NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim Leads Bipartisan OC Delegation Letter for Disaster Relief Funding

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Trabuco Canyon, CA – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) led a bipartisan letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urging for full disaster relief to be funded in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) appropriations. The letter was first reported in The Hill.

    Rep. Kim was joined by Orange County Reps. Michelle Steel (CA-45), Lou Correa (CA-46), Mike Levin (CA-49), and Katie Porter (CA-47).

    “While we applaud the inclusion of $20 billion towards the [Disaster Relief Fund] in the continuing resolution, more funding is necessary for both the DRF and FEMA given the accumulation of backlogged costs the DRF must reimburse before addressing the many natural disasters Americans across the country currently face. Beyond the DRF, the U.S. Forest Service has faced ongoing staffing shortages in the Cleveland National Forest, where the Airport Fire began, during peak wildfire season. Furthermore, no funding was included for other important relief programs like the Small Business Administration’s disaster loans and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s community development block disaster recovery grant program,” the members wrote.

    Read the full letter HERE or below.

    We urge you to include full disaster relief funding in FY 2025 government spending. While we were disappointed that disaster relief funding was not included in the three-month continuing resolution, we request that you support such funding in ongoing full-year appropriations negotiations. Disaster relief funding plays an essential role in supplying federal resources to areas impacted by natural disasters, such as wildfires, and it is our responsibility as lawmakers to ensure that our government is fully equipped to protect and rebuild our communities.

    Multiple wildfires have burned throughout the state of California over the last year, depleting available resources. According to CalFire, 6,332 wildfires have burned almost 1 million acres this year alone, destroying homes and taking innocent lives. In Orange and Riverside Counties, the Airport Fire has burned over 23,500 acres of land in the last month. We fear that the number of wildfires and the damage they cause will only continue to increase later this year.

    Federal assistance has supplemented state and local efforts to provide crucial disaster relief in the wake of these wildfires. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA’s) Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) provides key support for responding to natural disasters. The DRF funds programs like Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs), which allow the federal government to share the burden of fire mitigation and control costs. FEMA authorized FMAGs for several wildfires in California this year – including the Airport Fire – lessening the financial burden our state and local governments have been facing. Critical tools like FMAGs are made possible by federal disaster relief funding.

    While we applaud the inclusion of $20 billion towards the DRF in the continuing resolution, more funding is necessary for both the DRF and FEMA given the accumulation of backlogged costs the DRF must reimburse before addressing the many natural disasters Americans across the country currently face. Beyond the DRF, the U.S. Forest Service has faced ongoing staffing shortages in the Cleveland National Forest, where the Airport Fire began, during peak wildfire season. Furthermore, no funding was included for other important relief programs like the Small Business Administration’s disaster loans and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s community development block disaster recovery grant program.

    With the passage of a three-month continuing resolution without sufficient disaster relief funding, it is now even more vital for Congress to allocate necessary funding towards disaster relief programs so the federal government can provide adequate assistance to those impacted by natural disasters. We ask that you support disaster relief funding as you negotiate FY 2025 government funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nassau County Legislative Delegation Meeting

    Source: US State of Florida

    Yulee —

                                                          Nassau County
                                                               Legislative Delegation
                                                                                                                       SENATOR 
                                                                                                                       CLAY YARBOROUGH

                                                                                                                       REPRESENTATIVE
                                                                                                                       DEAN BLACK

    October 2, 2024
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         Contact: Kellie Walker walker.kellie@flsenate.gov                                                                                                                                        

    SENATOR CLAY YARBOROUGH AND REPRESENTATIVE DEAN BLACK
    ANNOUNCE NASSAU LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION MEETING DATE AND DEADLINE

    NASSAU COUNTY, FL – State Senator Clay Yarborough and State Representative Dean Black announce that the Organizational Meeting to elect the 2025 Delegation Chair and Vice Chair and the general legislative public hearing will be on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners Chamber, James Page Government Complex, located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. 

    For placement on the meeting agenda, complete the Speaker’s Request Forms and all 
    materials/handouts must be submitted to Kellie Walker via U.S. mail at 1615 Huffingham Rd, 
    Suite 1, Jacksonville, FL 32216, or email Walker.Kellie@flsenate.gov by close of business on Friday, November 8, 2024.

    If submitting materials/handouts via U.S. mail, individuals are asked to provide four (4) sets of 
    three-hole-punched, 8 ½ x 11 copies, and use the Speaker’s Request Form as a cover sheet to be included in the Members’ meeting packets. 

    Questions may be directed to Kellie Walker, Office of Senator Clay Yarborough, at 904-723-2035or by emailing Walker.Kellie@flsenate.gov.

    In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Chapter 286.26, Florida 
    Statutes, persons in need of special accommodations to participate in the meetings, including 
    agendas, interpreters, or assisted listening devices, should contact Kellie Walker at 904-723-2035 or Walker.Kellie@flsenate.gov by close of business on Friday, November 8, 2024.
    All Nassau Legislative Delegation meetings are open to the public.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Marshall Star for October 2, 2024

    Source: NASA

    By Serena Whitfield
    “Safety Woven Throughout the Fabric of Marshall” was the theme for Safety Day at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Sept. 26.
    Kickoff activities were held in Building 4316 and other sites around the center.
    “It is crucial to ensure that each of us weaves safety into everything we do, not only at work, but in our daily lives,” Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey said.

    NASA started the Safety Day tradition following the space shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. Centers across the agency dedicate a day each year for team members to pause and reflect on keeping the work environment safe. 
    This year’s Safety Day began with a breakfast for employees, which was sponsored by Jacobs and Bastion Technologies. After breakfast, Bill Hill, director of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at Marshall, welcomed center team members before introducing Pelfrey.
    “Over the past year, Marshall’s leadership and workforce have highlighted that transparency is an essential cultural attribute of our workforce and center,” Pelfrey said. “It is also important to our core value of safety. Transparency fosters an environment where employees feel comfortable in reporting potential risks or safety concerns without fear of retribution. This openness ensures that issues are addressed early. It builds trust and accountability within our workforce, center, NASA, and external stakeholders.”

    Guest speaker Marceleus Venable, a purpose coach, trainer, and author, followed Pelfrey’s remarks, telling team members to be safe by taking care of their physical and mental health. He encouraged them to take the time to pat themselves on the back for all their hard work and to appreciate their fellow workers at Marshall.
    NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei was the keynote speaker, encouraging employees to be team players in NASA’s safety mission.
    “We need a lot of talented team players to meet the challenges that we have for future space flights,” said Vande Hei, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009 and most recently served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 65 and 66. “Always try to do your best, but make sure that other people around you are doing their best as well and help them do that rather than you standing out as always being the best.”

    Micah Embry, the Safety Day 2024 chairperson, presented Vande Hei with a certificate for his participation. 
    Also during the event, Hill awarded the Golden Eagle Award to Peter Wreschinsky, a Jacobs Space Exploration Group employee. The award is part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative, a collaboration between Marshall and Jacobs.
    More than 400 civil servants and contractors participated in Safety Day, with organizational and vender booths providing information to employees across a variety of safety topics, including Emergency Management Services, fire protection, storm shelters, and more.
    “As Marshall continues to be a leader at NASA and across the aerospace industry, … we must always be looking forward to improve our procedures and anticipate potential hazards,” Pelfrey said. “Safety is directly tied to our mission success. Without safety, we cannot achieve the goals we set for ourselves in space exploration, research, and innovation.”
    Whitfield is an intern supporting the Marshall Office of Communications.
    › Back to Top

    The featured business unit for the month of September at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was Lander Systems. Marshall leads the development of the systems needed to safely land humans on the Moon and, eventually Mars. This includes the Human Landing System Program (HLS), which manages the development of commercial lunar landing systems that will transport astronauts to and from the surface of the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
    For Artemis III and Artemis IV, NASA has selected SpaceX’s Starship HLS, while Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander will be used for Artemis V. Having two distinct lunar lander designs, with different approaches to how they meet NASA’s mission needs, provides more robustness while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings.
    NASA works closely with its industry partners to mature the landers, exercising insight and offering collaboration to ensure astronaut safety and mission success. Through Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface while advancing key science and discovery for the benefit of all.
    Learn more about HLS and meet some of the NASA Marshall teammates below who are working on the lunar landers:

    Amy Buck has been working with Artemis systems since she first came to Marshall 10 years ago. Previously part of the cryogenic insulation team for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, Buck is now the materials discipline lead for HLS. In her role, she has the chance to work on nearly every piece of hardware for the two landers as she and her team work with each of the HLS providers to ensure compliance with NASA’s requirements.
    “The NASA HLS materials team is vital in supporting the design, testing, and manufacturing of the landers,” Buck said. “Landing on the Moon is central to the larger Artemis mission, and I’m super excited to be part of the Artemis Generation.”
    Buck is most excited to see the first woman land on the Moon under Artemis and says she hopes it will inspire young girls – the next generation of engineers and scientists – to go into science and engineering.

    Mission success is all in the details for Sean Underwood, the thermal discipline lead for HLS. The Georgia native works with a team responsible for ensuring that the lunar landers can operate in the Moon’s harsh environment.
    “There are unique thermal challenges associated with the Artemis III, IV, and V missions,” Underwood said. “Our primary objective is to manage thermal energy and heating rates, ensuring that HLS components and systems remain within thermal limits across all mission environments.”
    Underwood joined Marshall in 2020 and sees his role with Artemis as one that will shape the future of space exploration – and Marshall. “Marshall Space Flight Center has been at the forefront of monumental space projects since its inception,” he said. “Through Artemis, we are ensuring that the legacy of past missions continues to inspire and drive us forward.”
    › Back to Top

    By Rick Smith
    As any home or business owner in the Southern United States knows, maintaining energy costs while trying to keep cool in the sweltering summer months is no simple challenge.
    But one “cool” new infrastructure upgrade at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will reduce the center’s utility costs by approximately $250,000 a year, shrinking Marshall’s environmental footprint and streamlining long-term infrastructure maintenance costs.

