in Global Studies and Human Geography, Middle Tennessee State University

    Wisconsin voters lining up to cast their ballots in the 2022 midterm election, Oct. 25, 2022, in Milwaukee. Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Every four years, national media turn their attention to the Rust Belt, a term that describes Midwestern industrial and manufacturing states whose economies were decimated by the decline of those industries in the 1970s. This region contains the coveted states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

    Many rural parts of these states have a majority of white residents. The broader Rust Belt, however, also has long and important Black and Indigenous histories and contains some of the nation’s fastest-growing minority populations – in particular Latino, Arab and Asian communities.

    Yet when reporters descend on the rural Rust Belt to understand voters, the people they talk to are almost exclusively white.

    I am a geographer who studies the experiences of communities of color in the rural Rust Belt. Rural is a relative term, but when it comes to policy research, it usually refers to nonmetropolitan areas. From 2021 to 2023, I interviewed 35 people who live or lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana and identified as Black, Indigenous or people of color.

    I found that these Rust Belt residents have pressing concerns of political importance. Some of these issues are shared by white residents – and, as such, are well documented. But Rust Belt residents of color have additional problems that politicians and the media have long overlooked.

    Local impacts

    My interviewees described typical rural Rust Belt struggles.

    They complained of limited internet access, few or no grocery stores, declining roads and other infrastructure-related challenges. Jobs and opportunities for career advancement were scarce in their communities, while death and suicide rates were high.

    These difficulties are faced by white Rust Belt residents as well. But other struggles they mentioned are less often considered part of the rural experience.

    They described feeling socially isolated and discriminated against at work and school. Many had experienced racial or ethnic profiling by potential employers and police and been verbally harassed.

    One man, Miguel, who worked in carpentry, said his colleagues openly used racial slurs against him.

    “I was putting away some boxes, and they said, ‘Oh that’s because you w–backs are good at packing things in trucks,’” he told me.

    All names used here are pseudonyms; research ethics require me to protect the identity of my subjects.

    “A lot gets brushed under the rug,” said Bao, a Vietnamese American woman whose father also works in a hostile environment. “All the management folks are white,” so “if you speak up, you lose your job or are ignored.”

    These comments conveyed an overall sense of not “belonging.”

    As one woman from rural Pennsylvania explained, people regularly ask her, “No, really, where you from?”

    “They want to hear ‘Asian’ or ‘Korean,’” she said. “It’s very uncomfortable for me.”

    These racial tensions worsen during election periods. Some people I interviewed reported having been turned away or threatened at voting stations – harassment they attributed to their religious, cultural and political backgrounds, or the way they looked.

    Many Rust Belt voters of color already lack political power because they live in racially gerrymandered districts. When news coverage of the region ignores their voices, too, it compounds that feeling of not belonging.

    In 2017, The Washington Post visited the small town of Jefferson, Ohio, in Ashtabula County, to interview voters described as “rural Americans who fear they’re being forgotten” after Donald Trump’s election. Their coverage focused almost exclusively on white residents.

    “How did you go to Ashtabula County and not see Black people?” asked Belle, a resident who identified as African American.

    Not always Republican

    In the past three presidential elections, Ashtabula County has followed state trends: It backed Obama in 2008 and 2012, then voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.

    Trump won Ashtabula with 60% of the vote in 2020. That’s 26,890 votes, which means that 16,497 people still voted for Democrat Joe Biden. In the years since, Ashtabula County residents have also voted with the state in two Democratic-backed initiatives: to protect abortion rights and legalize marijuana.

    In other words, just because a state or district backs a Republican for president doesn’t mean everyone is Republican, or that Republican voters always vote the party line. They can split their votes, and have.

    Even Ohio’s largely Republican delegation in the House of Representatives is misleading about the state’s political makeup. Ohio is a heavily gerrymandered state where voting districts have been drawn to benefit Republican candidates.

    U.S. Senate elections show more diversity in Ohio’s voting base.

    In 2018, Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown won 53% of all votes in Ohio, including 51% of those cast in Ashtabula County. Four years later, both the state and Ashtabula County picked Republican JD Vance over Democrat Tim Ryan to replace the outgoing Republican Sen. Rob Portman.

    Why it matters

    In September 2024, Vance – now Trump’s vice presidential running mate – claimed that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were kidnapping and eating cats and dogs. After Trump echoed that false claim on the debate stage, the city got 30-plus bomb threats and other threats of violence, and had to close multiple schools.

    During the pandemic, Trump’s derogatory branding of COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and “Kung Flu” led to increased hate crimes against immigrants and people of color.

    In my interviews, several participants mentioned how local restaurants and stores owned by Asian Americans had been vandalized. One woman, Lanh, who lived outside Springfield, said her favorite restaurant had to close.

    “They started vandalizing the restaurant, writing graffiti and set the restaurant on fire,” she said.

    The owners were from Thailand, but, Lanh said, the vandals “thought they were Chinese. Folks around the local community like my parents didn’t feel safe,” she added. “I didn’t feel safe.”

    Hateful political rhetoric is known to increase hate crimes against immigrants and people of color.

    When the Rust Belt is stereotyped as red and white, such experiences go unheard.

    So do some good news stories.

    The emergence of Black-owned bee farms in northeast Ohio, for instance, is one small example in a host of businesses started by people of color. Together, they are helping to boost the region’s beleaguered economy, much as Haitian immigrants have been fueling Springfield’s growth.

    Rural America is nuanced

    Nationwide, 24% of rural Americans identified as people of color in the 2020 census.

    That figure is probably low because the census tends to undercount nonwhite respondents – a problem that was particularly evident in 2020. Even so, that’s a quarter of rural residents who don’t fit the national stereotype of rural America.

    Rural America is white and Republican. It’s also trans, queer, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, South Asian, Democratic and much more. Even if some are Republican, they still aren’t the rural Rust Belt Republicans portrayed in the national media.

    Ignoring these nuances reinforces stereotypes that the rural Rust Belt is the exclusive domain of white conservativism. But this region isn’t now, and never has been, simply red and white.

    Christabel Devadoss received funding from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS).

    – ref. Rust Belt voters aren’t all white, but election coverage of the region often ignores the concerns of people of color there – https://theconversation.com/rust-belt-voters-arent-all-white-but-election-coverage-of-the-region-often-ignores-the-concerns-of-people-of-color-there-224466

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Independent voters think for themselves and stay out of politics – 3 essential reads

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeff Inglis, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation US

    Jessie Harris, left, a registered independent voter in South Carolina, casts a ballot in February 2024. Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post via Getty Images

    In the 2024 election, the two major-party campaigns and many news reporters are spending a lot of time talking about independent voters – those who are neither aligned with the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party. Despite the power that political independents are anticipated to have over the election results, there’s a lot that remains unknown about this group.

    The Conversation U.S. has published several articles about what is known, and why it’s hard to know much more. Here are selections from some of those articles:

    1. How many independent voters are there?

    It’s very hard to answer that question, wrote Thom Reilly, a professor of public affairs at Arizona State University. Part of the problem is figuring out how to define who independent voters are. Surveys often ask people if they are Republicans, Democrats or independents, and if they answer that they are independents, the surveys ask how strongly they might lean toward one party or the other. But this muddies the waters of political identity, Reilly wrote:

    “It’s possible that some voters identify as independent but really just have weaker political preferences than party die-hards, while still maintaining some loyalty to one party or the other. And some independent voters change their political identification from one cycle to another. That makes it hard to tell who an independent voter is and how many of them exist.”

    Those changing alignments, Reilly wrote, “may require scholars, media outlets and the public to shift their traditional two-party view of American politics.”



    Read more:
    Why is it so hard to know how many independent voters there are?

    2. Independent voters think for themselves

    Independent voters exhibit a key quality that most Americans expect of their fellow citizens: They base their views on their life experiences.

    Unfortunately, as politics scholars Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz at the University of Maryland and Joshua J. Dyck at UMass Lowell explained, this is an attribute almost unique to political independents:

    “In contrast, Democrats’ and Republicans’ ideas of what problems deserve government attention and how to solve them are much less likely to be based on their own life experiences, and instead simply mirror the information they have gained from leading political figures on social media, on cable news networks or through other partisan information outlets.”

    For instance, independents living in neighborhoods with high levels of gun violence are far more likely to report being concerned about gun violence than independents who live in safer areas. But, Pearson-Merkowitz and Dyck wrote,

    “for Democrats and Republicans, there is no relationship between where they live and their level of concern about gun violence: Whether they live in a relatively dangerous community or a relatively safe one, their views on gun violence reflect their party’s messages on the issue.”



    Read more:
    Politics is still both local and personal – but only for independents, not for Democrats or Republicans

    3. Independents less likely to engage in any politics

    Research into independents’ political activity finds them tending to stay away from politics, wrote Julio Borquez, a political science scholar at the University of Michigan-Dearborn:

    “Perhaps most importantly, pure independent voters are simply less likely to vote than those who express any degree of partisan attachment. In the 2020 presidential election, reported turnout among pure independents was about 20 percentage points lower than turnout among other voters, including independents who lean toward a party.”

    Research has found members of this group “tend to be genuinely put off by partisan conflict and party labels,” Borquez wrote. Different studies have found, for instance, that they prefer photos of neighborhoods that did not show political yard signs over the same photos of the same neighborhoods with homes displaying political yard signs. And they pay less attention to campaigns and partisan social media than people with partisan affiliations.

    So they are indeed independent – but the question remains whether they will be uninvolved in 2024 or motivated to cast their ballots and make their views known.



    Read more:
    Independent voters are few in number, influential in close elections – and hard for campaigns to reach

    – ref. Independent voters think for themselves and stay out of politics – 3 essential reads – https://theconversation.com/independent-voters-think-for-themselves-and-stay-out-of-politics-3-essential-reads-241193

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nick Buttrick, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Many gun owners cite protection as a reason to carry a firearm. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Tim Walz and JD Vance all have something in common. All four of them, along with an estimated 42% of American adults, have lived in a home with at least one gun.

    Gun ownership in the United States is widespread and cuts across all sorts of cultural divides – including race, class and political ideology. Like all mass experiences in American life, owning a gun can mean very different things to different people.

    One thing that American gun owners tend to agree on, no matter their differences, is that guns are for personal protection. In a 2023 Pew survey, 72% of gun owners reported that they owned a firearm at least in part for protection, and 81% of gun owners reported that owning a gun helped them to feel safer. This perspective contrasts to that of gun owners in other developed economies, who generally report that guns are more dangerous than safe and that they own a gun for some other reason.

