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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa’s flagship universities have a proud history – but are they serving local communities?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By James Ransom, Researcher: societal challenges, UCL

    Students pictured in 1955 in a reading room at what is today the University of Ibadan. Flagship universities have long histories. Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images

    Universities play a number of crucial roles in society. They educate students, research solutions to problems and serve as spaces for national debate. This is especially true for large public institutions, often referred to as flagship universities. A number were launched with great fanfare around the time of a country’s independence from colonial rule. They were tasked with driving national development by training skilled graduates to fill workforce gaps and conducting applied research to address societal challenges. Many have done well in their historic national missions. But how are they performing today when it comes to serving their local communities?

    Higher education researcher James Ransom set out to answer this question in his new book, Revisiting Africa’s Flagship Universities: Local, National and International Dynamics. He analysed local engagement at ten African flagship universities: Ethiopia’s University of Addis Ababa; Makerere University in Uganda; the universities of Ghana, Namibia, Rwanda, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe; the University of Cape Town in South Africa and Nigeria’s University of Ibadan. He tells The Conversation Africa what he learned.

    What is a flagship university?

    They are pillars of the nation: their campuses are intertwined with history as sites of protest and revolution; their researchers lead the way in publications and research; their students are tomorrow’s leaders.

    Sometimes there is one flagship in a country. Sometimes a country will be home to several. In Nigeria, the University of Ibadan is joined by the University of Nigeria at Nsukka.

    Small, specialist institutions and private universities all play important roles in national higher education systems. But flagships are the trendsetters. They often mentor new universities by seconding senior staff to lead them, and helping design the curricula. Their staff sit on government committees. They have international partnerships and projects.

    The term “flagship” has been used elsewhere in the world, not just in post-colonial countries. In the book I focused on Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa, including countries that were not traditional colonial states, such as Ethiopia.



    Read more:
    The untold story of how Africa’s flagship universities have advanced

    What made you write this book and why now?

    In the UK, where I live, we have seen a shift in the expectations placed upon universities.

    The “redbrick” universities, such as Birmingham and Liverpool, are a good example. They were founded in the 19th century to meet local needs. Then they developed strong global ambitions over the next hundred years, excelling in world-leading research and innovation.

    During the past couple of decades, the local question returned: what are you doing to serve your local community? The redbricks (and many others) have responded – nudged along by national policies and frameworks – with serious programmes of civic engagement. These include projects designed with communities, seconding staff into local planning organisations, and opening up their campuses to communities – from 5-a-side football pitches to photography exhibitions.

    The shift I witnessed in the UK, and mirrored in my work across Europe and Canada, made me wonder: has a similar shift, from a historic national mission to a local one, taken place for African universities?

    The question is timely. Societal challenges may be national or global in scale. But they need local knowledge and local partnerships to solve at the local level. This means universities working with local government, which is a key focus of my work. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has calculated that 100 of the 169 UN Sustainable Development Goal targets can only be achieved if local governments are involved. Universities can play an important supporting role.

    What did you find?

    It is clear that flagship universities’ local work is growing and will continue to grow. For instance, Addis Ababa University established a railway engineering centre to train engineers to maintain the city’s light rail transit system, with students employed by the Ethiopian Railway Corporation. The University of Ghana runs satellite campuses in all ten regional capitals. This allows it to reach remote areas and to establish a local presence in different regions.

    Successful projects often emerge from deep links with local communities. Ibadan has worked closely with a few communities over many decades. These “field laboratories” include a community health programme in the village of Ibarapa, which began in the early 1960s with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and technical support from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

    The programme has trained hundreds of medical students in community medicine through practical work in rural areas, while also improving health services and conducting research on health issues in the Ibarapa community. An example is studying and addressing neglected tropical diseases such as onchocerciasis (river blindness) and guinea worm.

    In 2020 the University of Ibadan signed a memorandum of understanding with the local government on the Ibarapa programme. Over half a century after it began, local partnerships continue to sustain the programme.

    However, a national focus continues to dominate at all ten institutions I studied. This is perhaps best illustrated by the University of Rwanda. Local engagement activity is secondary to the nation’s development strategy spearheaded by its Vision 2050, an ambitious effort to become an upper-middle income country in the next 25 years.

    There is some local activity, of course. Students provide health services to the community, staff run community workshops on informal housing, and there are plans to open model farms to showcase irrigation and agricultural mechanisation. But all of this ultimately serves the national vision.

    Rwanda is a small country, but this finding – of national priorities dominating at the expense of local programmes – was consistent across all the flagships I studied, in large countries like Nigeria as well as in other small countries like Mauritius and Namibia.

    What can other universities on the continent learn from your findings?

    Flagships are complex institutions, with rich histories and often complicated relationships with government. They are survivors, skilled at balancing multiple roles. There is much that other universities can learn from flagships, and that flagships can learn from each other – and more of these partnerships are needed.

    But one senior staff member at a flagship university told me that many African university heads

    feel rather oppressed by the narratives from higher education leaders in other parts of the world

    They were talking about international benchmarking, unequal research partnerships, and models of “best practice”. These constrain the local role of flagships, creating identikit institutions. The result is a race to local irrelevance. Relevance can only emerge from an approach that reflects the local and national context.

    Universities that capture the work they do locally, effectively communicate this, and can demonstrate how it is relevant to society, will be in a good place to chart their own path as a pillar of the nation.

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

    – ref. Africa’s flagship universities have a proud history – but are they serving local communities? – https://theconversation.com/africas-flagship-universities-have-a-proud-history-but-are-they-serving-local-communities-240813

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Steel Calls on Biden Administration to Hold North Korea Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Michelle Steel (CA-48)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of a coming United Nations review of the human rights situation in North Korea, U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel is calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to hold Kim Jong-un’s regime accountable for failing to respect human rights obligations under international law.

    Steel, a first-generation immigrant whose parents fled North Korea, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighting a series of concerns including North Korea’s campaign of torture, unlawful detainment and improper refugee treatment, among other issues.

    The United States will have an opportunity to raise areas of concern as part of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s review process.

    “Decades after my parents fled following a communist takeover, North Korea’s government continues to abuse basic human rights and aggressively persecute its own citizens,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “Innocent North Koreans, defectors, and detained foreign citizens need the United States’ help now more than ever. I will continue fighting for their freedoms while urging the Biden Administration to hold North Korea accountable for violating international human rights standards.”

    Steel’s letter calls on Secretary of State Blinken to address numerous issues as part of the UN review, including but not limited to:

    • Refugee repatriation from China back to North Korea
    • Citizens of America’s allies (South Korea and Japan) held against their will in North Korea
    • North Korea’s political prison camps
    • North Korea’s failure to ratify international treaties to prevent torture

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: NSWC PCD hosts NavalX Gulf Coast Tech Bridge Integration Experiment

    Source: United States Navy

    More than 45 participants from four NavalX Gulf Coast Tech Bridge partner commands—Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), the Naval Research Lab (NRL) Stennis, the Naval Meteorological and Oceanography Command (CNMOC), and Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO)—collaborated to demonstrate the acceleration of technology development. This exercise successfully integrated multiple unmanned systems from contracting partners to collect and transmit real-time environmental data to a forward-deployed shore station. The experiment also tested novel data exfiltration methods, demonstrated regional partnering, and leveraged prior Navy and non-Navy development efforts to advance subsea warfare (SSW) mission capabilities.

    “This experiment was important because it demonstrated a process for rapidly moving from focusing on the warfighter need, sourcing technologies and industry partners, understanding lessons learned from the fleet from using relevant systems, understanding how to accelerate capabilities, and then executing an experiment to demonstrate the sourced capabilities,” said Holly Gardner, NSWC PCD director of Strategic Engagement and NavalX Gulf Coast Tech Bridge director. “It highlights our command’s capabilities and expertise as leaders not only in unmanned systems, but also in systems engineering, integration and test and evaluation. It also highlights NSWC PCD’s role as the lead command in the NavalX Gulf Coast Tech Bridge.”

    This exercise illustrated a process for rapidly moving from focusing on warfighters’ needs, to sourcing technologies, and executing successful experiments to demonstrate emerging capabilities. The initial integration testing was completed on schedule, followed by at-sea testing, real-time data collection and processing.

    “As a project lead in developing systems, I really appreciate events that focus on integration and forward progress versus ‘demos’ that show the same capabilities over and over,” said Erica Davis, NSWC PCD Skylla Project lead. “This event allowed for development and integration of the systems with the people who support them at other commands. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we worked directly with the teams who are experts in their systems and we all gained a lot of knowledge in other systems and came away with creative ideas how we could integrate in the future.”

    This effort was the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of planning that began with an initial workshop focused on developing a collaborative vision for the Gulf of Mexico ranges and selecting capabilities that address undersea warfare mission needs. The experiment included at-sea testing, the collection, fusing and display of data collected from those systems in real-time at a forward-deployed shore station, and transmission of the data to NAVO for further analysis. The experiment is a precursor to CNMOC’s Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) 2025 event series, which consists of technical vignettes occurring throughout FY24 & 25 and ends with a culminating event which will be held in conjunction with the Marine Technology Society’s (MTS) Gulf Coast Oceans-In-Action Workshop in April 2025.

    It also included four Navy STEM students from programs like SSEP (STEM Student Employment Program), Pathways, and NREIP (Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program) who participated in a real-life, mission scenario experiment. They provided at-sea support and gained exposure to cutting-edge concept of operations, demonstrating the Navy’s commitment to fostering future STEM leaders.

    “The demonstration team’s success is the result of planning, passion, commitment and a lot of hard work dedicated to delivering capabilities to the fleet,” said CNMOC Commander Rear Adm. Ron Piret. “Over the past year, our ANTX 2025 team, which is comprised of industry, academia and Navy partners, has focused on proving and integrating technologies through a series of test cases in preparation for the OCEANS In Action 2025 culminating event. The results have been inspiring, and by gauging the team’s enthusiasm – innovation can be great fun.”

    The geographical location of NSWC PCD demonstrates the value of the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range, the largest military test and training range in the continental United States, a national asset. The experiment took place in the Panama City Operations Area’s Surface and Subsurface Range and also highlights the multi-domain SSW operations, which play a critical role in its recent organizational re-alignment to support the U.S. Navy.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Icymi: Manchin Attends The Thomas Orthopedic Hospital Grand Re-Opening, Ribbon -Cutting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
    October 30, 2024
    Charleston, WV – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) attended the grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for West Virginia University Health System’s (WVU Medicine) Thomas Orthopedic Hospital in Charleston.
    “WVU Medicine continues to be a leader in high-quality patient care and cutting-edge medical research,” said Senator Manchin. “This hospital is set to be at the forefront of orthopedic medicine, focused on bone and joint issues. I am certain all West Virginians will be able to receive quality, specialized treatment from experienced professionals using the latest medical technology. I look forward to returning to the hospital soon to hear all about its positive impacts on the community and the continued great work of everyone involved.”
    Photos from the event are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Garcia Hosts Veterans Roundtable in Antelope Valley

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Garcia (CA-25)

    ANTELOPE VALLEY, CA – Representative Mike Garcia (CA-27) gathered veteran advocacy leaders from across the district to address the urgent challenges our veteran community faces daily. Leaders from veteran service organizations joined Rep. Garcia and Jon Clark, Staff Director for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, at City of Hope for a roundtable on the issues impacting those who’ve sacrificed for our country.

    “The top priority is making sure our veterans in CA-27 get the care and respect they deserve. They shouldn’t be forced to travel hours for basic healthcare or face roadblocks to services,” said Rep. Garcia. “These men and women answered the call when our nation needed them, and now it’s our turn to have their backs.”

