NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Leads Bipartisan Group Of Senators In Urging Senate Leaders To Take Up Legislation To Permanently Extend Telehealth Flexibilities, Expand Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led members of the bipartisan Senate Telehealth Working Group in calling on Senate leaders to take up legislation to permanently extend telehealth flexibilities for Medicare beneficiaries that are set to expire at the end of the year. Specifically, the senators urged for the passage of the bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act which Schatz leads with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and was reintroduced last year with the support of 66 bipartisan senators. The letter follows Telehealth Awareness Week and comes after the House Energy & Commerce Committee unanimously advanced a two-year telehealth extension. In addition to Schatz, the letter is signed by Wicker and U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
    “At least 66 Democratic and Republican Senators support permanently expanding telehealth access, and similar provisions have passed on a bipartisan unanimous basis in committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives. The Senate must quickly act to advance these policies, which protect access to telehealth services and align with your objective to advance bipartisan legislation that promotes the health and well-being of Americans,” the senators wrote.
    They continued, “Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive. We must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty of their ability to access and provide care through telehealth. The CONNECT for Health Act will help us achieve this shared goal and has strong, bipartisan support in the Senate.”
    The CONNECT for Health Act makes permanent telehealth flexibilities made temporarily available during the COVID-19 pandemic and later extended. Additionally, it expands access to telehealth services by removing unnecessary barriers and enabling doctors, particularly in rural and underserved communities, to leverage telehealth to better serve their patients. The bill was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Several provisions of the bill have since been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
    The full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.
    Dear Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell:
    With the end-of-year expiration of telehealth flexibilities rapidly approaching, we write to urge you to prioritize policies that ensure all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to telehealth services. At least 66 Democratic and Republican Senators support permanently expanding telehealth access,  and similar provisions have passed on a bipartisan unanimous basis in committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives. The Senate must quickly act to advance these policies, which protect access to telehealth services and align with your objective to advance bipartisan legislation that promotes the health and well-being of Americans.
    Under your leadership, Congress has recognized the critical role of telehealth in health care delivery by expanding coverage during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Most recently in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Congress enacted a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth services coverage. This ensured continuity of care and provided time for experts to evaluate the effects of expanded telehealth serves. Recent studies by leading researchers and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) are clear: Telehealth provides essential access to care and improves outcomes, including reduced emergency department utilization and improved medication adherence. 
    Access to telehealth is at-risk, as noted by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Calendar Year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule: “absent Congressional action, beginning January 1, 2025, statutory restrictions on geography, site of service, and practitioner type that existed prior to the COVID-19 PHE will go back into effect”.   Consequently, Congress must advance policies from our consensus bipartisan bill, the CONNECT for Health Act, before the coverage extension lapses. We urge you to prioritize the following provisions from our bill, which would improve American’s access to and quality of care:
    Telehealth should be available to all Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of where they live. Therefore, Congress should permanently remove geographic restrictions on telehealth services and permit the home and other clinically appropriate settings as originating sites. If budget constraints make permanent policy out of reach, given the significant costs required to ramp up and provide high quality telehealth programs, Congress must provide the maximum extension possible at an adequate length for providers to make necessary investments.
    Practitioners should be able to provide clinically appropriate telehealth services. The flexibility to provide telehealth, within state scope of practice laws, is particularly critical given high rates of provider shortages across disciplines.  Therefore, Congress should expand the authority for practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services.
    Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics should be able to provide telehealth services, free from unnecessary barriers and disincentives. Therefore, Congress should include federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics as distant site providers and telehealth should be integrated into these providers’ payment systems.
    Telemental health services should be accessible, free from barriers. Telehealth has transformed mental and behavioral health care, now accounting for 40 percent of telehealth services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.   Notably, just 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries with a telemental health visit in the preceding quarter would satisfy the requirements to access these services under current statute.   Therefore, Congress should permanently repeal the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services.
    Patients receiving hospice care should be permitted to receive assessments by telehealth. Therefore, Congress should allow for the use of telehealth in the recertification of a Medicare beneficiary for hospice.
    Medicare beneficiaries and providers should be supported as health care continues to transition.  Therefore, Congress should provide resources to improve beneficiary engagement and health care professional use of telehealth. Congress should also task the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that telehealth quality is effectively measured, and that limited outlier billing patterns are addressed.
    Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive.   We must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty of their ability to access and provide care through telehealth.  The CONNECT for Health Act will help us achieve this shared goal and has strong, bipartisan support in the Senate. Further, the Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce Committees have unanimously advanced telehealth legislation.  We appreciate your collaboration and leadership on this issue and look forward to working with you to ensure access to telehealth services is retained by the end of 2024.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Schatz-Wicker Resolution Designating Telehealth Awareness Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) designating September 15-21 as “Telehealth Awareness Week.” The resolution recognizes that telehealth has helped millions of Americans across the country access quality health care, and has become a critical component of health care delivery.
    “Telehealth helps people access quality health care when and where they need it, and our resolution highlights the broad, bipartisan support for raising awareness of and expanding access to telehealth,” said Senator Schatz, co-chair of the Senate Telehealth Working Group.
    “Telehealth is a cost-effective way for people in rural and underserved areas to access health care. Increasing the services available to patients remains one of my top priorities,” Senator Wicker said.
    The resolution affirms the bipartisan support in Congress for telehealth and encourages expanded access to telehealth services for all people, including members of rural and underserved communities. It notes that 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services at least once in 2023, and that nearly 90 percent were satisfied with their experience. It concludes that “Telehealth Awareness Week” unites the efforts of patients, caregivers, health care providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance the role of telehealth in health care.
    The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).
    Schatz has led efforts to expand access to telehealth, including reintroducing the CONNECT for Health Act, the most comprehensive bipartisan telehealth legislation in Congress. Since its first iteration in 2016, several provisions from the bill have been signed into law.
    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees In Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    09.25.24
    WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Sarah Morgan Davenport, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico, about her unique background.  Durbin also began his remarks by highlighting the rigorous vetting process nominees undergo to be considered for a judicial nomination.
    “Among our nominees is Ms. Davenport, who graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s in music and who was a music teacher before going to law school and then [becoming] a prosecutor.  She went from professor to prosecutor.  Can you tell me about your background in music [that lead to your nomination]?” Durbin asked.
    Ms. Davenport replied that she wanted to go down a different career path after serving as a music teacher—which led her to attend law school and pursue a career as a prosecutor.
    Durbin then asked Keli Marie Neary, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, about a case where she represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Federal Trade Commission et al., v. Penn State Hersey Medical Center et al.  The Commonwealth, along with the FTC, sued to block a merger of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center with the Pinnacle Health System. 
    “Can you tell us about that case?” Durbin asked.
    Ms. Neary responded, “that was one of two very important cases I worked on during my career that involved health care and providing care to many people across Pennsylvania.  In that particular case, we were working to make sure that no hospital became a monopoly in order to maintain prices in Pennsylvania, to ensure affordable health care in central Pennsylvania.” 
    She continued to say, “The other case I referenced is a case involving two large insurance companies in Pennsylvania and the hospital systems that participated in those insurance companies, and through my work on behalf of the Commonwealth, we were able to garner an agreement that resulted in affordable health care for many Pennsylvanians in the western part of the state.” 
    Durbin then questioned Judge Anthony J. Brindisi, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York, about his background as a congressman and his service on the bench.
    “Can you compare those legal experiences?” Durbin asked.
    Judge Brindisi responded that the key to being a good congressman is to be a good listener, work in a bipartisan way to get work done, and to sit down with individuals you might disagree with to better understand their ideas on bills.  He continued to say that he took the lessons he learned from Congress to the bench. 
    Durbin then questioned Elizabeth C. Coombe, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York, about her legal experience, noting that she has tried almost 40 cases to verdict or final decision.
    Ms. Coombe responded that given her experience litigating in both D.C. and New York federal courts, she was exposed to many bench trials and jury trials.  She continued to say, “I love being in the courtroom presenting cases to juries and seeing the power of the jury work its magic… And I think that my experience as a trial lawyer in front of juries will be helpful if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed.  I would bring that practical experience from the courtroom with me.”
    Video of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s questions Committee is available here for TV Stations.
    The hearing continues the Committee’s work filling judicial vacancies with highly qualified, diverse candidates who help ensure the fair and impartial administration of the American justice system.
    Under the leadership of Chair Durbin, the Senate has confirmed 212 judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench during the Biden-Harris Administration. Following the confirmation of Michelle Court to be U.S. District Judge for the District of California and last week’s executive business meeting, 18 lifetime judges – including four circuit court nominees and 14 district court nominees – are eligible for a vote on the Senate floor.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Nationwide Book Bans Top 10,000, Schatz, Raskin Introduce Bicameral Resolution Condemning Book Bans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced a resolution condemning an escalating censorship crisis that has removed and targeted thousands of books from the shelves of schools, libraries and universities across the country. 
    The bicameral resolution, coinciding with Banned Books Week, reinforces congressional recognition of students’ First Amendment rights and affirms that the freedom to read is essential to a strong democracy. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, PEN America documented over 10,000 instances of individual books being banned, nearly triple the previous academic year. Many bans have removed books from public shelves with characteristics that would be targeted by Project 2025, which additionally proposes labeling teachers and librarians who distribute such books as sex offenders.
    “Any attempt to ban books because someone has an ideological disagreement or doesn’t believe in capturing the full scope of history is un-American,” said Senator Schatz. “Freedom of expression is a founding principle of our country, and it’s up to all of us to stand up against these attacks on this fundamental right.”
    “By filling our libraries with a diversity of stories, we help our students understand new perspectives rather than suppressing their freedom to think, read and write independently,” said Representative Raskin. “We must close this chapter of censorship and, rather than continuing to take a page from the world’s dictators and autocrats, turn our attention to the resources students need to succeed. I am grateful to Senator Schatz for his partnership on this resolution.”
    According to findings from PEN America and the American Library Association, targeted books include classics like To Kill A Mockingbird, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Books are also more likely to be removed if they feature content related to the LGBTQIA+ experience, race or racial injustice or stories about grief and abuse.
    “We thank Representative Raskin and Senator Schatz for their continued commitment to academic freedom and the First Amendment. The movement to ban books is an affront to public education and students’ ability to understand the world,” said PEN America’s Congressional Affairs Lead, Laura Schroeder. “The targeted bans intentionally seek to silence the experiences of authors of color, LGBTQI+ authors and stories that explore the themes of racism, trauma, religion, gender identity and sexual identity. Students are being deprived of stories that can help them deal with real lived experiences such as trauma and violence. This must end.”
    “Libraries defend every American’s freedom to read – a freedom that is increasingly under threat – even though many librarians face criticism and threats to their livelihood and safety,” said Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association. “This Banned Books Week, we’re proud to have Congressional leaders standing with us and with communities that are fighting back to protect their libraries and schools from the censors.”
    The resolution is endorsed by the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Books Week Coalition, EveryLibrary, Interfaith Alliance, JCRC of Greater Washington, Jewish Community Relations Council of Broward County (Florida), Jewish Community Relations Council of Portland, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, National Book Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of Teachers of English, National Education Association, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, PEN America, PFLAG National, Red Wine and Blue Education Fund, The Sikh Coalition, Jewish Community Relations Council for Tucson & Southern Arizona, and Urban Libraries Council (ULC). 
    In addition to Schatz, the Senate resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Sets Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 Launch, Docking