    I’m a psychologist who studies contemporary society. In the lab, my colleagues and I have been investigating this feeling of safety that American gun owners report. We’re trying to get a more complete sense of just what people are using their firearms to protect against. Our research suggests it goes much deeper than physical threats.

    Social scientists are exploring the motivations and effects of owning a gun.
    Cécile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images

    Protection goes beyond the physical

    By combining social-scientific research on firearms ownership with a raft of interviews we’ve conducted, we’ve developed a theory that gun owners aren’t just protecting against the specific threat of physical violence. Owners are also using a gun to protect their psychological selves. Owning a gun helps them feel more in control of the world around them and more able to live meaningful, purposeful lives that connect to the people and communities they care for.

    This sort of protection may be especially appealing to those who think that the normal institutions of society – such as the police or the government – are either unable or unwilling to keep them safe. They feel they need to take protection into their own hands.

    This use of a deadly weapon to provide comfort and solace may come at a cost, however, as firearms often bring a heightened sense of vigilance with them. Firearm instructors frequently teach owners to be especially aware of their environment and all the potential dangers and threats within. When gun owners look for danger, they often are more likely to find it.

    Gun owners may end up perceiving the world as a more dangerous place, institutions as more uncaring or incompetent, and their own private actions as all the more important for securing their lives and their livelihoods.

    How gun owners feel during daily life

    What does this cycle of protection and threat look like in everyday life? My colleagues and I recently ran a study to investigate. We’re still undergoing peer review, so our work is not final yet.

    We recruited a group of over 150 firearms owners who told us that they regularly carry their guns, along with over 100 demographically matched Americans who have never owned a gun. Over two weeks, our research team texted the participants at two random times each day, asking them to fill out a survey telling us what they were doing and how they were feeling.

    To get a sense of how guns change the psychological landscape of their owners, we divided our gun-carrying group into two. When we texted one half of the group, before we asked any other questions, we simply asked whether they had their gun accessible and why they’d made that decision. For the other half of our gun-owning participants, and for our non-gun-owning control group, firearms and firearm carrying never came up.

    When subtly reminded of guns in general – regardless of whether their gun was accessible – our participants reported feeling more safe and in control and that their lives were more meaningful. Thanks to our random-assignment procedure, we can be pretty confident that it was thinking about guns, as opposed to any differences in the underlying groups themselves, that caused this particular increase in psychological well-being.

    About half of the times that we texted, the gun owners told us that they had a gun accessible at that moment. When a gun was handy, our participants told us that they were feeling more vigilant and anxious, and that their immediate situation was more chaotic. This result didn’t seem to be driven by owners choosing to have guns available when they were putting themselves into objectively more dangerous situations: We found the same pattern when we looked just at moments when our participants were sitting at home, watching television.

    Raising fear and promising rescue

    Contemporary American gun ownership may have conflicting messages embedded within it. First, a gun is a thing you can use to bolster your fundamental psychological needs to feel safe, to feel in control and to feel like you matter and belong. Second, having a gun focuses your attention on the dangers of the world.

    By both fueling a sense of danger and holding out the promise of rescuing you from the fear, messaging around guns may end up locking some owners into a sort of doom loop.

    A sense of responsibility goes along with gun ownership for the vast majority of Americans who own a firearm.
    Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    My collaborators and I are currently exploring whether stressing other parts of gun ownership may help owners to move beyond this negative spiral. For instance, while owners often talk about “danger,” they also talk frequently about “responsibility.”

    Being a responsible gun owner is central to many owners’ identities. In one study, 97% of owners reported that they were “more responsible than the average gun owner,” and 23% rated themselves as being in the top 1% of responsibility overall. This, of course, is statistically impossible.

    To more fully understand the many ways responsible firearm ownership can look, we are in the process of interviewing gun owners from all around the state of Wisconsin, a notably diverse state when it comes to gun ownership. We’re tapping into as many of the ways of owning a gun as we can, talking with protective owners, hunters, sport shooters, collectors, folks in urban areas, folks in rural areas, men, women, young people, old people, liberals, conservatives, and, of course, trying to capture the complex ways that race shapes ownership.

    Who do gun owners feel they are responsible for? What kinds of actions do they think responsible owners take?

    We hope to learn more about the many different ways that people conceptualize what a gun can do for them. American gun cultures are complex and distinct things. By exploring the worldviews that support firearm ownership, we can better understand what it means to live in the U.S. today.

    Nick Buttrick receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

    – ref. Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats – https://theconversation.com/americans-own-guns-to-protect-themselves-from-psychological-as-well-as-physical-threats-239363

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies – an entomologist explains the implication for global pest control

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kelsey Coffman, Assistant Professor of Entomology & Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee

    Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, a parasitoid wasp that helps control pests. Sheina Sim, CC BY

    Take a stroll along one of the beaches on Hawaii Island in late summer, and you’ll likely stumble upon almond-shaped fruits lying in the sand. Known as false kamani nuts, or tropical almonds, they fall from tall, shady Terminalia catappa trees that line the many picturesque ocean views on the island.

    But what may not be clear to the casual beachgoer is that there’s a fight for survival occurring within the flesh of these unassuming fruits. Tropical almonds are one of many active battlegrounds in a war between a global agricultural pest, a parasitic wasp and a beneficial virus.

    As an entomologist who studies insect viruses, I want to untangle the complex interactions that insects have evolved with microbes. The findings might help researchers tackle global food security issues.

    A global pest challenge

    At the center of this conflict are invasive fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, many of which have spread across the globe and wreak havoc on hundreds of commercial fruits and vegetables.

    In Hawaii, several species of tephritid fruit fly invaded, starting in the late 1800s. They have caused major economic losses to fruit production across the islands. Scientists and fruit growers have undertaken enormous efforts to control these flies since their initial introductions, but they remain a serious economic problem.

    One reliable method of control has been to release tiny insects called parasitoid wasps into the wild that can hunt down immature fruit flies and target them for annihilation. The term parasitoid describes an organism that spends its development as a parasite and eventually kills its host.

    Parasitoid wasps use an elongated stinger, known as an ovipositor, to drill into fruits where flies are developing and pierce the fly’s body to lay an egg within. Wasp eggs hatch inside the fly host and gradually devour the entire fly from the inside out.

    Human use of parasitoid wasps or other natural enemies to control pest populations is known as biological control, or biocontrol. It was so successful in Hawaii that several species of parasitoid wasp have established wild populations on the islands. They have helped continuously suppress multiple fruit fly pests to this day.

    The release of nonnative insects for biocontrol could have unforeseen negative consequences for local ecosystems. Therefore, federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture have strict regulations for new and existing biocontrol programs.

    The enemy of my enemy is my friend

    So, how do wasps achieve the impressive feat of reducing fruit fly pest populations? Once laid inside a fly host, the wasp must face the fly’s immune system, which will try to suffocate the egg before it hatches.

    This inhospitable environment has forced wasps to evolve an arsenal of microscopic substances, also known as molecular factors, to combat fly defenses. These include a cocktail of different molecules introduced by the wasp mother at the time of egg-laying.

    The goal of these factors is to manipulate the fruit fly’s physiological processes, like its development from egg to adult and its immune response to invading parasites. By interacting with molecular components, like proteins, that make up insect physiological pathways, parasitoid wasp factors can delay insect host development and suppress host immunity to allow the wasp offspring to feed on fly tissue unharmed.

    This is the origin story of an unlikely partnership that many species of parasitoid wasp have formed with beneficial viruses. Virus particles multiply to massive quantities within the reproductive organs of female wasps during their development. Wasp mothers then use their ovipositor like a hypodermic needle to inject virus particles into host insects during egg-laying.

    The virus particles turn into biological weapons that infect cells of the wasp’s host. This infection disrupts processes like the fly’s immune response. Developing wasps benefit from the virus’s activity and return the favor by passing on the virus to future wasp generations.

    Not all heroes wear capes

    Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a small, bright orange wasp with a distinctively long ovipositor. The literal translation of longicaudata is “long-tailed” in Latin. But don’t let its charismatic appearance fool you.

    D. longicaudata is ferocious in its ability to feast on several species of fruit fly pests, such as the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, and the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. Because of D. longicaudata’s ability to attack a wide variety of fruit fly pests, pest management specialists around the world have released the wasps into agricultural ecosystems, where they dependably establish new populations and provide sustained pest control.

    Like many parasitoids, D. longicaudata has formed an alliance with a virus known as Diachasmimorpha longicaudata entomopoxvirus, or DlEPV.

    DlEPV replicates within the venom gland of female wasps, which stores billions of virus particles. Virus particles are so densely packed in there that they often cause the venom gland to appear iridescent blue.

    DlEPV particles are highly lethal when injected into flies in the lab. The virus freezes the fly’s development and replicates with abandon until the fly’s ultimate demise.

    In contrast, the alliance between wasp and virus is so strong that curing D. longicaudata wasps of their resident DlEPV infection causes the wasp offspring to die inside the fly hosts.

    A new potential path forward

    My colleagues and I published a study showing that DlEPV may play a critical role in helping D. longicaudata make a meal out of so many different fruit fly pests. We found a link between D. longicaudata survival and DlEPV lethality within different fruit fly host species.

    When we infected C. capitata and B. dorsalis flies with DlEPV, the virus successfully replicated and killed large swaths of fly hosts. However, DlEPV couldn’t replicate within the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, a fly species that D. longicaudata wasps cannot use as hosts.

    These findings shine new light on the effect viruses have on host-parasite rivalries. The presence of these viruses could influence how useful parasitoid wasps are in getting rid of fruit fly pests. In the case of D. longicaudata, its associated virus may be responsible for the decades of reliable aid this wasp has provided to fruit fly biocontrol programs around the world.

    This work has also revealed a new potential tool in the war against fruit fly pests. DlEPV is now known as a lethal enemy for several of the world’s most destructive pest species. If researchers can determine precisely how DlEPV exploits fly hosts at a molecular level, they could one day incorporate the same strategies that this virus uses into new fruit fly pest control methods.