    From understaffed clinics to canceled appointments, attendees shared firsthand the unacceptable gaps in care, particularly with the Antelope Valley Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Rep. Garcia underscored his commitment to ensuring access to quality care while advocating for a well-staffed, fully operational Antelope Valley VA clinic by 2025 to prevent more veterans from slipping through the cracks.

    This roundtable was a critical opportunity to hear directly from those on the frontlines of supporting veterans. Rep. Garcia remains focused on bringing real solutions back to Washington to address the needs of veterans in CA-27.

    Read more about Rep. Garcia’s work to champion veterans’ issues here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Banks Introduces End Executive Branch Amnesty Act to Reform TPS and CHNV

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03)

    Today, Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03) introduced the End Executive Branch Amnesty Act, extensive immigration legislation to secure our border by stopping the Biden-Harris administration’s abuse of Temporary Protected Status and the CHNV Parole Program, limiting the use of immigration parole, banning the use of the CBP One application as a form of identification, and reforming treatment of unaccompanied minors. Read the bill text HERE and a one pager HERE.

    Said Rep. Banks: “Small towns across our nation like Logansport, Indiana, are bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris White House’s reckless open border policies. It’s time for Congress to secure our border once and for all.”

    “The Biden-Harris administration has abused the laws on the books to grant millions of non-citizens legal status. Republicans must restore our immigration system to Congress’s original intent and ensure parole is only used as a last-ditch humanitarian measure to help foreign nationals in times of catastrophe. Over the past three years, millions of foreigners have made the dangerous and illegal journey across our southern border because of the Biden-Harris administration’s promise of future amnesty. Democrats broke our immigration system, and my bill would help fix it by ending mass parole and other magnets drawing people here illegally.”

    Background:

    Logansport, Indiana, a small town of just 18,000 residents, has recently been overwhelmed by an influx of an estimated 5,000 Haitian migrants in just two years. Logansport resident Candice Espinoza told Fox News that, “We don’t have space for everybody, so the housing has been taken over and our schools have been taken over; pretty much the whole town has been taken over.”

    The Biden-Harris administration has granted parole to over 2.1 million foreigners since October 2021.

    Currently over 850,000 foreign migrants from sixteen different nations are protected from deportation and authorized to work in the U.S. through Temporary Protected Status.

    The Biden-Harris administration’s Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela Parole Program (CHNV), which was never authorized by Congress, has flown over 520,000 foreign nationals into America since January 2024. An internal report by USCIS found rampant fraud in the CHNV Parole Program. As a result, the CHNV Parole Program was paused in July 2024, before the Biden-Harris administration restarted it several weeks later.

    In 2023, the Biden-Harris administration began allowing illegal aliens to use the CBP One mobile app to submit identification and schedule appointments at ports of entries to be processed and then released into the U.S. A DHS OIG report from September 2024 found widespread fraud on the application.

    The Biden-Harris administration has lost track of 325,000 unaccompanied migrant children.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Announces New Members of Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced four new members of the Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. The new members were appointed to four-year terms and will join the 14 current Commission-appointed committee members.

    “I thank the new members for their willingness to serve on the Advisory Committee, which plays an important role in our work to facilitate capital formation for companies of every size,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “Small businesses employ nearly half of America’s workforce and make up more than 99 percent of America’s businesses. The new members named today understand this well, and I am pleased the SEC will benefit from their valuable experiences and insights.”

    The new Commission-appointed committee members are:

    • Jennifer Newton – Managing Attorney and Founder, StartSmart Counsel; Miami
    • Rose Standifer – Partner, Foley Hoag LLP; Denver
    • Wendy Stevens – Partner, Forvis Mazars LLP; New York
    • Emily Underwood – Clinical Professor of Law, Bluhm-Helfand Director of the Innovation Clinic, The University of Chicago Law School; Chicago

    In addition to the 14 appointed members, the current committee members include the SEC’s Small Business Advocate, and three non-voting members appointed by the SEC’s Investor Advocate, the North American Securities Administrators Association, and the Small Business Administration, respectively. The committee also has an observer appointed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

    The committee provides advice and recommendations to the Commission on rules, regulations, and policy matters relating to small businesses, including smaller public companies. Committee members represent a diverse spectrum of entrepreneurs, investors, and advisers who work with early-stage private companies and smaller public companies, including minority- and women-owned small businesses. Additional information about the committee, its members, and prior meeting materials is available on the committee webpage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Secret of Creativity: What is Needed for Industry Development

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    On the first day of the conference, four thematic sessions were held. The first was dedicated to creative cities. “This is a complex topic, and now in Russia it is very acute, very relevant, popular. In 2020, this was completely different, four years have changed everything. Our measurements show that creative industries are incredibly unevenly distributed across regions and cities and are concentrated in certain places. That is, they are very selective. This is very important knowledge, and of course, I want to understand what kind of cities and spaces are that attract the creative industry, and what their secret is,” shared the session moderator, Director Center “Russian Cluster Observatory” Evgeny Kutsenko, Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    Head of Department “Creative Industries Research Laboratory” Victoria Boos, Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, National Research University Higher School of Economics, presented Rating of innovative attractiveness of world citieswith an analysis of the distribution of creative industries around the world.

    “The key feature of our rating is that it provides an information base for making management decisions in the field of urban management. Another feature is a truly unique system of indicators: we do not use municipal statistics, we do not use expert assessments, we use data from independent platforms that aggregate information about the best representatives of creative industries, that is, about the leaders of creative industries,” she said.

    The study included eight industries that together account for about 90% of the income of the entire creative sector in the world. These are cinema and animation, computer games, music, fashion, advertising and PR, architecture, industrial design and art, which includes literature, performing arts and contemporary art.

    The top 5 cities with the highest concentration of creative industry leaders include London, New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Paris. “If we look at this rating, we will see that in the top twenty there is parity between the East and the West, and in the top thirty there are more Western cities. Accordingly, we can say that the East is declaring itself as a full-fledged participant in the creative industries market,” Victoria Boos noted.

    At the same time, the study showed that the top five cities are distinguished by a very large gap from all other cities. “You shouldn’t think that mega-creative cities only do what they do, pull creative leaders away from other settlements. The fact is that these mega-creative cities develop themselves and create creative leaders themselves,” the speaker emphasized.

    The researchers also noted that over the past two years, the proportion between developed countries and the Global South in terms of the number of creative industry representatives has changed. Today, every tenth artist who has released the most downloaded music tracks is a representative of Latin America, while 150 of the most popular fashion brands, designers, and architectural firms are concentrated in the countries of North Africa and West Asia.

    Creative industries are also developing in small towns – they have their own special style of creativity. It turned out that in some industries, more than 5% of stars are concentrated in cities with a population of less than 250 thousand people.

    Over the past year, many cities have shown impressive dynamics, the speaker noted. For example, Dubai rose from 76th to 38th place, and Tokyo entered the top three. Victoria Boos emphasized that creative support measures are needed to develop creative industries. For example, a special economic zone for creative industries is being developed in Dubai. Similar zones have recently begun to appear and develop in China. In Australia, there are three professional associations in the field of architecture and sustainable construction. In Chile, localized music streaming services are developing. Korea subsidizes cable TV prices. India and Russia are creating film cities.

    Also speaking at the session were the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Creative Initiatives and Cultural Heritage Foundation (Kazakhstan) Dina Abdrakhmet, the co-founder and Chairman of the Expert Council of the Agency for Strategic Development “CENTER” Sergey Georgievsky and the Chairman of RuGBC Guy Ims.

    The second session was devoted to the management of creative industries in Russia, the third to strategic planning of creative industries and best global practices, and the fourth to education and skills in this area.

    On the second day of the session, October 31, the IV International Forum of Young Researchers of the Creative Economy will take place. The authors of scientific papers that have passed the competitive selection will present their reports.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Ministerial Breakfast on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to end Plastic Pollution [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies, Friends,

    We are here today as we enter the last stretch of a crucial negotiation.

    Next month, Member States will meet in Busan, Republic of Korea to negotiate a multilateral solution to end plastic pollution.

    A solution that is vital for people, planet and prosperity alike.

    My thanks to the Government of Colombia for bringing us together today.

    And I commend you for leading by example – with ambitious national measures to reduce single-use plastics.

    Excellencies, dear Friends,

    We are here because we know the obvious.

    Plastic pollution is everywhere – all around us and even inside us – from our seas to our blood, to our brains.

    We are choking on plastic.

    Every year, people may ingest the equivalent of up to 50 plastic bags due to microplastics in food.

    Each year, humanity produces over 460 million metric tonnes of plastic.

    Half of it is designed for single-use purposes – used once and tossed away.

    By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

    And so, it is clear that we need action, and fortunately, people are now demanding it.

    Excellencies, dear Friends,

    We would not be here today but for the historic step taken by Peru and Rwanda in introducing a joint proposal that paved the way for the adoption, in 2022, at the UN Environment Assembly, of a landmark resolution to begin the process to end plastic pollution.

    Since then, solidarity has been the hallmark of these negotiations.

    We see this solidarity enshrined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that has reinforced the importance of addressing pollution from all sources to reduce the impacts of pollution on ecosystems and biodiversity.

    And we see this solidarity in the Pact for the Future, through which Member States recommitted to work towards the conclusion of a plastics agreement “with the ambition of completing negotiations by the end of 2024”.

    In Busan, Member States will have the chance to deliver on these promises and agree on a global treaty to end plastic pollution – once and for all.

    This has not been a road without challenges, but it has been a journey of progress.

    I thank the Chair of the International Negotiating Committee, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, as well as his predecessor Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, for getting us through five rounds of complex negotiations.

    This is an opportunity to demonstrate that multilateralism, while not always easy, can deliver for people, health and the environment.

    The ball is now in the court of Member States to land an agreement that is ambitious, credible and just.  

    An agreement that addresses the life cycle of plastic – tackling single-use and short-lived plastics;

    An agreement that responds to the needs of people and communities and that unleashes a just transition for all – including 20 million waste pickers around the world. 

    Excellencies, dear Friends,

    As the Montreal Protocol demonstrated almost forty years ago, international cooperation underpinned by meaningful legally binding agreements remains the most fruitful avenue to address global environmental challenges.

    I urge you to step up for human health, equity and justice.

    To step up for the future of people and planet.

    An ambitious agreement is the only way to end plastic pollution.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CBSA investigation leads to arrest of Toronto man for firearms-related offences

    Source: Government of Canada News

    October 30, 2024               Mississauga, ON            Canada Border Services Agency

    The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) works hard to stop prohibited firearms from entering Canada and to protect our communities.

    Today, the CBSA announced that an arrest was made for multiple firearms-related offences as part of an investigation by the CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET). The OFSET is a group of CBSA criminal investigators, intelligence analysts, and intelligence officers dedicated to investigating firearms smuggling throughout the province.

    In August 2024, Border Services Officers working at the International Mail Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, intercepted a parcel that was addressed to a Toronto residence. Officers seized the contents of the parcel, including three prohibited semi-automatic handguns, five cartridge magazines and twelve rounds of ammunition.

    In late August, CBSA investigators, assisted by the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force, executed a search warrant at a residence in Toronto.

    Nicholas Douglas (34 years old) of Toronto was arrested and charged with:

    • 3 counts of Smuggling Prohibited Device under Section 159(1) of the Customs Act pursuant to Section 160;
    • 3 counts of knowingly importing prohibited goods contrary to section 103(1)(a) of the Criminal Code;
    • 1 count of conspiring with a person or persons unknown to commit an indictable offence of importing a prohibited or restricted firearm contrary to section 465(1)(c) of the Criminal Code; and
    • 1 count of knowingly transferring a prohibited firearm contrary to section 99 of the Criminal Code.

    If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, including firearms smuggling, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line toll-free at 1-888-502-9060, or visit us online. 