    Source: NASA

    NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.
    Liftoff is targeted for 1:17 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 28, from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This is the first human spaceflight mission to launch from that pad. The targeted docking time is approximately 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29.
    Live coverage of the prelaunch news conference, launch, the post-launch news conference, and docking stream on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of additional platforms, including social media.
    The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the orbiting laboratory for an approximate five-month science mission. This is the ninth crew rotation mission and the 10th human spaceflight mission for NASA to the space station supported by Dragon since 2020 as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
    The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
    Media looking for access to NASA live video feeds can subscribe to the agency’s media resources distribution list to receive daily updates and links.
    NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
    Friday, Sept. 27
    11:30 a.m. – One-on-one media interviews at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with various mission subject matter experts. Sign-up information will be emailed to media accredited to attend this launch.
    1:15 p.m. – NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Panel: Space Station 101 with the following participants:

    NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
    Robyn Gatens, director, NASA’s International Space Station Program, and acting director, NASA’s Commercial Spaceflight Division
    Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
    John Posey, Dragon engineer, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program

    Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 12:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
    Coverage of the virtual news conference will stream live on NASA+, YouTube, Facebook, and the agency’s website. Members of the public may ask questions online by posting questions to the YouTube, Facebook, and X livestreams using #AskNASA.
    5 p.m. – Prelaunch news conference from Kennedy with the following participants:

    NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
    Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
    Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
    Dina Contella, deputy manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
    Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
    William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build & Flight Reliability, SpaceX
    Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

    Coverage of the virtual news conference will stream live on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
    Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
    Saturday, Sept. 28
    9:10 a.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
    1:17 p.m. – Launch
    Following the conclusion of launch and ascent coverage, NASA will switch to audio only. Continuous coverage resumes on NASA+ at the start of rendezvous and docking and continues through hatch opening and the welcome ceremony. For NASA+ information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:

    Home

    3 p.m. – Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:

    NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
    Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
    Dana Hutcherson, deputy program manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
    Dina Contella, deputy manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
    Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX

    The virtual news conference will stream live on NASA+, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
    Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
    Sunday, Sept. 29
    3:30 p.m. – Arrival coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
    5:30 p.m. – Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
    7:15 p.m. – Hatch opening
    7:40 p.m. – Welcome ceremony
    All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on real-time operations after launch. Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operations information.
    Audio Only Coverage
    Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA+ launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.
    Launch audio also will be available on Launch Information Service and Amateur Television System’s VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and KSC Amateur Radio Club’s UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
    Live Video Coverage Prior to Launch
    NASA will provide a live video feed of Space Launch Complex-40 approximately six hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-9 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA+, approximately four hours prior to launch. Once the feed is live, find it online at:  http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom
    NASA Website Launch Coverage
    Launch day coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include livestreaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 9:10 a.m. Sept. 28, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff.
    For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the commercial crew or Crew-9 blog.
    Attend Launch Virtually
    Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following a successful launch.
    Watch, Engage on Social Media
    Let people know you’re following the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Crew9 and #NASASocial. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:
    X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research, @ISS National Lab, @SpaceX, @Commercial_Crew
    Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab
    Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab, @SpaceX
    Coverage en Espanol
    Did you know NASA has a Spanish section called NASA en Espanol? Make sure to check out NASA en Espanol on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more coverage on Crew-9.
    Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425;antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov; o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371; messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.
    NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.
    For NASA’s launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:
    https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
    -end-
    Joshua Finch / Jimi RussellHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
    Steven Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie PlucinskyKennedy Space Center, Florida321-867-2468steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
    Leah CheshierJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth, Ramirez, Underwood Celebrate Senate Passage Of Resolution Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    09.25.24
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) celebrated Senate passage of a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian American boy who was murdered as a victim of a hate crime in Plainfield, Illinois, on October 14, 2023. The lawmakers introduced the resolution earlier this year.
    “Wadee Alfayoumi and his mother were violently attacked for no apparent reason other than their religion and their ethnicity. Targeting someone based on their ethnicity or religion is wrong, and targeting an innocent child based on those characteristics is pure hatred. Nearly a year after Wadee Alfayoumi’s young life was taken too soon, our nation continues to mourn with his family,” said Durbin. “By passing this resolution, the United States Senate is honoring and remembering Wadee’s life and condemning all forms of hate.”
    “My heart breaks for the family of Wadee Alfayoumi, the precious, innocent 6-year-old who lost his life in an unimaginably cruel way, just because of his Palestinian Muslim identity,” Duckworth said. “This barbaric, cold-blooded murder was a chilling act of hate against the Palestinian community in Illinois, and we must do everything in our power to denounce and stop more hatred and violence.I’m proud our resolution passed honoring Wadee’s life and legacy. May his memory live on and serve as a reminder that we must be united in our shared goal of ending—rather than perpetuating—the needless suffering of innocent human beings.”
    “Yesterday’s Passage of S.Res. 847, honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, was an incredibly important step for humanity, for the movement against hate and bigotry, and for this moment,” said Ramirez. “We are 12 days from October 7th and 19 days from the anniversary of Wadee’s murder – both dates marked by children torn from their mothers. While time has passed, we continue to see an escalation of violence in the Middle East, a rise in bigotry and dehumanizing rhetoric, and a rejection of our shared humanity. We must remember Wadee. And his memory must move Speaker Johnson and the House to take up the Concurrent Resolution and bring it to the Floor for a vote after the October Recess.”
    “Our community lost a beautiful light when Wadee Alfayoumi was taken from us. He brought so much sunshine and joy to his loved ones and classmates,” Underwood said. “The hatred that took him has no place in our community or in our country. I’m glad to see this resolution pass the Senate, and proud to have worked on it with Wadee’s family and community leaders to honor his life and his memory.”
    Last week, Durbin chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.”  The hearing examined the threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all Americans, including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. During his opening remarks, Durbin recognized the family members of those who were victims of hate crimes in attendance, including Hanaan Shahin, Wadee’s mother.
    In addition to Durbin and Duckworth, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Final Rule on Mitigating the Impact of Significant, Anomalous, and Highly Suspect Billing Activity on Medicare Shared Savings Program Financial Calculations in Calendar Year 2023 (CMS-1799-F)

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

    On September 24, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule entitled, “Medicare Program: Mitigating the Impact of Significant, Anomalous, and Highly Suspect Billing Activity on Medicare Shared Savings Program Financial Calculations in Calendar Year 2023” (CMS-1799-F). This final rule is part of a larger strategy to address significant, anomalous, and highly suspect (SAHS) billing activity within Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) reconciliation. A proposal in the calendar year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule addresses SAHS billing activity for CY 2024 onwards. This fact sheet summarizes the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) policies that are included in this final rule. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Help Navigators Advance Your Claim

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Help Navigators Advance Your Claim

    Help Navigators Advance Your Claim

    SANTA FE, N.M. – By law, the Claims Office can only pay claims that include the required documentation. After filing a Notice of Loss (NOL), claimants have 150 days to provide documents showing Proof of Loss (POL). If claimants think they will be unable to deliver the needed documents in 150 days, they can request an extension. Extensions are not automatic and must be requested by the claimant. 

    • It’s important to know that claimants do not have to wait for a Navigator to reach out to them to submit documentation. Claimants may submit documentation any time after they have received their Letter of Acknowledgment. 
    • Documentation may be hand delivered directly to one of the three claims offices or may be submitted via email to: FEMA-hermits-peak@FEMA.dhs.gov, or mailed to:  P.O. Box 1329 Santa Fe, NM 87504. 
    • We recommend you provide copies of your documents and keep the originals.

    When a Navigator does reach out, it is important that claimants respond to navigators’ attempts to reach them by phone or email, either when the navigators are first assigned to the claim – after an NOL is submitted — or later when the navigators seek needed paperwork. 

    Navigators are dealing with a very high volume of claims which requires them to work on multiple claims at a time, so it is important to answer your navigator in a timely manner, so they can work on your claim within the timeframe of a 150 days since your NOL was submitted. 

    “Navigators are here to help people understand what documentation is required during the claims process and how to submit the documentation, but the process moves faster when claimants work along with their navigators as a team”, said Jay Mitchell, Director of Operations for the New Mexico Joint Recovery Office. “Navigators are dedicated to helping impacted people receive compensation for their losses, but the claimants have a significant role in the determination of the compensation through the information they provide.”

    Anyone impacted by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and subsequent flooding is encouraged to start a claim with the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office if they haven’t already. The deadline to submit a Notice of Loss to start the claims process is November 14, 2024. 

    The Claims Office continues to observe an increase in claim submissions leading to longer wait times in claims reviews, determinations, and the issuance of Letters of Determination (LODs) for claims. We are actively working to reduce wait times and shorten processing times of claims by sharing checklists of what documentation is required for specific losses. 

    Claims Office compensation is not taxable. Receiving payment from the Claims Office will not impact eligibility for government assistance programs. Contact a tax professional for specific tax-related questions. Questions and concerns can also be addressed by calling your claim Navigator or the Claims Office Helpline at 505-995-7133.