    Kelsey Coffman receives funding from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

    – ref. In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies – an entomologist explains the implication for global pest control – https://theconversation.com/in-hawaii-parasites-and-viruses-team-up-in-the-battle-against-fruit-flies-an-entomologist-explains-the-implication-for-global-pest-control-234780

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: SOLARCYCLE Accelerates Plans for Polk County Operation

    Source: US State of Georgia

     Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that SOLARCYCLE, an advanced technology-based solar recycling company, will accelerate its expansion into Polk County to meet increasing demand for solar panel recycling services. The company is investing an additional $62 million to increase its panel recycling capacity to 10 million solar panels per year and create 640 new full-time jobs.

    “As Georgia continues to lead the nation in attracting jobs from emerging industries, we’re thankful SOLARCYCLE is moving up creation of these opportunities in northwest Georgia, benefitting that entire region’s economy,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “I want to thank our local and state partners who made this accelerated growth in Polk County possible, and I look forward to its impact in the years to come.”

    The facility is located directly across the street from the company’s previously announced 1.1-million-square-foot solar glass factory that will employ an additional 617 people. The factory will use recycled materials from retired solar panels from the recycling facility to make five to six gigawatts worth of solar glass every year. The factory positions the company as one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon (c-Si) photovoltaics in the U.S.

    “We are pleased to accelerate our work in Cedartown in partnership with Governor Kemp and Polk County. In response to continued demand for solar recycling and domestic manufacturing, we will be able to scale operations and begin hiring sooner than originally planned,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder at SOLARCYCLE. “We applaud Governor Kemp for his leadership supporting clean energy policy that has made it possible to scale solar manufacturing in the state, and bring good jobs and meaningful investment to local communities as a result. This is exactly what the future of American manufacturing looks like and SOLARCYCLE is proud to be at the helm.”

    SOLARCYCLE has acquired an existing building at 270 North Park Boulevard in Cedartown, adjacent to the new facility under construction at Cedartown North Business Park, a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certified site. The existing 255,000-square-foot building will be renovated to house the company’s solar panel recycling operations.

    The facility is move-in-ready and will be operational in the second half of 2025. SOLARCYCLE is hiring full-time jobs in manufacturing, engineering, management, research and design, and support staff. Open roles are available at www.solarcycle.us/careers.

    “The decision by SOLARCYCLE to expedite their manufacturing process by refurbishing a currently vacant facility and creating additional employment opportunities is a true testament to their commitment as a long-term corporate sponsor in Cedartown-Polk County,” said Chris Thomas, President and CEO of Development Authority of Polk County. “This expansion not only underscores the confidence that businesses have in our community as a place to invest but also promises significant economic benefits.  We are excited about the opportunities this expansion brings and remain dedicated to supporting SOLARCYCLE’s continued growth and success.”

    Senior Regional Project Manager Lori Dowdy represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the Development Authority of Polk County, Georgia Power, and Georgia Quick Start.

    “SOLARCYCLE’s technology is important because it takes materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill and puts them back in the supply chain, effectively reducing our reliance on importing new materials,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Northwest Georgia has been a center of manufacturing in Georgia for decades – from providing the flooring we use in our homes and offices to now producing technology for clean energy to power those same buildings. We are excited that our partners and SOLARCYCLE were able to work together to bring the company’s recycling operations online earlier.”

    Georgia is a Top Ten state for installed solar, ranking seventh by cumulative solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Georgia’s energy solutions providers are helping to accelerate the development of renewable energy products by lowering risks, reducing costs, providing access to innovative industry research, and investing in a superior infrastructure network.

    About SOLARCYCLE

    SOLARCYCLE is a technology-driven platform designed to maximize solar sustainability by offering solar asset owners a low-cost, eco-friendly, comprehensive process for recycling retiring solar panels and technologies and repurposing them for new uses. The company’s proprietary technology allows it to extract 95% of the value from solar panels, such as silver, silicon, copper, and aluminum, and to recycle or repurpose panels for new uses. Experts in solar technology, recycling, and sustainability founded SOLARCYCLE in 2022 to accelerate the circular economy for solar and renewables. www.SOLARCYCLE.us.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from President Joe  Biden on September 2024  PCE

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Inflation has now fallen to 2.1%—nearly at its 2% target. While critics said we needed a recession to lower inflation, instead inflation has come down while our economy has grown more than 12% over the course of my Administration—the fastest rate of any presidential term in the 21st century. Incomes are up almost $4,000 after accounting for inflation, and gas prices are down to $3.13 per gallon and below $3 in 21 states.
    We have more to do. We will keep fighting to lower costs by building millions of new homes, lowering health insurance premiums, and making child care more affordable. Congressional Republicans are fighting for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, while raising costs on families by nearly $4,000 a year with across-the-board tariffs that would cause inflation to skyrocket. They have a cost-raising agenda—we have a cost-cutting agenda.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CIPO Hosts 26th Annual CIPO-WIPO Executive Program

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), successfully hosted its 26th annual CIPO-WIPO Executive Program from October 7 to 11, 2024, in the National Capital Region. This Program brought together senior officials from 9 intellectual property (IP) offices around the world to strengthen their skills in IP management and governance.

    On October 7th, 2024, the CEO of CIPO Mr. Konstantinos Georgaras and the Deputy Director General (DDG) of WIPO Mr. Hasan Kleib signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on delivering joint training for senior officials from IP Offices around the world. The MOU solidifies collaboration between the two organizations through the revamped CIPO-WIPO Executive Program which started 27 years ago..

    Since its inception in 1997, CIPO has collaborated with WIPO to offer an annual Executive Program, sharing management and governance techniques with IP offices from developing countries. The Program’s objective is to provide capacity building and a forum for exchange between senior IP officials from developing countries and CIPO. This annual event has become a key platform for international collaboration.

    The 2024 Program was re-designed to address current challenges, with sessions focused on reducing backlogs, improving quality control, and introducing new services to better serve stakeholders. 2024 also marked the first in-person edition since the pandemic. CIPO was honored by the attendance of WIPO’s DDG Mr. Hasan Kleib to mark this special occasion.

    “We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with WIPO to deliver this program, which is instrumental in fostering international cooperation and advancing the global IP system. It is, in fact, CIPO’s flagship technical assistance initiative. This program allows us to share skills and knowledge with IP offices worldwide, exchange practices and experiences, and brainstorm solutions to the changing IP landscape.”

    – Konstantinos Georgaras, Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trademarks and Chief Executive Officer

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s statement on Diwali

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Media Contacts

    Office of the Premier

    Media Relations
    premier.media@gov.bc.ca

    https://news.gov.bc.ca/31763

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Chimoney Launches a cash app for Canadians: Interledger-Powered Global Payments with Just an Email or Phone Number

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Toronto, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Canadians increasingly seek affordable, digital solutions for local and cross-border payments, Chimoney, a Techstars-backed Canadian startup, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Chimoney App, designed specifically for Canadians who want seamless payments in Canada and internationally. Using just an email address or phone number, Chimoney’s app empowers Canadians to send money to over 100 countries quickly and easily and is one of the first Canadian platforms to integrate the open Interledger Protocol (ILP), reinforcing Chimoney’s mission of unlocking economic opportunities for everyone, everywhere.

    “With Canadians conducting over $10.8 trillion in total payment transactions in 2021, the Chimoney App is uniquely positioned to meet the rising demand for seamless payments designed specifically for Canadians in Canada and those living and traveling abroad,” said Uchi Uchibeke, Founder and CEO of Chimoney. “Our integration with Interledger is part of our commitment to giving people financial freedom, letting them send and receive money worldwide without the usual friction.”

    Key Features That Make the Chimoney App Unique

    1. Send Money Globally with Just a Tap
      Canadians can now send money to over 100 countries with only an email or phone number. Chimoney removes the need for traditional bank information, making payments as easy as sending a text message. This feature is especially important for Canadians traveling and looking to share bills, like Dinner bills, between themselves and non Canadians.
    2. Multi-Currency Wallets
      With support for CAD, USD, and NGN, Chimoney App users can hold, manage, and exchange multiple currencies instantly at competitive rates.
    3. Flexible Payment Options
      Recipients choose how they want to receive their funds:
      • Bank account
      • Mobile money
      • Airtime
      • Gift cards
      • Other local options. This flexibility makes Chimoney an ideal solution for anyone receiving international payments.
    4. Universal Payment Links and CAD Bank Accounts
      Freelancers, businesses, and international students can receive payments from clients worldwide with Chimoney’s universal payment links, while CAD bank accounts help Canadians manage their finances locally while connecting globally.
    5. Open Payments with Interledger Integration
      Chimoney is one of the first companies to integrate Interledger, providing Canadians with secure, interoperable payments across borders. With Interledger integration, users can complete transactions on web monetization-enabled pages and receive payments from anyone online.

    Chimoney is Built For Supporting Canadians and Strengthening the Economy

    • Everyday Canadians and Small Businesses
      Chimoney understands the realities Canadians face with rising costs for housing, groceries, and daily expenses. Built for hard-working Canadians and local businesses, Chimoney’s mix of CAD bank accounts, currency exchange, and simple payment solutions provides an affordable way to manage finances and support a stable economy. Whether it’s sending funds across borders or sharing bills, Chimoney offers the financial tools that Canadians deserve.
    • Freelancers and Remote Workers
      Canada’s talented freelance and remote workforce deserves payment options that keep up with their global demand. Chimoney’s Universal Payment Links (UPA) and multi-currency wallets ensure Canadians working for international clients receive payments smoothly and on time while reinforcing Canada’s role as a hub for global talent.
    • International Students Who Respect Canada’s Values
      Chimoney recognizes that Canada attracts top-tier students from around the world, and we’re here to support those who contribute positively to our communities. With Chimoney, international students can manage their finances without additional bank accounts, so they can focus on education and contribute to our society without adding strain on local resources.
    • Canadian Associations and Community Groups
      Chimoney is proud to support Canadian associations, local organizations, and community groups. With dedicated partnership benefits, we’re here to help Canadian-based groups manage finances efficiently while offering perks to their members. For groups that want reliable, Canadian-focused financial tools, Chimoney is an ideal choice to support their unique needs.

    Interledger Protocol Support: Secure, Open, and Reliable The Chimoney App is powered by the open Interledger Protocol, providing Canadians with a secure, fast, and reliable way to transfer funds across borders. This interoperability enables seamless financial inclusion, a groundbreaking feature that sets Chimoney apart from other Canadian payment apps.

    “We’re thrilled to bring this to Canadians,” said Uchi Uchibeke, Founder and CEO of Chimoney. “Our integration with Interledger is part of our commitment to giving people financial freedom, letting them send and receive money worldwide without the usual friction.”