    It’s called a thermal energy storage tank – 60 feet high, 60 feet in diameter, each unit capable of holding approximately 1.125 million gallons of chilled water – and it represents another milestone for facilities engineers in Marshall’s Office of Center Operations, whose tactics have already reduced center-wide energy expenditure by a dizzying 58.3% since fiscal year 2003.
    Thermal energy storage is not a new process; it’s been used for decades to maximize efficiency in temperature control, particularly among industrial facilities and large public venues from hospitals to indoor stadiums. At Marshall, the chilled water serves a critical purpose center-wide, circulating from a central plant via a network of underground pipes to help keep laboratories and other buildings temperate throughout the summer heat.
    “The average team member might not realize it’s chilled water, not just air, that keeps our labs, offices, and test facilities cool,” said Marshall facilities engineer Angela Bell, who helped oversee the installation of the second tank. “Our tanks operate at night, when utility prices drop and there is less overall demand on the regional energy grid, then send the chillwater out during the day.”
    Marshall’s first tank was built and put into operation in 2008-2009. The second officially goes into service in October, joining its counterpart in creating chilled water overnight. Together, the tanks – situated adjacent to Building 4473 on the corner of Morris and Titan roads – provide an annual energy savings of roughly half a million dollars.
    Marshall facilities engineer Connor McLean, who succeeded Bell as project manager for the new tank, noted that each thermal energy storage tank handles approximately 106,000 kilo-BTUs worth of cooling activity per day – or roughly 1,750 times as much cooling capacity as a central air system in a traditional family home.
    Even with that considerable output, Marshall’s original tank had been hard-pressed to keep up with demand across the entire center over the past decade and a half, as climate change steadily pushed temperatures to sustained extremes.
    “This is a huge stride in critical system redundancy,” McLean said. “Having the second tank enables us to run both concurrently or give one of them some necessary downtime without loss of center-wide functionality. That added capability makes Marshall more resilient and bolsters our confidence in our ability to handle unforeseen challenges.”
    The electricity that powers the storage tanks is a mix – hydroelectric, fossil fuels, nuclear, and an increasing amount of renewable energy sources – provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority via the U.S. Army, from whom NASA leases property on Redstone Arsenal. 
    “The tanks will be tremendous cost-savers for the next 40-50 years,” Bell said. “They allow us to use energy much more efficiently, based on past energy consumption levels – and that allows Marshall to do other things with those dollars.”
    Over the past 20 years, Marshall has reinvested energy savings and facilities cost underruns back into center operations, often to fund new, cost-saving overhauls: upgrading facility HVAC systems or replacing obsolete lighting with more efficient LEDs.
    “If we didn’t reduce consumption, our projected utility costs would be around $30 million per year,” said Rhonda Truitt, Marshall’s energy and water manager. “Thanks to efficient strategizing, encouraged and championed by Marshall and NASA leadership, we typically operate in the range of just $16-18 million per year.”
    Such strategies have enabled Marshall to effectively keep its infrastructure budget flat since the early 2010s – reducing overall energy consumption and replacing outdated facilities with more cost-conscious, environmentally friendly modern buildings, a program known among facilities engineers as “repair by replacement.”
    The U.S. Army at Redstone doesn’t employ a central chiller plant of its own, but the Marshall facilities team works “very closely” with their counterparts on the military side.
    “We have a great working relationship,” Truitt said. “The real advantage of our system is that by reducing our peak energy demand, it reduces it for all of Redstone – which benefits the rest of the Arsenal and the lower Tennessee Valley.”
    The new tank goes into operation just in time for the start of National Energy Awareness Month in October – and Truitt and her team encourage the Marshall workforce to continue to practice sensible energy conservation tactics even as sweat-inducing temperatures subside.
    “Turn off lights and computer monitors wherever possible, don’t leave doors or windows propped open, and be mindful of all the small things that can add up over time,” Truitt said. “Our goal is always to help team members do their jobs in the most efficient way possible, to accomplish Marshall’s objectives and conserve our energy budget without impeding the mission.”
    Thanks to the center’s new thermal energy storage tank, that should be no sweat.
    Smith, an Aeyon employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
    › Back to Top

    Rae Ann Meyer, front right, deputy director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is joined by members of the NASA Advisory Council and NASA Headquarters staff Oct. 1 at Marshall. The group toured various areas across the center during their visit Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Council members are appointed by the NASA administrator to provide advice and make recommendations on programs, policies, and other matters pertaining to the agency’s mission. (NASA/Charles Beason)
    › Back to Top

    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center continued the tradition of honoring engineers for their exceptional efforts on Commercial Crew Program (CCP) missions to the International Space Station on Sept. 4, with a plaque hanging for Expedition 70 at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC). Holding their plaques are, from left, Shelby Bates, Ali Reilly, Chris Buckley, Mandy Clayton, Elease Smith, Sara Dennis, Stephanie Stoll, John Griffin, Kylie Keeton, and Blake Parker. Team members are nominated from Marshall, Johnson Space Center, and Kennedy Space Center to hang the plaque of the mission they supported. Expedition 70 – which ended April 5 – researched heart health, cancer treatments, space manufacturing techniques, and more during their long-duration stay in Earth orbit. The HOSC provides engineering and mission operations support for the space station, the CCP, and Artemis missions, as well as science and technology demonstration missions. The Payload Operations Integration Center within HOSC operates, plans, and coordinates the science experiments onboard the space station 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. (NASA/Charles Beason)

    Buckley, left, signs an Expedition 70 plaque as Dennis looks on. (NASA/Charles Beason)

    Dennis hangs the Expedition 70 plaque inside the Huntsville Operations Support Center. (NASA/Charles Beason)
    › Back to Top

    NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 29 as the SpaceX Dragon Freedom docked to the orbiting complex at 4:30 p.m. CDT, joining Expedition 72 for a five-month science research mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

    The two crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission launched at 12:17 p.m. CDT Sept. 28 for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. This is the first human spaceflight mission launched from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the space station.
    The duo joined the space station’s Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Don Pettit, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. The number of crew aboard the space station increased to 11 for a short time until Crew-8 members Barratt, Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin depart the space station early this month.
    The crewmates will conduct more than 200 scientific investigations, including blood clotting studies, moisture effects on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts during their mission. Following their stay aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will be joined by Williams and Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025.
    With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 23 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign, and beyond.
    Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Follow the space station blog for updates on station activities.
    › Back to Top

    A costumed gorilla pacer leads a group of runners during “Racin’ the Station” duathlon, a run/bike/run event where the participants “raced” the International Space Station. The event was Sept. 28 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which is on Redstone Arsenal. “Racin’ the Station” is an annual event where participants try to complete the course faster than it takes the space station to complete one Earth orbit, which is every 91 minutes, 12 seconds. Organizers track the starting location of the space station at the race start, and a costumed pacer keeps up with the station time on the course as a visual marker for participants to stay ahead of.  Before the race, organizers drew a to-scale SLS (Space Launch System) Block 1 rocket in chalk onto the Activities Building parking lot near the race transition area. The opening ceremonies featured a video of the Artemis 1 launch, with the race starting with the launch of a model rocket. “The rain was a first for race day since we started this event in 2012,” said Kent Criswell, race organizer for Marshall. “But we still had a safe race with 106 individuals and 13 relay teams finishing.” The event is organized by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club in Huntsville and by the Marshall Association, a professional employee service organization at the Marshall Center whose members include civil service employees, retirees and contractors. Proceeds from the registration fee for the event go to the Marshall Association scholarship fund. Race results can be found here. (NASA/Charles Beason)

    Participants take off in the bike portion of the “Racin’ the Station” duathlon. (NASA/Charles Beason)
    › Back to Top

    By Savannah Bullard 
    A new NASA competition, the LunaRecycle Challenge, is open and offering $3 million in prizes for innovations in recycling material waste on deep space missions. 
    As NASA continues efforts toward long-duration human space travel, including building a sustained human presence on the Moon through its Artemis missions, the agency needs novel solutions for processing inorganic waste streams like food packaging, discarded clothing, and science experiment materials. While previous efforts focused on the reduction of trash mass and volume, this challenge will prioritize technologies for recycling waste into usable products needed for off-planet science and exploration activities.  