    The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office is committed to meeting the needs of people impacted by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and subsequent flooding by providing full compensation available under the law as expeditiously as possible. At the time of publication, the FEMA Claims Office has paid more than $1.2 billion to claimants. 

    For information and updates regarding the Claims Office, please visit the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office website at fema.gov/hermits-peak. For information in Spanish, visit fema.gov/es/hermits-peak. You can also follow our Facebook page and turn notifications on to stay up to date about the claims process, upcoming deadlines and other program announcements at facebook.com/HermitsPeakCalfCanyonClaimsOffice.  

    erika.suzuki

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Marshall Star for September 25, 2024

    Source: NASA

    By Wayne Smith
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center honored top contractors, subcontractors, teams, and individuals of fiscal year 2024 at the 38th meeting of Marshall’s Small Business Alliance. The awards honor aerospace companies and leaders who have demonstrated support of the center’s small business programs and NASA’s mission of exploration.

    The event took place Sept. 19 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville. Around 650 participants from industry and government gathered to network, learn about business opportunities, and recognize outstanding achievements in support of NASA’s mission and the small business community. Those attending represented 32 states and 10 nations.
    “The Marshall Small Business Alliance is an outreach tool designed to introduce the business community to the NASA marketplace,” said David Brock, small business specialist for the agency’s Office of Small Business Programs at Marshall. “Those in attendance can gain valuable insight into Marshall’s exciting programs and projects, upcoming procurement opportunities, and get an opportunity to network with Marshall prime contractors.”
    Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey welcomed attendees, while Jeramie Broadway, deputy director of Marshall’s Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications, provided an update on the center for fiscal year 2025 and beyond.
    Marshall’s Industry & Advocate Awards are presented annually and reflect leadership in business community and sustained achievement in service to NASA’s mission.
    “We are excited about this year’s winners,” Brock said. “Each play a key role in helping NASA achieve successes in support of key programs and projects, including the Human Landing System and Space Launch System rocket. Maintaining and sustaining an experienced and competitive industry base is what makes America strong, and small businesses are at the core of those successes.”

    Marshall manages the Human Landing System and Space Launch System programs.
    This year’s award recipients are:
    Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year
    Media Fusion
    Small Business Subcontractor of the Year
    Zin Technologies
    Large Business Prime Contractor of the Year
    Jacobs
    Mentor-Protégé Agreement of the Year
    Jacobs (mentor) and CodePlus (protégé)
    Procurement Person of the Year
    Joseph Tynes  
    Program Person of the Year
    Patrick McVay
    Small Business Technical Coordinator of the Year
    Leah Fox
    Technical Person of the Year
    David Hood

    NASA civil service employees nominate eligible individuals and organizations for awards. A panel of NASA procurement and technical officials evaluates each nominee’s business practices, innovative processes, adoption of new technologies and their overall contributions to NASA’s mission and the agency’s Small Business Program.
    Award recipients in the following categories become candidates for agency-level Small Business Industry and Advocate Awards:

    Large and Small Business Prime Contractors of the Year
    Small Business Subcontractor of the Year
    Procurement Team or Person
    Technical, Small Business Technical Coordinator/Technical Advisor
    Program Person or Team of the Year

    Learn more about Marshall’s small business initiatives.
    Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
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    By Serena Whitfield
    A new flag is reaching for the Moon outside the Huntsville Operations Support Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center following a Sept.19 ceremony, marking contributions from center team members toward the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
    The Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The mission is scheduled to launch Sept. 28 no earlier than 12:17 p.m. CDT.

    Crew-9 will be the first human spaceflight mission to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). The crew will spend approximately five months at the station, conducting more than 200 science and research demonstrations before returning in February 2025.
    Once aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will become members of the Expedition 72 crew and perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities. The pair will join NASA astronauts Don Petitt, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. Wilmore and Williams, who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will fly home with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025.

    The flag raising has been a tradition for missions supported at Marshall’s Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC), as well as a tradition within the CCP to celebrate the successful conclusion of NASA’s Agency Flight Readiness Review prior to launch. 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.
    The CCP support team at Marshall provides crucial programmatic, engineering, and safety and mission assurance expertise for launch vehicles, spacecraft propulsion, and integrated vehicle performance. Marshall’s role within the CCP is to support certification that the spacecraft and launch vehicle are ready for launch. The support team performs engineering expertise, particularly for propulsion, as well as program management, safety and mission assurance, and spacecraft support. 

    The flag-raising ceremony was a joint effort between the Payload and Mission Operations Division (PMOD) and CCP team. Dave Gwaltney, technical assistant, specialty systems, and Commercial Crew Program representative, gave the introductions. He recognized Brady Doepke, structural analyst for liquid propulsion systems, for his significant contributions in preparation for Crew-9 mission success. Gwaltney said Doepke exemplified leadership and innovation through his guidance of Marshall’s CCP engineering team, which resulted in a successful risk assessment of the updated SpaceX turbine wheel fleet leader acceptance criteria.
    Payload and Mission Operations Division Manager Nicole Pelfrey also recognized Thomas “Reid” Lawrence as the division’s Crew-9 honoree.
    “Reid serves dutifully in the HOSC as part of the HOSC’s Data Operations Control Room Operations Engineers,” Pelfrey said. “Reid has a number of technical specialties, including his expertise in the Backup Control Center activation procedures. This expertise has been vital over the past year as JSC has worked through power upgrades. He also diligently ensures our ISS payload users receive their data and is a key engineer for the testing, verification, and operation of our HOSC interfaces that support commercial crew communications.”
    Whitfield is an intern supporting the Marshall Office of Communications.
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    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted the Rossi Prize Recognition Dinner at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville on Sept. 18. The dinner was held to recognize the IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) team members honored with the Bruno Rossi Prize, a top prize in high-energy astronomy. From left, Martin Weisskopf, Rossi Prize awardee and NASA emeritus scientist, who served as the principal investigator for IXPE during its development, launch, and commissioning; Paolo Soffitta, Rossi Prize awardee, and the Italian Space Agency’s principal investigator for IXPE; Hashima Hasan, program scientist for IXPE at NASA Headquarters; Andrea Marinucci, IXPE team member and researcher with the Italian Space Agency; and Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey, who provided welcome remarks at the dinner. “The Bruno Rossi Prize highlights how partnerships and teamwork can push the boundaries of scientific knowledge,” Pelfrey said. “The (IXPE) mission, a groundbreaking collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, represents over 30 years of dedicated effort and stands as a testament to the innovative work of a truly multinational team.” (NASA/Jennifer Deermer)

    Rossi Prize winners Weisskopf and Soffitta, center seated, are joined by a plush goat, the unofficial mascot of the IXPE mission, and other IXPE team members at the Rossi Prize Recognition Dinner. Read more about the award and the prize winners. (NASA/Jennifer Deermer)
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    By Wayne Smith
    Talk with Shannon Segovia for any length of time and you’ll quickly discover the care and enthusiasm she has for her position as director of the Office of Communications at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. And that care and enthusiasm extends to those she works with across the center to share news about Marshall missions and team members.
    In her role, Segovia oversees a team responsible for media relations and public affairs, digital and social media, stakeholder relations and engagement, internal and employee communications, and executive communications for the center.

    “We manage these activities for the entire center of about 7,000 people, so it is a definitely a very busy job!” said Segovia, a native of Athens, Alabama, who was named as permanent communications director this summer after more than 12 years at Marshall.
    She was the deputy director of communications starting in June 2023 after working as Marshall’s news chief and public affairs team lead starting in 2019. From 2012 to 2019, Segovia was a public affairs officer at the center. Prior to joining NASA, she was the communications manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
     At Marshall, she said it’s the people who continue to be her biggest motivators.
    “As a public servant, I want the people I serve – the people who follow our channels, listen to the news stories we create, and attend our events – to know why NASA’s missions are important and critical to the world we live in,” Segovia said. “I am so fortunate to have such a brilliant team, and they motivate me daily with their hard work.”
    “I’m also motivated by my husband and family because I want to make them proud. I want my nieces and nephews to have a bright future, and I truly believe the work we are doing at NASA will help them do that.”
    Question: What excites you most about the future of human space exploration, or your NASA work, and your team’s role it?
    Segovia: NASA’s missions depend on public and stakeholder support, and that is what our office does – ensures people know what we are doing at NASA and specifically at Marshall, why it is important, and how our missions are benefiting humanity. From social media posts to events like the South Star music festival to interviews with media outlets and stakeholder tours, we use every channel we can to tell others about the work we are doing at Marshall and NASA. Our office touches every organization at the center, and it is so exciting to have a front seat to everything we are doing to get humans back to the Moon and on to Mars.

    Question: What has been the proudest moment of your career and why?
    Segovia: I helped take a team of 12 Marshall female engineers to The Today Show in 2019 for a segment about International Women’s Day. As a public affairs specialist, one of our job duties is to prepare subject matter experts for interviews, making sure they have messages, talking points, and anything else they need. I have never been more proud to be a woman and to work for Marshall than I was that day, seeing how well these women represented NASA and the extraordinary achievements they have made possible. It also made me even more thankful for the job I have – preparing them to make sure they felt confident and could talk about their work was a wonderful experience. The other moment in my career I will never forget is the Artemis I launch in November 2022. I’ve supported the Space Launch System since I started working at NASA, and seeing that rocket fly was one of the best moments of my career. It was the culmination of so much hard work and sacrifice from so many people and was truly an overwhelming and amazing experience.
    Question: Who or what inspired you to pursue an education/career that led you to NASA and Marshall?
    Segovia: My parents have always been my No. 1 fans, encouragers, and supporters. They instilled in me a strong work ethic and the belief I could do anything I wanted to do if I worked hard. They made education a priority for my brothers and I and would do anything to help us succeed. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful family. My mom always wanted me to do something in the medical field, but a biology course in college changed my mind quickly on that. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but had been at school for two years and needed to declare a major. I liked to write and read but didn’t know how to make a career out of that until I went to a journalism class taught by Ms. Bobbie Hurt at the University of North Alabama, and I was hooked. She became my mentor and really taught me how to be a good writer, which has been the foundation for my entire career. I ended up with a double major in journalism and public relations, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
    Question: What advice do you have for employees early in their NASA career or those in new leadership roles?
    Segovia: Find people to whom you can go to for advice, who have your back, and can help you accomplish your goals. I’ve had some amazing mentors, teammates, and bosses who have not only supported me but pushed me to do things I wasn’t sure I could do and helped me even when I messed up. I would not be here without them, and I think it is so important to have those people in your entire career, but especially when you are new. Ask for help when you need it. Time flies, so enjoy the season and job you are in. You will know when it is time to move on, but being present and learning from where you are will help you succeed.
    Question: What do you enjoy doing with your time while away from work?
    Segovia: I love the water – ocean, river, pool, lake – I like being outside and water activities. I love to read and travel, and also to spend time with family and friends. I have three nieces and two nephews, and I like to go to their games and activities. I have a 4-year-old terrier mix named Ted and I enjoy taking him on walks and to the park.
    Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
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    NASA has awarded a total of $1.5 million to two U.S. teams for their novel technology solutions addressing energy distribution, management, and storage as part of the agency’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. The innovations from this challenge aim to support NASA’s Artemis missions, which will establish long-term human presence on the Moon.