    “The CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team is committed to detecting, investigating and disrupting organized crime. This investigation, arrest, and charges demonstrate our role and strong partnerships to find and seize prohibited firearms.”

    – Abeid Morgan, A/Director, Intelligence and Enforcement Operations Division, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Selections for Nearly $3 Billion of Investments in Clean Ports as Part of Investing in America Agenda

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    EPA’s Clean Ports Program to fund 55 zero-emission port equipment, infrastructure, and planning projects across the nation to tackle climate change, reduce air pollution, promote good jobs, and advance environmental justice

    WASHINGTON – Tuesday, as part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of 55 applicants across 27 states and territories to receive nearly $3 billion through EPA’s Clean Ports Program. These grants will support the deployment of zero-emission equipment, as well as infrastructure and climate and air quality planning projects at ports across the country. The grants are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act — the largest investment in combating climate change and promoting clean energy in history— and will advance environmental justice by reducing diesel air pollution in U.S. ports and surrounding communities while promoting good-paying and union jobs that help America’s ports thrive.

    Ports are vital to the U.S. economy and are responsible for moving goods and people throughout the country. At the same time, the port and freight equipment responsible for moving goods including trucks, locomotives, marine vessels, and cargo-handling equipment contribute to significant levels of diesel air pollution at and near port facilities. This pollution is especially harmful to nearby communities’ health and contributes to climate change. The funds announced Tuesday will improve air quality at ports across the country by installing clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure, eliminating more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution, equivalent to 391,220 homes’ energy use for one year.

    “Our nation’s ports are critical to creating opportunity here in America, offering good-paying jobs, moving goods, and powering our economy,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s historic $3 billion investment builds on President Biden’s vision of growing our economy while ensuring America leads in globally competitive solutions of the future. Delivering cleaner technologies and resources to U.S. ports will slash harmful air and climate pollution while protecting people who work in and live nearby ports communities.”

    “President Biden and Vice President Harris entered office with a vision to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and tackle the climate crisis in a way that would create good-paying and union jobs and uplift the communities who’ve borne the brunt of pollution,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. “The EPA Clean Ports program is one of the best examples of their vision come to life.”

    “Decarbonizing our nation’s ports is one of the many ways President Biden and Vice President Harris’s investment agenda is helping cut pollution and create good-paying union jobs,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “The communities being uplifted by these grants provide proof points for how good environmental policy can be good economic policy. By advancing clean energy solutions in every sector of our growing economy, the Biden-Harris administration continues to position our nation to lead the global clean energy race, while protecting all communities — especially those on the front-line and the fence-line — from harmful pollution in the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

    “The Port of Baltimore is a vital economic engine for the state and a leader among the nation’s ports. As we work to improve the Port, it is essential that we build for the future. The projects supported by the Clean Ports Program will help reduce emissions, improve air quality in the Baltimore region and create more clean energy jobs,” said Senator Ben Cardin (MD). “The Biden-Harris administration’s bold investments in modernizing our infrastructure are driving our economy forward while enabling us to take on climate change in a meaningful way.”

     “The tremendous projects selected for these federal funding awards will improve air quality and combat climate change by dramatically diminishing the Port of Baltimore’s greenhouse gas and toxic pollutant emissions via installation of zero-emission cargo handling equipment and trucks, while also bolstering the Maryland Port Administration’s overall emissions reduction strategy. These extraordinary federal investments into our Port are consistent with our collective duty to preserve the planet – while also continuing to uplift the Port of Baltimore’s workforce and surrounding communities in the transition to a zero-emissions facility,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07). “As exemplified by this compelling announcement, the historic Inflation Reduction Act continues to tackle the climate crisis with fierce urgency right here in Baltimore.” 

    In February 2024, EPA announced two separate funding opportunities for U.S. ports – a Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition to directly fund zero-emission equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions and a Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition to fund climate and air quality planning activities. The competitions closed in May 2024 with over $8 billion in requests from applicants across the country seeking to advance next-generation, clean technologies at U.S. ports.

    After a thorough and rigorous grant application review process, EPA selected 55 applications to receive this historic investment. Applications to the Clean Ports Program were evaluated in part on their workforce development efforts, to ensure that projects will expand access to high-quality jobs. Grant selections also align with the Administration’s national goal for a zero-emission freight sector, the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, and the ‘all-of government’ National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.

    Selected projects cover a wide range of human-operated and human-maintained equipment used at and around ports, with funds supporting the purchase of zero-emission equipment, including over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation.

    Initial estimates of tailpipe reductions from this new equipment are estimated to be over 3 million metric tons of CO2, 12 thousand short tons of NOx, and 200 short tons of PM2.5 in the first 10 years of operation.  These estimates are based on initial counts of proposed zero-emission equipment and shore power installations and do not consider benefits from retiring older vehicles, among other factors. These simplified estimates were prepared using national default emissions and activity factors and will be refined over time with more detailed information from selectees.

    Selected Zero-Emission Technology Deployment project examples include:

    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has been selected to receive an anticipated $344,138,135 to work with 5 collaborating partners to implement their proposed project, Catalyzing Change: Zero-Emissions NY-NJ Port Projects for a Greener Future. The proposed project includes the deployment of electric cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks with supporting charging infrastructure, including through a ZE Equipment for Ports (ZEEP) Voucher Incentive Program and Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA) program. PANYNJ commits to reducing the number of polluting vehicles at the port by scrapping a portion of the existing fleet. The project also includes the installation of vessel shore power infrastructure. As part of this project, PANYNJ will implement a comprehensive community engagement plan and train workers to operate and maintain new equipment and infrastructure.

    The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority has been selected to receive an anticipated $21,905,782 to initiate the transition to a zero-emission future for the Port of Detroit in Michigan. The proposed project includes the acquisition and deployment of battery-electric cargo handling equipment, vessels, railcar movers, charging equipment, and solar arrays to support the electricity needs of the new equipment. The project also includes the scrappage of diesel cargo handling equipment, a vessel, and a railcar mover to reduce air pollution at the port and in the surrounding area. As part of this project, the applicant plans to develop a stakeholder engagement plan to facilitate community engagement and a guidebook for workforce development. 

    The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has been selected to receive an anticipated $48,763,746 to upgrade the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick with vessel shore power systems. These systems will allow ships to ‘plug-in’ to electric grid power and turn off auxiliary diesel engines while at port. In addition, the project includes the scrappage and replacement of diesel terminal tractors with new electric terminal tractors and the installation of electric charging infrastructure. GPA plans to engage with communities through their community advisory network and conduct classroom and on the job training for workers related to shore power, zero-emission vehicles, and charging stations.

    The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority has been selected to receive an anticipated $77,650,965 to deploy zero-emission port equipment across the Port of Philadelphia’s (PhilaPort) operations in Pennsylvania. The equipment slated for purchase under this project includes zero-emissions (ZE) cargo handling equipment and associated charging infrastructure. The project also includes the scrappage of a portion of the existing diesel fleet to reduce air pollution at the port and in the surrounding area. In addition to the deployment of zero-emission technology, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority plans to conduct community engagement and workforce development through this project.

    The Port Department of the City of Oakland has been selected to receive an anticipated $322,167,584 to purchase and deploy zero-emission technology at the Port of Oakland in California. Project activities include the deployment of electric and hydrogen cargo handling equipment, drayage trucks, charging infrastructure, and a battery energy storage system, and the scrappage of a portion of the existing diesel fleet. The project includes community engagement activities, workforce training on zero-emission equipment, and efforts to expand access to high-quality jobs in near-port communities.

    Selected Climate and Air Quality Planning project examples include:

    The Port of Houston Authority in Texas, which has been selected to receive an anticipated $2,983,457 grant for the Port Houston’s PORT SHIFT (Ports Optimizing Resilient Transportation through Sustainable, Human, Innovative, and Forward-looking Technology), a comprehensive program designed to accelerate the introduction of zero-emissions technology into the Houston Port ecosystem. The project includes nine tasks: 1) greenhouse gas emissions inventory; 2) truck route analysis; 3) infrastructure cost assessment; 4) climate action plan; 5) performance measurement framework; 6) advisory council and community engagement forum; 7) trucking industry collaborative; 8) workforce planning and engagement; and 9) resiliency planning.

    The Puerto Rico Ports Authority has been selected to receive an anticipated $1,800,000 for planning activities including the development of a baseline air emissions inventory and two projected “business as usual” emissions inventories for 2030/2050, development of emissions reduction strategies, and stakeholder engagement. Reduction strategies will prioritize technologically and operationally feasible vehicles and equipment that can be integrated to reduce criteria, greenhouse gas, and toxic air emissions. The project also includes development of a resiliency plan to protect infrastructure from climate related vulnerabilities, such as hurricanes.

    The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has been selected to receive an anticipated $3,000,000 to conduct planning for a breakbulk cargo terminal at the Port of Tacoma in Washington. Expected activities include completing a baseline emissions inventory and feasibility analysis of ZE technology to inform the development of a plan to transition 40 pieces of CHE and light-duty vehicles to zero-emissions, and engineering and design for shore power. A workforce development and climate resilience needs assessment will be prepared as part of the planning process. Meaningful community is already a standard practice at NWSA, and the project is informed by community concerns.

    In addition to protecting human health and the environment, the program will protect and grow good-paying and union port jobs, create new good-paying and union jobs in the domestic clean energy sector, and enhance U.S. economic competitiveness through the innovation, installation, maintenance, and operation of zero-emissions equipment and infrastructure. The program’s historic investment in zero-emission port technology will also help promote and ensure the U.S. position as a global leader in clean technologies.

    EPA’s Clean Ports Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.  Disadvantaged communities will benefit from cleaner air and access to high quality jobs that will be created to operate zero emissions technologies at ports.

    EPA ensured that near-port community engagement and equity considerations were at the forefront of the Clean Ports Program’s design, including by evaluating applications on the extent and quality of their projects’ community engagement efforts. The program will also help to ensure that meaningful community engagement and emissions reduction planning become a part of port industry standard practices by building on the successes of EPA’s Ports Initiative and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act programs. These programs have previously invested over $196 million to implement 207 diesel emissions reduction projects at ports with an additional $88 million to multi-sector projects that involve ports and have encouraged strong community-port collaboration.

    The agency anticipates making awards once all legal, statutory, and administrative requirements are satisfied. Selectees will work with EPA over the coming months to finalize project plans before receiving final awards and moving into the implementation phase. Project implementation will occur over the next three to four years depending on the scope of each project.

    To learn more about the Clean Ports Program tentatively selected applications, please visit the Clean Ports Program Selections webpage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $5 Million Investment to Expand Access to Behavioral Health Care in Primary Care Offices

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: $5 Million Investment to Expand Access to Behavioral Health Care in Primary Care Offices

    $5 Million Investment to Expand Access to Behavioral Health Care in Primary Care Offices
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    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announces $5 million to help providers build capacity and implement the Collaborative Care Model in primary care offices across the state. Through the Collaborative Care Model, primary care providers work with an integrated behavioral health case manager and a psychiatric consultant to monitor and treat patients for mild to moderate behavioral health conditions. The need for integrated medical and behavioral health care is greater than ever as rates of anxiety and depression have substantially increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Too many individuals with mental health and substance use disorders delay the care they need because they struggle finding a provider,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Collaborative Care can serve more people earlier by supporting primary care providers in reaching people at the onset of behavioral health symptoms.”

    Collaborative Care is covered by NC Medicaid, Medicare and most commercial insurance plans in North Carolina, helping to break down barriers that separate how physical and behavioral health services are delivered and paid for. Patients are able to receive services through a provider, and in a setting, they already know and trust, which gives them easier access to the care they need. Collaborative Care improves patient outcomes, reduces health care costs and reduces stigma related to mental health and substance use disorders.