    [embedded content]

    NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will incentivize the design and development of energy-efficient, low-mass, and low-impact recycling solutions that address physical waste streams and improve the sustainability of longer-duration lunar missions. Through the power of open innovation, which draws on the public’s ingenuity and creativity to find solutions, NASA can restructure the agency’s approach to waste management, support the future of space travel, and revolutionize waste treatments on Earth, leading to greater sustainability on our home planet and beyond. 
    “Operating sustainably is an important consideration for NASA as we make discoveries and conduct research both away from home and on Earth,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program. “With this challenge, we are seeking the public’s innovative approaches to waste management on the Moon and aim to take lessons learned back to Earth for the benefit of all.” 
    NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will offer two competition tracks: a Prototype Build track and a Digital Twin track. The Prototype Build Track focuses on designing and developing hardware components and systems for recycling one or more solid waste streams on the lunar surface. The Digital Twin Track focuses on designing a virtual replica of a complete system for recycling solid waste streams on the lunar surface and manufacturing end products. Offering a Digital Twin track further lowers the barrier of entry for global solvers to participate in NASA Centennial Challenges and contribute to agency missions and initiatives.  
    Teams will have the opportunity to compete in either or both competition tracks, each of which will carry its own share of the prize purse. 
    The LunaRecycle Challenge also will address some of the aerospace community’s top technical challenges. In July, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate released a ranked list of 187 technology areas requiring further development to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. The results integrated inputs from NASA mission directorates and centers, industry organizations, government agencies, academia, and other interested individuals to help guide NASA’s space technology development and investments. This list and subsequent updates will help inform future Centennial Challenges.  
    The three technological needs that LunaRecycle will address include logistics tracking, clothing, and trash management for habitation; in-space and on-surface manufacturing of parts and products; and in-space and on-surface manufacturing from recycled and reused materials. 
    “I am pleased that NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will contribute to solutions pertaining to technological needs within advanced manufacturing and habitats,” said Kim Krome, acting program manager for agency’s Centennial Challenges, and challenge manager of LunaRecycle. “We are very excited to see what solutions our global competitors generate, and we are eager for this challenge to serve as a positive catalyst for bringing the agency, and humanity, closer to exploring worlds beyond our own.” 
    NASA has contracted The University of Alabama to be the allied partner for the duration of the challenge. The university, based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will coordinate with former Centennial Challenge winner AI Spacefactory to facilitate the challenge and manage its competitors.  
    To register as a participant in NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge, visit: lunarecyclechallenge.ua.edu. 
    NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge is led by the agency’s Kennedy Space Center with support from Marshall Space Flight Center. The competition is a NASA’s Centennial Challenge, based at Marshall. Centennial Challenges are part of NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.  
    Bullard, a Manufacturing Technical Solutions Inc. employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
    › Back to Top

    Technicians completed loading propellants in the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft Sept. 22, inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

    Housed in the largest spacecraft NASA has ever built for a planetary mission, Europa Clipper’s propulsion module is an aluminum cylinder 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, and it holds the spacecraft’s array of 24 engines and 6067.6 pounds of propellant in two propulsion tanks, as well as the spacecraft’s helium pressurant tanks. The fuel and oxidizer held by the tanks will flow to the 24 engines, creating a controlled chemical reaction to produce thrust in space during its journey to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life.
    After launch, the spacecraft plans to fly by Mars in February 2025, then back by Earth in December 2026, using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum. With help of these “gravity assists,” Europa Clipper will achieve the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in April 2030.
    NASA is targeting launch Oct. 10 aboard a Space X Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA Kennedy’s historic Launch Complex 39A.
    Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The main spacecraft body was designed by APL in collaboration with NASA JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
    › Back to Top

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quarterly Coal Report (QCR)—Second-Quarter 2024

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides detailed quarterly data on U.S. coal production, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, quality, and stocks. The report also provides data on U.S. coke production, consumption, stocks, imports, and exports. All data for 2022 and previous years are final. All data for 2023 and 2024 are preliminary.

    Highlights for the second quarter of 2024

    • U.S. coal production during the second quarter of 2024 totaled 118.1 million short tons (MMst), which was 9.1% lower than the previous quarter and 17.1% lower than the second quarter of 2023. Production in the Western region, which represented about 49.1% of total U.S. coal production in the second quarter of 2024, totaled about 58 MMst (24.1% lower than the second quarter of 2023).
    • U.S. coal exports for the second quarter of 2024 (25.8 MMst) decreased 3.8% from the first quarter of 2024. The average price of U.S. coal exports during the second quarter of 2024 was $135.64 per short ton.
    • The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (50.6%) and Canada (39.5%). No imports from Australia or Indonesia were recorded for the second quarter of 2024. U.S. coal imports in the second quarter of 2024 totaled 0.5 MMst. The average price of U.S. coal imports during the second quarter of 2024 was $187.79 per short ton.
    • Steam coal exports totaled 12 MMst (3.6% lower than the first quarter of 2024). Metallurgical coal exports totaled 13.8 MMst (4% lower than the first quarter of 2024).
    • U.S. coal consumption totaled 91.2 MMst in the second quarter of 2024, which was 9% lower than the 100.2 MMst reported in the first quarter of 2024 and 0.3% lower than the 91.5 MMst reported in the second quarter of 2023. The electric power sector accounted for about 90.1% of the total U.S. coal consumption in the second quarter of 2024.
    • In the second quarter of 2024, coal stocks dropped to 157.9 MMst from 158 MMst at the end of the first quarter of 2024 (a 0% decrease). Stocks in the electric power sector decreased to 133.5 MMst from 133.6 MMst at the end of the first quarter of 2024, the first decrease since the end of third-quarter 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New NASA eClips VALUE Bundles for Learners with Varied Needs

    Source: NASA

    2 min read

    The NASA Science Activation program’s NASA eClips project, led by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), aims to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) literacy and inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists by providing effective web-based, standards-aligned, in-school and out-of-school learning and teaching resources through the lens of NASA.

    In Summer 2024, NASA eClips developed six new Varied & Accessible Learning Resources for Universal Engagement (VALUE) Bundles. These VALUE Bundles are a thematic and curated set of NASA eClips and partner resources, organized in a user-friendly dashboard, providing a thematic, cohesive, and engaging set of materials to meet learners’ varied needs for their:

    Engagement – The WHY of Learning;
    Representation – The WHAT of Learning; and
    Action & Expression – The HOW of Learning.

    These new NASA eClips VALUE Bundles empower learners to explore topics of their choice through multiple modalities and focus on six science themes:

    Earth’s Moon
    Explore Planets
    Forces of Flight
    Magnets
    Planets
    Plants

    Educators and learners of all ages are invited to explore these brand new VALUE bundles: https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa.gov/resources/valuebundle. Learn more about NASA eClips and access its varied resources developed for use by K-12 teachers and informal educators at https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa.gov.

    NASA eClips is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

    New VALUE Bundles were developed for learners of varied needs on six science themes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Georgia After Hurricane Debby

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    strong>ATLANTA – Georgia homeowners and renters in eight counties who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Debby Aug. 4 – Aug. 20, 2024, may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.

    FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long and Screven counties can apply.

    There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.

    FEMA’s disaster assistance offers new benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors. In addition, a simplified process and expanded eligibility allows Georgians access to a wider range of assistance and funds for serious needs.

    What You’ll Need When You Apply

    • A current phone number where you can be contacted.
    • Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
    • Your Social Security number.
    • A general list of damage and losses.
    • Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
    • If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.

    If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

    For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4821. 
    Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USAID Announces New Rehabilitation Initiative for Ukraine

    Source: USAID

    The United States, through USAID, announced today an initial allocation of $13 million to strengthen the capacity of physical rehabilitation systems in Ukraine. The new USAID Rehabilitation for Ukraine initiative, or “Rehab4U,” will increase access to services and assistive technology, and promote inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in their communities and the country’s recovery. 

    The number of Ukrainians requiring quality rehabilitation care has increased dramatically due to the ongoing war. Rehab4U will promote a resilient and inclusive rehabilitation system. The project will be implemented across 15 regions in Ukraine to ensure nationwide impact.

    The United States remains committed to supporting the Ukrainian people through the provision of urgently needed assistance, saving lives, meeting immediate needs, and planning for the future. This ongoing commitment reflects our support to Ukraine’s sovereignty and prosperity. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Administrator Samantha Power Arrives in Ukraine

    Source: USAID

    Administrator Samantha Power arrived in Kyiv today to reaffirm the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine and reiterate USAID’s support as the country prepares for the upcoming winter. During her visit, the Administrator will meet with government officials, educators, youth, anti-corruption champions, and leaders from the energy and IT sectors who are working tirelessly to fight for the future of Ukraine.

    This is Administrator Power’s third visit to Ukraine since 2020. Her visit will highlight how USAID’s development, humanitarian, and economic assistance is supporting Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and democracy today while also helping Ukraine build long term resilience and prosperity.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman Launches New Initiative to Foster Peace-Building in Papua New Guinea

    Source: USAID

    Today, in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman launched the Peace Project, which will empower PNG communities to prevent and resolve conflicts peacefully, address gender-based violence and inequity, and ensure PNG communities are supported by more accountable, responsive, and transparent local institutions. 

    The Peace Project is USAID’s flagship activity under the ten-year plan to implement the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS) in PNG. This plan reinforces our growing partnership with, and long-term commitment to, the most populous, diverse, and resource-rich Pacific Island country. By funding and supporting projects that include peacebuilding training, community dialogues, conflict analysis, and civic engagement programs. The Peace Project will strengthen community capacity to peacefully respond to violence and conflict – especially against women – support sustainable and equitable livelihood opportunities, and improve community mediation and justice systems. Other  interventions will include, but will not be limited to, capacity-building for communities and civil society organizations and support for increased access to finance and services for improved economic livelihoods. 

    The United States’ SPCPS, a joint effort by the U.S. government and partners to address the root causes of violence and  to build durable inclusive peace, represents a whole-of-government approach by the United States. The Peace Project will be implemented in conjunction with complementary programs from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, and other U.S. and PNG government partners.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Administrator Power Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Ukraine

    Source: USAID

    Today, Administrator Samantha Power announced that the United States, through USAID and the U.S. Department of State, is providing $237 million in additional humanitarian funding to support the most vulnerable conflict-affected populations in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in the region. This assistance will help partners providing life-saving assistance, including critical winterization preparedness aid ahead of the harsh winter months, as well as food, shelter, health, and protection assistance.

    The majority of funding announced today, which includes funding from the bipartisan National Security Supplemental, will help meet the essential needs of Ukrainians inside the country. This lifesaving support will help partners providing market-based assistance, which allows people in need to purchase basic necessities, such as food and shelter supplies, at local markets, and help Ukrainians access critical protection assistance, including psychosocial support for gender-based violence survivors. Additional assistance will also support UN and non-governmental organization partners to provide urgently needed health services like emergency medical teams and disease prevention, shelter supplies and repairs, heating systems, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, including the rehabilitation of vital water and sanitation systems.  