    This two-phase competition has challenged U.S. innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals. The final phase of the challenge concluded with a technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony Sept. 20 at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center.
    “Congratulations to the finalist teams for developing impactful power solutions in support of NASA’s goal to sustain human presence on the Moon,” said Kim Krome-Sieja, acting program manager for Centennial Challenges at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “These technologies seek to improve our ability to explore and make discoveries in space and could have implications for improving power systems on Earth.”

    The winning teams are:

    First prize ($1 million): H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) of Santa Barbara, California
    Second prize ($500,000): Orbital Mining Corporation of Golden, Colorado

    Four teams were invited to refine their hardware and deliver full system prototypes in the final stage of the competition, and three finalist teams completed their technology solutions for demonstration and assessment at Glenn. The technologies were the first power transmission and energy storage prototypes to be tested by NASA in a vacuum chamber mimicking the freezing temperature and absence of pressure found at the permanently shadowed regions of the Lunar South Pole. The simulation required the teams’ power systems to demonstrate operability over six hours of solar daylight and 18 hours of darkness with the user three kilometers (nearly two miles) away from the power source.
    During this competition stage, judges scored the finalists’ solutions based on a Total Effective System Mass (TESM) calculation, which measures the effectiveness of the system relative to its size and weight – or mass – and the total energy provided by the power source. The highest-performing solution was identified based on having the lowest TESM value – imitating the challenges that space missions face when attempting to reduce mass while meeting the mission’s electrical power needs.

    Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from University of California, Santa Barbara, won the grand prize for their hardware solution, which had the lowest mass and highest efficiency of all competitors. The technology also featured a special cable operating at 800 volts and an innovative use of energy storage batteries on both ends of the transmission system. They also employed a variable radiation shield to switch between conserving heat during cold periods and disposing of excess heat during high power modes. The final 48-hour test proved their system design effectively met the power transmission, energy storage, and thermal challenges in the final phase of competition.
    Orbital Mining Corporation, a space technology startup, received the second prize for its hardware solution that also successfully completed the 48-hour test with high performance. They employed a high-voltage converter system coupled with a low-mass cable and a lithium-ion battery.
    “The energy solutions developed by the challenge teams are poised to address NASA’s space technology priorities,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. “These solutions support NASA’s recently ranked civil space shortfalls, including in the top category of surviving and operating through the lunar night.”

    [embedded content]
    Watch the finale of NASA’s Watts on the Moon challenge, a $5 million, two-phase competition designed to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies.

    During the technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony, NASA experts, media, and members of the public gathered to see the finalist teams’ technologies and hear perspectives from the teams’ participation in the challenge. After the winners were announced, event attendees were also welcome to meet NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen.
    The Watts on the Moon Challenge is a NASA Centennial Challenge led by Glenn. Marshall manages Centennial Challenges, which are part of the agency’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA contracted HeroX to support the administration of this challenge.
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    Manufacturing equipment that will be used to build components for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for future Artemis missions is being installed at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility.
    The novel tooling will be used to produce the SLS rocket’s advanced exploration upper stage, or EUS, in the factory’s new manufacturing area. The EUS will serve as the upper, or in-space, stage for all Block 1B and Block 2 SLS flights in both crew and cargo configurations.

    In tandem, NASA and Boeing, the SLS lead contractor for the core stage and exploration upper stage, are producing structural test articles and flight hardware structures for the upper stage at Michoud and the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Early manufacturing is already underway at Michoud while preparations for an engine-firing test series for the upper stage are in progress at nearby Stennis Space Center.
    “The newly modified manufacturing space for the exploration upper stage signifies the start of production for the next evolution of SLS Moon rockets at Michoud,” said Hansel Gill, director at Michoud. “With Orion spacecraft manufacturing and SLS core stage assembly in flow at Michoud for the past several years, standing up a new production line and enhanced capability at Michoud for EUS is a significant achievement and a reason for anticipation and enthusiasm for Michoud and the SLS Program.”

    The advanced upper stage for SLS is planned to make its first flight with Artemis IV and replaces the single-engine Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) that serves as the in-space stage on the initial SLS Block 1 configuration of the rocket. With its larger liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant tanks feeding four L3 Harris Technologies- built RL10C-3 engines, the EUS generates nearly four times the thrust of the ICPS, providing unrivaled lift capability to the SLS Block 1B and Block 2 rockets and making a new generation of crewed lunar missions possible.
    This upgraded and more powerful rocket will increase the SLS rocket’s payload to the Moon by 40%, from 27 metric tons (59,525 lbs.) with Block 1 to 38 metric tons (83,776 lbs.) in the crew configuration. Launching crewed missions along with other large payloads enables multiple large-scale objectives to be accomplished in a single mission.

    Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon. The rocket is part of NASA’s deep space exploration plans, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. NASA’s SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS Program and Michoud.
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    Chris Pereira can personally attest to the immense gravitational attraction of black holes. He’s been in love with space ever since he saw a video on the topic in a high school science class.
    But it wasn’t just any science class. It was one specially designed for English learners.

    “I was born and raised in Guatemala,” Pereira said. “I came here at 14 unable to speak any English.”
    Pereira did not know how to navigate the U.S. educational system either, but after that class, he was certain he wanted a career in space.
    Thus began a journey that ultimately landed him at L3Harris Technologies, where he works in the Aerojet Rocketdyne segment as an engineer and operations integrator on the RS-25 engine – used to power the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch astronauts to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign.
    Pereira’s first step was to stay after class and ask to borrow a copy of the video on black holes. His teacher not only obliged but took him across the street to the local library to get his first library card.
    Pereira quickly recognized that the pathway to his desired career in space was through higher education. It was equally clear, however, that he was not yet on that pathway. English as a Second Language classes, including that science class, did not count toward college admissions. His guidance counselor, meanwhile, was nudging him toward the trades.
    But with the help of teachers and a new guidance counselor, he got himself on the college-bound track.
    “I came to understand there were multiple career pathways to explore my interest in space,” Pereira said. “One was engineering.”
    There was a lot of catching up to do, so Pereira took eight classes per day, including honors courses. He also worked every day after school cleaning a gymnasium from 6 to 11 p.m. to help his family make ends meet.
    Pereira earned his mechanical engineering degree at California State University at Los Angeles while also working as a senior educator at the California Science Center to cover the cost of his college tuition and living expenses.
    Pereira’s first career experience was as an intern in manufacturing engineering at Aerojet Rocketdyne. “I learned that making 100% mission-success engines requires a strong culture of attention to detail, teamwork and solid work ethics.” Pereira said. His first full-fledged engineering job was with Honeywell Aerospace working on aircraft programs.
    Eventually, space came calling – literally. “My mentor at Aerojet Rocketdyne called me up and said, ‘Chris, I have a job for you,’” Pereira said.
    He began his new job working on rocket engine programs including the AR1 and RS-68 but shifted to the RS-25 after NASA awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a contract for newly manufactured versions of the engine. Initial versions of the SLS are using refurbished engines from the Space Shuttle Program. Evolved versions of the RS-25 recently concluded a critical test series and will debut with the fifth Artemis flight.
    As RS-25’s operations integrator, Pereira is responsible for ensuring that the many pieces of the program – from tracking on-time procurement of supplies and labor loads to coordinating priorities on various in-demand machine centers – come together to deliver a quality product.
    Playing a key role in the nation’s effort to return astronauts to the Moon feels a bit like coming home again, Pereira said. “You develop your first love, work really hard, take different pathways and encounter new passions,” he said. “It’s almost funny how the world and life work out – it’s like I’ve taken a big circle back to my first love.”
    NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS Program.
    Read other I Am Artemis features.
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    Renee Weber, chief scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, talks during the “Legacy of the Invisible” event in downtown Huntsville on Sept. 20. About 300 people attended the event, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The celebration featured “No Straight Lines,” a new mural at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Washington Street by local artist Float. The mural honors Huntsville’s rich scientific legacy in astrophysics and highlights the groundbreaking discoveries made possible by Marshall scientists and engineers. Other speakers included Collen Wilson-Hodge, principal investigator of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The event also offered members of the community the opportunity to meet the scientists who worked on some of NASA’s most revolutionary astrophysics missions. Featured exhibits from Marshall included the Apollo Telescope mount, the main science instrument on Skylab; the High Energy Astrophysics Program (HEAO); the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory; Chandra X-ray Observatory; Fermi; IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer); and Marshall’s X-Ray and Cryogenic Facility. “I had a really nice time at the event,” Weber said. “It’s always great to see such interest and enthusiasm in our science work from the public.” Wilson-Hodge said the mural is an artistic depiction of the historic event detected with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory on Aug. 17, 2017. “On that day, for the first time ever, we observed both a gamma-ray burst and gravitational waves from two very dense neutron stars merging to form a black hole,” she said. (NASA/Serena Whitfield)

    From left to right, scientists and astrophysicists from Marshall, Cori Fletcher, Michelle Hui, Steven Ehlert, Weber, Colleen Wilson-Hodge, Lisa Gibby, and the artist Float pose for a photo in front of the “No Straight Lines” mural at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Washington Street in Huntsville. (NASA/Serena Whitfield)
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    Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have found a galaxy cluster has two streams of superheated gas crossing one another. This result shows that crossing the streams may lead to the creation of new structure.