    Download the Chimoney App Today

    Experience seamless, cross-border payments today—download Chimoney on the App Store or Google Play Store.

    About Chimoney: Chimoney is a Toronto-based, Techstars-backed fintech company providing multi-currency Wallets API and infrastructure for cross-border Payments. Through innovative products like the Chimoney App, Chimoney aims to provide unparalleled financial services that promote inclusivity and economic empowerment. With support for payouts in over 100 countries, empowers individuals and businesses to connect financially across borders. With access to over 100 countries, multi-currency wallets, and a focus on innovation and inclusivity, Chimoney serves as a bridge between local simplicity and global reach.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Keynote – 2024 Nuclear Law School

    Source: Government of Canada News

    On October 25, 2024, Pierre Tremblay, CNSC President and CEO, delivered the keynote address at the Canadian Nuclear Law Organization’s Nuclear Law School 2024, held in Toronto, Ontario. In his remarks, he spoke about areas of focus for the CNSC and the important function the CNSC’s Legal Services team plays in supporting Canada’s nuclear regulator.  

    – Check against delivery – 

    Introduction

    Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for that kind introduction.  

    Bonjour. Merci pour cette aimable présentation. 

    I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered here today on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and on what is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. 

    I am honoured to work with and learn from communities across unceded lands throughout Canada, and want to acknowledge all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples who’s original and treaty territories we stand upon across Turtle Island.

    As mentioned, I am Pierre Tremblay, President of the 

    Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, or CNSC. I have now had the privilege of leading the CNSC for almost 3 months, and I could not be happier to be speaking to you all today on behalf of the regulator. 

    I’m so pleased you have also had the opportunity to hear from some of the CNSC’s many experts, with Pascale Bourassa speaking about the practical considerations around compliance with and enforcement of the nuclear regulatory requirements for Canadian export controls. 

    And from Catherine Howlett on the role of the regulator and how we intend to manage licensing decisions in the context of the Impact Assessment Act. 

    I myself have 40 years in Canada’s nuclear sector, all of which have been very rewarding. My career has given me a deep appreciation and respect for the people who work in the sector and their shared focus on safety and the culture that supports it. 

    My new position with the CNSC is affording me the opportunity to play an essential role in the nuclear sector by serving the public in protecting Canada’s environment and its people. 

    The CNSC is a world class nuclear regulator and I’m honoured to be leading this organization through such an exciting period for the nuclear sector. 

    For my remarks this afternoon, I’d like to speak about the work the CNSC is doing to fulfil our important mandate, while ensuring our readiness for the future.

    Important Work of the Regulator

    As Canada’s nuclear regulator, the CNSC oversees the full lifecycle of nuclear facilities and activities, regulating the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect the health, safety, and security of people and the environment while ensuring Canada’s respect for its international obligations, including non-proliferation. 

    All licensing decisions are made by the Commission, a quasi-judicial, independent tribunal set up at arm’s length from government, and with no ties to the nuclear industry. 

    This is an interesting and crucial time for Canada’s nuclear sector. With a growing global energy demand, driven by electrification and our collective response to climate change, the potential for nuclear as a reliable baseload energy source is significant.

    Given Canada’s long history and expertise in the nuclear field, there is of course a strong interest in maintaining its competitive advantage, and to keep pace with countries that are heavily investing in nuclear.

    While the CNSC is independent and impartial, we are aware of and engaged with the external environment in which nuclear operates. 

    The increased attention on and priority of nuclear are important factors motivating the CNSC to ensure regulatory readiness and efficiency. 

    This is particularly true as we prepare for the eventual deployment of advanced and small modular reactor technologies.

    In regulating to ensure safety, readiness and efficiency is achievable with no corners being cut. Our expectations for industry are the same. Together, we can all ensure the safe deployment of nuclear projects.

    The possibility of the broad deployment of small modular reactors – or SMRs – requires us to be ready in new and different ways.

    This is just one driver to modernize our regulatory framework and practices. 

    As a part of our modernization efforts, we undertook a full strategic review of the CNSC’s regulatory framework to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement to ensure clarity of requirements for SMRs, such as shifting from a prescriptive approach to a technology-neutral performance-based approach.

    This includes proposed Nuclear Security Regulations that respond to changes in security threats and adapt to technological advancements. 

    The current regulations do not in our view adequately consider a risk-informed approach – nor do they consider different technologies, sizes, locations, and alternative approaches to address potential security threats and risks. 

    This could prevent licensees and proponents from using new security technologies or innovative practices that meet – or exceed – the regulatory objective to delay potential adversaries. 

    Mind you, modernizing our regulations isn’t new. It is a continuation of years of work and something the CNSC is always in the process of doing.

    For example, in 2020, following extensive consultation, the Radiation Protection Regulations were updated to enhance protections for nuclear sector works, including accommodations for workers who are breastfeeding, and a lower annual limit for radiation doses to the lens of the eye.

    This is just one example where we have leveraged over 20 years of experience with the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and advances in science to ensure our regulatory framework reflects our current and modern reality.

    By necessity, this work is ongoing. As the sector evolves, so does the regulatory landscape.

    We are also ensuring we do not work in isolation. As we modernize and ready ourselves for new technologies, we continue to look for ways to collaborate and coordinate with other government agencies here at home, as well as our regulatory counterparts around the world. 

    For example, the CNSC is working closely with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to ensure processes are well aligned to reduce duplication of work. 

    The CNSC recognizes the vital role of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. The renewed emphasis on nuclear in the pursuit of clean growth requires many agencies to play equally important roles.

    We remain committed to supporting the work of our partners and the Government’s action plan – Building Canada’s Clean Future – while continuing to honour our own commitment of being efficient as the nuclear safety regulator.

    It’s not just coordination at home. International cooperation has far-reaching benefits for world-wide nuclear safety and helps to ensure a streamlined and safe approach to deployment for these projects. 

    CNSC along with our colleagues in the US and UK have taken essential steps to enable the sharing of knowledge and best practices to foster the safe deployment of nuclear technologies worldwide. 

    Agreements such as the trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation between the CNSC, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation support collaboration on the technical reviews of advanced reactor and SMR technologies.

    Under this agreement we work together to develop shared technical assessment approaches, collaborate on pre-application activities to ensure mutual preparedness, and collaborate on research, training, and in the development of regulatory approaches. 

    Preparing for the future is a global effort. When we join forces with international organizations, our collective expertise can grow considerably and accelerate our progress, while also enhancing our primary focus on safety. 

    Together, we will be well-equipped to manage any challenges that we may face. 

    The CNSC’s mandate also includes communicating objective scientific, technical, and regulatory information to the public. 

    As the regulator, we must instill confidence in Canadians that decisions are risk-informed, evidence- and science-based. And that the safety of Canadians and the environment are at the forefront of all that we do. 

    We do this by communicating and engaging with the public we serve – and by disseminating objective information to the public. 

    Nuclear technologies and activities are not limited by Canada’s provincial and territorial borders. 

    And so, we share information with and provide opportunities for engagement to all Canadians, not just those in the traditional nuclear-host communities. 

    The CNSC also encourages open dialogue through consultation and engagement, with staff from across our organization engaging with communities and stakeholders nationwide.

    In practice, this includes participating in community events, engaging with the public and intervenors during Commission proceedings, delivering educational presentations, and continuing to prioritize relationship-building with Indigenous Nations and communities through continued and meaningful engagement, consultation and mutual learning.

    Effective communication and engagement build trust through openness, transparency and listening – and public trust is critical. 

    We are doing our part and expect industry to do the same. 

    The CNSC has outlined such expectations clearly in our regulatory documents for Indigenous engagement and public information and disclosure. 

    Proponents and industry have the responsibility to develop meaningful, long-term relationships with Indigenous Nations and communities whose treaty lands, territories, and potential and established rights could be impacted by nuclear activities. 

    They must also develop and maintain programs that ensure effective communication with the public as a licensing condition. 

    Only through such efforts will they earn trust and support for their projects. 

    We as the regulator will be watching and expect performance to be maintained as new technologies are sought after. 

    Internal efforts

    I have mentioned a few times today, that safety is our top priority. A strong safety culture is an essential component, helping to build trust within the organization, as well as with the public we serve.

    That is why the CNSC continues to prioritize understanding and strengthening our regulatory safety culture through various mechanisms, most recently through the Independent Safety Culture Assessment led by the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA. 

    With almost 80 years of nuclear safety and security in Canada, our long history has taught us the importance of self-reflection and the need for continuous improvement, and that complacency is the enemy of excellence.

    We know that a culture for safety is an ongoing journey, which is why we continue to look for opportunities such as this mission to support our reflection and self-improvement. The IAEA recognized this in their preliminary findings, noting that we demonstrate a continued commitment for external review to help continuously improve. They recognized the strong personal commitment of staff to the CNSC safety mission, and our recognition that we face a significant amount of change in the coming years which we will need to continue to prepare for.

    The CNSC has also worked to better understand the important role diversity and inclusion play in safety culture. We know that diverse voices lead to better decision-making and better safety outcomes. 

    While I may not have faced the challenges in my career that some have, I am very aware of the need to direct our energies and efforts to ensure diversity in the talent pipeline. 

    Efforts such as this will let us engage the best and the brightest. It will foster innovation and improve our regulatory decisions. Complex challenges like those we face in the nuclear sector require varied perspectives. 

    Conclusion

    Many of you may be wondering, where do I fit? What role do I have to play? 

    There is value in gaining operational experience, which can be obtained in many ways. We live in a dynamic world, and our legislative framework is ever evolving. Embrace that uncertainty and the change that comes with it and challenge yourselves to continuously grow and learn. 

    The CNSC’s Legal Services team is a great example of this. They are an integral part of our organization, both in day-to-day operations as well as part of our management team. They act as counsel at Commission hearings and represent the CNSC in litigation. 

    Our Legal Services team directly supports the business of the CNSC as the regulator and, as such, contributes to the broader nuclear sector. 

    They do this by providing in-house legal advice to the CNSC, including advice on the interpretation of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and its related regulations and other legislation that may affect CNSC operations. With their experience and knowledge, they assist the Commission in its modernization efforts to find ever more effective means of delivering on its mandate.

    As lawyers, you know that you do not make policy. You interpret the law and give advice. You are not in a position to dictate outcomes; rather you provide strategic legal perspectives that bring valuable insight and contributions through your work.