    NCDHHS’ investment is designed to help with the startup costs of implementing Collaborative Care, particularly for primary care providers in rural or high-need areas that have limited access to behavioral health services. The department is partnering with Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) to select eligible provider applications and distribute funding to approximately 100 providers across the state.

    As of Oct. 10, providers can apply for up to $50,000 per site to help with hiring and start up costs. Primary care practices are encouraged to apply and can find more information through CCNC’s dedicated Collaborative Care website. Efforts will be made to ensure primary care practices in western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene will have an opportunity to apply for inclusion in the program, even if they are unable to apply for funds at this time.

    “The need is greater than ever before,” said Dr. Carrie Brown, Chief Psychiatrist for NCDHHS. “From 2019 to 2021, the percentage of Americans reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression nearly quadrupled, from 11% to 41%. The Collaborative Care partnership between primary care and psychiatrists is one example of the department’s efforts to increase access to behavioral health care for those who need it as we focus on whole-person health.”

    Nationally, the Collaborative Care Model is a strategic response to the shortage of mental health care professionals across the country. Recent data show more than 123 million people in the U.S. live in a Federally Designated Mental Health Professional shortage area, including one in four North Carolina counties. In North Carolina, a recent study finds there are 28 counties without a practicing psychiatrist, and it can take weeks or even months to get an appointment with a mental health provider. 

    With the Collaborative Care Model, a behavioral health care manager is embedded within a primary care office and, through consultation with a psychiatrist, helps the primary care physician implement evidence-based interventions for patients who screen positive for targeted behavioral health conditions. In this model, one psychiatrist can reach far more North Carolinians with mild to moderate behavioral health needs than they could directly provide care for through traditional behavioral health services.

    “Through this partnership with primary care professionals, we are working to create a more accessible mental healthcare system,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “This ensures our community receives the mental health care they need and deserve, in a setting where they are most comfortable.”

    The $5 million investment in capacity building is made possible by the NC General Assembly through the signing bonus North Carolina received from the federal government when it approved Medicaid Expansion. The investment builds on the department’s strategic work to enhance access to the Collaborative Care Model, which has already resulted in a nearly 100% increase in utilization among NC Medicaid primary care providers between April 2023 and May 2024.

    NC Medicaid, in coordination with key stakeholders, has led a statewide effort over the past two years to align requirements and reimbursement for Collaborative Care across payors, increase NC Medicaid reimbursement for behavioral health services to 120% of Medicare rates and remove copays for Medicaid beneficiaries. Additionally, NC Medicaid has provided training and technical assistance to support model implementation through Area Health Education Centers, connected interested primary care practices with psychiatric consultants, and created a customized Collaborative Care registry for providers through CCNC. These efforts are outlined in detail in a white paper published by NC Medicaid in December 2023.   

    NCDHHS’ investment in the Collaborative Care Model is part of a broader commitment to build an integrated behavioral health system in North Carolina. The NC General Assembly last year allocated a historic $835 million to strengthen the behavioral health system, and millions of North Carolinians are already benefiting from the sweeping, systemic improvements these funds are making for their health, well-being and day-to-day lives. More information is available in the NCDHHS Transforming North Carolina’s Behavioral Health System white paper.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anuncia $ 5 millones para ayudar a los proveedores a desarrollar capacidades e implementar el Modelo de Atención Colaborativa en las oficinas de atención médica primaria de todo el estado. A través del Modelo de Atención Colaborativa, los proveedores de atención médica primaria trabajan con un administrador de casos de salud conductual integrado y un consultor psiquiátrico para monitorear y tratar a los pacientes con condiciones de salud conductual de leves a moderadas. La necesidad de atención médica y de salud conductual integrada es mayor que nunca, ya que las tasas de ansiedad y depresión han aumentado sustancialmente después de la pandemia de COVID-19.

    “Demasiadas personas con trastornos de salud mental y uso de sustancias retrasan la atención que necesitan porque tienen dificultades para encontrar un proveedor”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Kody H. Kinsley. “La Atención Colaborativa puede servir a más personas antes, al ayudar a los proveedores de atención médica primaria a llegar a las personas al inicio de los síntomas de salud conductual”.

    La Atención Colaborativa está cubierta por NC Medicaid, Medicare y la mayoría de los planes de seguros comerciales en Carolina del Norte, lo que ayuda a derribar las barreras que separan la forma en que se prestan y pagan los servicios de salud física y conductual. Los pacientes pueden recibir servicios a través de un proveedor y en un entorno que ya conocen y en el que confían, lo que les brinda un acceso más fácil a la atención que necesitan. La Atención Colaborativa mejora los resultados de los pacientes, reduce los costos de atención médica y reduce el estigma relacionado con la salud mental y los trastornos por uso de sustancias.

    La inversión del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) está diseñada para ayudar con los costos iniciales de la implementación de la Atención Colaborativa, particularmente para los proveedores de atención médica primaria en áreas rurales o de alta necesidad que tienen acceso limitado a los servicios de salud conductual. El departamento se está asociando con Atención Comunitaria de Carolina del Norte (Community Care of North Carolina, CCNC, por sus siglas en inglés) para seleccionar solicitudes de proveedores elegibles y distribuir fondos a aproximadamente 100 proveedores en todo el estado.

    A partir del 10 de octubre, los proveedores pueden solicitar hasta $50,000 por sitio para ayudar con los costos de contratación e iniciación. Se alienta a las prácticas de atención médica primaria a aplicar y encontrar más información a través del sitio web dedicado a la Atención Colaborativa de CCNC. Se harán esfuerzos para garantizar que las prácticas de atención médica primaria en el oeste de Carolina del Norte afectadas por el huracán Helene tengan la oportunidad de solicitar su inclusión en el programa, incluso si no pueden solicitar fondos en este momento.

    “La necesidad es mayor que nunca”, dijo la doctora Carrie Brown, directora psiquiatra del NCDHHS. “De 2019 a 2021, el porcentaje de estadounidenses que reportaron síntomas de ansiedad y depresión casi se cuadruplicó, del 11% al 41%. La asociación de Atención Colaborativa entre la atención médica primaria y los psiquiatras es un ejemplo de los esfuerzos del departamento para aumentar el acceso a la atención de salud conductual para quienes la necesitan, ya que nos centramos en la salud integral de la persona”.

    A nivel nacional, el Modelo de Atención Colaborativa es una respuesta estratégica a la escasez de profesionales de la salud mental en todo el país. Datos recientes muestran que más de 123 millones de personas en Estados Unidos viven en un área de escasez de profesionales de la salud mental designados por el gobierno federal, incluido uno de cada cuatro condados de Carolina del Norte. En Carolina del Norte, un estudio reciente encuentra que hay 28 condados sin un psiquiatra que ejerza, y puede tomar semanas o incluso meses obtener una cita con un proveedor de salud mental. 

    Con el Modelo de Atención Colaborativa, un administrador de atención de salud conductual está integrado en una oficina de atención médica primaria y, a través de la consulta con un psiquiatra, ayuda al médico de atención médica primaria a implementar intervenciones basadas en evidencia para pacientes que dan positivo para condiciones de salud conductual específicas. En este modelo, un psiquiatra puede llegar a muchos más habitantes de Carolina del Norte con necesidades de salud conductual de leves a moderadas de las que podrían atender directamente a través de los servicios tradicionales de salud conductual.

    “A través de esta asociación con profesionales de atención médica primaria, estamos trabajando para crear un sistema de salud mental más accesible”, dijo Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, directora de la División de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias del NCDHHS. “Esto garantiza que nuestra comunidad reciba la atención de salud mental que necesita y merece, en un entorno más cómodo”.

    La inversión de $ 5 millones en el desarrollo de capacidades es posible gracias a la Asamblea General de Carolina del Norte a través del bono por contratación que Carolina del Norte recibió del gobierno federal cuando aprobó la Expansión de Medicaid. La inversión se basa en el trabajo estratégico del departamento para mejorar el acceso al Modelo de Atención Colaborativa, que ya ha resultado en un aumento de casi el 100% en la utilización entre los proveedores de atención médica primaria de Medicaid de Carolina del Norte entre abril de 2023 y mayo de 2024.

    NC Medicaid, en coordinación con las principales partes interesadas, ha liderado un esfuerzo estatal en los últimos dos años para alinear los requisitos y el reembolso de la Atención Colaborativa entre los contribuyentes, aumentar el reembolso de NC Medicaid por servicios de salud conductual al 120% de las tasas de Medicare y eliminar los copagos para los beneficiarios de Medicaid. Además, NC Medicaid ha brindado capacitación y asistencia técnica para apoyar la implementación del modelo a través de los Centros de Educación para la Salud del Área (Area Health Education Centers, AHEC, por sus siglas en inglés), ha conectado las prácticas de atención médica primaria interesadas con los consultores psiquiátricos y ha creado un registro personalizado de Atención Colaborativa para los proveedores a través de CCNC. Estos esfuerzos se describen en detalle en un libro blanco publicado por NC Medicaid en diciembre de 2023.   

    La inversión del NCDHHS en el Modelo de Atención Colaborativa es parte de un compromiso más amplio para construir un sistema integrado de salud conductual en Carolina del Norte. El año pasado, la Asamblea General de Carolina del Norte asignó $ 835 millones históricos para fortalecer el sistema de salud conductual, y millones de habitantes de Carolina del Norte ya se están beneficiando de las mejoras radicales y sistémicas que estos fondos están haciendo para su salud, bienestar y vida cotidiana. Para obtener más información, visite [$835 reporte]. 

    Oct 30, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Time Federal Felon Sentenced to More than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Conviction

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who fled from law enforcement while possessing methamphetamine was sentenced October 25, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

    Chad Hughes, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 31, 2024, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Hughes was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in 2005, federal assault in 2010, and two federal escapes in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

    At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that Hughes possessed almost ½ pound of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in Sioux City.  On June 24, 2023, when law enforcement attempted to stop the motorcycle Hughes was operating, he fled from law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit through cities of Sioux City, Iowa and North Sioux City, South Dakota.  During the pursuit Hughes ditched the motorcycle and a backpack to avoid apprehension.  Law enforcement seized the backpack which contained methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a BB gun, and other items which aided in the ultimate identification of Hughes. 

    Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Hughes was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hughes remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, North Sioux City, South Dakota, Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.    

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 23-4053.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sioux City Woman to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Brandy Binneboese, 44, from Sioux City, Iowa was sentenced on October 25, 2024, after pleading guilty on June 7, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  

    Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2021 through June 2023, Binneboese participated in a conspiracy that distributed over 7 pounds of methamphetamine.  Evidence further showed that on three occasions in 2023 Binneboese participated in the distribution of ¼ and ½ pounds of methamphetamine as observed by law enforcement using an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  On June 1, 2023, just after one of the meth transactions was completed, Binneboese was stopped by law enforcement and found with ½ ounce of methamphetamine and $2,500 in pre-serialized buy money that had been used for the drug purchase moments earlier.     

    Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Binneboese was sentenced to 38 months’ imprisonment and must serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Binneboese remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison. 

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.    

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 23-4042.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Members of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug Proceeds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco Cartel). Earlier this year, on Aug. 5, a foreign national residing in Illinois pleaded guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.

    According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.

    On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Additionally, Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.

    According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

    Tan and Chen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.

    The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.

    Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Felix partners with Zero Hash to expand its simplified, borderless remittance solution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Felix, the chat-based platform that combines Stablecoins and AI to make remittances as easy as sending a WhatsApp, has partnered with Zero Hash, the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform. Leveraging Zero Hash’s infrastructure that seamlessly connects fiat, crypto and stablecoins, with broad regulatory coverage (across 52 US jurisdictions), Felix now offers their simplified cross-border payments solution to more than 60 million US-based Latinos, who collectively send $150bn to their families every year.