    Researchers have discovered an enormous, comet-like tail of hot gas – spanning over 1.6 million light-years long – trailing behind a galaxy within the galaxy cluster called Zwicky 8338 (Z8338 for short). This tail, spawned as the galaxy had some of its gas stripped off by the hot gas it is hurtling through, has split into two streams.
    This is the second pair of tails trailing behind a galaxy in this system. Previously, astronomers discovered a shorter pair of tails from a different galaxy near this latest one. This newer and longer set of tails was only seen because of a deeper observation with Chandra that revealed the fainter X-rays.
    Astronomers now have evidence that these streams trailing behind the speeding galaxies have crossed one another. Z8338 is a chaotic landscape of galaxies, superheated gas, and shock waves (akin to sonic booms created by supersonic jets) in one relatively small region of space. These galaxies are in motion because they were part of two galaxy clusters that collided with each other to create Z8338.
    This new composite image shows this spectacle. X-rays from Chandra (represented in purple) outline the multimillion-degree gas that outweighs all of the galaxies in the cluster. The Chandra data also shows where this gas has been jettisoned behind the moving galaxies. Meanwhile an optical image from the Dark Energy Survey from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile shows the individual galaxies peppered throughout the same field of view.
    The original gas tail discovered in Z8338 is about 800,000 light-years long and is seen as vertical in this image. The researchers think the gas in this tail is being stripped away from a large galaxy as it travels through the galaxy cluster. The head of the tail is a cloud of relatively cool gas about 100,000 light-years away from the galaxy it was stripped from. This tail is also separated into two parts.

    The team proposes that the detachment of the tail from the large galaxy may have been caused by the passage of the other, longer tail. Under this scenario, the tail detached from the galaxy because of the crossing of the streams.
    The results give useful information about the detachment and destruction of clouds of cooler gas like those seen in the head of the detached tail. This work shows that the cloud can survive for at least 30 million years after it is detached. During that time, a new generation of stars and planets may form within it.
    The Z8338 galaxy cluster and its jumble of galactic streams are located about 670 million light-years from Earth. A paper describing these results appeared in the Aug. 8, 2023, issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available here.
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
    Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
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    What does it take to build a massive spacecraft that will seek to determine if a mysterious moon has the right ingredients for life? Find out in a new video series called “Behind the Spacecraft,” which offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the roles of five engineers working on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, from building the spacecraft’s communications systems to putting it through rigorous tests so the orbiter can meet its science goals in space.

    [embedded content]

    With its launch period opening Oct. 10, Europa Clipper is the agency’s first mission dedicated to exploring an ocean world beyond Earth. The spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles to the Jupiter system, where it will investigate the gas giant’s moon Europa, which scientists believe contains a global saltwater ocean beneath its icy shell.
    The videos are being released here weekly. The first two are already out.
    Meet the team:

    Dipak Srinivasan, lead communications systems engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, makes sure the Europa Clipper team can communicate with the spacecraft. Learn more about his work in the video above.
    Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, helped plan Europa Clipper’s trajectory, ensuring the spacecraft arrives at Jupiter safely and has a path to fly by Europa dozens of times. Learn more about Sarah’s work here.
    Jenny Kampmeier, a science systems engineer at JPL, acts as an interface between mission scientists and engineers.
    Andres Rivera, a systems engineer at JPL and first-generation American, works on Europa Clipper’s cruise phase — the journey from Earth to Jupiter.
    Valeria Salazar, an integration and test engineer at JPL who spent her childhood in Mexico, helped test the Europa Clipper spacecraft to ensure its launch readiness.

    Europa Clipper experts will answer questions about the mission in a NASA Science Live show airing in English on Oct. 1, and in Spanish on Oct. 3. The broadcasts will appear on NASA+, YouTube, Facebook, and X. The Spanish broadcast will be streamed on the NASA en Español YouTube channel. Viewers can submit questions on social media using the hashtag #askNASA or by leaving a comment in the chat section of the Facebook or YouTube stream.
    Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission and will fly through the most punishing radiation environment of any planet in the solar system. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and, during multiple flybys of Europa, will collect a wealth of scientific data with nine science instruments and an experiment that uses its telecommunications system to gather gravity data.
    Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL 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 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.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HARRISBURG – Shapiro Administration to Showcase the Power of Transformation in Substance Use Disorder Recovery with

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    September 26, 2024 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – HARRISBURG – Shapiro Administration to Showcase the Power of Transformation in Substance Use Disorder Recovery with “The Phoenix” Makeover Event

    The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will host “The Phoenix,” a makeover-style event to highlight the power of transformation and importance of access to supports in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD).

    DDAP will join David Ridley and Mariette Torres, two individuals in recovery who will share their inspiring stories and show off their new look courtesy of Recovery House of Worship York, a recovery community organization (RCO).

    A discussion on the importance of RCOs, DDAP’s recovery house licensure program and other state-funded recovery supports will follow the reveals.

    WHO:
    Kelly Primus, DDAP Deputy Secretary
    David Ridley, makeover recipient
    Mariette Torres, makeover recipient
    Reginald and Yolanda Hunter, Recovery House of Worship, RCO
    Michael and Robin Straley, Leah’s Legacy, RCO

    WHEN:
    Thursday, September 26, 2024; 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

    WHERE:
    Main Rotunda, State Capitol Building, Harrisburg

    RSVP:
     For press wishing to attend the event, please email stdugan@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BEAVER COUNTY – Governor Shapiro and Local Leaders to Highlight Key Investments in Workforce Development, Expanded Job Training, and Vo-Tech Initiatives

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    September 26, 2024 – Monaca, PA

    ADVISORY – BEAVER COUNTY – Governor Shapiro and Local Leaders to Highlight Key Investments in Workforce Development, Expanded Job Training, and Vo-Tech Initiatives

    Governor Josh Shapiro will visit Beaver CountyCareer & Technology Center (BCCTC) to highlight the investments in workforce development, job training, and career and technical education (CTE) included in the bipartisan budget the Governor signed into law this year.

    In the 2024-25 budget, Governor Shapiro secured key investments to help grow our workforce and give Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Laura DelVecchio, Administrative Director, BCCTC
    David Liptak, Carpentry Instructor, BCCTC
    Karleigh Matscherz, student, BCCTC
    Representative Robert Matzie
    Congressman Chris Deluzio

    WHEN
    Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 11:15 AM
    *Press conference to begin around 11:45 AM

    WHERE:
    Beaver County Career & Technology Center (BCCTC)
    145 Poplar Avenue
    Monaca, PA 15061

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Poet Technologies Announces Closing of US$15 Million Private Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Corporation“) (TSXV: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of the POET Optical Interposer™, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, is pleased to announce that it has completed a non-brokered private placement with a single institutional investor pursuant to which the Corporation issued 4,000,000 common shares (the “Common Shares“) and an accompanying warrant exercisable for an aggregate of up to 2,000,000 Common Shares (each, a “Warrant Share”) at an exercise price of $5.00 (or approximately C$6.78) per Common Share (the “Warrant“) for aggregate gross proceeds of US$15,000,000 (the “Offering”). The combined price of one Common Share and accompanying Warrant in respect of one-half Common Share was US$3.75 (or approximately C$5.09). Subject to the terms of the Warrant, the Warrant is exercisable, in whole or in part, for a period of five years from the date of issuance.

    The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. No commission or finder’s fee was paid by the Corporation and no underwriter or sales agent was engaged by the Corporation in connection with the Offering.

    All Common Shares and the accompanying Warrant issued under the Offering were distributed to a purchaser located outside of Canada in reliance on OSC Rule 72-503 – Distributions Outside of Canada and, accordingly, all Common Shares, the accompanying Warrant and all Warrant Shares issued under the Offering are not subject to a Canadian statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering remains subject to the final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange“).

    This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. This news release shall not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under U.S. federal and state securities laws or an applicable exemption from such U.S. registration requirements.

    About POET Technologies Inc.

    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers.  POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems.  POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications.  POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore.  More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Corporation’s expectations with respect to its products, the scalability of the POET Optical Interposer and the success of the Corporation’s products, the Corporation’s use of proceeds for the Offering and the Corporation’s ability to obtain the final approval of the Exchange. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management’s expectations regarding the size of the market for its products, the capability of its joint venture to produce products on time and at the expected costs, the performance and availability of certain components, and the success of its customers in achieving market penetration for their products. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the attractiveness of the Corporation’s product offerings, performance of its technology, the performance of key components, and ability of its customers to sell their products into the market. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Corporation’s filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Corporation’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Corporation can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cohen Votes for Continuing Budget Resolution to Keep the Federal Government Operating

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today voted for a continuing appropriations resolution (known as a CR) to keep the government operating beyond the September 30 fiscal year deadline and until December 20. The measure was stripped of Republican poison pill provisions that caused him to vote against last week’s CR. The measure passed this afternoon would not have passed without Democratic member votes.

    The vote on passage was 341 to 82.

    Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

    “Our job in Congress is to appropriate money and to see that the federal government operates. The threat of a government shutdown was once unheard of but has become a regular occurrence under the Republican majority’s haphazard control of the House. Without the votes of Democrats, Speaker Johnson could not have passed this measure which now assures the continuation of necessary services at appropriate levels without the partisan poison pill provisions Donald Trump was pushing. I look forward to a return to a more disciplined and thoughtful appropriations process after the November elections.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🇭🇳 Honduras – President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, President of the Republic of Honduras, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 24 – 30 September 2024).

    World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

    General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

    —————————————-

    مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة
    请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频
    Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV
    Vean este video en español en UN Web TV
    Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV
    https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k13/k133vvdn94

    Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    #UNGA #UnitedNations

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2ETXD7vps

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic – President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 24 – 30 September 2024).

    World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

    General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

    —————————————-

    مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة
    请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频
    Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV
    Vean este video en español en UN Web TV
    Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV
    https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1e/k1er2wd3hy

    Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    #UNGA #UnitedNations

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-4vMF4B6Jo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🇸🇷 Suriname – President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 24 – 30 September 2024).

    World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

    General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

    —————————————-

    مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة
    请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频
    Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV
    Vean este video en español en UN Web TV
    Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV
    https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15gofnz1j

    Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    #UNGA #UnitedNations

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VPFF1r17Sc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Senior leadership appointments in the Government of Yukon public service

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier Ranj Pillai has made two senior leadership appointments.