    There is a necessary balance here. Courageous decision-making is needed at this time, and your legal advice to your clients can help them advance their important priorities. 

    We are at a critical point in history. And we have lots to do. 

    I can reassure you that the CNSC will be here making sure that safety remains top of mind for everyone. 

    There is a strong foundation in place and a great deal of work already underway to ensure we are ready. I am eager to guide the CNSC as an organization as we continue this journey.

    This is a very exciting time for the nuclear sector, and I look forward to what the future holds.

    Thank you again for inviting me to speak at your 2024 Nuclear Law School, I look forward to answering any questions you may have. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to announce support for the YMCA of Southwestern New Brunswick

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Government of Canada to announce support for the YMCA of Southwestern New Brunswick

    Saint John, New Brunswick · October 31, 2024 · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

    Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John – Rothesay, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, will make an announcement regarding  the YMCA’s Glenn Carpenter Outdoor Education Centre
     

    Date: November 1, 2024

    Time: 11:00 a.m.       

    Location:
    YMCA of Southwestern New Brunswick
    191 Churchill Boulevard
    Saint John, New Brunswick
    E2K 3E2

    Connor Burton
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
    Connor.Burton@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Exceptional Teachers Chosen for Master Teacher Program

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the selection of 144 STEM teachers for the New York State Master Teacher Program, a professional network of more than 1,700 public-school teachers with a passion for inspiring the next generation of educational leaders. Twenty-six counselors were also selected as part of the inaugural Master Counselor Program.

    “Here in New York, we are incredibly grateful for our teachers’ and counselors’ dedication to inspiring and shaping the minds of our students – the next generation of leaders in our state,” Governor Hochul said. “Through the New York State Master Teacher Program, we’re recognizing the hardworking educational leaders who are helping us build a world-class education system here in New York for generations to come.”

    In addition, the application process for the next round is open now through January 26, 2025. Interested applicants can review the eligibility requirements and attend an information session with program staff.

    The new members represent 83 school districts with a Master Teacher or Master Counselor among their faculty, with 40 program members from high-needs districts including Albany, Buffalo, Binghamton, Plattsburgh City, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Utica, and, for counselors, New York City School Districts.

    Master Teachers support students in grades K-12 in the areas of science, technology, computer science, robotics, coding, engineering, math, and integrated STEM.

    More than half of the new members have been in the classroom for more than ten years, and more than 45 percent have been teaching for 15 or more years. The incoming group of Master Teachers is comprised of 25 percent elementary level teachers, 48 teachers with multiple teaching certifications, 15 teachers certified in Special Education and two teachers who hold a Bilingual Education Extension.

    The Master Counselors are active members of their professional associations serving in leadership roles, and regularly engage with local industries to help students and their families chart a path to student success. More than half of the 2024 Master Counselors have been in a counseling role for longer than ten years. The counselors serve in various district-level and state-level roles, joining the program as experienced leaders dedicated to developing and sharing best practices. One-third of the Master Counselors hold additional certificates or NYS trainings including Occupational Therapy, Disability Services, National Board, and Mental Health Counseling.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “As the state’s largest educator preparation provider, SUNY is proud of the success of all teachers and school counselors throughout their careers. We applaud Governor Hochul for recognizing excellence in teaching as well as the importance of school counselors in helping New York State students achieve their aspirations for college and careers.”

    Master Teachers and Master Counselors are leaders in their professions, serving as mentors for students and early-career teachers and counselors. Many new members have been awarded grants for STEM or counseling program resources. The Master Teacher Program is hosted at nine SUNY campuses to leverage the expertise of the University’s faculty and existing educator preparation programs, and SUNY counterparts collaborate regularly with local STEM career and industry experts.

    The total number of teachers and counselors selected from each region, and the respective partner SUNY campus, are:

    • Capital Region: 219 Master Teachers and 4 Master Counselors (University at Albany)
    • Central New York: 213 Master Teachers and 3 Master Counselors (SUNY Cortland)
    • Finger Lakes: 223 Master Teachers and 3 Master Counselors (SUNY Geneseo)
    • Long Island: 206 Master Teachers and 5 Master Counselor (Stony Brook University)
    • Mid-Hudson: 200 Master Teachers and 7 Master Counselors (SUNY New Paltz)
    • Mohawk Valley: 140 Master Teachers and 4 Master Counselors (SUNY Oneonta)
    • North Country: 130 Master Teachers and 6 Master Counselor (SUNY Plattsburgh)
    • Southern Tier: 252 Master Teachers and 7 Master Counselors (Binghamton University)
    • Western New York: 244 Master Teachers and 7Master Counselors (SUNY Buffalo State)
    • New York City: 160 Master Teachers (in partnership with Math for America) and 5 Master Counselors

    Throughout their four-year participation in the Program, Master Teachers, and Master Counselors will receive a $15,000 stipend annually; engage in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional development opportunities throughout the academic year; work closely with pre-service and early career teachers and counselors to foster a supportive environment for the next generation of STEM teachers and counselors; and attend required regional meetings to participate in and lead professional development sessions each year.

    A full list of Master Teachers and Counselors and their school districts is available.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden, colleagues urge the release of untapped LIHEAP funding

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) yesterday joined a bipartisan group of House members requesting that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra release the maximum dispersal of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding made available from the recent government funding package.

    Golden joined 15 House colleagues in sending a letter to the secretary today, as agencies in Maine are ringing alarm bells about a lack of adequate LIHEAP funds

    “To prevent a lapse in eligible families’ ability to afford their home energy bills this fall, we urge you to immediately release the highest possible amount of LIHEAP funding made available by the Continuing Resolution,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is vital to ensure our seniors and low-income families are provided sufficient resources as temperatures cool in the months ahead.”

    Congress passed a temporary spending deal in September to delay a possible government shutdown through December 20. While this agreement included LIHEAP funding at the annualized rate of over $4 billion, none of that money has been dispersed for LIHEAP recipients to date.

    “As temperatures dip below freezing at night, our agency is inundated with calls from area residents in fuel emergencies. In Aroostook County alone, the number of households qualifying for the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program has increased by 60 percent in five years,”Jason Parent, executive director and CEO of the Aroostook County Action Program said.“At the same time the average household benefit has decreased by nearly $200.  This program is a critical lifeline for so many of our vulnerable seniors and families with children in Maine.”

    “Unfortunately, the demand for this program is more than we can fund. That means more people will have a benefit, but it is going to be a smaller benefit. With higher heating costs, higher grocery and gas costs, that means real people have less money to live,” Megan Hannan, executive director of the Maine Community Action Partnership said. “Our goal is to serve as many households as possible, and to make the benefits worth the work to receive it. We hope Congress understands that people are at risk without enough money to keep their homes warm.”

    Nationwide, an estimated 5 million households receive assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP, including over 45,000 Maine households. LIHEAP is administered by states and accessed through local Community Action Agencies. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. More information on the LIHEAP application process can be found here.   

    Golden has successfully led several efforts to increase Mainers’ access to LIHEAP, including last Congress when he and Senator Collins secured a total of $6.1 billion for the program in FY 2023. Last September, he and the rest of Maine’s Congressional Delegation secured an additional $38 million for Mainers in FY 2024, including $1.4 million for Maine’s tribes.

    Full text of Golden’s letter can be found here, and is included below in full:

     

    +++

     

    October 30, 2024

    The Honorable Xavier Becerra
    Secretary
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
    330 C Street, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20416

    Dear Secretary Becerra:

    We write to urge the immediate release of the highest possible amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the September 2024 Continuing Resolution (PL 118-83).

    As you well know, LIHEAP helps households unable to afford to heat their homes in the winter and cool their homes in the summer, providing assistance to at-risk seniors and families. In Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), more than five million households across the country relied on critical heating assistance from the LIHEAP program. For LIHEAP recipients, this funding is a lifeline, helping prevent them from having to make an impossible choice between staying warm and putting food on the table or affording their medications.

    With the winter months rapidly approaching, releasing the highest amount of funding from the recent government funding package is critically needed to address the growing number of households unable to pay their energy bills. Continued escalation in the Middle East and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine have increased uncertainty in the energy market and raised concerns about potential spikes in energy prices. These shifts disproportionately harm those who already struggle to heat their homes and underscore the need for robust funding for LIHEAP. Historically, LIHEAP has been an underfunded and oversubscribed program. This remained true in FY23, with only around 15 percent of qualifying households nationwide receiving heating assistance through the program.

    To prevent a lapse in eligible families’ ability to afford their home energy bills this fall, we urge you to immediately release the highest possible amount of LIHEAP funding made available by the Continuing Resolution. It is vital to ensure our seniors and low-income families are provided sufficient resources as temperatures cool in the months ahead.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to working with you further on this crucial program.

    Sincerely,

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘Blood-Soaked’ Eyes: NASA’s Webb, Hubble Examine Galaxy Pair

    Source: NASA

    Stare deeply at these galaxies. They appear as if blood is pumping through the top of a flesh-free face. The long, ghastly “stare” of their searing eye-like cores shines out into the supreme cosmic darkness.

    It’s good fortune that looks can be deceiving.

    These galaxies have only grazed one another to date, with the smaller spiral on the left, cataloged as IC 2163, ever so slowly “creeping” behind NGC 2207, the spiral galaxy at right, millions of years ago.

    The pair’s macabre colors represent a combination of mid-infrared light from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope with visible and ultraviolet light from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

    Image A: Galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207 (Webb and Hubble Image)

    Look for potential evidence of their “light scrape” in the shock fronts, where material from the galaxies may have slammed together. These lines represented in brighter red, including the “eyelids,” may cause the appearance of the galaxies’ bulging, vein-like arms.

    The galaxies’ first pass may have also distorted their delicately curved arms, pulling out tidal extensions in several places. The diffuse, tiny spiral arms between IC 2163’s core and its far left arm may be an example of this activity. Even more tendrils look like they’re hanging between the galaxies’ cores. Another extension “drifts” off the top of the larger galaxy, forming a thin, semi-transparent arm that practically runs off screen.

    Image B: Galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207 (MIRI Image)

    Both galaxies have high star formation rates, like innumerable individual hearts fluttering all across their arms. Each year, the galaxies produce the equivalent of two dozen new stars that are the size of the Sun. Our Milky Way galaxy only forms the equivalent of two or three new Sun-like stars per year. Both galaxies have also hosted seven known supernovae in recent decades, a high number compared to an average of one every 50 years in the Milky Way. Each supernova may have cleared space in their arms, rearranging gas and dust that later cooled, and allowed many new stars to form.

    To spot the star-forming “action sequences,” look for the bright blue areas captured by Hubble in ultraviolet light, and pink and white regions detailed mainly by Webb’s mid-infrared data. Larger areas of stars are known as super star clusters. Look for examples of these in the top-most spiral arm that wraps above the larger galaxy and points left. Other bright regions in the galaxies are mini starbursts — locations where many stars form in quick succession. Additionally, the top and bottom “eyelid” of IC 2163, the smaller galaxy on the left, is filled with newer star formation and burns brightly.

    Image C: Galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207 (Hubble and Webb Images Side by Side)

    What’s next for these spirals? Over many millions of years, the galaxies may swing by one another repeatedly. It’s possible that their cores and arms will meld, leaving behind completely reshaped arms, and an even brighter, cyclops-like “eye” at the core. Star formation will also slow down once their stores of gas and dust deplete, and the scene will calm.

    Video A: Tour of Galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207

    [embedded content]

    The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

    The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, Colorado, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.

    Downloads

    Right click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu.

    View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

    Media Contacts

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Claire Andreoli – claire.andreoli@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.edu, Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    Related Information

    Other images: View of NGC 2207 in optical, x-ray, and infrared light

    Video: What happens when galaxies collide?

    Video: Galaxy Collisions: Simulations vs. Observations

    Article: More about Galaxy Evolution

    Video: Learn more about galactic collisions

    More Webb News

    More Webb Images

    Webb Science Themes

    Webb Mission Page

    Hubble Mission Page

    Related For Kids

    What is a galaxy?

    What is the Webb Telescope?

    The Amazing Hubble Telescope

    SpacePlace for Kids

    En Español

    ¿Qué es una galaxia?

    Ciencia de la NASA

    NASA en español 

    Space Place para niños

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Middlesex Biotech Alum Publishes Fruit-fly Research

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Jacqueline Guillemin, originally from the town of East Hampton, was homeschooled before deciding to pursue higher education. She wanted to further her studies but was unsure of which path to take. Her mother suggested CT State Middlesex (at that time Middlesex Community College), and it felt like an ideal choice, providing a smooth transition from homeschooling into college life.

    While at Middlesex, Jackie balanced being a full-time student with a part-time job. For a brief period, she also attended UConn as a full-time student while continuing her studies and work at Middlesex. At first, she was an environmental science major, driven by her interest in nature. However, her interests expanded when she enrolled in a biology course with Middlesex professor Frank Stellabotte, Ph.D.

    “When I took Dr. Stellabotte’s introductory biology course, I learned that the natural world had so much more to offer,” said Jackie.

    Jackie also added she was fortunate to study under several inspiring professors at Middlesex.

    “Clearly Dr. Stellabotte made an amazing impact on my education, introducing me to the topics I study today. Additionally, I would not be where I am without the support from [chemistry professor] Dr. Kimberly Thomas, who helped me find my passion for teaching in the sciences. Professor [Emerita] Donna Hylton, who gave me great guidance while working with the Computer Club as president,” Jackie said. “Honestly, I could list so many mentors from Middlesex as favorites!”

    Jackie recalls several standout Middlesex memories—from exploring genetics and zebrafish research with Dr. Stellabotte to hosting and gaming at Computer Club LAN nights.

    “Middlesex offered many opportunities to build a community and to truly feel connected which was very impactful to me,” said Jackie, who graduated from Middlesex in 2017 with an associate degree in biotechnology.

    When it came time to transfer to UConn to complete a four-year degree, Jackie again received strong support from Dr. Stellabotte along with advisor Emily Canto, who helped her build a compelling resume. Most of Jackie’s credits from Middlesex transferred smoothly, preparing her well for upper-level courses at UConn.

    Jackie went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology/biological sciences from UConn in 2019.

    Today, Jackie lives just outside of Burlington, VT, having chosen the University of Vermont (UVM) Department of Biology for her doctoral studies.

    “It’s a nice community of students and a broad biology program, which I appreciated for building my knowledge for a more integrative understanding of biology,” Jackie mentioned.

    At UVM’s Stanley Lab, Jackie’s research focuses on how fruit flies choose their food. She said she investigates feeding behaviors on a cellular and molecular level, seeking to understand how internal factors, like previous meals, influence their preferences.

    “We can use our knowledge of the fruit fly taste system to understand how humans integrate taste information and ways to decrease pest damage,” Jackie said.

    Jackie recently published an article in Cell Reports journal (Guillemin, 2023) describing previously unknown cellular functions in fruit flies, using innovative techniques to observe their taste response behaviors. Her findings revealed that certain cells activate upon detecting amino acids, prompting the flies to stop eating and lay eggs.

    “We use tools that allow us to modify the flies to piece together what parts are needed for taste and taste-related behaviors. Using these tools, I was able to ‘turn on’ the cell function and see what the fly does in response to that signal being sent to the brain,” Jackie explained. “Further, I can look at the brain in live flies and offer them different tastes and observe if the cell turns on to those tastes. We found that these cells turn on when in contact with protein building blocks called amino acids, and that they tell the fly to stop eating and instead lay eggs where ever they detect them.”

    Looking ahead, Jackie aims to complete her doctoral degree and hopes to secure a postdoctoral position that allows her to pursue independent research. Ultimately, she envisions a career that combines both research and teaching, passions she discovered during her time at Middlesex.

    During her time at Middlesex a decade ago, Jackie held various roles, including working in the Academic Success Center, serving as an educational assistant, and supporting the after-school STEAM Train computer training programs with Professor Hylton. At UVM, Jackie actively participates in her department’s social committee and holds a leadership position with the Out in STEM (OSTEM) group. Her teaching experience spans multiple semesters, covering subjects from genetics to comparative invertebrate physiology.

    This past summer, Jackie presented her research at the International Conference of Olfaction and Taste in Iceland, and in the fall, she attended the Society of Neuroscience conference in Chicago to showcase her latest findings for her next research paper.

    For prospective Middlesex students, Jackie encourages them to embrace every learning opportunity.

    “It may just feel like a class or two, but you are making connections for life in those classrooms. Relish in the time you have to talk with your professors about all of your favorite topics from that class,” advised Jackie. “And, most importantly, there is no such thing as a stupid question.”

    October 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HWI to expand in Fulton, investing $13.9 million and creating 11 new jobs

    Source: US State of Missouri

    HWI (HarbisonWalker International), one of the leading suppliers of refractory products and services in the United States and member of the Calderys Group, announced today that it will expand in Fulton, investing $13.9 million and creating 11 new jobs.

    “We’re excited to see an innovative and world-class company like HWI continuing to invest in Fulton,” said Governor Mike Parson. “From day one, our administration remained committed to improving infrastructure and strengthening our workforce to ensure a thriving economy. As a result, more and more quality employers like HWI are growing and improving the lives of Missourians and their families.”

    HWI’s expansion includes the construction of an additional, state-of-the-art, lightweight monolithics refractories manufacturing facility that will increase production capacity by approximately 60 percent while enhancing product availability. The facility will feature cutting-edge technology and process automation advancements, including a new furnace and automated robotic packaging and material handling systems. HWI currently employs more than 70 people at its existing Fulton location.

    “We’re proud of our company’s more than 100-year legacy in the Callaway County community, and we are thrilled to further expand operations here,” said Ross Wilkin, Senior Vice President of Americas for Calderys Group. “Our growth in Fulton is a testament to our confidence in our people and the community.”

    HWI’s new plant will provide access to local, high-quality clay reserves, allowing the company to increase the production of its Greenlite aggregate-containing products, including the GREENLITE®-45-L family of monolithics and GREENLITE® 115 AR brick. These products are used extensively in many applications, including petrochemical, power generation, and other heater linings. Their unique strength-to-density ratios optimize thermal insulation with minimal structural bulk to reduce energy consumption and support customers’ goals. The company’s new facility is expected to be completed in July 2025.

    “HWI’s expansion in Fulton is another exciting example of the rapid growth of our state’s manufacturing industry,” said Michelle Hataway, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “We’re pleased to support HWI as it continues to build on its long history of helping Missourians prosper in Callaway County.”

    New jobs added as part of HWI’s expansion will pay an average wage well above the county average.

    For this expansion, HWI will benefit from the Missouri Works program, a tool that helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation.

    What others are saying

    “This investment demonstrates our commitment to meeting our customers’ evolving needs and reinforcing our market leadership position,” said Michel Cornelissen, President and CEO of Calderys.

    “This project represents a significant step forward for our community,” said Kim Barnes, President of the Fulton Area Development Foundation. “It underscores the importance of collaboration and strategic planning in attracting high-quality investments that will benefit the residents of Callaway County for years to come.”

    “We are thrilled to see HWI’s additional growth in Callaway County,” said Callaway County Commissioner Gary Jungermann. “This expansion is a testament to the ongoing efforts of our community to attract and retain quality businesses.  We look forward to seeing an even greater positive impact from HWI on the local workforce and economy.”

    “The collaboration between our local entities and state agencies was critical to making this happen,” said Tom Howard, IDA Board Member. “HWI’s decision to relocate here highlights the strength of our business environment, and we are excited to see this partnership grow.”

    About HWI, a member of Calderys

    HWI is one of the leading suppliers of refractory products and services in the United States, with a history that spans more than 150 years. It is part of Calderys and is the brand for the Americas region of the Group.  HWI counts 25 manufacturing sites and 20 distribution centers in the Americas, as well as the largest refractory industry research facility in North America. Serving virtually every major industry that requires refractory solutions to enhance production and protect assets, HWI is consistently recognized for its talented experts, industry firsts, and intensely driven excellence.

    To learn more about HWI, visit thinkhwi.com.

    About Calderys

    Calderys is a leading global provider for industries operating in high-temperature conditions with 2023 revenue at circa €1.6bn and over €220m of adjusted EBITDA. The Group specializes in thermal protection for industrial equipment with a wide range of refractory products and advanced solutions to enhance steel casting, metallurgical fluxes, and molding processes. With a presence in more than 30 countries and a strong footprint in the Americas through the brand HWI (HarbisonWalker International), Calderys’ international network of experts ensures an end-to-end offer with tailored services. Drawing on over 150 years of experience, Calderys supports its customers in their energy transition needs. Headquartered in Paris, France, the Group counts 5,800 employees and contractors, and 50 plants on five continents.

    To learn more about Calderys, visit calderys.com.

    About the Missouri Department of Economic Development

    The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) works to create an environment that encourages economic growth by supporting Missouri’s businesses and diverse industries, strengthening our communities, developing a talented and skilled workforce, and maintaining a high quality of life. As one team built around the customer and driven by data, DED aspires to be the best economic development department in the Midwest. Through its various initiatives, DED is helping create opportunities for Missourians to prosper.

    For the latest updates on DED’s current or future programs and initiatives, visit DED’s website.

    About the Missouri Works Program

    As the state’s number one incentive tool for expansion and retention, the Missouri Works Program helps businesses access capital through withholdings or tax credits to embark on facility expansions and create jobs. This program can also help businesses purchase equipment to maintain its facility in Missouri.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: KingsRock Advisors Announces Expanded Presence in the US with Additional Senior Hires and Transactions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KingsRock Advisors, LLC (“KingsRock”), an independent global advisory firm, announced today that it has expanded its presence in the US, with the opening of a new office in New York and the addition of senior bankers, including a new Managing Partner to accelerate the growth of KingsRock’s capital solutions and corporate finance business.

    We are pleased to welcome the following Senior Investment Bankers who have joined KingsRock recently, with additional hires pending:

    New York

    Paul Young, Managing Partner, former Salomon/Citi, MUFG and Apollo
    Tammer Fahmy, Managing Director, former Morgan Stanley, Silver Swan
    Paul Bitler, Managing Director, former Salomon/Citi
    Scott Dauer, Managing Director, former JP Morgan
    Wit Derby, Managing Director, former Bear Stearns, MUFG

    Gregory Raykher, Managing Director, former ORIX USA, Commerzbank
    Aidan Livingston, Senior Associate, former Deutsche Bank
    Huanjie Yuan, Senior Associate, former Deutsche Bank

    California

    Erich Griffin-Mauff, Managing Director, former Deutsche Bank
    Sud Subramanian, Managing Director, former JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank

    “We are excited to welcome our new Managing Partner, Managing Directors, and Senior Associates to KingsRock as we continue to expand the global reach of our capital solutions business. Our commitment to strengthening our partnership model will further enhance our ability to serve our credit, corporate and sponsor clients in the US and internationally. In the near term, we will share more details about our European expansion, and our growing partnerships beyond Europe to support clients worldwide,” said Hakan Wohlin, Founder & Managing partner and Louis Jaffe Co-Founder, Managing Partner.

    KingsRock is also pleased to announce the closing of several US transactions in 2024, including a significant programmatic sale leaseback of community and regional bank branches. KingsRock advised Mountainseed, an Atlanta based company serving the U.S. banking community with a range of services and solutions, and after running a competitive process, paired them with a globally established institutional investor. This investor committed up to $2 billion to support this strategy.

    About KingsRock:

    KingsRock Advisors, LLC headquartered at 900 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, is an independent global advisory firm, with securities offered by KingsRock Securities LLC, a FINRA member firm and SIPC, as well as KingsRock Advisors UK Ltd and KingsRock Advisors Europe AB, both wholly owned subsidiaries of KingsRock Advisors LLC.

    Founded in 2020, KingsRock comprises a team of over 20 professionals who advise on a wide range of private capital markets transactions including debt, hybrid capital, equity and M&A with structures ranging from plain vanilla to highly structured. The team collectively has worked on thousands of transactions across various industry sectors worldwide. Clients include private equity and private credit firms, corporations, financial institutions, government-related entities, and institutional investors.

    KingsRock Advisors offers the experience and global reach of a large firm, combined with the structural agility and creativity of a boutique. An independent advisory firm with a global network that provides unconflicted strategic and financial advisory services, along with innovative capital solutions and special situations. The firms’ bankers excel in complex transactions and deliver swift results often where large banks and traditional sources of financing do not have the ability to engage. KingsRock advisors operates across all major industry sectors and is supported by a global network of 115 independent Senior Advisors across 45 countries, who bring decades of deal making experience.

    Disclaimer:

    Securities offered by KingsRock Securities LLC, a FINRA, member firm and a member of SIPC., a wholly owned subsidiary of KingsRock Advisors LLC. • 900 Third Avenue, 10th Floor • New York, NY 10022.

    This message is provided for information purposes and does not constitute an invitation, solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or investment. Neither KingsRock Securities, LLC nor its affiliates provide accounting, tax or legal advice; such matters should be discussed with your advisors and/or counsel. 

    Info@kingsrock.com

    Download press release PDF here

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by President  Biden and President Nikos Christodoulides of the Republic of Cyprus Before Bilateral  Meeting

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Oval Office
    12:06 P.M. EDT
    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President, welcome.  Welcome to the Oval Office.
    PRESIDENT CHRISTODOULIDES:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.
    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good to see you.  Good to see you.
    It was 10 years ago when I visited Cyprus last, as vice president of the United States.  And — and, as I said, there is no limit to what our nations can achieve if we work together. 
    PRESIDENT CHRISTODOULIDES:  Exactly.
    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  And we’ve been doing that for a long time. 
    But I think that’s even more true today.  Today, we stood against Russia’s vicious onslaught against Ukraine.  We launched a strategic dialogue to increase cooperation across a range of issues, from energy security to artificial intelligence.  And we surged humanitarian aid, delivering 8,000 metric tons to Gaza. 
    So, Mr. President, Cyprus made all this possible.  I want thank you for your leadership in making that happen. 
    And this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the artificial division of the island.  I remember it well.  It was my first year as a U.S. senator.  I remember sitting with (inaudible) — anyway, it’s — it’s a sad day.
    PRESIDENT CHRISTODOULIDES:  (Inaudible.)
    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  But as a — it was a sad occasion, but I remain optimistic about the possibility that a u- — reunited Cyprus and bizonal, bicommunal federation is possible.  And the United States ready — stands ready to provide any support we can toward that goal. 
    Mr. President, thank you, again, for being here, and I look forward to our conversation.
    The floor is yours.
    PRESIDENT CHRISTODOULIDES:  Mr. President, it’s a great honor to be at the White House.  Thank you very much for your invitation.
    As you very well know, our countries have been — have built a truly strategic partnership and — and our relations — our relations are at a strategic and historical high.
    At the bilateral level, we are working closely on defense and security, on energy, law enforcement, technology innovation.  There is a top potential, and there is a clear and strong political will from both countries, following also the first strategic dialogue that took place in Cyprus last week to further enhance our partnership.
    Mr. President, at — at the regional level, Cyprus is a predictable and reliable partner of the United States in a region of great geopolitical importance.  We are the member state of the European Union in the region.  We have excellent relations with all of our neighbors.  And we’re working closely with the United States and other partners to face the current challenges, to send much-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza, to evacuate third-country nationals from — from the region.
    With regards to — to Ukraine, Cyprus stands on the right side of history.  And, Mr. President, it could have been different, having in mind that my country is under Turkish occupation the last 50 years.  
    And, Mr. President, I count on your support and the support of the United States to resume negotiations and find a solution of the Cyprus problem — solution in line with the U.N. Security Council resolution, solution that is based on our common values and principles: democracy and respect of human rights.
    So, Mr. President, once again, thank you very much.  I’m looking forward to our discussions.  Thank you very much.
    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I’m looking forward to it as well.  You’re a good friend.  (Inaudible.)
    PRESIDENT CHRISTODOULIDES:  Thanks.  Thank a lot.
    12:20 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Diabetes Month,  2024

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Over 38 million Americans, or 1 in every 10 people, have diabetes.  During National Diabetes Month, we raise awareness about this chronic condition and promote the strategies that can prevent and manage it.  We recommit to making treatment more affordable and accessible.  And we strengthen our resolve to find cures.
         Diabetes takes a physical and financial toll on Americans nationwide, and many Americans must decide between paying for treatments and putting food on the table.  Insulin — a life-saving drug for some people with diabetes — can cost Americans upwards of $300, even though it costs drug companies as little as $10 per vial to make.  Some Americans end up rationing their medication, which can have serious effects on their health and well-being.  While Big Pharma makes record profits, Americans pay exorbitant prices — higher than anywhere else in the world.  It is unacceptable.  No one should have to lie awake at night wondering if they can afford their medical bills or their insulin prescription.
         Since I came into office, I have worked to ensure that health care is a right in this country, not a privilege — and that meant lowering the cost of insulin.  That is why my Administration took on Big Pharma and won.  I signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped the cost of insulin at $35 for people on Medicare.  And the largest manufacturer of insulin in the United States answered my call to lower the cost to $35 per month for everyone.  My Inflation Reduction Act also empowered Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, lowering the costs of medications used to treat common diseases, including drugs that treat diabetes.  Further, that law requires drug companies that raise prices faster than inflation to pay Medicare back the difference, saving seniors up to $618 per dose of medication.  Moreover, beginning in 2025, the Inflation Reduction Act will cap total out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year for people on Medicare.  There is still more to do, but this will help ensure Americans — including those with diabetes — have the dignity, security, and peace of mind they deserve.
         My Administration is also working to drive new breakthroughs in preventing, detecting, and treating diabetes while ensuring that Americans have the resources they need to lead healthy lifestyles.  I secured $4 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to make strides in transforming the prevention, detection, and treatment of deadly diseases like diabetes.  We have seen enormous research advances in recent years to develop promising new diabetes drugs, including the first cell therapy for adults with Type 1 diabetes and the first new oral medication for children with Type 2 diabetes in decades.  At the same time, we recognize that the impact of Type 2 diabetes can be greatly decreased through improvements in nutrition and physical activity.  My Administration announced new standards for school meals to improve their nutritional value and give schools the option to require locally produced, unprocessed menu ingredients.  We also held the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years, bringing together advocates, health care providers, food companies, and officials from every level of government.  As a part of that conference, we launched the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.  In total, we have secured more than $10 billion in bold, new commitments from the public and private sectors to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases like diabetes.
         My Administration also recognizes that tens of millions of Americans have prediabetes and are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within 5 years.  Diabetes increases one’s risk of heart attack, cancer, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and the loss of toes, feet, or legs.  Many of these cases are preventable, and the risk factors are often related to poor nutrition and inadequate physical activity.  To learn more about the risks and how to address prediabetes and help prevent Type 2 diabetes, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Diabetes Prevention Program:  cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention. 
         During National Diabetes Month, we celebrate the resilience and courage of all those affected by diabetes.  We thank the dedicated medical professionals, loved ones, and advocates who support this community.  And we recommit to working around the clock to improve care for those affected and get us closer to finding cures.
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Diabetes Month.  I call upon all Americans, school systems, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, research institutions, and other interested groups to join in activities that raise diabetes awareness and help prevent, treat, and manage this disease.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                 JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Family Caregivers Month,  2024

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Family caregivers are the backbone of our Nation, making tremendous sacrifices to be there for the people who need and cherish them most.  This month, we honor their selfless love and courage, and we recommit to getting them the support they deserve.  They should know their country has their backs.
         For far too long, the cost of care in this country has been too high.  Today, millions of Americans are part of the so-called sandwich generation, caring for both young kids and aging parents at the same time.  Too many families struggle to afford help, spending their own retirement savings to pay for the care of their loved ones or quitting their own jobs to stay home and provide it themselves.  Most often, it is women who bear the brunt of care work.  And the pay for professional care workers is far too low.    
         In the United States of America, no one should have to choose between caring for a parent who raised them, a child who depends on them, and a paycheck that they need.  That is why I signed the American Rescue Plan, which made the biggest investment in child care ever.  It delivered historic support to over 225,000 child care programs serving as many as 10 million children across the country, helping keep their doors open for millions of working families who rely on them.  It expanded the Child Tax Credit, which helped cut the child poverty rate nearly in half.  Overall, my Administration increased funding for child care by nearly 50 percent while helping States expand and strengthen programs that enable low-income families afford child care as well.  We also required companies seeking significant Federal funding from our CHIPS and Science Act to submit a plan on how they will help employees access affordable child care.  
         We have finalized new rules that strengthen staffing standards in nursing homes to ensure residents can age with dignity.  We have made sure that home care workers get a bigger share of Medicaid payments so more Americans can keep living in their own communities and homes.  And we have worked to increase Medicare resources to promote equitable access to care and caregiver training.  
         But we have to do more to ease the load on America’s 50 million unpaid family caregivers, who too often still shoulder the burden of care all alone.  Through the American Rescue Plan, we devoted $145 million to the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which delivers counseling, training, and short-term relief to family caregivers and other informal care providers.  Furthermore, my Administration released the first-ever National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, which includes new initiatives that directly support family caregivers and strengthen existing programs.  And I signed a historic Executive Order, representing the most comprehensive set of administrative actions ever to increase access to high-quality child care and long-term care and support for caregivers, including military and veteran caregivers.  The Executive Order is working to make sure caregivers get the support they deserve while building the supply of high-quality care so families have options.  My Administration is continuing to work toward lowering the cost of care across the country and providing stronger paid family and medical leave. 
         How we treat our young children, aging parents, and loved ones and how we value those who care for them are fundamental to who we are as a Nation.  During National Family Caregivers Month, we pledge to get every family caregiver in this country the same kind of relief, respect, and support that they give so selflessly to others.
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Family Caregivers Month.  I encourage all Americans to reach out to those who provide care for our Nation’s family members, friends, and neighbors in need to recognize, honor, and thank them.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                 JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s statement on Bandi Chhor Divas

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Media Contacts

    Office of the Premier

    Media Relations
    premier.media@gov.bc.ca

    https://news.gov.bc.ca/31762

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month,  2024

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Too many Americans know the pain of losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s — a leading cause of death in older adults.  During National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, we honor the courage and resilience of all those facing this devastating disease.  We recommit to supporting every caregiver who pours their heart into helping people with Alzheimer’s face this disease with dignity.  And we strengthen our resolve to do everything we can to prevent, treat, and eliminate Alzheimer’s as we know it.
         Currently, over six million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, which robs people of their memories, clarity, and identity — taking a difficult emotional, financial, and physical toll on people facing the disease and the loved ones standing by their side.  Alzheimer’s also disproportionately impacts African Americans and Latino Americans, who are more likely to develop dementias than people of any other race or ethnicity.  People with Down syndrome also have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
         My Administration has taken steps to drive new breakthroughs toward preventing, detecting, and treating Alzheimer’s.  I secured $4 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, directing funding to researchers and innovators who are pioneering new techniques and technologies to transform the lives of people with Alzheimer’s and improve human health outcomes.  I was also proud to sign the reauthorization of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act, ensuring the Federal Government is doubling down on our commitment to address Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  The National Institutes of Health is funding new clinical trials that are doing cutting-edge work to improve the lives of people with Alzheimer’s — from pursuing new drugs that could prevent and treat dementia to improving cognition and memory for those who have it.
         My Administration is committed to supporting the caregivers who care for people with Alzheimer’s.  I signed the Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers — the most comprehensive set of executive actions any President has ever taken to improve care for hardworking families while supporting care workers and family caregivers.  In response, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the GUIDE Model, which offers a package of respite services, caregiver support and education, and care management and coordination for people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.  CMS is also continuing to increase access to cognitive care assessments so more people with Alzheimer’s get the resources and care they need.  And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to increase access to early detection, prevention, and treatment of dementias like Alzheimer’s.
         During National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, we recommit to improving the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.  We honor all the lives we have lost and all those we can still save.  And we uplift the spirit of hope that countless medical professionals, researchers, and caregivers working to help people with Alzheimer’s carry each day.
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.  I call on the people of the United States of America to honor and support those living with Alzheimer’s and the many people who continue extraordinary and tireless efforts to combat this disorder and care for those affected by it.  I encourage all Americans to visit Alzheimers.gov for evidence-based resources and information.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                   JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Torres Celebrates Announcement of New Nonstop Destination Flight from Ontario International Airport to Baltimore Washington International

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    October 31, 2024

    Bringing California’s 35th District Closer to Our Nation’s Capital

    Washington D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma J. Torres, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee which oversees federal aviation spending, released the following statement following the announcement of a new, non-stop flight route from Ontario International Airport (ONT) to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI). Fostering connections between California’s 35th district and our nation’s Capital is essential for supporting the continued growth of Southern California’s airport, ensuring it meets the rising demand for air travel to the East Coast.

    “Today’s announcement of the first non-stop flight route from Ontario International Airport (ONT) ever to Washington, D.C. at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is a significant win for our community and the economy of the Inland Empire. Our area is one of the fastest growing population centers in the entire United States, so I am thrilled to see the Inland Empire’s primary airport expanding its reach, making travel more accessible for our residents, civic leaders, advocates, and businesses to the nation’s capital,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “This achievement is a testament to the importance of regaining local control of Ontario Airport years ago and the importance of proactive and strategic transportation decisions. Together, we’ve worked hard to secure crucial funding through THUD appropriations, which supports vital projects at our airports. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this new route will have on our region.”

    Background: Since entering Congress, Congresswoman Norma Torres has been a steadfast advocate for the Ontario International Airport (ONT), facilitating its transfer from the city of Los Angeles to the Ontario International Airport Authority. Strategically located at the heart of a vital freight movement system, ONT plays a crucial role in stimulating economic activity in the region and provides local businesses with convenient access to broader markets. To advance local control of the airport, Congresswoman Torres worked with bipartisan colleagues to pass essential legislation that implements the agreement between ONT and LAX. Now that the community has local control, she is focused on enhancing accessibility through public transit initiatives and has supported substantial funding for various projects at ONT, including $15.9 million for runway and taxiway improvements, $2.52 million for low-emission equipment, and $24.82 million for airport concessions that create good-paying jobs. The Congresswoman also led the Inland Empire delegation last year in sending a letter to the House Transportation Committee advocating for more slots for Ontario to get a nonstop flight to Washington, D.C.  As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Air Cargo Caucus, she is committed to supporting ONT’s growth as a leading air cargo airport in the U.S. and has worked to secure international flights to Central America, further bolstering the region’s economic development. As Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) FAA Reauthorization Chair, the Congressman also spearheaded aviation efforts and priorities for the Caucus. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Robin Kelly to Introduce Bill to Prevent High-Risk People from Buying Guns

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) will introduce a bill tomorrow to prevent people with violent misdemeanors from owning or buying a firearm. The Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act prevents guns from falling into the hands of people with high-risk behaviors such as stalking, violent hate crimes, and domestic violence.

    “I’ve introduced the Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act every Congress because dangerous individuals shouldn’t be able to easily access firearms,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “If someone has a history of violent behaviors, it’s simply common sense to prevent that person from buying or owning a gun. Whenever a gun is present in a high-risk situation – whether that be a domestic violence emergency or hate crime – it instantly escalates the chances of injury or death. We should prevent a gun from entering the situation in the first place.”

    According to Everytown for Gun Safety, states with similar laws have seen an 18% reduction in all homicides.

    The Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act implements the following:

    • Prohibits people convicted of a violent misdemeanor offense from purchasing or possessing firearms for a period of five years from the date of conviction.
    • Juveniles convicted of violent crimes are prohibited from purchasing a firearm until they reach the age of 25.
    • Individuals specifically convicted of stalking are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.

    The Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act has been endorsed by several nationwide gun violence prevention organizations: Brady, Community Justice, Everytown for Gun Safety, GIFFORDS, March for Our Lives, and 97Percent.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Don’t Wait! Saturday is the Final Day to Apply for FEMA Assistance

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Don’t Wait! Saturday is the Final Day to Apply for FEMA Assistance

    Don’t Wait! Saturday is the Final Day to Apply for FEMA Assistance

    Oct. 31, 2024DR-4787-WV NR-015FEMA News Desk: 215-931-5597FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.govNews releaseDon’t Wait! Saturday is the Final Day to Apply for FEMA AssistanceCHARLESTON, W.Va. – Saturday is the final day for residents in Boone, Hancock, Kanawha, Marshall, Ohio, Roane, Wetzel and Wood counties to apply for FEMA Assistance if they had damages during the April 11-12, 2024, storms, floods, and landslides. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS SATURDAY, NOV. 2, 2024.FEMA assistance for individuals and families affected by the flooding can cover home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.The easiest way to apply for FEMA assistance is online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone line operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, is also the final deadline to apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan. Applicants can apply online at sba.gov/disaster, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay service.For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page,www.fema.gov/disaster/4787 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages). 
    issa.mansaray
    Thu, 10/31/2024 – 14:30

    MIL OSI USA News –