    In just two years, Felix has grown over 500x in payment volume helping hundreds of thousands of Latinos in the US sending money back home to family and friends. In May 2024, Félix Pago raised $15.5 million in Series A funding, and in 2023 they won a prestigious award from CrossTech: ‘Fintech Making a Difference’.

    Felix has identified a crucial need in the Latino immigrant community, where sending money back home using traditional methods is often a complex, slow and expensive process. By integrating their service with Whatsapp, an app used by 85% of Latinos, and using stablecoins to move money across borders 24/7/365 and in near real-time, Felix has created a user-friendly, more cost-efficient solution for sending remittances.

    Through embedding Zero Hash’s infrastructure natively into the Felix service, Felix is able to control the front end customer experience, while Zero Hash handles the end-to-end technical and regulatory compliant money movement on the back end; receiving and converting USD to USDC, and then sending to global partners instantly, who convert the USDC to the local currency, and send the funds to the receiver. Leveraging stablecoins offer a faster and more affordable way to remit money from the US to Mexico.

    “One of the biggest indicators of our success is our NPS score of 90, which is more than double the typical score in the remittance industry. We’re extremely proud of that number. It’s a testament of our success in delivering user-friendly, efficient remittance solutions for the Latino community. By combining a familiar messaging application with stablecoin technology, we’re not just transferring money – we’re ensuring that more of the money that is sent goes to the recipient.” said Manuel J Godoy, Co-Founder & CEO at Felix. ” Zero Hash’s seamless, connected and safe stablecoin infrastructure, abstracts the complexity for us, and means Felix can focus on building the best remittance experience, for the millions of Latinos sending money back home.”

    “This remittance flow, powered by stablecoin technology as the ‘network of networks’, enables sender and receiver to operate in fiat, without having to interact with stablecoins,” said Edward Woodford, Founder and CEO of Zero Hash. “We have always believed that the adoption of crypto and stablecoins will happen when the technology moves from the foreground to the background, and are delighted that the partnership between Zero Hash and Felix achieves that; resulting in simple, instant, and cheap money transfers.”

    About Felix

    Félix is ​​a chat-based platform that enables Latinos in the US to send money abroad. We combine Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to disrupt how remittances are done today and build the future of cross-border payments.

    Felix launched its services in the summer of 2022 and since then has supported hundreds of thousands of Latinos to send money back home in seconds and at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. Felix has raised $20m+ in capital from investors including Castle Island Ventures, Switch Ventures, HTwenty, Contour and MELI Capital (the corporate VC of Mercado Libre)

    About Zero Hash

    Zero Hash is a B2B2C crypto-as-a-service infrastructure platform that allows any platform to embed digital assets natively into their own customer experience quickly and easily through a matter of API endpoints. Zero Hash’s turnkey solution handles the entire backend complexity and regulatory licensing required to offer crypto products.

    Zero Hash Holdings, through its subsidiaries, powers neo-banks, broker-dealers, payment groups as well as non-financial brands to offer crypto and stablecoin powered products.

    Zero Hash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 US jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. In Canada, Zero Hash LLC is registered as a Money Service Business with FINTRAC.

    Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider, with DCE registered provider number DCE100804170-001. This registration enables Zero Hash to offer its crypto services in Australia. Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered on the New Zealand register of financial service providers, with Financial Service Provider (FSP) number FSP1004503. A FSP in New Zealand is a registration and does not mean that Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is licensed by a New Zealand regulator to provide crypto services. Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd.’s registration on the New Zealand register of financial service providers does not mean that Zero Hash Australia is subject to active regulation or oversight by a New Zealand regulator. Zero Hash Europe B.V. is registered as a Virtual Asset Services Provider (VASP) registration by the Dutch Central Bank (Relation number: R193684). Zero Hash Europe Sp. Zoo is registered as a VASP by the Tax Administration Chamber of Poland in Katowice (Registration number RDWW – 1212).

    Connect with Zero Hash

    Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Medium

    Zero Hash Contact

    Shaun O’keeffe

    (855) 744-7333

    media@zerohash.com

    Zero Hash Disclosures

    Zero Hash services and product offerings may not be available in all jurisdictions. Zero Hash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections, or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the US. Zero Hash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero. Zero Hash is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. Zero Hash does not provide any securities services and is not a custodian of securities, including security tokens, on behalf of customers.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Afreximbank Calls for Increased Collaboration to Accelerate the Green Energy Transition in Africa

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, October 30, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The eighth Babacar Ndiaye Lecture held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C., on 26 October 2024, under-scored the need for African nations to strike a balance between short-term development imperatives and long-term climate goals. 

    Under the theme “Saving Lives Today versus Saving the Planet for the Future: Can the AfCFTA Resolve the Climate Change Dilemma?” discussions centred on how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa’s most ambitious trade initiative, could serve as a vehicle for economic growth and environmental sustainability, positioning the continent as a leader in the global green transition.  

    The Lecture drew a distinguished audience of policymakers, academics, financial experts and climate advocates.  

    Speaking about Dr. Babacar Ndiaye in his opening remarks, H.E. Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank Group, said “Dr Babacar Ndiaye was most concerned by the long-term threats posed to humanity by climate change. He once said, “Climate change is the greatest threat to development, particularly in Africa, where millions of people depend on the environment for their livelihoods … Africa’s economic transformation cannot happen without addressing climate change.”  

    Dr. Ndiaye’s reflection on the impact of climate change was spot-on and intellectually deep.” But, “disappointingly, the global debate on climate has been so much focused on emissions reduction with the question of reducing its impact on Africa and other developing countries always reduced to a footnote. A call for Africa to decarbonise, when the continent has not even carbonised, poses a serious threat to the socio-economic development of a gas-rich continent that has at least six hundred million people without electricity.” 

    The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement “is seen as a potent means of reducing carbon emissions as it is helping to domesticate industrial activities and minimise the carbon emissions caused by shipping of commodities to far-away lands for value addition and reshipping to Africa and elsewhere. We believe that The AfCFTA could offer a pathway to a just transition, enabling local industrial value addition while protecting the planet.”  

    Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, the Immediate Past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, delivered a powerful address titled “Sustainable Infrastructure for Africa’s Future: Harnessing Innovation and Partnerships.” He spoke passionately about the advantages of the AfCFTA and its potential to transform Africa’s trade landscape, reduce carbon emissions and foster innovation in green industries. 

    “There are two obvious advantages to a fully operational AfCFTA.The first is that 42% of African countries, aside from North Africa, now have legislation prohibiting the export of raw ores or minerals before being processed. This legislation gives African countries the benefit of jobs and revenues from local processing and manufacturing.  

    “The second advantage of the AfCFTA is that shipping is a major source of carbon emissions. Under current trade practices, a large share of African raw materials are exported to other regions, where they are processed or manufactured into finished products, usually using fossil fuel power sources, before being shipped back to Africa for consumption. This cycle contributes to higher emissions and constitutes a loss for African countries that do not reap the value chain gain from beneficiation. Intra-African trade in finished goods will substantially reduce this massive cause of global emissions,” he said. 

    The reduction of emissions by intra-African trade has been the subject of several empirical studies. Professor Osinbajo referred to a recent ECA/ CEPII study titled “Greening the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement’s Implementation” published in December 2023, which found, inter alia, that implementing the AfCFTA can boost intra-African trade by 35% in 2045 while increasing GHG emissions by less than 1%, compared to no AfCFTA or climate policies.  

    These studies do not factor in using renewable energy sources in the processing and manufacturing of traded goods, an assumption of the Climate Positive Growth paradigm, which would again substantially reduce emissions.  

    Professor Osinbajo cited mining bauxite in Guinea as an example. If Guinea, which has 25% of global deposits of bauxite, processed the bauxite it mines to aluminium with renewable energy in readiness for export, Guinea could save the world 335 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year, which is approximately 1% of global emissions, and create 280,000 jobs and generate $37 billion of additional revenue. If it chooses to sell the aluminium within Africa, it will again save the huge shipping cost to countries thousands of miles away.  

    A Bloomberg study done for the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2021 on the manufacture of battery precursors found that manufacturing battery precursors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has plenty of lithium and cobalt, is three times cheaper than manufacturing it in the US, EU and China. Manufacturing in the DRC would extend value chain opportunities to other African countries, they would need manganese from Zambia, Tanzania, Gabon and South Africa to contribute to its capacity to produce these battery precursors. Manufacturing using renewable energy could significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing. Africa’s abundant renewable energy has very low seasonality or intermittency, making it possible to reliably provide a renewable baseload to power continuous industrial production.  

    “The AfCFTA empowers African countries first to add value to materials and specialise in areas of national comparative advantage, and also to work together to trade more beneficially with the rest of the world,” said Prof Osinbajo. 

    He futher said that “Most African countries depend on fossil fuels for their energy needs and for fossil fuel rich African countries, this is also a major source of export earnings and fiscal revenues. Ostensibly in keeping with their net zero obligations, there has been a growing trend amongst development finance institutions to withdraw from fossil fuel investment. These actions include the World Bank’s decision to cease funding for upstream oil and gas development in Africa and the restrictions on financing downstream gas development by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Clearly, the implications of these actions are dire, where there are no immediate alternative sources of power and the cost of the transition to cleaner fuels may be prohibitive. Some studies show that divesting from fossil fuels could reduce GDP by as much as USD$30 billion for Nigeria, USD$22 billion for Algeria, and USD$19.3 billion for Angola.” 

    H.E. Dr Rania A Al-Mashat, Minister for Planning, Economic Development and International Co-operation, Arab Republic of Egypt said that while the “African continent is the least responsible for carbon emissions, it has the biggest burden in terms of financing climate change for developmental needs – such as food and water security, and access to energy. 

    She called for greater collaboration with national and international stakeholders “We need to work together; we need to bring the experiences from other places so that Africa can push forward with respect to development and sustainable economic growth.” 

    In her Goodwill Message, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, spoke about the rapidly closing window to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. She addressed the fact that many African countries are mired in debt, exacerbated by extended crises with little access to long-term concessional financing to invest in sustainable development. 

    “With adequate access to financial resources at a reasonable cost, renewables can dramatically boost economies, grow new industries, create jobs and drive development, including by reaching the over 600 million Africans living without access to power,” said Ms Mohammed. 

    She also stressed the importance of prioritising inclusive policies that empower women and youth when building climate-resilient economies.  

    “By harnessing the collective might of the AfCFTA, Africa can make strides in addressing both climate action and sustainable development by promoting regional integration and fostering green industrialisation.  

    “The AfCFTA can help build climate-resilient economies while creating jobs, reducing poverty and strengthening food security.”  

    The eighth Babacar Ndiaye Lecture also reinforced Afreximbank’s commitment to leadership in financing sustainable infrastructure and trade policies across the continent. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Video: First Lady Jill Biden Reads at the White House “Hallo-READ!” Spooky Story Time

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ychA9sg52r4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Commerce Heeds Senators’ Call to Establish Committee to Prepare for Major Sporting Events

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
    WASHINGTON – Following calls from U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) – co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus – and 19 of their colleagues, the U.S. Department of Commerce, in partnership with Department of State, announced today that the Tourism Policy Council will establish a Subcommittee on Large Scale Sporting Events.
    This subcommittee would help ensure the safety and preparedness for major sporting events taking place in cities across the United States over the next decade, including Kansas City. Earlier this year, Sens. Moran and Klobuchar called on the Biden administration to establish a Global Sporting Task Force to help prepare and lead the coordination for upcoming sporting events in the U.S., including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
    “Kansas City and other major cities across the country are poised to host some of the world’s most renowned sporting events that will showcase our country and bolster our economy,” said Sen. Moran. “These games will require a coordinated effort at every level of government to make certain athletes and fans remain safe and have a seamless experience traveling to and from the events. I applaud the Department of Commerce for following our calls to establish a committee to provide fans and athletes with a safe, efficient and memorable experience.”
    “As hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic games, the United States has a unique opportunity to strengthen our economy and showcase America’s global leadership,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Thank you to Secretary Blinken and Raimondo for taking action to welcome visitors to the U.S. by ensuring those traveling to the games have a seamless and safe experience.”
    Sens. Moran and Klobuchar were joined by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Alex Padilla (D-Cali.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in calling on the administration to establish this committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security releases National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) has released its National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026.