    Matt King has been appointed Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services. The dual Deputy Minister roles in Health and Social Services have been consolidated to enhance efficiency and optimize operations.

    Damien Burns has been appointed as acting Deputy Minister of Community Services for a period of six months.

    Both of these senior leadership appointments are effective September 20, 2024.

    • Read more about Senior leadership appointments in the Government of Yukon public service
    • Add new comment

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister Richard Mostyn on the new City of Whitehorse Recycling Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn has issued the following statement:

    “Our government believes recycling is a crucial part of protecting the Yukon’s natural environment.

    “Once Raven ReCentre decided to stop accepting non-refundable recyclable materials, Whitehorse residents faced a gap in recycling options before Extended Producer Responsibility regulations start in 2025. In light of this situation, the Yukon government felt it was important to ensure recycling continues in the Yukon’s largest municipality.

    • Read more about Statement from Minister Richard Mostyn on the new City of Whitehorse Recycling Program
    • Add new comment

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Joint statement from Premier Ranj Pillai and Minister John Streicker on the Yukon–British Columbia Grid Connect Project

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    An incorrect version of a statement was issued yesterday titled ‘Statement from Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources on connecting the Yukon and British Columbia’s electricity grids.’ This release has been removed from Yukon.ca and replaced with the corrected version. We apologize for the error.

    Premier Ranj Pillai and Minister responsible for Yukon Development Corporation John Streicker have issued the following joint statement:

    • Read more about Joint statement from Premier Ranj Pillai and Minister John Streicker on the Yukon–British Columbia Grid Connect Project
    • Add new comment

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – doorstop – Western Sydney University

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    ANDY MARKS [PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR WSU]: Morning, everybody. My name is Andy Marks from Western Sydney University. I want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we’re meeting today and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. This is a fantastic next stage on a journey that we’ve been on in [the] Hawkesbury that goes back more than a hundred years, in fact, when this facility was one of Australia’s first in pioneering the education and research of agriculture in Australia. What we see today with the announcement of stage one funding for the Agri Tech Hub is something that takes that to another level. It’s about an array of infrastructure investments in Western Sydney on the part of the Federal Government, and how they can do the main game for [the] Hawkesbury, which is generating jobs and jobs of the future. So I won’t say any more today other than to introduce our distinguished guests. First of all, the most distinguished, our local member, Susan Templeman. Susan, please.

    SUSAN TEMPLEMAN [FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MACQUARIE]: Thanks, Andy.

    ANDY MARKS: No offence, guys.

    SUSAN TEMPLEMAN: Yeah. Susan Templeman, Member for Macquarie. It is such a pleasure to be here to bring to fruition a conversation that started several years ago and followed with an election commitment of $16.7 million, and to now be at this point knowing that the investment that we are making as a federal government is going to have long term benefits economically for this community, and importantly, for agriculture across not just New South Wales, but Australia – and, we hope, the world. What we’re able to bring here and what we’ll see grow over time is an agritech precinct that is really going to, as Andy has said, take that story of agriculture in the Hawkesbury, which began when colonial settlers saw how fertile this area was. This is the area that fed Sydney when it was in famine, and these are really significant things in the settlement of Australia. And of course, we looked at how [the] First Nations used this land – they also found it was bountiful. So, this is an exciting next step to take agriculture for the Hawkesbury region and Western Sydney into the 21st century. I’m very pleased to have the Minister for Infrastructure, Catherine King, who has supported this project from the start and was key to it being an election commitment and being able to announce that. And I’m so delighted that she’s here to take this next step.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Thanks.

    [Applause]

    Thanks very much. It’s great to be here. Susan, and also with George as well. And it’s my first opportunity to actually come on site to see the delivery. Now we’re releasing- the stage one funding is being released for this project, and an important project it is, not just for the Hawkesbury but for Western Sydney overall, making sure that we are investing in new technology for agriculture. Agriculture we want to grow to a much more significant level in this country than we have currently. It’s incredibly important, and being able to have the sorts of technology, the research and development here, I’m looking forward to being able to look at some of the research that’s being done on vanilla bean producing, barramundi producing out on this site, but also looking at what that means for the future.

    With only sort of 40 minutes to the new Western Sydney International Airport, this university will also be an incredibly important way that our agriculture sector can look at how it can preserve goods to getting them to market much more quickly. That over $5 billion investment we’re investing in building the airport actually is very critical to this university here as well in making sure that we’ve got the technology, the research into the future. So I do want to commend Western Sydney University for the foresight on actually developing this site in the way in which they have. And really, the investment- we’re going to be looking forward to seeing not only lots of students here involved and being part of this site, but very much the research that is to come out of Western Sydney University for agriculture into the future. Making sure we’ve got a sustainable, good and healthy food supply is pretty critical to not just our nation, but the world. So I do want to commend them and very pleased to be here on site today. I might hand over to George.

    GEORGE WILLIAMS [VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT WSU]: Thank you minister, and thank you to the local member for their [sic] steadfast support of this project. This is something special for Western Sydney and Hawkesbury. It’s special because it’s bringing AI to agriculture in a way that’s going to transform jobs in this area. We expect there’ll be 240 jobs supporting this facility. And it’s a really great example of taking Western Sydney to the world. This is a world-leading facility that is going to be looking at how we have sustainable, effective agriculture from the beginning to the end of the food chain, and it’ll be doing that in ways that will be of enormous international interest. In our case, we’ve already got great interest from India, for example, who want to work with us because of this facility to bring the technology, the expertise not only to India, but to Asia and the Middle East. And that will be a great initiative for us to lead in this area with our researchers and partners, to actually deal something quite special that will be transformative here and more broadly.

    It’s also a particularly special investment because of Western Sydney. And of course, it’s not just an investment in agritech we’re seeing, it’s agritech plus the airport, plus the enormous growth in infrastructure, plus all of the great developments we’re seeing in people around this region. And this is the sort of investment that goes back not only to 1891 when the Hawkesbury College was first established, but of course much further back to colonial times. And it’s expression of that now in a world class, high tech way that will not only drive jobs, but actually drive that investment through the airport and the like, to bring this to the world and to do something that we think not just for Western Sydney University, but more importantly for our students, for our staff, but also the community is going to deliver enormous benefits, not just next year, but over the coming decades. So thank you. We appreciate the support and we believe with this, this is going to be a game changer for agriculture and technology in this region.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Global Leaders Network meeting on securing the health of every woman, child and adolescent

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)

    President Cyril Ramaphosa participates in the Global Leaders Network meeting on securing the health of every woman, child and adolescent, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, New York, USA, 24 September 2024

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcTx-LssJCk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Groundbreaking study revises the origins of biodiversity An international team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery that could reshape our understanding of how global biodiversity evolved.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    The findings of the study could revolutionise the way we think about the evolution of biodiversityAn international team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery that could reshape our understanding of how global biodiversity evolved.
    By reconstructing the evolution of species over the past 45 million years, researchers found that the geographic origins of many plants, insects and mammals are more closely linked than previously thought.
    Led by the University of Aberdeen in collaboration with Bangor University in Wales, Lakehead University in Canada, and several Indonesian institutes including IPB University in Bogor, the team used Southeast Asia – one of the world’s most biodiversity-rich regions – as a natural laboratory to trace the geographic origins of a wide range of species.
    Their findings challenge long-standing theories that groups of flora and fauna evolved separately on different landmasses before diversifying across the region.
    Central to this research is a new evolutionary model, developed at the University of Aberdeen, which enabled the team to include extinct species in their analysis for the first time.
    This innovative approach has not only provided a more complete evolutionary picture but has paved the way for a fresh understanding of how biodiversity arose and spread across landmasses. The model is now being used in international collaborations to revisit the evolutionary history of other continents, promising to reshape our understanding of global biodiversity.
    “We wondered whether several groups of plants and animals could have the same geographic origin as new geological evidence contrasted with current reconstructions of species’ origin and spread,” said Dr Leonel Herrera Alsina, Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen’s School of Biological Sciences. “However, the ongoing extinction of species throughout evolution takes away key information to reconstruct the past.”
    The inclusion of extinct species in the modelling process allowed researchers to trace evolutionary patterns further back in time, revealing that many groups of species in Southeast Asia spread across the entire region earlier than previously thought.
    This result reinforces the idea that land bridges existed and acted as stepping stones in the spread of species out of Borneo and Continental Asia.
    “Previous methods ignored the impact of extinct species but, by incorporating them, we’ve been able to create a more accurate and comprehensive picture of how the incredible biodiversity of this region evolved,” said Professor Lesley Lancaster, Personal Chair at the University of Aberdeen.
    “This new understanding aligns with recent geological findings and could transform how we view the origins and spread of species globally.”
    Professor David Burslem, Director of the Interdisciplinary Institute at the University of Aberdeen, emphasised the broader significance of the study: “This research underscores the importance of studying ecological and geological processes in unison. The evolutionary patterns we see today are deeply intertwined with the region’s geological history. Integrating these disciplines allows us to better understand the origins of biodiversity and how it has developed over millions of years.”
    The study, published this week by the Royal Society, sheds new light on the evolutionary history of life on Earth and offers valuable insights into how evolutionary processes can be integrated into conservation prioritisation, helping to safeguard biodiversity as ecosystems face increasing pressures from climate change.
    “Our findings revolutionise the way we think about the evolution of biodiversity, not just in Southeast Asia but globally,” added Professor Justin Travis, Personal Chair at the University of Aberdeen. “This model, now being used in collaborations around the world, opens the door to revisiting long-held theories about evolution on other continents as well.
    “The work sets the stage for future research that will revise our understanding of how species have adapted and diversified over millions of years.”
    The research was funded by UKRI’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The paper is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: UNGA starts general debate to seek global cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium and on the screens) delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the General Debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The General Debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) began on Tuesday amid growing calls for more international cooperation to address challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality, while tackling the fallout from ongoing conflicts and global health crises.

    The session saw world leaders heading to New York to deliver their statements as they took part in high-level discussions on the existential threat of sea-level rise, accelerating progress in combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, and driving forward the United Nation’s long-term goal of achieving global nuclear disarmament with a plenary meeting marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

    President of the 79th session of the UNGA, Philemon Yang, told the opening ceremony that “the General Debate remains one of the world’s most inclusive, representative and authoritative platforms for global reflection and collective action. This year, the urgency of our task cannot be overstated.”