    The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. This announcement brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region since February 2022 to nearly $3.8 billion. The United States is committed to supporting the Ukrainian people through the provision of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to save lives and meet the essential needs of conflict-affected populations. The United States’ ongoing support for Ukraine reflects our commitment to its sovereignty, economic prosperity, and democratic institutions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman at the Launch of the Papua New Guinea Peace Project

    Source: USAID

    DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR ISOBEL COLEMAN: Thank you, Mr. [Cullighan] Tanda, for that introduction. Thank you, Ambassador [Anne Marie] Yastishock, for those thoughtful remarks. A special thanks to Hela Provincial Administrator, Marago Tagoba, and Morobe Deputy Provincial Administrator, Robin Bazzinuc, for joining us. And good afternoon, everyone. It’s great to be here with you today.

    My name is Isobel Coleman, and I have the privilege of helping run the U.S. Agency for International Development – USAID – a part of the U.S. government that supports partner countries, like Papua New Guinea, as they work to enhance economic opportunity and promote healthy, safe societies, free of violence. I just arrived today, and I’m so pleased to be here.

    USAID and the U.S. government have been partnering with the Pacific Islands since the earliest years of our Agency. In the decades that followed WWII, as Pacific nations began to gain their independence, USAID worked with these newly free nations to invest in small businesses, help grow sectors like agriculture and fisheries, and connect local goods to international markets. 

    Over the years, we’ve helped communities recover from natural disasters, invested in education and technology, and joined with the Papua New Guinean people to take on diseases like HIV. And, we’ve worked to build resilience to a changing climate and helped to expand economic opportunities. 

    As a large, diverse, and resource-rich Pacific Island country, Papua New Guinea has extraordinary potential. But – as we know – violence, inequality, and poverty can stifle such potential. We are partnering with the Papua New Guinea government and people to counter gender-based violence, tribal conflicts in the Highlands region, and other forms of violence to help promote peace and stability in PNG. 

    At USAID, we prioritize placing local voices in the lead. So, in designing the project we’re launching here today, we’ve sat down with Papua New Guineans, internalized their perspectives, and responded accordingly. We hear women and girls who say they feel unsafe. We hear men when they say they feel frustrated. And, we hear young people when they express concern about their futures.

    We know violence has economic implications. When women are unsafe, they are stripped of opportunities to financially provide for themselves and their families. Tribal violence prevents promising young people from engaging in initiatives to make their communities healthier and more prosperous. 

    Put simply, when citizens are affected by violence, they cannot harness their full potential.

    The Papua New Guinean people are working toward a foundation of peace and stability on which to build safe and fulfilling lives, and to pursue their dreams and ambitions. We stand with you and support you in this endeavor. As Ambassador Yastishock outlined, our plan is to partner with the PNG people to address the root causes of violence and to build durable inclusive peace on the island. 

    Today, I’m pleased to launch USAID’s Papua New Guinea Peace Project. 

    As you’ve heard, this five-year, $26 million project will work to strengthen community capacity in PNG’s Hela and Morobe provinces to peacefully respond to violence – especially violence against women and youth. It will support sustainable and equitable livelihood opportunities. And, it will focus on strengthening local institutions – including community mediation and justice systems – to be more accountable, responsive, and transparent. 

    This project was created through an extensive two-year process, during which we directly consulted dozens of stakeholders – including local governments, the private sector, civil society members, and local communities. And, as we implement, we will continue to work in close partnership with local leaders. 

    Through interventions like peacebuilding training and community dialogues, the Peace Project will work to plant the seeds of peace from the ground up. Working with civil society organizations and civic engagement programs, the project will support and equip local peacemakers with specialized training and responsive resources. To help build economic stability for the Papua New Guinean people, we will connect PNG businesses and entrepreneurs with resources such as grants and credit, and provide vocational training to improve economic livelihoods. 

    To our Papua New Guinean partners in the room, we thank you for your collaboration as we implement the Peace Project together in service of the PNG people. The U.S. government remains committed to supporting Papua New Guinea’s communities and government to achieve PNG’s development goals, and we will do this by listening to our partners and following their lead.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Assistance Now Available in Virginia

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    strong>Philadelphia, Pa. — Residents of Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe counties as well as residents of the city of Galax are eligible to apply for assistance from FEMA to help with costs from damage and losses due to Hurricane Helene beginning September 25, 2024. 

    FEMA may be able to help you pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other needs due to the disaster, including:

    • Essential items such as water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, medical supplies and equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation
    • Rental assistance if you are displaced because of the disaster including financial assistance for the following: hotel stays, stays with family and friends, or other options while you look for a rental unit
    • Repair or replacement of a vehicle, appliances, room furnishings, personal or family computer
    • Books, uniforms, tools, computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment
    • Moving and storage fees, medical expenses, childcare and funeral expenses

    There are four ways to apply:

    • Visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
    • Download the FEMA App.
    • Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
      • Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, please provide FEMA your number for that service.
    • In person assistance will also be available soon. 
      • Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams will be on the ground in impacted communities, walking door to door to share information and help residents apply for FEMA assistance. 
      • In coordination with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and officials in impacted counties and cities, FEMA will be opening Disaster Recovery Centers soon. At a Disaster Recovery Center, you can get help applying for federal assistance, update your application and learn about other resources available.

    If you have insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA can’t pay for losses your insurance will cover.

    To watch an accessible video about how to apply, visit FEMA Accessible: Registering for Individual Assistance – YouTube.

    For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov,  the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.  

    ###

    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.

    Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Acting Deputy Administrator Michele Sumilas at a Swearing-in Ceremony for David Thompson as Mission Director for South Sudan

    Source: USAID

    DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR MICHELE SUMILAS: Thank you so much Matt [Rees] for MCing the event today, and thank you to Ambassador [Michael J.] Adler for his kind words. I don’t know, David, if I would take this job based on his admonition, but let me just say I’m really honored to be here. It’s actually my first swearing in as the Acting Deputy Administrator. So, I’m very honored to do that. I know the Administrator wishes she could be here. She’s currently on travel, but she has asked me to pass along her congratulations and to say that she’s thrilled you’re stepping into this role.

    So, I also want to just say, welcome to David’s family, his friends and colleagues. David’s family is spread across, as we know, several continents this morning. We’ve seen them all, and I have watched David point them out to everyone on the screen. He’s so proud of them. 

    And, I also just want to say that it was really my pleasure to have met his mom in my office earlier. We learned that we are both children of federal workers, and I think that really just brings a whole different spirit to why we’re here and what we do. Mary Lou raised her three children after David’s dad passed away. And, she really spent her career in the U.S. government building IT systems and actually worked with USAID for a time, I learned, over in our Rosslyn office – which many of us have fond memories of. So, I just want to say thank you for your service, and thank you for making David’s service possible. 

    Also, welcome to David’s sisters Kathi and Susan, his brother-in-law Scott, and his Uncle Mike and Aunt Barbara.

    David’s daughters, Flora and Celina, who are on the screen there, are joining virtually from the Netherlands, where they’re in college together – David shared that with me yesterday. He’s really proud of them and all the work that they’re doing, and that they are together in the Netherlands. I learned, also, that they’ve inherited their dad’s taste in music – The Who, Pink Floyd, and Lana Del Rey – and that they both will be soon aspiring to do a similar kind of work that their mother and their father do. 

    And, welcome, finally, to David’s wife, Priscila, who’s joining from South Africa. We’ll talk more about Priscila later, but she’s a scholar and a researcher focused on urban policy. 

    So, David grew up in Alexandria, Virginia – across the river – and from the beginning, he made friends with everyone. Some will say that if you walk around Alexandria, even today, it’s like walking around with the Mayor. And, he shared that he just had his high school reunion – I won’t say how many years.

    He studied architecture at the University of Virginia, something we don’t hear often. And, he moved to DC to work at a construction management firm. It was there that he first picked up running. He finished the Marine Corps Marathon and began a hobby that he would carry across many continents and into many relationships. 

    In 1996, he moved to Bosnia after the war there ended to help reconstruct homes and schools so that displaced persons could return to their communities. And, he found that although he loved the architecture part of the job, he loved working with community leaders more. And so, he returned to the U.S., and he enrolled in an international development master’s program at Duke.

    Most of the other students were public administrators or civil servants, but there was one other architect. Luckily, that was Priscila. So, they began to study together. They spent time in groups, and they were soon dating. He spent Christmas that first year with her back home in Brazil, and it was a success. But, upon returning from sunny Brazil, Priscila did find it difficult to adapt to the cold, darkness, and dreariness of the first real winter – today’s weather is probably emblematic of that. And, David would encourage her to join him outside for walks and runs in the Duke forest. “One foot after the other,” she remembers him saying. Step by step, they made it through to spring, and they’ve been together ever since. 

    So, it’s that steadiness – that focus on putting one foot ahead of the other despite whatever is happening – which is what David brings to teams here at USAID, which he joined in 2003. One former colleague described him as “our rock during difficult times.”

    In Honduras, he was the director of the democracy office during the military coup in 2009. His team was at the center of efforts to protect the rule of law and rally support for fair and credible elections. A colleague from the time said that “David guided us through critical tasks and tense communications, but more importantly, he was a supportive friend who genuinely cared about our wellbeing. He provided the calm and the smiles we needed to weather the storm.”

    In Afghanistan, he again was in a high-stress environment when the compound was under attack. And for 24 hours, he kept his 40-person team calm and confined to a secure building near their office. And, he was very adept at lightening the mood with his trademark humor.

    So, when the compound was secure, he went to work again, working with civil society, and he returned to those daily runs, even inviting his colleagues to join him around the embassy perimeter, again, putting one foot in front of the other.

    And then, later in Tanzania, he was Deputy Mission Director at a time when the country’s new president was less oriented toward partnership with the U.S. So, you led an overhaul of the strategy, defining new goals, and you drew attention to unfair policies like one that placed invasive and discriminatory conditions on girls’ participation at school. 

    Most recently, you were the Power Africa Coordinator, returning everyone to the office and helping them begin to work with local partners and helping them start awarding [contracts] – in fact, the first local contract – instead of only to big transnational companies. 

    So, we are very lucky to have David’s experience going to South Sudan. We feel like he’s very prepared for this important and challenging job. And, we know that South Sudan is challenging. The UN has estimated that nine million people in South Sudan, 73 percent of the population, will need humanitarian assistance in 2024.

    To meet this need, USAID has provided more than a half a billion dollars of aid this year. And, we’re providing nutrient-dense foods to fight malnutrition. We’re helping construct and repair boreholes and wells to improve access to clean water. And, we’re funding basic health services while pushing the government to allocate more of its resources to essential services and humanitarian assistance. This is all happening thanks to the great team on the ground, and we look forward to you leading that team to new places. 

    The staggering level of need is a coincidence of several different factors. First, the climate crisis has made seasonal floods more severe, displacing millions and submerging the farmland. By displacing so many and compounding the challenge of scarce resources, the floods have also exacerbated the violence that often happens between communities. And, even though South Sudan has been at peace since 2018, violence continues in many areas of the country, and the political elites have failed to implement most elements of the peace agreement.

    So, the South Sudanese people are anxious and fearful, and they’ve also had to absorb hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring Sudan, which will continue because it’s one of our largest humanitarian emergencies in the world today, and only getting worse. 

    So, we will continue to respond. David will lead us in that response. We will support the South Sudanese people to build a democratic country and mitigate conflict, call for an end to political violence and intimidation, and encourage political rivals to work together. 

    David, to state the obvious, this is not easy work, but we expect that you are the perfect person to take it on. The team on the ground is eager and ready to welcome you to post – there were many in that room waiting for your arrival. And, I’m sure that they will hear you say, step by step. One foot in front of the other. A little bit at a time. And together, the South Sudanese will realize their vision for a brighter future. 

    So, with that, please join me for your swearing in, and your mother as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor announces over $1M in grants awarded to support mine safety, health awareness; education, training

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1 million in grants to seven organizations in five states to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.

    Administered by the department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program will allow recipients to create accessible, comprehensive training materials in multiple languages, promote and conduct mine safety training or educational programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts. 

    In awarding the grants, MSHA gave special emphasis to education and training programs that reach miners at smaller mines and underserved populations in the industry. Training and education supported by the grants align with the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program’s mission, as well as key MSHA priorities including mine rescue, better protecting miners from exposure to silica dust and powered haulage safety. 

    “As the Biden-Harris administration moves full steam ahead to ensure the implementation of MSHA’s new respirable silica dust standard, the grants awarded today are a valuable tool to make training and resources available to better protect miners from the debilitating and deadly effects of silica dust exposure,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “All miners deserve a safe and healthy work environment and the ability to retire with their dignity and enjoy the fruits of their labor.”

    Established under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, the grant program honors 25 miners who perished in mine disasters at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama, on Sept. 23, 2001, and at the Sago Mine in Buckhannon, West Virginia, on Jan. 2, 2006.

    “In remembrance of the 25 miners who lost their lives, the Brookwood-Sago grants have historically included awards for mine emergency preparedness and rescue, and this year we are proud to continue that important tradition by supporting those critical programs,” Williamson said. “This year’s grant recipients share our commitment to mine rescue and ensuring miners return home safe and healthy to their families and communities at the end of their shift.”

    The recipients of the 2024 Brookwood-Sago grants are as follows:

    Recipient City

    State

    Amount
    University of Arizona Tucson

    AZ

    $134,999
    Wayne State University Detroit

    MI

    $201,276
    Desert Research Institute Reno

    NV

    $128,233
    UMWA Career Centers Inc  Prosperity

    PA

    $74,810
    Pennsylvania State University University Park

    PA

    $149,465
    West Virginia University Morgantown

    WV

    $173,543 
    West Virginia University Research Corp. Morgantown

    WV

    $151,392

    Learn more about MSHA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AB Specialty Silicones must pay $1.3M federal penalty, implement comprehensive safety programs after 2019 Waukegan plant explosion

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WAUKEGAN, IL – Chemical products manufacturer AB Specialty Silicones LLC will pay $1.3 million in penalties after an explosion and fire at its Waukegan plant in May 2019 claimed the lives of four workers. 

    The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached a settlement agreement with the company after an investigation revealed AB Specialty Silicones failed to ensure electrical equipment complied with OSHA standards. The company also used propane-powered forklifts to transport flammable liquids in areas where employees handled flammable liquids and gases.

    As part of the agreement, the company has temporarily ceased production and use of silicon-hydride emulsions at all facilities until a new process area for production is designed by an engineering firm.

    “This agreement will never replace the four workers lost in this preventable tragedy, but it’s a step in the right direction,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. “OSHA will continue to hold AB Specialty Silicones accountable for improving their safety culture by working with industry experts, and both management and employees to develop and continually test safety measures, emergency response procedures and training employees in hazard recognition.”

    On Oct. 1, 2024, the Administrative Law Judge overseeing the case before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission accepted the parties’ notification of settlement and terminated proceedings.

    As part of the agreement, AB Specialty Silicones agreed to do the following: 

    • Develop a company-wide safety and health management system, implement an emergency action plan and conduct evacuation drills. 
    • Provide safety training to employees and offer it in all languages understood by employees. 
    • Require specialty training for management on handling flammable materials.
    • Purchase industrial trucks properly rated for handling flammable materials for all facilities. 
    • Perform comprehensive audits of its occupational health and safety management system certification and maintain at all facilities. 
    • Hire third-party consultants to assist with the analysis of electrical classification and hazards for any future or rebuilt facilities and audit those facilities six months after the start of operations.
    • Allow OSHA to periodically inspect facilities without requiring a warrant.

    AB Specialty Silicones will pay the penalty in 12 quarterly installments through Sept. 1, 2027. If a payment is missed, the entire penalty becomes due immediately. 

    Headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, AB Specialty Silicones is a manufacturer and distributor of specialty silicone chemicals. 

    Learn more about OSHA. 

    Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

    Docket No. 19-1831

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor orders railroad to reinstate employee, pay $200K in back wages, damages after retaliation for safety complaints

    Source: US Department of Labor

    ENDERLIN, ND – A federal whistleblower investigation has found a North Dakota railroad company illegally retaliated against and terminated a claims representative who reported an injury, discussed safety concerns with their supervisor and filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor. 

    The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated a complaint filed by an Enderlin-based employee of Soo Line Railroad Co. who reported an injury they believed was related to dust and chemical exposures during indoor workplace construction. In the months after, the claims representative discussed their safety complaints with their supervisor and co-workers. 

    While the Federal Railway Safety Act protects a worker’s right to report injuries, to discuss them and file complaints with regulatory agencies, Soo Line Railroad later suspended and fired the employee subsequently.

    OSHA investigators found Soo Line Railroad violated the claims representative’s federal protections and ordered the company to reinstate the employee, pay them more than $45,000 in back wages and $155,000 in other damages. The railroad operator must also remove negative reports from the worker’s personnel record.

    “Employees must be able to exercise their legal rights regarding workplace safety freely without fear of  employer retaliation,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator Jennifer S. Rous in Denver. “Our investigation and actions on this employee’s behalf reflect the U.S. Department of Labor’s determination to ensure workers’ rights are protected.”

     Based in Minneapolis, the Soo Line Railroad is a key U.S. subsidiary of Calgary-based Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, one of the six major Class I railroads in the U.S.

    The company and the former employee may file objections or request a hearing with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges within 30 days of receiving the agency’s order.

    OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the FRSA and more than 20 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, criminal antitrust and anti-money laundering laws. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage.

    Editor’s note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor expands grain handling safety emphasis program to address continued deaths, injuries in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

    Source: US Department of Labor

    KANSAS CITY, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched a regional emphasis program to address worker safety in the highly hazardous grain handling industry as preventable injuries and unchecked hazards continue to be a serious concern for workers in the region. The program in Missouri is identical to programs already in place in Kansas and Nebraska.

    Between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2023, OSHA responded to three fatalities, 13 reported amputations and 36 hospitalizations among industry workers in the three states alone. During that period, the agency completed 104 inspections including 68 in Kansas, 28 in Nebraska and eight in Missouri, and received 131 complaints or referrals about unsafe conditions in the grain handling industry. 

    “The tragic toll of preventable deaths and injuries in the grain handling industry highlights the severe dangers workers face when safety regulations are ignored,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Billie A. Kizer in Kansas City, Missouri. “With this regional emphasis program, OSHA can target high-risk worksites, pushing employers to tackle the root causes of worker injuries and prioritize safety as a core business value.”

    Hazards at grain handling facilities are well documented and include dangers related to fires and explosions if combustible dust ignites, engulfment, confined spaces, falls, auger entanglements, electrical shock and electrocution, struck-by incidents, and those related to rail car operations. 

    The expanded five-year program targets industry employers with grain elevators, grain storage and milling operations, and those engaged in animal feed production, farm machinery and equipment repair or maintenance.  

    As part of its continued alliance program, OSHA has partnered with the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, Grain Elevator and Processing Society and National Grain and Feed Association to address hazards, reduce risks and improve safety and health management systems to help prevent life-altering injuries and fatalities and identify the critical steps for handling grain safely.

    OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. 

    OSHA also offers online compliance information about grain handling. Resources include Hazards and controls in Agricultural Operations, Respiratory Protection and the Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment eMatrix. 

    The emphasis program will be in place through Sept. 30, 2029.

    Learn more about OSHA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: CONGRESSIONAL HOSTAGE TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS HILL AND STEVENS LEAD LETTER TO STATE DEPARTMENT TO DISINCENTIVIZE HOSTAGE TAKING

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (R-AR) and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Co-Chairs of the Hostage Task Force in the House, led a letter together to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to develop additional tools to disincentivize wrongful detention, hostage taking, and discourage Americans from traveling to hostile nations.

    In their letter, Rep. Hill and Rep. Stevens summarize four policy suggestions, which include forming joint penalties with allies against states that take hostages, developing a formal determination and designation of hostage-taking nations, using existing authority to restrict travel by U.S. citizens to nations that routinely take Americans, and strongly encouraging travelers to countries with a Level 4 Travel Warning to register with their local embassy and work with TSA to develop informational materials at airports.

    To read the lawmakers’ full letter, please visit HERE:

    Dear Secretary Blinken, We write to commend your work in helping to accomplish the largest prisoner exchange with Russia since the Cold War and bringing home Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and fourteen other Americans, Russians and Europeans imprisoned in Russia to their families. This deal underscores that too many of our fellow Americans are increasingly being wrongfully detained and held hostage by hostile governments and terror groups which treat our citizens as disposable geopolitical bargaining chips.

    We recognize and applaud the important and difficult advances made across the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations through the issuance of PPD-30 in 2015 and the passage of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recover and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act in 2020. The success of a multinational approach with Russia in this particular instance should be formalized more broadly to disincentivize wrongful detention and hostage taking. We were pleased to see the initial progress made with the signing of the 2021 Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-toState Relations to disincentivize wrongful detention and hostage taking. Sharing of data and best practices amongst like-minded nations is an important first step.

    Even so, the United States Government must do more. The taking of Americans as hostages continues despite significant action taken by the last three administrations to prevent this. In addition, we fear an increasing number of Americans will be taken abroad in future years unless the State Department develops additional tools to disincentivize these practices and more effectively discourages Americans from placing themselves in harms way in the first place.

    We must build on our progress to disincentivize wrongful detention and hostage taking. As such, we urge you to:

    1. Promote and coordinate ways to impose joint penalties with our allies and partners against states and individuals involved in hostage taking and wrongful detention, with the goal of concluding a declaration to urge multilateral sanctions against those credibly shown to have wrongfully detained a person.

    2. Develop a formal rubric to determine and designate states as Hostage-Taking Nations. The United States should impose countermeasures against those states’ officials and diplomats (and their immediate family members), including restricting the travel radius for any officials visiting the United States on diplomatic visas. These restrictions could be tightened or loosened as Americans are either wrongfully detained or released from the custody of such nations, creating a carrot along with a stick.

    3. Utilize the Secretary of State’s existing authority to restrict travel of U.S. citizens in the event of severe risks to their health and safety, recognizing that the existing waiver process provides for flexibility in this process. We are concerned by the growing number of Americans who require the assistance of the U.S. government to be evacuated or released from detention in countries already on the State Department’s Level 4 Travel Warning list. Unfortunately, many U.S. travelers either ignore these warnings or perhaps do not see them in the first place. We applaud the Department’s continued use of this authority since 2018 to restrict U.S. travel to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea after the horrific detention and abuse of Otto Warmbier which resulted in his death. Such an added burden to travel would help discourage our citizens from taking unnecessary risks traveling to other known dangerous countries.

    4. Strongly discourage American travelers whose final destination is a country with a Level 4 Travel Warning from traveling during their flight booking process and strongly encourage such travelers to register with the local embassy. Specifically, the State Department should consider partnering with the Transportation Security Administration to develop a system that could include elements such as posters in airports or informational briefings and acknowledgements of risks. The Department should also collect, analyze, and learn from U.S. visa data to better develop strategies to discourage Americans from traveling to the countries we warn them against visiting. This data should inform us whether our efforts to prevent such travel are succeeding or failing.

    We cannot only be reactive to the growing plight of Americans taken abroad – the United States must take strong and decisive action now to prevent this stream of wrongful detentions and hostage-takings from turning into a flood. We stand ready to work with you to implement any of these initiatives.

    We request a briefing on the Department’s plans to address these recommendations by 45 days from October 2, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Enhanced Community Development Awarded $65 Million in New Markets Tax Credits

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — P10, Inc. (NYSE: PX), a leading private markets solutions provider, today announced Enhanced Community Development, a part of P10 subsidiary Enhanced Capital Group LLC, was awarded a $65 million allocation from the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) program administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. Under the program, the U.S. Treasury Department allocated a total of $5 billion to 104 Community Development Entities for the 2023 round.

    “Enhanced Community Development is continuing to meet the needs of underserved communities around the country,” said Luke Sarsfield, P10 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Enhanced Capital’s team brings a mission-driven focus to their investments, providing financing solutions that generate positive social outcomes in the lower-middle market. This federal NMTC allocation further strengthens their ability to create opportunities that have a lasting impact.”

    Enhanced Community Development has deployed $750 million in federal and state NMTC investments across the United States, supporting over 130 projects and fostering economic activity in low-income communities. Previous NMTC-funded projects include manufacturing companies, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and community centers that serve the needs of economically disadvantaged populations.

    “We are incredibly honored to receive this $65 million allocation, which enables us to significantly increase the impact on the communities that need it most,” said Richard Montgomery, Managing Partner at Enhanced Capital. “The New Markets Tax Credit program is a powerful tool for creating meaningful change in areas often overlooked by many investors and traditional sources of capital.”

    The NMTC program, created by Congress in 2000, is designed to drive economic revitalization in underserved communities by attracting private capital investment through federal tax credit incentives. The program has facilitated the deployment of more than $63 billion in low-income communities across the U.S., resulting in the creation or retention of over 894,000 jobs and the construction or rehabilitation of nearly 260 million square feet of commercial real estate.1

    For more information on Enhanced Community Development and its work in revitalizing underserved communities, please visit http://www.enhancedcapital.com.

    About P10
    P10 is a leading multi-asset class private markets solutions provider in the alternative asset management industry. P10’s mission is to provide its investors differentiated access to a broad set of investment solutions that address their diverse investment needs within private markets. As of June 30, 2024, P10 has a global investor base of more than 3,700 investors across 50 states, 60 countries, and six continents, which includes some of the world’s largest pension funds, endowments, foundations, corporate pensions, and financial institutions. Visit http://www.p10alts.com.

    About Enhanced Community Development:
    Enhanced Community Development (ECD), a subsidiary of Enhanced Capital, is a federally designated Community Development Entity focused on the financing needs of businesses and developments located in or serving low-income communities. ECD proudly participates in the federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program and a variety of state NMTC Programs. ECD is an Equal Opportunity Provider. Since 2006, ECD has deployed $750 million in federal and state NMTC allocation to job-creating businesses and organizations in economically distressed communities.

    About Enhanced Capital:
    Enhanced Capital Group, LLC is a leading impact investment firm with over 24 years of experience investing in Climate Finance, Impact Real Estate, and Small Business Lending. From inception in 1999 through June 30th, 2024, inclusive of proprietary assets and assets managed by affiliates, Enhanced Capital has raised a total of $6.0 billion. Of the total assets under management, impact assets represent $3.8 billion invested in over 950 projects and businesses throughout 40 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico and does not include investments made by non-impact affiliates.

    For more information, visit http://www.enhancedcapital.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Some of the statements in this release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss management’s current expectations and projections relating to our financial position, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. The inclusion of any forward-looking information in this release should not be regarded as a representation that the future plans, estimates, or expectations contemplated will be achieved. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current plans, estimates, and expectations, and are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors that may cause actual results to be materially different; global and domestic market and business conditions; successful execution of business and growth strategies and regulatory factors relevant to our business; changes in our tax status; our ability to maintain our fee structure; our ability to attract and retain key employees; our ability to manage our obligations under our debt agreements; our ability to make acquisitions and successfully integrate the businesses we acquire; assumptions relating to our operations, financial results, financial condition, business prospects and growth strategy; and our ability to manage the effects of events outside of our control. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. For more information regarding these risks and uncertainties as well as additional risks that we face, you should refer to the “Risk Factors” included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 13, 2024, and in our subsequent reports filed from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events, except as otherwise required by law.

    Ownership Limitations
    P10’s Certificate of Incorporation contains certain provisions for the protection of tax benefits relating to P10’s net operating losses. Such provisions generally void transfers of shares that would result in the creation of a new 4.99% shareholder or result in an existing 4.99% shareholder acquiring additional shares of P10, and it expires at the third anniversary of the IPO, October 2024.

    Disclaimer:
    Enhanced Capital Group, LLC, and its affiliates, is an Equal Opportunity Provider. The information presented is for discussion purposes only and is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities, investment product, or investment advisory services. This is not an offering or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in a fund.

    P10 Investor Contact:
    info@p10alts.com

    P10 Media Contact:
    Taylor Donahue
    pro-p10@prosek.com

    1 “The U.S. Department of the Treasury Announces $5 Billion in New Markets Tax Credits,” Department of the Treasury, September 19, 2024. https://www.cdfifund.gov/news/603

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation School Officially Opens

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – MIL OSI Regional News in French

    will celebrate the official opening of a new school located on the territory of Alexis Nakota.

    Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta — Please be advised that Chief Tony Alexis and the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Council, along with Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, will celebrate the official opening of a new school on Alexis Nakota territory. Transformative for Alexis Nakota, this school provides traditional and contemporary education to students in grades five to twelve.

    Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2024Time: 10:15 a.m. (MT)

    Place : Chief Aranazhi SchoolAlexis Nakota Sioux Nation

    Reem SheetPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Patty HajduMinister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNorReem.Sheet@sac-isc.gc.ca

    Shauna MacDonaldBrookline Public Relations, on behalf of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation403-585-4570smacdonald@brooklinepr.com

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Augusta Emergency Operations Center | Augusta,  GA

    Source: The White House

    Augusta Utilities
    Augusta, Georgia

    3:13 P.M. EDT

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mayor. 

    And I am here in Augusta to — to thank all of the folks who are here on the ground doing this extraordinary work.  And, you know, I’ve been reading and hearing about the work you’ve been doing over the last few days.  And I think it really does represent some of the best of what we each know can be done, especially when we coordinate around local, state, and federal resources to meet the — the needs of people who must be seen and must be heard. 

    These are very difficult times.  And in a moment of crisis, I think that really does bring out the best of who we are, and you each epitomize that important and good work.

    So, I’m here to thank you and to listen.

    And — and, Senator, I want to thank you for the work that you’ve been doing on behalf of the state, because I know you’ve been talking to me and the president and many others about making sure that the federal resources get to this beautiful state.

     So, thank you all.

     And, Mayor, I am now listening. 

                                     END               3:14 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI STATEMENT ON IRANIAN MISSILE ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) issued the following statement on today’s Iranian missile attack against Israel.   

    “I condemn Iran’s ballistic missile attack and continue to stand with the Israeli people,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “My priority continues to be finding a path towards lasting peace in the region. Despite the sharp escalation in violence over recent days, we must continue to push for a diplomatic solution. While Iran must be held accountable for their actions, we must also do all we can to avoid a wider regional war and more senseless loss of life.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Bill Signed: S.  2228

    Source: The White House

    On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, the President signed into law:

    S. 2228, the “Building Chips in America Act of 2023,” which exempts certain projects relating to the production of semiconductors from environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces Grant for Small Business Incubator in Jefferson Parish

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    BATON ROUGE – This morning, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) joined officials from JEDCO (Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission), Greater New Orleans, Inc., and the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to announce the launch of the GNO Food and Beverage Incubator at the Churchill Technology and Business Park. Nearly half of the incubator’s start-up costs were provided by a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant.
    “Louisiana’s food is the best in the world and this incubator will help keep it that way,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Chefs and caterers will use its kitchen space to serve new clients. They’ll grow their businesses and add to our culinary legacy.”
    JEDCO recently was awarded $4.2 million from various agencies to launch the GNO Food and Beverage Incubator, including $2 million from the EDA. This incubator was made necessary after the closing of Edible Enterprises, the only food and beverage incubator in the Greater New Orleans area, which sustained severe damage from Hurricane Ida.
    The food and beverage industry already has an enormous impact on Louisiana’s economy, especially via tourism. According to Oxford Economics in 2022, over $4.7 billion in direct, indirect, and induced food and beverage sales were generated by visitors to Louisiana. Additionally, the National Restaurant Association says there were 11,275 restaurants last year in Louisiana, supporting over 200,000 jobs.
    The incubator will provide small food and beverage businesses and start-ups with commercial kitchen space and technical assistance, in order for them to grow and service their clients. It will include three commercial kitchens and training and demonstration space, totaling 15,000 square feet.
    Cassidy praised everyone involved with the incubator for their efforts and was thanked for his support in a statement by JEDCO President and CEO Jerry Bologna.
    “It was an honor to welcome Senator Cassidy to Churchill Technology and Business Park today to announce the development of the Greater New Orleans Food + Beverage Incubator,” said Mr. Bologna. “JEDCO received a $2 million EDA grant and matching state and local dollars that will fund the design, engineering and construction of the facility, which fulfills a critical regional need. This incubator will be the only facility of its kind in the area, further solidifying Jefferson Parish and all of Greater New Orleans as a destination for culinary manufacturing and innovation. This project would not be possible without the support of our federal delegation. We are tremendously grateful for Senator Cassidy’s support.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey, Fetterman, Boyle, Evans Secure More Than $15.4 Million to Retrofit Housing in Philadelphia, Lower Energy Costs for Seniors, Families, People with Disabilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey
    Funding will support more resilient and energy efficient housing for lower income Philadelphians
    St. George Athenagoras Manor, Cobbs Creek, and Inglis Gardens will receive funding
    Awards, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will bring down energy and housing costs for seniors, working families, people with disabilities
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2) and Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) secured $15,440,000 in federal funds to improve units in three housing developments in Philadelphia: St. George Athenagoras Manor, Cobbs Creek, and Inglis Gardens. The funds come from grants and loans under the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) which was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.
    “Every family deserves a safe, reliable, and affordable home,” said Senator Casey. “This funding will upgrade communities to ensure safer and more resilient and energy efficient housing in Philadelphia that will bring down costs for our families, seniors, and people with disabilities. I will always fight for investments that lower costs and expand the stock of reliable, affordable housing in our Commonwealth.”
    “With this funding, the Biden-Harris administration is again making clear that it understands the need to invest in housing in the Commonwealth,” said Senator Fetterman. “These funds will improve utility efficiency and make housing more resilient for working families across Philadelphia. I’m proud to have helped bring these federal dollars to the commonwealth.”
    The Inflation Reduction Act, that I voted for, will support the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program—a truly forward-thinking initiative that modernizes buildings while prioritizes sustainability and energy efficiency,” said Congressman Boyle. “By integrating green technology and resilient infrastructure, it ensures long-term benefits for both the environment and residents. This program sets a strong example of how we can work together to create healthier, more durable communities while reducing our collective carbon footprint.”
    “I was proud to vote for the Biden-Harris administration’s historic investment in our environment, also known as the Inflation Reduction Act, which is delivering this more than $15 million in federal funding for more sustainable housing in Philadelphia,” said Representative Evans.
    The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides grant or loan funding to support housing development projects that reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, implement renewable energy generation, enhance indoor air quality, or improve the climate resilience of HUD-assisted multifamily properties. St. George Athenagoras Manor, an assisted living facility for seniors, will receive $7,520,000 to improve 94 housing units, Cobbs Creek will receive $6,800,000 to make improvements in 85 housing units for working families, and Inglis Gardens will receive $1,120,000 to improve 14 units for residents with disabilities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Delivers $250,000 for Saint Antoine Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI – In an effort to ensure more Rhode Islanders who need memory care can access the support they need and comfortably ‘age in place’ while receiving top-notch services, U.S. Senator Jack Reed has teamed up with the Saint Antoine Community to deliver a $250,000 federal earmark for a new, state-of-the-art Assisted Living Memory Care Unit.
    Saint Antoine’s newly renovated memory care unit features 24 home-like suites for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and has helped develop a new model of care for seniors with cognitive needs. The memory care unit brings together elements of more skilled health care, rehab, and behavioral support services to residents on the same campus, rather than transferring the resident to a different environment.
    Senator Reed hopes that Saint Antoine’s new model of care can be applied elsewhere to help aging Americans across the country safely and comfortably ‘age in place’ and create a better model to advance treatment and improve care for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
    “Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that impacts millions of Americans and their families. This federal earmark for the Saint Antoine Community is helping to create a new environment of compassion and support for Rhode Islanders with developing cognitive needs and will pioneer a new model of care that hopefully can assist other seniors across the country,” said Senator Reed, who recently helped pass major legislation to combat Alzheimer’s disease and invest in finding new treatments and a cure.  “I’m grateful for the team and service providers at Saint Antoine who are working every day to support Rhode Islanders with Alzheimer’s and helping them age with dignity and comfort.”
    Saint Antoine’s new model being employed at the Assisted Living Memory Care Unit allows for greater flexibility in the use of its facility, improved cost-effectiveness, and the ability for residents to ‘age in place.’ The new care unit has transformed two wings in an existing part of Saint Antoine Residence into a supportive community of hope and care for seniors.
    “Saint Antoine Community stands out above all else when it comes to our continuum of care,” said Tammy Summiel, Executive Director of Primrose Lane Memory Care Assisted Living & The Villa Assisted Living.  “Our population is living longer and memory care can place such an added burden on families who cannot manage all their needs at home. With the addition of Primrose Lane, Saint Antoine Community can further emphasize the importance of family above all else, and allow residents and their families to enjoy each other’s company without extra stress. We have further strengthened our continuum, while addressing a growing need for affordable memory care in Northern Rhode Island.”
    Founded in 1913, Saint Antoine Community remains the largest long-term care facility in northern Rhode Island. All located on one campus, Saint Antoine Community provides access to rehabilitative services, assisted living, short/long term skilled care, and two tiers of residential memory care. Saint Antoine Community is located at 10 Rhodes Avenue, North Smithfield.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Delivers $5 Million in Workforce Training Funds for Central Washington

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Senator Murray advocates for the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
    Murray authored the bill that established the grant program providing OIC with $5 million in 2014 and has funded it ever since
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced a $5,048,619  million grant for the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Washington to provide training, support, and career services to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents develop skills to pursue careers in agriculture or non-agriculture sectors.
    “I hear all the time from businesses across our state who need more skilled workers, and workers who want to set themselves and their families up for success,” said Senator Murray. “With this grant the OIC will be able to provide comprehensive workforce and educational training for our farmworkers and their families in Central Washington. Investing in this kind of workforce training not only helps us build a strong economy for our state and nation, but helps make life better for people in Washington state.” 
    The OIC is an economic development and career training agency in Yakima, Washington that educates, trains, and provides supportive services to low-income and rural communities. The Center has hosted programs on job skills training, high school completion, energy assistance, emergency food assistance, energy conservation, and youth and seniors in the region for over 50 years. 
    Murray secured funding to the OIC from the National Farmworker and Jobs Program within the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The grant delivered is authorized through the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act(WIOA)—landmark legislation Murray authored and led passage of in 2014 to strengthen the nation’s workforce development programs, help Americans–including youth and those facing significant barriers to employment–acquire high-quality jobs and careers, and assist employers in hiring and retaining skilled workers. 
    Senator Murray has been a consistent advocate for federal investments to strengthen our workforce and support workers and employers across Washington state. In Congress, Murray is advocating for the reauthorization of WIOA. As Senate Appropriations Chair, Murray prioritizes protecting investments in workforce training and development, securing $2.9 billion in FY 2024 for WIOA formula grants and $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships. In the Senate FY 2025 funding bill she passed out of committee, Murray protected essential investments made in recent years by providing $2.9 billion for WIOA formula grants, $290 million for Registered Apprenticeships, and $110 million for YouthBuild while she sustained funding for other programs—such as Reentry Employment Opportunities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Law Enforcement Endorses Casey’s Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey
    The Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act will increase staffing and technology to detect and stop the flow of fentanyl coming across the border
    Bill has now been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, and other law enforcement organizations
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced growing support from law enforcement organizations for his Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act, which would reduce the flow of fentanyl by providing much-needed resources to secure the southwest border. The bill, which would increase staffing capacity and technology to detect illicit drugs and other contraband being smuggled through ports of entry along the border, has now been endorsed by four major police organizations: the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, Major County Sheriffs of America, and the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition. The bill is also now backed by the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees.
    “Pennsylvania law enforcement can’t tackle the fentanyl crisis when so much of the fentanyl devastating our families and communities is being smuggled across our southwest border,” said Senator Casey. “This bill will help provide the hardworking law enforcement officers at the border with the resources, technology, and support they need to stop the flow of fentanyl into Pennsylvania communities. I’m proud to have law enforcement support and I won’t stop until we’ve passed this commonsense legislation.”   
    “Our law enforcement members are the first line of defense against the scourge of fentanyl that comes across the American border each day,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. “Now more than ever, our country must invest in methods to stem the flow of fentanyl into our communities. This legislation will support our members by giving them the tools they need to support border operations and drug interdiction efforts.”
    “Fentanyl is now the drug most associated with overdoses in the United States,” said Bill Johnson, the Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “This deadly poison is being mixed with other illicit drugs, hidden in counterfeit drugs, and being peddled at alarmingly high rates to our nation’s youth. The Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act provides much needed support, resources, and funding to the southwest border to help federal, state, and local law enforcement fight the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the country. Law enforcement at all levels of government have long been asking for these resources to support their efforts to prevent and detect fentanyl coming into this country and our communities. NAPO stands with Senator Casey in support of this important bill.”
    The Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act would enable CBP to hire more officers and border patrol agents to increase capacity to stop illicit smuggling over the border. The bill also provides funding to purchase Non-Intrusive Inspection systems, which scan vehicles and cargo at the border to provide detailed images of their interiors, which leads to the detection of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Additionally, the bill would create an inspection program to increase seizure of firearms, which Mexican cartels frequently purchase in the United States and smuggle into Mexico to support their fentanyl production operations and other violent criminal enterprises.   
    Senator Casey has been a leader in the Senate on efforts to prevent the spread of fentanyl into the United States. He has traveled around Pennsylvania meeting with law enforcement and families of victims of fentanyl overdoses as he pushed for passage of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act. In July, Senator Casey applauded the Senate passage of the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act, a bill that will direct the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate how transnational criminal organizations finance synthetic drug trafficking and help the federal government target them more effectively. In August, Casey led his colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Fighting Illicit Goods, Helping Trustworthy Importers, and Netting Gains (FIGHTING) for America Act to help CBP prevent fentanyl from entering the country undetected. In September, Casey introduced the Interdiction of Fentanyl at Federal Prisons Act, which would protect prison officers, staff, and inmates from fentanyl and other illicit substances entering the Federal Prison System through inmate mail.
    Read more about the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Federal government and Boyle Street Community Services invest in vital community building in downtown Edmonton

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – MIL OSI Regional News in French

    Press release

    Edmonton, Alberta, May 3, 2024 — Edmonton’s downtown core will have a renovated facility to deliver a vital range of programs and services thanks to a joint investment of more than $45 million from the federal government and Boyle Street Community Services.

    Announced by Minister Randy Boissonnault and Jordan Reiniger, Executive Director, Boyle Street Community Services, this new building will be better suited to provide health and support services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Edmonton’s growing downtown core.

    The new Okimaw Peyesew Kamik (King Thunderbird Centre) will be an accessible, energy-efficient building that will replace the former community centre. It will provide essential health and housing services, while supporting Edmonton’s vulnerable community, all under one roof. Located two blocks north of the former location, the centre will feature a private outdoor space for ceremony and land-based healing, as well as 75,000 square feet of indoor space, including a triage area for those waiting for health supports and services. Improvements to this innovative, solution-focused space include improved accessibility to services on the ground floor and the integration of important aspects of Indigenous culture and ceremony throughout the building. The renovated building, which will be carbon neutral, will serve as the headquarters for Boyle Street Community Services.

    For over 50 years, Boyle Street Community Services has been working to help people experiencing homelessness and poverty. The new facility will allow Boyle Street Community Services to continue its long-standing work in the community, providing vital programs such as basic needs support, health services, addictions assistance, identification and financial services, cultural healing and essential services.

    Quotes

    “Through this significant investment in the new Okimaw Peyesew Kamik (King Thunderbird Centre) in Edmonton, the federal government is helping to improve Edmonton’s downtown core. By ensuring Boyle Street Community Services continues to operate in a centralized location that provides a safe and reliable space for the community, we will make our downtown core a safer and more vibrant place to work and live. This world-class facility, which is being built to better meet the unique needs of a vulnerable population, will provide dignified support to those who need it most in our city.”

    The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

    “Today’s transformative $21 million contribution to Okimaw Peyesew Kamik (King Thunderbird Centre) through the BCVI grant from the Government of Canada is ensuring that the people our organization serves receive the health and community services they need in a welcoming, accessible and beautiful building. It is also enabling us to build a carbon neutral and climate resilient building that will enable our organization to sustainably support our community for decades to come. The success of this project is yet another testament to the care and compassion that exists in Edmonton and Canada. It reminds us of what can be accomplished when we come together and put the dignity of our most vulnerable neighbours at the heart of our efforts.” On behalf of everyone who works at Boyle Street, I want to thank Ministers Boissonnault and Fraser, and their teams, for their dedication and commitment to our organization, and for their role in making okimaw peyesew kamik a reality.”

    Jordan Reiniger, Executive Director, Boyle Street Community Services

    Quick Facts

    The federal government is investing $21,000,000 in this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program, and Boyle Street Service Society is investing $24,023,383.

    These improvements are expected to result in annual fuel savings of approximately 99% for the facility and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 709 tonnes.

    The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program was created to support Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It supports the first pillar of the Plan by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy efficiency, and by helping to build resilience to climate change.

    The program provides $1.5 billion over five years for modernization, repair or improvement work that promotes the environment and accessibility.

    At least 10 percent of the funds are allocated to projects for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, which includes Indigenous populations in urban centres.

    The application period for the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program is now closed.

    On December 18, 2023, the federal government launched the Prairie Green Economy Framework, which highlights the need for a collaborative, regional approach to sustainability, focused on strengthening the coordination of federal programs and initiatives with significant investments. The Framework is the first step in a journey that will bring together many stakeholders. PrairiesCan, the federal department working to diversify Canada’s Prairie economy, has committed $100 million over three years to support projects aligned with priority areas identified by Prairie stakeholders to create a stronger, more sustainable and inclusive economy for the Prairie provinces and Canada.

    Infrastructure Canada supports the Prairie Green Economy Framework to encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities, leverage additional funding and attract new investment to the Prairies to better meet needs.

    Related links

    Contact persons

    For further information (media only), please contact:

    Mathis DenisPress OfficerOffice of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages343-573-1846mathis.denis@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    Media RelationsInfrastructure Canada613-960-9251Toll Free: 1-877-250-7154Email: media-medias@infc.gc.caFollow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram And LinkedInWebsite: Infrastructure Canada

    Elliott TantiDirector, Communications and EngagementBoyle Street Community Services587-338-4025etanti@boylestreet.org

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Pinellas and Taylor Counties

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Pinellas and Taylor Counties

    Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Pinellas and Taylor Counties

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Disaster Recovery Centers are operating in Pinellas and Taylor counties to provide one-on-one help to Floridians affected by Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Helene.

    Center locations:

    Pinellas County

    Largo Public Library
    120 Central Park Drive
    Largo, FL 33771
    Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

    Taylor County

    Loughridge Park
    1100 W. Hampton Springs Ave.
    Perry, FL 32347
    Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday

    Florida Division of Emergency Management and FEMA are urgently reopening centers that were in place for Debby prior to Helene and these centers can serve people affected by both storms. New locations are being assessed to meet the needs in areas heavily impacted by Helene. 

    To find other center locations go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

    Floridians can apply for either storm online at DisasterAssistance.gov. They can also apply using the FEMA mobile app or by calling FEMA’s helpline toll-free at 800-621-3362. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube. 

    If you applied to FEMA after Hurricane Debby and have additional damage from Hurricane Helene, you will need to apply separately for Helene and provide the dates of your most recent damage.

    For the latest information about Florida’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    kirsten.chambers

    MIL OSI USA News –