    Ottawa, Ontario – October 30, 2024

    The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) has released its National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026 (NCTA 2025-2026). As with previous assessments, it provides a snapshot of cyber threats affecting Canada and Canadians and forecasts how they may evolve in the coming years. The Cyber Centre’s flagship report helps build Canada’s resilience to cyber threats.

    Canada is confronting an expanding and complex cyber threat landscape with a growing cast of malicious and unpredictable state and non-state cyber threat actors. The Cyber Centre assesses that state-sponsored and financially motivated cyber threats are increasingly likely to affect Canadians, and foreign threat actors are moving beyond espionage to conduct more disruptive activities.

    NCTA 2025-2026 shows that cybercrime remains a persistent, widespread and disruptive threat to individuals, organizations and all levels of government across Canada, and that ransomware is the top cybercrime threat facing Canada’s critical infrastructure. It also says that the Cybercrime-as-a-Service business model is almost certainly contributing to the continued resilience of cybercrime in Canada and around the word.

    The report states that state-sponsored cyber threat actors are becoming more aggressive and are almost certainly combining disruptive computer network attacks with online information campaigns to intimidate and shape public opinion. Well-known state adversaries continue to support sophisticated, active programs against Canada and our allies to serve their own political, economic or military objectives.

    Additionally, the report highlights key trends that will shape the cyber threat environment from now until 2026, like the impact of AI in amplifying threats and how geopolitical tensions are inspiring cyber threat activity from non-state groups.

    As cyber threats continue to become more complex and sophisticated, the Government of Canada has made cyber security a priority. Budget 2024 proposed $917.4 million over five years to enhance intelligence and cyber operations programs to respond to these evolving threats. Canada’s defence policy update, Our North, Strong and Free, also announced the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Cyber Command, a joint Canadian cyber operations capability between CSE and the CAF that will play a pivotal role in maintaining Canada’s cyber security.

    As Canada’s leading authority in cyber security, the Cyber Centre continues to publish its best advice and guidance for Canadians, Canadian organizations and critical infrastructure to address the cyber security threats outlined in our reports and assessments.

    Office of the Minister of National Defence
    Simon Lafortune, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Email: simon.lafortune2@forces.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S.-Republic of Korea Security Consultative Meeting and 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue Fact Sheet

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    During the 56th U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on October 30, 2024, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and ROK Minister of National Defense Kim Yong Hyun advanced numerous initiatives that deepen our extended deterrence cooperation, modernize our alliance capabilities, and strengthen our contributions to regional security. 

    On October 31, Secretary Austin and Minister Kim will join U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul for a Foreign and Defense Ministers’ Meeting (2+2 Meeting) to align our diplomatic and defense efforts, ensuring that bilateral activities are synchronized to advance our Alliance’s shared values and interests.

    ENHANCING EXTENDED DETERRENCE

    The United States reaffirmed that its extended deterrence commitment to the ROK is ironclad. The United States and the ROK are enhancing our combined deterrence and response posture by:

    • Enhancing extended deterrence cooperation through Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) workstreams that enable integrated planning, decision-making, and execution of conventional-nuclear operations, as laid out in the “Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula.”
    • Conducting large-scale field training exercises to maintain a strong combined defense posture, such as Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield, and enhance the Alliance’s crisis management capabilities and strengthen deterrence.

    MODERNIZING ALLIANCE CAPABILITIES

    The United States and the ROK are modernizing our capabilities to strengthen the combined defense architecture of the Alliance, empowering us to work together more seamlessly by:

    • Enhancing combined abilities to deter and respond to DPRK missiles by upgrading Shared Early Warning Systems and missile defense capabilities against advanced and novel threats.
    • Expanding science and technology cooperation through the new Defense Science and Technology Executive Committee (DSTEC) to guide defense innovation and accelerate the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies in areas such as autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.
    • Deepening industrial collaboration and supply chain resiliency by strengthening and connecting our defense industrial bases through our participation in the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR) and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activities, allowing our forces to field the most modern, interoperable weapons systems.

    STRENGTHENING REGIONAL SECURITY COOPERATION

    The United States and the ROK resolved to jointly strengthen activities with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific by:

    • Launching a new Regional Cooperation Framework to better coordinate efforts to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Areas of focus under this framework include maritime security, multilateral exercises, capacity building, defense industrial cooperation, technical cooperation, and information sharing.
    • Deepening U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral security cooperation through a Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework that institutionalizes high-level dialogues, missile warning data sharing, and an increased scope, scale, and frequency of trilateral multi-domain exercises.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Awarded $9 Million to Close the Digital Divide

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Commission for Educational Technology, an office within the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS), is being awarded more than $9 million in federal funding to launch key initiatives outlined in the state’s digital equity plan, “Connecticut: Everyone Connected.” The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) through its Digital Equity Program, which is part of the White House’s Internet for All initiative authorized through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

    Connecticut’s digital equity plan was produced following more than a year of outreach and research to identify the barriers preventing residents from getting online, equipped with a device, and supported with the training and technical assistance they need to thrive in today’s digital world. The plan aims to close the digital divide, particularly among the most disenfranchised groups in the state, including residents at or below 150% of the poverty line, racial and ethnic minorities, the aging, those incarcerated in or in transition out of state correctional facilities, individuals with disabilities or language barriers, those living in rural areas, and veterans.

    The first wave of initiatives funded through the federal Digital Equity Program will support critical projects, including through:

    • “Digital navigation” pilots: Local partners will receive support to work directly with residents to address skill gaps and lack of access to Internet connections and computers.
    • Digital equity collaboratives: Covering the entire state, six new collaboratives will provide the resources and professional network for educators, policymakers, and community organizations to learn and share best practices that scale and improve efforts to connect and train residents.
    • Digital equity curriculum: Through the collaboratives, the state will release a set of common assessments and teaching resources freely available to adult education and other local training programs to help meet residents where they are to close the digital skills gap in Connecticut.
    • Asset map: Residents will be able to conduct online searches and call a telephone hotline to find and use the community-based programs and resources to help them get online and develop the technical skills necessary to thrive in the digital world.

    “This award comes at a perfect time to further the important steps Connecticut has already taken to close the digital divide,” Governor Lamont said. “We are grateful for this investment to help ensure that all residents have the connections, computers, skills, and support to thrive in today’s digital world.”

    “We are leading efforts to ensure a ‘digital-first’ approach to delivering state services,” DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman said. “This initial round of funding will help our neighbors take advantage of programs and benefits across dozens of state agencies.”

    “For the first time, every state in the nation has a digital equity plan in place to promote widespread adoption of high-speed Internet services,” Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said. “Connecticut now can request access to the funds to put its digital equity plan into action. The Biden-Harris administration’s Internet for All initiative will ensure everyone can thrive online through access to devices and digital skills.”

    “We are thrilled with this announcement, welcoming this ‘down payment’ on longer-term investments to fast-track the training and support programs that our residents need,” Connecticut Chief Information Officers and DAS Deputy Commissioner Mark Raymond said.

    “These funds will help implement the state’s digital equity plan,” Doug Casey, executive director of the Commission for Educational Technology, said. “We look forward to working with our agency and community partners to scale up training and establish regional centers of excellence in digital inclusion.”

    “We are so excited to make our plan a reality, a real investment in our residents,” Lauren Thompson, digital equity program manager for the Commission for Educational Technology, said. “The tools and programs we have planned will soon make it possible for residents everywhere to find the support they need. Our work will open opportunities for everyone in Connecticut.”

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Don’t Be Haunted by Halloween Candy Decisions

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Everyone loves a sweet treat around Halloween, especially if trick-or-treating is involved. Things can turn scary very quickly after a single candy turns into a pile of wrappers. While this can happen to the best of us, it’s important to take the right steps to ensure our candy choices don’t wreak havoc on our teeth.

    Here are some friendly tips and tricks from UConn’s pediatric dental experts to keep in mind during this candy-filled holiday.

    Avoid sticky and hard candy

    Some of the worst candies for our teeth are the ones that stick on our teeth for hours and hours after consumption. This includes all types of gummy and chewy candy, and sugary bubble gum.

    Brush in the evening before bed – 30 minutes after your last piece of candy

    A 30-minute buffer after your last candy before brushing your teeth ensures that you aren’t brushing the sugary and acidic residue of the candy all around our mouths. It is best to wait until your saliva and your mouth returns to its normal pH before brushing.

    Keep candy in a communal area/kitchen  

    Don’t let that stash of candy end up upstairs hiding under the bed or in the school bag! For children, keep the candy in a place that can be controlled and monitored by a parent/guardian for when and how much candy can be eaten. Bonus tip: Enjoy your Halloween candy on the actual day of Halloween, and then save the rest for special occasions.

    Drink water!

    Hydration is not only important for our general health, but for our teeth as well. To counteract and balance out the sugary and acidic contents of candy, encourage consistent water drinking throughout the spooky night. Water can help wash away the candy that sticks on our teeth, and neutralize our saliva’s pH, helping eliminate the cause of cavities.

    Choking Caution! 

    For our littlest trick-or-treaters, specifically those 3 years of age and younger, a guardian should always monitor what candy they are eating. Caution should be taken to avoid any large or super chewy pieces of candy as this is a choking hazard for our little ones. Never bite off more than you can chew!

    Have a safe and happy Halloween!

    Second-year pediatric dental residents Drs. Mitra Marvasti-Sitterly, Tiana Piscitelli and Carly Ramirez contributed to this article.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max

    October 30, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max

    M4 Pro and M4 Max join M4 to form the most advanced family of chips ever built for a personal computer

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced M4 Pro and M4 Max, two new chips that — along with M4 — bring far more power-efficient performance and advanced capabilities to the Mac. All three chips are built using industry-leading, second-generation 3-nanometer technology, which improves performance and power efficiency. The CPUs across the M4 family feature the world’s fastest CPU core, delivering the industry’s best single-threaded performance, and dramatically faster multithreaded performance.1 The GPUs build on the breakthrough graphics architecture introduced in the previous generation, with faster cores and a 2x faster ray-tracing engine. M4 Pro and M4 Max enable Thunderbolt 5 for the Mac for the first time, and unified memory bandwidth is greatly increased — up to 75 percent. Combined with a Neural Engine that’s up to 2x faster than the previous generation and enhanced machine learning (ML) accelerators in the CPUs, the M4 family of chips brings incredible performance for pro and AI workloads. And they deliver blazing performance for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy.

    “Apple silicon has taken the Mac to unprecedented heights, and the rapid pace of innovation continues with M4 Pro and M4 Max,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “With the world’s fastest CPU core, immensely more powerful GPUs, and the fastest Neural Engine ever, the power-efficient performance and capabilities of the M4 family extend its lead as the most advanced lineup of chips in the industry.”

    M4: Phenomenal Performance and New Capabilities

    For entrepreneurs, students, creators, and more, the phenomenal performance of M4 comes to Mac for the first time. M4 features an up to 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and up to six efficiency cores. It’s up to 1.8x faster than M1, so multitasking across apps like Safari and Excel is lightning fast. A 10-core GPU provides incredible graphics performance, up to 2x faster than M1, making everything from editing photos to AAA gameplay exceptionally fast and smooth. And the faster 16-core Neural Engine is great for Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and other AI workloads.

    M4 supports up to 32GB of unified memory and has higher memory bandwidth of 120GB/s. The display engine of the M4 family is enhanced to support two external displays in addition to a built-in display. And M4 now supports up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, providing fast data transfer speeds and even more flexibility across peripherals.

    M4 Pro: Far More Powerful and Capable than Any AI PC Chip

    M4 Pro takes the advanced technologies debuted in M4 and scales them up for researchers, developers, engineers, creative pros, and other users with more demanding workflows. M4 Pro features an up to 14-core CPU consisting of up to 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s up to 1.9x faster than the CPU of M1 Pro, and up to 2.1x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 The GPU features up to 20 cores for graphics performance that is 2x that of M4, and up to 2.4x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 This huge boost in performance makes building and testing apps across multiple simulators in Xcode quicker than ever. And with the improved hardware-accelerated ray-tracing engine in the M4 family GPU, games like Control look more compelling, and pro 3D renderers can produce stunning imagery in even less time.

    M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of fast unified memory and 273GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is a massive 75 percent increase over M3 Pro and 2x the bandwidth of any AI PC chip.3 This, combined with the faster Neural Engine of the M4 family, means on-device Apple Intelligence models run at blazing speed. M4 Pro also supports Thunderbolt 5 on Mac, delivering up to 120Gb/s data transfer speeds, which more than doubles the throughput of Thunderbolt 4. For professionals working on larger file sizes across AI, video, code bases, and more, M4 Pro offers stunning performance and Apple silicon’s legendary power efficiency.

    M4 Max: The Most Powerful Chip for a Pro Laptop

    M4 Max is the ultimate choice for data scientists, 3D artists, and composers who push pro workflows to the limit. It has an up to 16-core CPU, with up to 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s up to 2.2x faster than the CPU in M1 Max and up to 2.5x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 The GPU has up to 40 cores for performance that is up to 1.9x faster than M1 Max and up to an astounding 4x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 So heavy workloads like de-noising raw video footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio can now run in real time.

    M4 Max supports up to 128GB of fast unified memory and up to 546GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is 4x the bandwidth of the latest AI PC chip.3 This allows developers to easily interact with large language models that have nearly 200 billion parameters. The enhanced Media Engine of M4 Max includes two video encode engines and two ProRes accelerators, making it the ultimate choice for video professionals. And like M4 Pro, M4 Max also supports Thunderbolt 5 with up to 120Gb/s data transfer capability. M4 Max rips through the most challenging pro workloads and, thanks to the energy efficiency of Apple silicon, delivers exceptional battery life in a laptop.

    Apple Silicon Powers Apple Intelligence

    M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max are built for Apple Intelligence.4 Ushering in a new era for the Mac, Apple Intelligence brings personal intelligence to the personal computer. Combining powerful generative models with industry-first privacy protections, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock new ways for users to work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. It is available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. With systemwide Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write. With the newly redesigned Siri, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac and other Apple products. New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months. Image Playground gives users a new way to create fun original images, and Genmoji allows them to create custom emoji in seconds. Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to take actions across the system and draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. In December, ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools.

    Apple Intelligence does all this while protecting users’ privacy at every step. At its core is on-device processing, and for more complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute gives users access to Apple’s even larger, server-based models and offers groundbreaking protections for personal information. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Better for the Environment

    The power-efficient performance of M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max helps the all-new MacBook Pro lineup meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and deliver up to 24 hours of battery life.5 This results in less time needing to be plugged in and less energy consumed over its lifetime. And for desktop systems like iMac and Mac mini, the energy efficiency of Apple silicon also reduces the total amount of energy used. Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and, as part of its ambitious Apple 2030 goal, plans to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    2. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using select industry-standard benchmarks. AI PC chip performance data from testing MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo (A2VMG-014US) with Core Ultra 7 258V.
    3. Based on published technical specifications of shipping competitive chips as of October 2024.
    4. Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Mac with M1 and later, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English. The first set of features is in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come. Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    5. Testing was conducted by Apple from August through October 2024. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/macbook-pro for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Todd Wilder

    Apple

    wilder@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New MacBook Pro features M4 family of chips and Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: New MacBook Pro features M4 family of chips and Apple Intelligence

    October 30, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple’s new MacBook Pro features the incredibly powerful M4 family of chips and ushers in a new era with Apple Intelligence

    With an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, Thunderbolt 5 on M4 Pro and M4 Max models, and an all-new nano-texture display option, MacBook Pro gets even more capable and even more pro

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the new MacBook Pro, powered by the M4 family of chips — M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max — delivering much faster performance and enhanced capabilities. The new MacBook Pro is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. Now available in space black and silver finishes, the 14-inch MacBook Pro includes the blazing-fast performance of M4 and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, starting with 16GB of memory, all at just $1,599. The 14- and 16-inch models with M4 Pro and M4 Max offer Thunderbolt 5 for faster transfer speeds and advanced connectivity. All models include a Liquid Retina XDR display that gets even better with an all-new nano-texture display option and up to 1000 nits of brightness for SDR content, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, along with up to 24 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac.1 The new MacBook Pro is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning November 8.

    “MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life’s best work, and today we’re making it even better,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With the powerful M4 family of chips, and packed with pro features like Thunderbolt 5, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, an all-new nano-texture display option, and Apple Intelligence, the new MacBook Pro continues to be, by far, the world’s best pro laptop.”

    Supercharged by the M4 Family of Chips

    Built using second-generation 3-nanometer technology, the M4 family is the most advanced lineup of chips for a personal computer. The M4 family features phenomenal single-threaded CPU performance with the world’s fastest CPU core,2 along with outstanding multithreaded CPU performance for the most demanding workloads. Combined with machine learning accelerators in the CPU, an advanced GPU, and a faster and more efficient Neural Engine, Apple silicon is built from the ground up to deliver incredible performance for AI. Together with faster unified memory, each chip also includes increased memory bandwidth, so large language models (LLMs) and other large projects run smoothly and on device. Additionally, the industry-leading performance per watt of the M4 family means that users get up to 24 hours of battery life, raising the bar of what users can do on a single charge.

    New 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4

    The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 is the ideal choice for entrepreneurs, students, creators, or anyone doing what they love. Featuring a more powerful 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, and a faster 10-core GPU with Apple’s most advanced graphics architecture, the new MacBook Pro starts with 16GB of faster unified memory with support for up to 32GB, along with 120GB/s of memory bandwidth. With M4, MacBook Pro is up to 1.8x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 for tasks like editing gigapixel photos, and even more demanding workloads like rendering complex scenes in Blender are up to 3.4x faster.1 With a Neural Engine that’s over 3x more powerful than in M1, it’s great for features in Apple Intelligence and other AI workloads. The M4 model also supports two high-resolution external displays in addition to the built-in display, and now features three Thunderbolt 4 ports so users can connect all their peripherals.

    MacBook Pro with M4 delivers:1

    • Up to 7x faster image processing in Affinity Photo when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1.
    • Up to 10.9x faster 3D rendering in Blender when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 3.4x faster when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1.
    • Up to 9.8x faster scene edit detection in Adobe Premiere Pro when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.7x faster when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1.

    MacBook Pro with M4 Pro: A Pro Powerhouse

    For researchers, developers, engineers, creative pros, or anyone that needs even faster performance for more demanding workflows, MacBook Pro with M4 Pro offers a tremendous performance boost. M4 Pro features a powerful 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores for a jump in multicore performance, along with up to a 20-core GPU that is twice as powerful as M4. With M4 Pro, the new MacBook Pro gets a massive 75 percent increase in memory bandwidth over the prior generation — double that of any AI PC chip.3 The new MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is up to 3x faster than models with M1 Pro, speeding up workflows like geo mapping, structural engineering, and data modeling.1

    MacBook Pro with M4 Pro offers:1

    • Up to 4x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 3x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.
    • Up to 5x faster simulation of dynamical systems in MathWorks MATLAB when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.
    • Up to 23.8x faster basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.

    MacBook Pro with M4 Max: The Ultimate in Pro Performance

    Designed for pros like data scientists, 3D artists, and composers who constantly push workflows to the limit, MacBook Pro with M4 Max empowers users to work on projects that were previously only imaginable on a desktop. M4 Max brings up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth, and a Neural Engine that is over 3x faster than M1 Max, allowing on-device AI models to run faster than ever. With M4 Max, MacBook Pro delivers up to 3.5x the performance of M1 Max, ripping through heavy creative workloads like visual effects, 3D animation, and film scoring.1 It also supports up to 128GB of unified memory, so developers can easily interact with LLMs that have nearly 200 billion parameters. And with the powerful Media Engine in M4 Max, which features two ProRes accelerators, MacBook Pro performance is amazing even when taking 4K120 fps ProRes video captured with the new iPhone 16 Pro and editing it in Final Cut Pro.

    MacBook Pro with M4 Max enables:1

    • Up to 7.8x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 3.5x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
    • Up to 4.6x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
    • Up to 30.8x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 1.6x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.

    Industry-Leading Liquid XDR Display Gets Even Better

    The new MacBook Pro introduces an all-new nano-texture display option that dramatically reduces glare and distractions from reflections. In bright lighting conditions, the new MacBook Pro can now show SDR content at up to 1000 nits and still displays HDR content at up to 1600 nits of peak brightness. All together, it’s a game-changing experience for users working outdoors.

    New 12MP Center Stage Camera

    MacBook Pro includes a new 12MP Center Stage camera that delivers enhanced video quality in challenging lighting conditions. Video calls are even more engaging with Center Stage, which automatically keeps users centered in the frame as they move around. The new camera also supports Desk View, which adds a whole new dimension to video calls. And with studio-quality mics and a phenomenal six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio, MacBook Pro delivers an incredibly immersive audio experience whether users are listening to music or watching a movie in Dolby Atmos.

    Thunderbolt 5 Comes to the Mac

    MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max features Thunderbolt 5 ports that more than double transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s, enabling faster external storage, expansion chassis, and powerful docking and hub solutions. For example, by connecting just a single cable, pros like music producers can now light up their entire studio. All MacBook Pro models feature an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution, a SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 port for charging, and a headphone jack, along with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

    A New Era with Apple Intelligence on the Mac

    Apple Intelligence ushers in a new era for the Mac, bringing personal intelligence to the personal computer. Combining powerful generative models with industry-first privacy protections, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock new ways for users to work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. It is available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. With systemwide Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write. With the newly redesigned Siri, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac and other Apple products. New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months. Image Playground gives users a new way to create fun original images, and Genmoji allows them to create custom emoji in seconds. Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to take actions across the system and draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. In December, ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools.

    Apple Intelligence does all this while protecting users’ privacy at every step. At its core is on-device processing, and for more complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute gives users access to Apple’s even larger, server-based models and offers groundbreaking protections for personal information. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new MacBook Pro experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and notifications directly from their Mac.4 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,5 now offers Highlights, which quickly pulls up relevant information from a site; a smarter, redesigned Reader with a table of contents and high-level summary; and a new Video Viewer to watch videos without distractions. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a windows layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials, all stored in one place. And users can apply new beautiful built-in backgrounds for video calls, which include a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    The Perfect Time to Upgrade or Switch to a Mac

    Upgraders will get monumental improvements over Intel-based MacBook Pro models, including the amazing features of Apple Intelligence. When compared to an Intel-based MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Pro provides nearly 10x faster performance for AI-based workloads,1 and for graphics-intensive workloads, users get up to 20x faster performance.6 With battery life on the new MacBook Pro now up to 24 hours, upgraders will also experience up to 14 additional hours. And with the Liquid Retina XDR display, a new 12MP Center Stage camera, an immersive six-speaker sound system, the unrivaled experience of macOS Sequoia, and more, there’s never been a better time to upgrade or switch to MacBook Pro.

    MacBook Air: The World’s Most Popular Laptop Now Starts at 16GB

    MacBook Air is the world’s most popular laptop, and with Apple Intelligence, it’s even better. Now, models with M2 and M3 double the starting memory to 16GB, while keeping the starting price at just $999 — a terrific value for the world’s best-selling laptop.

    Better for the Environment

    The new MacBook Pro is built to last and incredibly durable, created from a custom alloy that uses 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure. It also uses 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled tin soldering, gold plating, and copper in multiple printed circuit boards. The packaging for the 14-inch MacBook Pro is now entirely fiber-based, joining the 16-inch MacBook Pro and bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from its packaging by 2025.

    Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and, as part of its ambitious Apple 2030 goal, plans to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new MacBook Pro starting today, October 30, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Friday, November 8.
    • The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 starts at $1,599 (U.S.) and $1,499 (U.S.) for education; the 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts at $1,999 (U.S.) and $1,849 (U.S.) for education; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 (U.S.) and $2,299 (U.S.) for education. All models are available in space black and silver.
    • Additional technical specifications, including the nano-texture display and configure-to-order options, are available at apple.com/mac.
    • MacBook Air with M2 and M3 comes standard with 16GB of unified memory, and is available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray, starting at $999 (U.S.) and $899 (U.S.) for education.
    • New accessories with USB-C — including Magic Keyboard ($99 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID ($149 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad ($179 U.S.), Magic Trackpad ($129 U.S.), Magic Mouse ($79 U.S.), and Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable ($69) — are available at apple.com/store.
    • Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Mac with M1 and later, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English. The first set of features is in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple from August through October 2024. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/macbook-pro for more information.
    2. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    3. Based on published technical specifications of shipping competitive chips as of October 2024.
    4. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Requires that the user’s iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication, their iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and their Mac is not using AirPlay or Sidecar. Some iPhone features (e.g., camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    5. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.
    6. Results are compared to previous-generation 1.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Deep sea rocks suggest oxygen can be made without photosynthesis, deepening the mystery of life

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lewis Alcott, Lecturer in Geochemistry, University of Bristol

    chaylek/Shutterstock

    Oxygen, the molecule that supports intelligent life as we know it, is largely made by plants. Whether underwater or on land, they do this by photosynthesising carbon dioxide. However, a recent study demonstrates that oxygen may be produced without the need for life at depths where light cannot reach.

    The authors of a recent publication in Nature Geoscience were collecting samples from deep ocean sediments to determine the rate of oxygen consumption at the seafloor through things like organisms or sediments that can react with oxygen. But in several of their experiments, they actually found oxygen was increasing as opposed to decreasing as they would have expected. This left them questioning how this oxygen was being produced.

    They found that this “dark” oxygen production at the seafloor seems to only happen in the presence of mineral concentrates called polymetallic nodules and deposits of metals called metalliferous sediments. The authors think the nodules have the right mixture of metals and are densely packed enough for an electrical current to pass through for electrolysis, creating enough energy to separate the hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) from water (H₂O).

    The authors also suggested that the amount of oxygen created may fluctuate depending on the number and mixture of nodules on the ocean floor.

    This research team was trying to understand the implications of mining metals from the deep-sea floor such as lithium, cobalt or copper, funded by an extractions company in an effort to ensure deep sea mining leads to a net benefit to humanity and the Earth system. Lithium and cobalt are used, for example, to make rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops and electric vehicles. Copper is vital for electrical wiring in devices like TVs and radios and for roofing and plumbing.

    The investigation was focused on the Clarion-Clipperton zone of the Pacific Ocean, a vast plain between Hawaii and Mexico where millions of tons of these metals have been found. However, scientists believe mining on this scale is potentially unpredictable and can destroy habitats vital to ocean ecosystems. Deep-sea mining can also introduce harmful sediment plumes to fragile ecosystems leading to a growing number of countries calling for a moratorium.

    Dark oxygen for life

    The implications for this finding may also play a role in life elsewhere.

    Oxygen is essential to complex life as we know it. Complex life has evolved and expanded alongside photosynthesisers, which actually produce oxygen as a waste product. Yet this oxygen allows organisms’ metabolisms to be much more efficient than without it.

    Without photosynthetic bacteria, the reliance that Earth’s life has on oxygen may well have never happened, in addition to the evolutionary pathway to biodiversity as we know it. But this study shows that rich-nodules on the seafloor may have provided an additional source of oxygen to the biosphere – the zone of life on Earth encompassing all living organisms.

    We can’t understand how these nodules may have affected evolution until we understand more about how they formed deeper in time. At the moment, all we really know it that we these nodules would have needed oxygen themselves to form.

    Studies like this show how much the origin of life on Earth is still a mystery.

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

    – ref. Deep sea rocks suggest oxygen can be made without photosynthesis, deepening the mystery of life – https://theconversation.com/deep-sea-rocks-suggest-oxygen-can-be-made-without-photosynthesis-deepening-the-mystery-of-life-238937

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Connolly, Turner Raise Concerns About October 26 Elections and Euro-Atlantic Future for Georgia

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va)

    Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Co-Chair of the Congressional Georgia Caucus, and Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH), head of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, released the following statement:

    “We are deeply concerned by the pre-election environment of Georgia’s October 26th elections which were marred by reports of vote buying, voter intimidation, abuse of administrative resources, and questionable appointments to election oversight boards.

    The October 26th elections presented Georgia an invaluable opportunity to prove to the international community, to NATO countries and the European Union that Georgia remains firmly committed to its Euro-Atlantic path. Unfortunately, through campaign rhetoric blaming the West for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, foreign agents’ legislation passed to root out civil society, and lack of accountability for violent attacks against political opposition figures, Georgia’s government provided no such reassurance. These elections, which posed significant challenges to the democratic process, move Georgia significantly further away from joining NATO and the European Union.

    Widespread pressure on public sector employees to vote for the incumbent party and a refusal to investigate violent attacks on political opponents are authoritarian behaviors, and a drastic departure from the vibrant, multiparty emerging democracy that once defined Georgia.

    In the aftermath of the October 26th election, we must be clear: The United States and all NATO countries stand with the Georgian people and their Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Roy responds to Biden-Harris DHS paying for billboards advertising free legal help for illegal aliens

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement after news broke of the Biden-Harris administration paying for billboards in Texas advertising free legal help for illegal aliens:

    “The news that DHS is using taxpayer money to launch billboards advocating ‘rights’ for individuals in ‘immigration custody’ should be alarming because it’s a preview of the legal arguments that radical progressive democrats will use to argue against deportation of the millions dumped in America by Biden-Harris-Mayorkas.”

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Spooky Soliday: Haunting Whispers from the Martian Landscape

    Source: NASA

    2 min read

    The Perseverance rover lurks in the quiet, cold, desolate landscape of Jezero crater on Mars, a place masked in shadows and haunted by past mysteries. Built to endure the planet’s harsh conditions, Perseverance braves the thin atmosphere and extreme temperature swings. Its microphone captures the eerie whispers of martian winds, sending shivers down your spine, and records ghostly dust devils swirling across the barren terrain. Has the microphone caught the sound of a skeleton rattling its bones? We’ll leave that up to your imagination.

    Recently, Perseverance navigated the sinister slopes of the Jezero crater rim, seeking out a series of ramshackle ridges to uncover the rim’s hidden geological secrets. The rover emerged from the shadows to descend into a field of light-toned rocks, illuminating the landscape reminiscent of bones and tombstones. Along the way, the rover encountered dark bedrock at Mist Park. Perseverance will then face another daunting climb back up the crater rim, venturing deeper into the great unknown.

    Unlike vampires or other creatures of the night, Perseverance needs rest after long days of exploring the mystifying martian landscape. As night falls, the rover sleeps after watching the Sun sink below the horizon, casting ominous shadows across the landscape. The chilling winds howl through the night like a haunting lullaby for the fearless explorer. However, Perseverance sometimes wakes up from things that go bump in the night. While instruments mostly conduct their scientific measurements during the day, they are not afraid of the dark, often tasked with observing what lurks in the shadows and gazing at the martian night sky. Perseverance occasionally looks up to image the auroras and to get a glimpse of Phobos and Deimos, Mars’ two Moons.

    Mars is like a hotel you can check in and out of, but you can never leave. It has become a graveyard of long-dead landers and rovers, but Perseverance is nowhere near ready to leave the land of the living. In fact, the ghosts of past rovers and landers guide Perseverance on its journey. As we continue to uncover the secrets of Mars, we are reminded of its past and the mysteries that still linger. Join us in pondering the mysteries of Mars as we explore its haunted history.   

    Written by Stephanie Connell, Ph.D. Student Collaborator at Purdue University

    Mars Perseverance Sol 1306: Left Mastcam-Z Camera

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Technologies Named Among TIME Inventions of 2024

    Source: NASA

    As NASA continues to innovate for the benefit of humanity, agency inventions that use new structures to harness sunlight for space travel, enable communications with spacecraft at record-breaking distances, and determine the habitability of a moon of Jupiter, were named Wednesday among TIME’s Inventions of 2024.
    “The NASA workforce — wizards, as I call them — have been at the forefront of invention and technology for more than 65 years,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “From developing Europa Clipper, the largest satellite for a planetary mission that NASA has ever launched, to the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, and communicating with lasers from deep space, NASA is improving our understanding of life on Earth — and the cosmos — for the benefit of all.”
    Solar Sailing with Composite Booms

    NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System is testing technologies that could allow spacecraft to “sail on sunlight,” using the Sun’s rays for propulsion. Like a sailboat turning to catch the wind, a solar sail adjusts its trajectory by angling its sail supported by booms deployed from the spacecraft. This demonstration uses a composite boom technology that is stiffer, lighter, and more stable in challenging thermal environments than previous designs. After launching on April 23, aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, the mission team met its primary objective by deploying the boom and sail system in space in August. Next, they will work to prove performance by using the sail to maneuver in orbit.  
    Results from this mission could provide an alternative to chemical and electric propulsion systems and inform the design of future larger-scale missions that require unique vantage points, such as space weather early warning satellites.
    Communicating with Lasers from Deep Space

    Since launching aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft on Oct. 13, 2023, a Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration has delivered record-breaking downlink data rates to ground stations as the Psyche spacecraft travels through deep space. To demonstrate the high data rates that are possible with laser communications, photos, telemetry data from the spacecraft, and ultra-high-definition video, including a streamed video of Taters the cat chasing a laser pointer, have been downlinked over hundreds of millions of miles. The mission, which is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, has also sent and received optical communications out to Mars’ farthest distance from Earth, fulfilling one of the project’s primary goals.
    Searching for Life’s Ingredients at Jupiter’s Icy Moon Europa

    The largest NASA spacecraft ever built for a mission headed to another planet, Europa Clipper also is the agency’s first mission dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth. Using a suite of nine science instruments and a gravity experiment, the mission seeks to determine whether Jupiter’s moon, Europa, has conditions that could support life. There’s strong evidence that under Europa’s ice lies an enormous, salty ocean. Scientists also have found evidence that Europa may host organic compounds and energy sources under its surface. Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the spacecraft launched on Oct. 14, and will begin orbiting Jupiter in 2030, flying by the icy moon 49 times to learn more about it.
    Europa Clipper’s main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The detailed exploration will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
    NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. Within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), the Small Spacecraft Technology program funds and manages the mission and the Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology.
    The Deep Space Optical Communications experiment is funded by STMD’s Technology Demonstration Missions Program managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Some of the technology was developed through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program.
    Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The Applied Physics Laboratory designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as well as NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA Marshall, and NASA Langley.
    For more information about the agency’s missions, visit:

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