    He noted that countries are falling behind in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With just five years to go, less than 18 percent have been met. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is “no longer a distant threat” but “here now, ravaging ecosystems and dismantling the livelihoods of entire communities.”

    Yang also addressed the various conflicts raging from the Middle East to Ukraine, and from Haiti to South Sudan. “I call for an immediate ceasefire in all these conflict settings,” he said.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the General Debate of the 79th session of the General Assembly, saying that the current state of the world is unsustainable, but working together can find solutions.

    “That requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems,” he said. “It is time for a just peace based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions.”

    The agenda

    The 79th session of the UNGA opened on Sept. 10, and the first day of the high-level General Debate falls on Tuesday. The 79th session marks a crucial milestone in the global effort to accelerate progress towards the 17 SDGs, according to a UN press release.

    While the overall state of SDGs globally remains of grave concern, the SDG Moment event on Tuesday demonstrates that dramatic progress is still possible between now and 2030. It will do so by highlighting inspiring examples of progress across the world and the role of just and inclusive transitions in accelerating SDG progress.

    World leaders gathered to engage in the annual high-level general debate under the theme “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.” Heads of state and government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    On Wednesday, the High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise will convene global leaders, experts and stakeholders to address the urgent and escalating threat of rising sea levels. This meeting will focus on building common understanding, mobilizing political leadership and promoting multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration and international cooperation towards the objective of “addressing the threats posed by sea-level rise.”

    Participants will work towards developing comprehensive solutions and actionable commitments to combat sea-level rise, ensuring a resilient and sustainable future including for small island developing states and low-lying coastal areas, according to the United Nations.

    On Thursday, the High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) presents an opportunity for countries and stakeholders to renew efforts and accelerate progress in combating the growing threat of AMR. This meeting will serve as the foundation for executing policies and ensuring accountability for strengthening health systems against AMR.

    “Building on the momentum of previous declarations and commitments, participants will focus on enhancing international cooperation, promoting the responsible use of antimicrobials, and advancing the development of new treatments to safeguard global health,” said the United Nations.

    Also on Thursday, a high-level meeting will be held for International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

    On Monday, the United Nations just concluded the highly anticipated two-day Summit of the Future, which underscored the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation to address pressing challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality, while tackling the impacts of ongoing conflicts and global health crises.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: ‘We will not remain silent as apartheid is perpetrated against others’ – President Ramaphosa

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that South Africa will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others.

    In his address to the Assembly’s annual high-level debate on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa said the South African story bears witness to the enduring role of the United Nations in global affairs. 

    In supporting South Africa’s struggle for liberation, the President highlighted that the UN affirmed the principles of the UN Charter – fundamental human rights, the dignity and worth of every person, and the equal rights of nations large and small. 

    “It affirmed the aspiration contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that we should strive for a world free of barbarous acts that outrage the conscience of mankind.

    “We South Africans know what apartheid looks like. We lived through it. We suffered and died under it. We will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others. Through the United Nations and the instruments it wields, we must end this suffering,” the President said. 

    He further reiterated South Africa’s call for an immediate cease fire, and for the release of all hostages.

    He highlighted that the violence the Palestinian people are being subjected to is a grim continuation of more than half a century of apartheid. 

    “The only lasting solution is the establishment of a Palestinian State, existing side by side with Israel with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. 

    Earlier this month, The Presidency announced that South Africa is set to submit its Memorial to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 2024, presenting evidence to support its claim that Israel is committing genocide in Palestine.

    The Memorial will outline facts and arguments as part of a broader legal effort to hold Israel accountable under international law.

    READ | SA to file Memorial to the ICJ on Israel matter

    Addressing the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine, and the Sahel region, the President highlighted the country’s role in supporting international efforts for conflict resolution. 
    “Our moral conscience further demands that we exert every effort to bring peace to the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Sudan, to Yemen, to Ukraine and to the troubled Sahel region. We must realise the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.”

    He emphasised that achieving and maintaining peace and security requires the collective will of the community of nations.

    Reform of the UN Security Council 

    “It requires that the UN Security Council is representative and inclusive. Seventy-eight years since its formation, the structure of the UN Security Council remains largely unchanged. 

    “Africa and its 1,4 billion people remain excluded from its key decision-making structures.  The Security Council has not fulfilled its mandate to maintain international peace and security,” he said. 

    The President called for the UN Security Council to be reformed as a matter of urgency and become more inclusive so that the voices of all nations are heard and considered.

    “Africa stands ready to play its part in building a safer global order. The African Union and its member states are engaged in mediation, dialogue, and diplomacy across the continent, to create conditions under which peace and development can take hold. 

    “There must be greater collaboration between the AU [African Union] and the UN towards resolving these conflicts, and also in addressing their root causes,” he said. 

    President Ramaphosa is leading South Africa’s delegation to the High-Level General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly (UNGA79) in the United States of America.

    The High-Level General Debate of the UNGA79 is taking place at the United Nations headquarters in New York, from 24 to 30 September 2024. 

    Speaking at the African Minerals Forum hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and Prosper Africa on Monday, the President emphasised the importance of the critical minerals sector in driving global economic growth and sustainability. 

    By leveraging key sectors such as mining, energy, and manufacturing, the President said South Africa is set to improve its business environment and attract much-needed investment.
    The President addressed the session on the sidelines of the UNGA.

    READ | Critical minerals sector key to driving global economic growth

    –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: New Report Shows 4.2 Million Entrepreneurs Get Health Insurance Through the ACA  Marketplaces

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Congressional Republican efforts to repeal the ACA would have a devastating impact on small businesses across the country
    President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that health care is a right, not a privilege, and their administration has driven the uninsured rate to the lowest point in history. New data released today by the Treasury Department illustrates just how critical those steps have been to America’s small businesses – and how devastating it would be if Congressional Republicans succeed in their efforts to repeal the ACA, roll back protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and increase American’s health care costs by failing to extend the ACA premium tax credits that President Biden and Vice President Harris passed, that are lowering health care costs by hundreds of dollars per year for millions of Americans. The fact is that millions of small business owners would lose health insurance if the ACA is repealed. Statement from the President: “Every time someone starts a new small business, it’s an act of hope and confidence in our economy. Thanks to my and Vice President Harris’s work to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act, more Americans have the freedom to start small businesses and chase their dreams – without having to worry about how they receive health insurance for their family. As a result, more Americans – and more small business owners – have signed up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace than ever before. That’s 618,590 small business owners in Florida, 450,010 in California, 423,790 in Texas, and 168,070 in Georgia who have benefited from this quality, affordable health coverage. Congressional Republicans have a different vision and have voted more than 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Their agenda would strip millions of small business owners of their health coverage, gut protections for pre-existing conditions, and threaten the small business boom seen under my Administration. Vice President Harris and I won’t let it happen on our watch.” Statement for the Vice President: “Small business owners and entrepreneurs are the engine of America’s economy. We are ensuring small businesses have access to affordable health care so they can focus on starting and growing businesses, not on whether they can afford health coverage. I’m proud that over 4 million small business owners and self-employed workers have coverage through the ACA, up from 3.3 million in 2022. I will always support small businesses and invest in entrepreneurs by strengthening and expanding the ACA, and by rejecting Republican efforts to repeal it.” The Treasury Department’s report shows that 4.2 million small business owners and self-employed workers have coverage through the ACA Marketplaces, up from 3.3 million in 2022 and 1.4 million in 2014.  In fact, entrepreneurs are about three times as likely as other Americans to have health insurance in the Marketplace, with nearly 1 in 5 getting coverage there. The vast majority of these entrepreneurs – 82% in 2022 – claim the ACA premium tax credit to reduce their cost of coverage by an average of about $700 each year. The ACA was designed to finally provide a reliable source of health insurance for people who don’t get coverage through their jobs – after decades of facing high health care prices or outright coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions – and this report makes clear that system is working to support American entrepreneurship. Ensuring American small business owners can access affordable health insurance is yet another example of the many ways that the Biden-Harris Administration has supported a small business boom.  Since President Biden took office, Americans have filed more than 19 million new business applications, the most on record. This small business boom has been powered by landmark investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and domestic manufacturing made through the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda, expanding access to capital and enabling all-time high levels of federal contracting with small businesses But Congressional Republicans continue their efforts to strip this progress away.  They have voted more than 50 times to repeal the ACA. They continue advance proposals that would strip coverage away, and undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Millions of America’s small businesses owners and self-employed workers would find their health insurance disrupted if those plans succeed. And their plan to end the expansion of the ACA premium tax credits would raise taxes and heath care costs for millions of small business owners, including middle-class small business owners. Unlike Congressional Republicans, President Biden and Vice President Harris have committed to never raising taxes on households making less than $400,000, and are fighting to extend the premium tax credit enhancements. Number of small businesses owners and self-employed workers with Marketplace coverage in each state in 2022: 
    State
    Entrepreneurs with Marketplace Coverage
    State
    Entrepreneurs with Marketplace Coverage
    AK
    4,820
    MT
    12,500
    AL
    49,020
    NC
    134,260
    AR
    18,490
    ND
    7,550
    AZ
    41,550
    NE
    23,240
    CA
    450,010
    NH
    14,650
    CO
    42,750
    NJ
    72,890
    CT
    28,340
    NM
    8,860
    DC
    4,120
    NV
    24,350
    DE
    6,200
    NY
    59,200
    FL
    618,590
    OH
    51,520
    GA
    168,070
    OK
    39,040
    HI
    8,060
    OR
    34,200
    IA
    18,740
    PA
    88,700
    ID
    13,880
    RI
    6,230
    IL
    76,920
    SC
    59,160
    IN
    32,650
    SD
    9,770
    KS
    23,870
    TN
    66,270
    KY
    16,480
    TX
    423,790
    LA
    26,780
    UT
    36,320
    MA
    50,130
    VA
    66,110
    MD
    38,240
    VT
    7,170
    ME
    15,460
    WA
    53,130
    MI
    65,490
    WI
    45,790
    MN
    25,730
    WV
    5,040
    MO
    56,070
    WY
    7,120
    MS
    27,130
    Other
    1,100
    Total
    3,285,550

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Economy – KOF Economic Forecast, autumn 2024: Lack of recovery in Europe clouds prospects for the Swiss economy

    Source: KOF Economic Institute

    The economic recovery in Switzerland and internationally is sluggish. The KOF expects real sports-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) to increase by 1.1% in 2024. Weak investment is holding back growth, while the pharmaceutical industry is providing a boost. Sports-adjusted GDP will increase by 1.6% in 2025 and 1.7% in 2026. The main reason for the gloomy outlook is the economic weakness in Europe – for instance in Germany, Switzerland’s most important trading partner.

    Export industry suffers from lack of demand from abroad – domestic consumption provides support

    The economic recovery in Switzerland is progressing more slowly than expected. The lack of stimulus from abroad in particular prevent the Swiss economy to fully utilise its production potential in the forecast period. The euro area is struggling to gain momentum. Above all, there are no signs of a significant economic recovery in Germany. In addition, momentum in the USA will slow in the near future. As a result, the Swiss export industry is suffering, particularly the tech industry, while the pharmaceutical industry is one of the few positive exceptions. Swiss exports in total (goods and services) will virtually stagnate until spring and only pick up speed after the first quarter of 2025.

    The weakness in equipment investment remains pronounced. It is only towards the end of the year that they will develop a little more momentum. Bright spots in Switzerland are the solid development of the labour market and the easing of inflation. Private consumption continues to support the economic development and public consumer spending is also making a positive growth contribution this year. Public consumer spending will remain stable over the remainder of the forecast period.

    GDP growth will be less dynamic in the years ahead

    According to the KOF forecast, real Swiss GDP will increase by an annual average of 1.1% this year if major sporting events such as the European Championships in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris are excluded (1.5% including sporting events). Next year, GDP growth will be 1.6% after adjusting for sporting events (1.2% including sporting events). In its current forecast, the KOF extends the forecast period to 2026 and assumes that GDP will increase by 1.7% (excluding sporting events; 2.1% including sport events) in 2026, a similar rate to the previous year.

    Employment continues to grow – higher real wages allow scope for additional spending

    Employment growth will continue at a solid pace not only in the short term, but also over the next two years. The KOF expects employment to increase by 1% in 2025. This growth is slightly below the medium-term average rate. For 2026, job growth is expected to be almost as high at 1.1%. The unemployment rate will tend to rise slightly but steadily over the forecast period. However, with rates of 2.7% and 2.8% (according to SECO) and 4.6% and 4.7% (according to ILO) in 2025 and 2026, unemployment will not rise at an above-average rate.

    After two years of declines, real wages will rise again this and in the next two years, allowing scope for additional spending. These developments, the solid labour market and high population growth mean that private consumption will remain an important pillar of the Swiss economic development. Depending on how the 13th AHV is financed, it could also provide a small boost to private consumption towards the end of the forecast period.

    Inflation decreases below 1% – further interest rate cuts by the SNB expected

    Inflation will continue to weaken in the forecast period, so that inflation is likely to be 1.2% this year and 0.7% in each of the next two years. While prices for goods and energy have fallen, price increases for services are above average. In view of the disinflationary trend, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) will lower its key interest rates further. The KOF anticipates an interest rate cut of 25 basis points in September and a further cut of the same magnitude in December, bringing the key interest rate down to 0.75%.

    Significant forecast risks due to geopolitical conflicts – Swiss franc could appreciate

    In view of the geopolitical tensions in various regions of the world, the risks to the forecast are currently considerable. The war in Ukraine, but especially the conflict in the Middle East, could have a strong impact on both economic development and inflation if it escalates further. The supply and prices of energy commodities could react strongly. The exchange rate of the Swiss franc is likely to react to a further escalation with an appreciation.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🇵🇾 Paraguay – President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Santiago Peña Palacios, President of the Republic of Paraguay, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 24 – 30 September 2024).

    World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

    General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

    —————————————-

    مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة
    请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频
    Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV
    Vean este video en español en UN Web TV
    Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV
    https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1r/k1rw5vero0

    Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    #UNGA #UnitedNations

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5PIMHpzibc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🇨🇱 Chile – President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Gabriel Boric Font, President of the Republic of Chile, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, 24 -28 and 30 of September 2024).

    World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

    General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

    —————————————-

    مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة
    请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频
    Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV
    Vean este video en español en UN Web TV
    Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV
    https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k18/k18pusbinh

    Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    #UNGA #UnitedNations

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbCWhEiXTI8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🇸🇻 El Salvador – President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Nayib Armando Bukele, President of the Republic of El Salvador, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 24 – 30 September 2024).

    World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

    General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

    —————————————-

    مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة
    请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频
    Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV
    Vean este video en español en UN Web TV
    Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV
    https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1b/k1bezp9qlj

    Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    #UNGA #UnitedNations

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpvYv236QNM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠ Harris Administration Announces New Investments to Protect Freshwater Resources, Enhance Drought and Climate  Resilience

    Source: The White House

    Our nation’s lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries, and wetlands are fundamental to the health, prosperity, and resilience of our communities and are held sacred by many Tribal Nations. They are not only the sources of clean drinking water that flows into the taps of our homes, but are also economic drivers supporting jobs and outdoor recreation across the nation. By absorbing and storing carbon, our nation’s waterways and wetlands – and the forests, grasslands, and farmlands they nourish – also play a critical role in the fight against climate change.

    Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to secure clean water for all communities, protect our vital freshwater resources, and mitigate the impacts of drought. Given that communities often acutely experience the climate crisis through water-related impacts – from floods and droughts to polluted drinking sources and waterways – this Administration is making historic investments through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to protect, conserve, and restore our freshwater basins and ecosystems.

    Meanwhile, many Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change and remain committed to repealing the President’s Inflation Reduction Act – the biggest climate protection bill ever – which would undermine the health, safety, and economic vitality of their own constituents.

    Today, during Climate Week, the White House is announcing new funding and whole-of-government initiatives that build upon its ambitious freshwater agenda and help restore and conserve our freshwater resources and address climate impacts felt across the nation:

    • Investing in Long-Term Colorado River Basin Resilience: The Biden-Harris Administration is leading a comprehensive effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and address the ongoing megadrought across the region, including the Colorado River Basin, by harnessing the full resources of President Biden’s historic Investing in America agenda. The Administration’s investments in the Lower Colorado River Basin bridge the immediate need for water conservation while moving toward improved system efficiency and more durable long-term solutions. Overall, the funding for long-term water conservation initiatives in the Lower Basin is expected to save more than 1 million acre-feet of water, putting the Basin on a path to a more resilient and sustainable water future.
      • The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is announcing the execution of the first three contracts for long-term water conservation under the Lower Colorado Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program. Totaling approximately $107 million, taken together these first three projects – all with the Gila River Indian Community in the Lower Colorado River Basin of Arizona – will provide over 73,000 acre-feet of water conservation to support the sustainability of Lake Mead while also helping ensure long-term water resilience for the Community. The Bureau of Reclamation is also working on the companion program for the Upper Basin, which will provide additional water savings for the Basin’s long-term sustainability.
      • The Bureau of Reclamation is working with the following sponsors in the Lower Colorado Basin to negotiate water conservation contracts for ten additional proposed projects, including:
        • City of Phoenix
        • City of Tucson
        • Coachella Valley Water District
        • Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association & Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District
        • San Diego County Water Authority
        • Southern Nevada Water Authority
        • The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
        • Town of Gilbert
    • The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is also signing agreements with the Imperial Irrigation District and the Bard Water District in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District in California to ensure the conservation of up to 717,100acre-feet of water by 2026. This water will remain in Lake Mead in an effort to benefit the Colorado River System and its users.
    • Investing in Indian Country: The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation has announced historic Tribal water infrastructure investments totaling over $1.2 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, Reclamation Water Settlement funding, and annual appropriations. This includes a new investment of $9.4 million for Tribal drought relief and technical assistance projects that will restore wetlands, improve irrigation efficiency, and support groundwater monitoring.
    • Reconnecting Waterways and Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems: With over $3 billion in funding for ecosystem restoration and fish passage projects, the Investing in America agenda is helping secure cleaner rivers, safer communities, greater recreational opportunities, and improved fish and wildlife habitat, driving change across the landscape for people, communities, species, and ecosystems.
      • The Administration is announcing a suite of 10 transformational fish passage projects that to date have received over $150 million from eight Federal agencies. When completed, these fish passage and aquatic connectivity projects – located in communities from Maine to Ohio to California – will reconnect nearly 5,000 miles of rivers and streams across the United States. Reconnecting waterways allows natural functions to be restored in freshwater systems, improving their climate resilience and water quality, and therefore their ability to protect communities from catastrophic floods, droughts, catastrophic wildfire, and water pollution. Improving fish passage and reconnecting aquatic systems is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species, while building safer infrastructure for communities and improving climate resilience. To date, the Administration has spent over $970 million on more than 600 fish passage projects in 45 states across the country.
      • The Department of the Interior today is announcing an additional $92 million in new resources from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program to help restore important salmon and other native fish habitat across the West. These projects, when complete, will provide increased water quality, floodplain stability, and drought resiliency.
    • Collaborating with Stakeholders to Protect Freshwater Systems: At a Climate Week NYC event focused on the Global Freshwater Challenge, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory announced a doubling of new partners in the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge – a nationwide initiative to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our nation’s rivers and streams by 2030. Over 100 members from across the country initially signed on to support freshwater restoration in their communities. That number has now more than doubled to over 211, including 14 states, 16 Tribal entities, 27 local governments, and 79 private sector members.

    Today’s announcements build on recent actions that deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring safe drinking water, including providing approximately $1 billion in funding to bring safe, clean water to Tribal communities; finalizing the first-ever standard to protect communities from toxic “forever chemicals,” along with rulemakings to hold polluters responsible for PFAS cleanup and to enhance safeguards against dangerous chemical spills in our nation’s waters; and continuing to deliver on President Biden’s goal to replace every lead pipe in America in the next decade. The Department of the Interior has invested more than $6.95 billion to fund over 831 Western water projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act; the Environmental Protection Agency has leveraged more than $9 billion in the last two years alone to communities across the West; and other agencies from the Department of Agriculture to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continue to make investments that increase water availability, reduce water use, and enhance resilience.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –