NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar Statement on Reported Investment in Michigan

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar Statement on Reported Investment in Michigan

    This week, the Detroit News reported that the state of Michigan is considering a massive incentive package for the construction of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the state. 

    “State officials have reportedly identified an American company to partner with for a project in Michigan. They should have been focused on attracting American companies from the start, instead of giving taxpayer dollars to CCP-affiliated companies including Gotion. Now is the perfect time for them to correct their mistake and end state support for Gotion,” said Congressman John Moolenaar.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar Votes to Protect Women, Deport Criminal Illegal Immigrants

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar Votes to Protect Women, Deport Criminal Illegal Immigrants

    Today, Congressman John Moolenaar voted for legislation to protect women and children from violence by making any illegal immigrant convicted of sexual assault deportable and inadmissible for re-entry into the United States.

    “Kamala Harris and Joe Biden created a crisis at our southern border, allowing over 10 million illegal immigrants into our country. Tragically, thousands of these illegal aliens have attacked innocent women and girls. This bill is common sense, and it will ensure perpetrators are held responsible for their crimes, deported, and unable to return to America,” said Moolenaar.

    The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act passed the House of Representatives 266 to 158.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitfarms and Riot Announce Settlement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Andrés Finkielsztain Steps Down from Board –
    – Bitfarms Appoints Amy Freedman to Board of Directors –
    – Board to Nominate an Independent Director for Election at Special Meeting –
    – Standstill Agreement Through 2026 Annual Meeting –

    This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated March 8, 2024, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated November 10, 2023.

    TORONTO, Ontario and BROSSARD, Québec and CASTLE ROCK, Colo., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitfarms Ltd. (NASDAQ/TSX: BITF) (“Bitfarms” or the “Company”), a global leader in vertically integrated Bitcoin data center operations, and Riot Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) (“Riot”), an industry leader in vertically integrated Bitcoin (“BTC”) mining, today announced that Bitfarms and Riot have entered into a settlement agreement (the “Agreement”) in advance of the Special Meeting of Bitfarms Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) currently scheduled for November 6, 2024, which will now be held virtually.

    Under the terms of the Agreement:

    • Andrés Finkielsztain has stepped down from Bitfarms’ Board of Directors (the “Board”).
    • Bitfarms has appointed Amy Freedman to its Board and the Governance and Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee of the Board, effective immediately.
    • Riot has agreed to withdraw its June 24, 2024 requisition, as amended, and to accept customary standstill provisions through the Bitfarms 2026 Annual Meeting, with certain exceptions.
    • At the Special Meeting, shareholders will be asked to approve an expansion of the Board from five members to six members, to elect an independent director nominated by the Board to serve as the sixth member of the Board, and to ratify the Company’s July 24, 2024, shareholder rights plan. Riot has agreed to vote in favour of these matters.
    • The Company has provided Riot with certain rights (subject to certain exceptions) to purchase shares of the Company provided Riot holds 15% or more of the outstanding common shares of the Company.

    As a result of the agreement to nominate an additional director for election at the Special Meeting, the Special Meeting may be delayed, but in no event will it be held later than November 20, 2024. The Company will update its shareholders on the timing of the Special Meeting as soon as it can.

    Brian Howlett, Independent Chairman of the Board, said “The Bitfarms Board is committed to effectively overseeing the execution of the Company’s strategic plan as we work to position Bitfarms to capitalize on the opportunities ahead. Additionally, we recognize the importance of refreshment and having the right mix of skills, experience and diversity, and we are always open to adding qualified candidates with valuable insights and perspectives to strengthen our Board. We are pleased to reach this agreement with Riot, which we believe is in the best interests of all Bitfarms shareholders.”

    Mr. Howlett continued, “On behalf of the Board and the entire company, I thank Andrés for his invaluable contributions to Bitfarms over the last four years. He brought great insights to the boardroom with his extensive knowledge of the financial and crypto industry. We wish him well in his future endeavors. We look forward to leveraging Amy’s extensive experience advising public companies as the Board works together to enhance shareholder value.”

    Ben Gagnon, Chief Executive Officer of Bitfarms, said, “We are pleased to reach this agreement with Riot and look forward to turning our full attention to executing our growth strategy. We remain focused on diversifying the business beyond Bitcoin mining into exciting and synergistic new areas like energy generation, energy trading, heat recycling and other high value revenue streams like HPC/AI.”

    Jason Les, Chief Executive Officer of Riot, said, “This agreement represents a significant step to advance shareholder value creation at our respective companies and we are pleased to have reached this constructive resolution with Bitfarms. As Bitfarms’ largest shareholder, we look forward to supporting a reconstituted Bitfarms Board and continued engagement with management.”

    A copy of the Agreement will be filed on Form 6-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and will be posted to the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    About Amy Freedman

    Amy is a corporate governance and public capital markets expert with over 25 years of experience. She is currently an advisor to Ewing Morris and Co. Investment Partners, an alternative asset manager with both equity and credit strategies. In her role, Amy spearheads the fund’s engagement investment opportunities. Previously, she was CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, a leading shareholder services and advisory firm specializing in strategic and defensive advisory, governance advisory, proxy and voting analytics and investor communications. Ms. Freedman has spent over 15 years in capital markets as an investment banker with global firms including Stifel Financial Corp. and Morgan Stanley.

    Ms. Freedman is currently a director on the boards of Mandalay Resources Corporation (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF), Irish Residential Properties REIT plc (ISE: IRES) and American Hotel Income Properties REIT (TSX: HOT.UN, HOT.U). She holds an MBA and a JD from the University of Toronto.

    About Bitfarms Ltd.

    Founded in 2017, Bitfarms is a global vertically integrated Bitcoin mining data center company that contributes its computational power to one or more mining pools from which it receives payment in Bitcoin. Bitfarms develops, owns, and operates vertically integrated mining facilities with in-house management and company-owned electrical engineering, installation service, and multiple onsite technical repair centers. The Company’s proprietary data analytics system delivers best-in-class operational performance and uptime.

    Bitfarms currently has 12 operating Bitcoin data centers and two under development situated in four countries: Canada, the United States, Paraguay, and Argentina. Powered predominantly by environmentally friendly hydro-electric and long-term power contracts, Bitfarms is committed to using sustainable and often underutilized energy infrastructure.

    To learn more about Bitfarms’ events, developments, and online communities:

    www.bitfarms.com
    https://www.facebook.com/bitfarms/
    https://twitter.com/Bitfarms_io
    https://www.instagram.com/bitfarms/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitfarms/

    About Riot Platforms, Inc.

    Riot’s (NASDAQ: RIOT) vision is to be the world’s leading Bitcoin-driven infrastructure platform. Our mission is to positively impact the sectors, networks and communities that we touch. We believe that the combination of an innovative spirit and strong community partnership allows Riot to achieve best-in-class execution and create successful outcomes.

    Riot, a Nevada corporation, is a Bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure company focused on a vertically integrated strategy. Riot has Bitcoin mining operations in central Texas and electrical switchgear engineering and fabrication operations in Denver, Colorado.

    For more information, visit www.riotplatforms.com.

    Cautionary Statement 

    Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, or any other securities exchange or regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Forward-Looking Statements 

    This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release and are covered by safe harbors under Canadian and United States securities laws. The statements and information in this release regarding the strength and positive outcome of board of director renewal, the date of the Special Meeting, the merits and potential of the Company’s growth plan and diversification strategy, other growth opportunities and prospects, statements regarding future growth, plans and objectives of the Company and the maximization of shareholder value, are forward-looking information. Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “prospects”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information.

    This forward-looking information is based on assumptions and estimates of management of the Company and Riot, as applicable, at the time they were made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, various risks relating to the operations and business of the Company, the future performance, liquidity and financial position of the Company and Riot, and uncertainties as to timing of the Special Meeting or the outcome. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to (i) the Company’s filings on www.sedarplus.ca (which are also available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov), including the MD&A for the year-ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 7, 2024 and the MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 filed on August 8, 2024, and (ii) Riot’s filings with the SEC, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” of Riot’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024, and the other filings Riot has made or will make with the SEC after such date, copies of which may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Although the Company and Riot have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including factors that are currently unknown to or deemed immaterial by the Company. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by law.

    Investor Relations Contacts:

    For Bitfarms:

    Bitfarms
    Tracy Krumme
    SVP, Head of IR & Corp. Comms.
    +1 786-671-5638
    tkrumme@bitfarms.com

    Innisfree M&A Incorporated
    Gabrielle Wolf / Scott Winter
    +1 212-750-5833

    Laurel Hill Advisory Group
    1-877-452-7184
    +1 416-304-0211
    assistance@laurelhill.com

    For Riot:

    Phil McPherson
    303-794-2000 ext. 110
    IR@Riot.Inc

    Media Contacts:

    For Bitfarms:

    U.S.: Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
    Dan Katcher or Joseph Sala
    +1 212-355-4449

    Québec: Tact
    Louis-Martin Leclerc
    +1 418-693-2425
    lmleclerc@tactconseil.ca

    For Riot:

    Longacre Square Partners
    Joe Germani / Dan Zacchei
    jgermani@longacresquare.com / dzacchei@longacresquare.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LVT Launches New Command Center to Drive Immediate Informed Action for Security Teams

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (GSX, Booth #1815)LVT (LiveView Technologies, Inc.), the leader of customizable mobile security and cloud-native software solutions, today unveiled its next-generation Command Center—the culmination 100s of hours spent shadowing and collaborating with security operations teams—designed to give security operators unrivaled control over their video security systems. The 8-year-old proven VSaaS solution, now available in beta, was rebuilt from the ground up to empower personnel with unparalleled efficiency and effective incident management capabilities, including a new user experience that reduces the time needed to make informed response decisions.

    “For nearly a decade, LVT’s Command Center has given security leaders who want to leverage the power of cloud-native software services unmatched situational awareness. Our new Command Center experience provides an even more seamless, reliable, and highly effective system built to stay ahead of the evolving security landscape while leveraging the globally scalable, lower cost of ownership, and dynamic power of cloud compute,” said Steve Lindsey, LVT CTO. “Security teams are often hampered by solutions that restrict them from taking real-time action; failing to deliver timely alerts and provide the essential information to inform an effective response at any moment, day or night.”

    The LVT Command Center was designed using extensive market research and customer feedback, which highlighted the acute need for sophisticated, AI-integrated security management solutions. New and enhanced features that provide customizations to manage complex enterprise environments at scale include:

    • Instant video playback: Access and stream recorded videos with no delay, improving decision-making processes and enabling more accurate and effective responses.
    • View and manage multiple camera views: Watch cameras from multiple units for a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of incidents.
    • Intelligent prioritization: Configure the Command Center to prioritize alerts and decide what notifications they receive, such as marking potential assaults as high priority and animals as low priority.
    • In-depth analytics: Classify incidents and quickly review incidents within a category classification to understand how those situations were resolved.
    • Incident history: Review responses, find training opportunities, and optimize future responses through a new timeline view that shows exactly what happened during an incident across LVT Units, including security personnel actions.

    Customers can access the beta Command Center today, with general availability in Q4 2024. Future enhancements will include new AI capabilities and intuitive automatic alerts. Customers can contact their LVT representative in order to join the Command Center beta.

    Visit LVT at GSX Booth #1815, and learn more at www.lvt.com.

    About LVT
    LVT (LiveView Technologies, Inc.) is a leader in life safety and security and the premier developer and manufacturer of mobile, solar powered and cellular-connected surveillance solutions and software. Headquartered in American Fork, UT, LVT’s enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution is used by retailers, critical infrastructure and utilities, construction projects, warehouse and distribution centers, and more. LVT is proud to be made in the USA and manufactured in Utah. For more information, visit www.lvt.com.

    Media Contacts:
    Matthew Deighton
    LiveView Technologies
    media@lvt.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LVT Releases API To Bring Video Security Intelligence To Any Software Ecosystem

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (GSX, Booth #1815) — LVT (LiveView Technologies, Inc.), the leader of customizable mobile security solutions, today released its new application programming interface (API) that allows security teams to integrate LVT Unit video security insights with any existing security platform. The API allows integrations with in-house systems, leading to a single pane of glass for security operations center (SOC) operators to take control of situations rapidly utilizing LVT’s physical security platform from their preferred software environment.

    “LVT provides a stellar end-to-end solution for managing our mobile security solutions, but we know customers also have other software within their security ecosystem. Our open integration platform empowers teams to access our video intelligence in any environment they prefer,” said Steve Lindsey, LVT CTO. “Customers can now choose between the LVT video management software, our integrations with partners like Immix and Fusus by Axon, or our API to access the security insights they need to maximize safety and control.”

    The API provides customers with more ways to access LVT’s intelligence, including recently announced integrations with Immix, and Fusus by Axon, along with additional partnerships coming in the future. LVT’s new API also integrates well with proprietary software developed in-house for video and alert management, providing support for customers’ customized solutions.

    LVT’s API allows SOC operators to monitor and access situations from a single dashboard:

    • Two-way integration with control of all deterrence capabilities such as strobe lights, floodlights, pre-recorded sounds, and live speaker talk-down
    • Other features include video streaming, alert generation, and camera control, including pan/tilt/zoom, streaming, talk down, and general camera management.

    As the security market continues to value open platforms that enable customers to build their strategy across multiple vendors, LVT’s open platform solution leads the way with a diverse set of leading camera partners, edge intelligence and analytics partners, and cloud software partners.

    Please email integrations@LVT.com for all API integration requests and questions.

    Visit LVT at GSX Booth #1815, and learn more at www.lvt.com.

    About LVT
    LVT (LiveView Technologies, Inc.) is a leader in life safety and security and the premier developer and manufacturer of mobile, solar powered and cellular-connected surveillance solutions and software. Headquartered in American Fork, UT, LVT’s enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution is used by retailers, critical infrastructure and utilities, construction projects, warehouse and distribution centers, and more. LVT is proud to be made in the USA and manufactured in Utah. For more information, visit www.lvt.com.

    Media Contacts:
    Matthew Deighton
    LiveView Technologies
    media@lvt.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AGF Investments Announces September 2024 Cash Distributions for Certain AGF ETFs and ETF Series

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AGF Investments Inc. (AGF Investments) (TSX:AGF.B) today announced the September 2024 cash distributions for AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund*, AGF Total Return Bond Fund* and AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF, which pay monthly distributions, as well as AGF Global Sustainable Growth Equity ETF and AGF Systematic Global Multi-Sector Bond ETF, which pay quarterly distributions. Unitholders of record on September 30, 2024 will receive cash distributions payable on October 4, 2024.

    Details regarding the final “per unit” distribution amounts are as follows:

    ETF Ticker Exchange Cash Distribution Per Unit ($)
    AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund* AENU Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.136000
    AGF Total Return Bond Fund* ATRB Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.108000
    AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF QIF Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.134910
    AGF Global Sustainable Growth Equity ETF AGSG Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.016000
    AGF Systematic Global Multi-Sector Bond ETF QGB Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.199000
             

    *AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund and AGF Total Return Bond Fund are mutual funds with an ETF series option.

    Further information about the AGF ETFs can be found at AGF.com.

    About AGF Management Limited

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With nearly $50 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    About AGF Investments

    AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). The term AGF Investments may refer to one or more of these subsidiaries or to all of them jointly. This term is used for convenience and does not precisely describe any of the separate companies, each of which manages its own affairs.

    AGF Investments entities only provide investment advisory services or offers investment funds in the jurisdiction where such firm and/or product is registered or authorized to provide such services.

    AGF Investments Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGF Management Limited and conducts the management and advisory of mutual funds in Canada.

    This information is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax, investment, financial, or other advice, and should not be relied upon for providing such advice. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

    Media Contact

    Amanda Marchment
    Director, Corporate Communications
    416-865-4160
    amanda.marchment@agf.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vancity Investment Management Report Highlights Significant Gains in Shareholder Advocacy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TERRITORIES OF MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATIONS / VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vancity Investment Management, a Canadian leader in socially responsible investing, issued its annual Shareholder Engagement Report today highlighting a year of shareholder advocacy.

    Vancity Investment Management’s commitment to shareholder engagement is grounded in the belief that investors hold the power to drive companies towards a more equitable and sustainable future—a belief that is underscored by the successes detailed in this year’s report. When investing on behalf of clients, Vancity Investment Management assumes an active role rather than merely observing. By leveraging its influence as a responsible shareholder, Vancity Investment Management ensures that the companies within its portfolio not only align with its clients’ values and objectives but also take significant actions to address their broader societal and environmental impacts.

    Vancity Investment Management’s engagement efforts encompass a wide array of areas, including climate, energy, governance, and labour practices. Over the past year, the company has been highly proactive, notably encouraging Starbucks® to commit to comprehensive reporting on biodiversity risks and impacts within its coffee supply chain and successfully advocating for enhanced climate reporting among major Canadian banks.

    “Investing in a company comes with responsibility,” said Wellington Holbrook, President and CEO of Vancity Group. “As shareholders, we can use our influence to promote positive societal and environmental impacts alongside financial returns. By engaging with the companies we recommend, we drive meaningful improvements that contribute to a more equitable economy and create sustainable, long-term value.”

    Snapshot of shareholder engagement in 2024:

    Starbucks: Vancity Investment Management challenged the supply chain sustainability practices of the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, Starbucks, noting that the Arabica coffee bean is considered a biodiversity risk and climate sensitive species. Starbucks has since committed to publicly report on its Arabica coffee bean supply chain in accordance with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework. More details here.

    RBC, TD and Scotiabank: Vancity Investment Management submitted shareholder proposals to these Canadian banks to press for improved climate risk management and disclosure in line with their commitments as signatories to the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). As a result of our engagement, Scotiabank committed to disclose its framework for assessing clients’ climate transition plans. Both RBC and Scotiabank committed to disclose portfolio-level client performance against these frameworks. In recognition of these commitments, the proposals were withdrawn. More details here.

    CN Rail and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (formerly CP): In support of employee and public safety, Vancity Investment Management engaged with both rail companies to encourage negotiation for paid sick leave policies with all unions that represent their American workforce. CN Rail and CPKC have come to paid sick leave agreements with select unions, and Vancity Investment Management continues to press for additional progress. More details here.

    “The choices businesses make have a huge influence on people’s lives,” said Kelly Hirsch, Vancity Investment Management’s Head of ESG. “When we invest for our clients, we don’t merely watch from afar; we actively engage with companies to enhance their practices, advocate for responsible environmental stewardship, and ensure social responsibility,” added Kelly.

    Vancity Investment Management continues to lead the way in working to create an inclusive economy in Canada, putting people and the planet at the centre of its engagement work.

    To learn more about how Vancity Investment Management focuses on investments that deliver competitive returns while making a positive impact, read the full Shareholder Engagement Report.

    About Vancity Investment Management

    Vancity Investment Management provides management services to individuals, foundations and institutions across Canada that wish to generate wealth through sustainable, profitable and responsible investments. Established in 1995, it was one of the first wealth management firms in Canada to provide investments that deliver competitive returns while making a positive impact on the world. Vancity Investment Management is part of the Vancity Group that includes Vancity, a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its more than 560,000 member owners and their communities. With $34 billion in assets, plus assets under administration, Vancity is Canada’s largest community credit union. Vancity Investment Management and Vancity operate primarily within the territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw people in British Columbia.

    Media Relations

    mediarelations@vancity.com
    T: 778-837-0394

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Heritage Holding Closes Inaugural Fund with Support from Institutional Capital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fundraising Target Met in Four Months with $220 Million in Committed Capital

    Strong Interest from Institutional, High-Net-Worth and Existing Investors

    BOSTON, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Heritage Holding (“Heritage” or “the Company”), a Boston-based private equity firm focused on advancing its successful record of partnering with small business owners and founders, today announced the successful close of its first, institutionally-backed Fund I (the “Fund”) with total committed capital of $220 million. The fundraise was completed in four months and was oversubscribed with commitments from leading institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals and existing investors.

    Heritage was founded in 2015 by Harvard Business School classmates and former co-CEOs of Maicom, Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter. Since inception, the Company has established itself as a leader in acquiring and growing small businesses across the services sector, working closely with owners and founders through operational improvements and M&A to build their companies into industry leaders. The Company’s dedicated investment team is highly experienced in sourcing acquisitions and strives to unlock overlooked opportunities in the small business world. Heritage’s history and forward ambition is to partner with successful business owners in providing private equity capital for M&A and sales growth, software implementation and, when desirable, enabling sellers to transition out of their companies over time.

    “Our goal is to focus on five platforms in industries that are on our shortlist and to scale those platforms quickly,” said Ross Porter, Heritage Holding Co-Founder. “Operational bandwidth and focused resources for growth are scarce in the small business ecosystem, which gives Heritage a unique opportunity to identify attractive founder led businesses across a variety of critical industries and build high performing and sustainable companies that can drive attractive outcomes for all stakeholders.”

    “Ross and I are extremely proud of the firm we have built, and we are grateful for the continued support of our investors, advisors and for the hard work of the HH team,” said Alex de Pfyffer, Heritage Holding Co-Founder. “With strong support from a world-class team of investors, the closing of this fund allows us to continue partnering with small business owners, founders and entrepreneurs to successfully grow their businesses and build leading platforms to better serve customers.”

    Small businesses often face unique operational challenges. The Heritage team recognizes and supports these challenges by taking on essential operations roles in the businesses in which the Company invests. In addition to Heritage’s strong operational involvement, the firm differentiates its value creation strategy by enhancing systems and software, focusing on driving new sales growth and enabling rapid and sustainable scaling through mergers and acquisitions.

    “Heritage did what they said they were going to do, they took care of my team, they tripled my business in size, expanded to the West Coast, and we opened a new successful operation in Canada. They are skilled executives and business operators, but above all they are trustworthy and honest good people,” said Paul Maiuri, former owner of Maicom.

    Heritage invests across the business services, healthcare, technology, telecom & IT services, industrial services and special situations industries. Since its founding, Heritage has completed over 25 acquisitions across eight platform companies.

    About Heritage Holding

    Heritage Holding is a micro-cap private equity firm that partners with small business owners and founders to build great companies by driving growth, increasing scale, diversifying service offerings and expanding businesses’ geographic footprints. Founded in 2015 by Harvard Business School classmates and former co-CEOs of Maicom, Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter, the firm targets companies across the business services, healthcare, technology, telecom & IT services, industrials and special situations industries where it feels it can add value through its operational expertise.

    Since inception, Heritage has completed 25 acquisitions across eight platform investments and has an investment team of over 12 individuals.

    Heritage is headquartered in Boston, MA and has offices in New York, NY and Raleigh, NC. For more information, please visit www.heritage-holding.com.

    Contact

    Dan Gagnier
    Gagnier Communications
    HeritageHolding@gagnierfc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates Streamlines Course Offerings, Boosts Enrollment, and Enhances School Partnerships

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The Neag School of Education’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) has implemented significant changes over the past year aimed at better accommodating the needs of students and school district partners. The main shift was the program’s length, which decreased from 11 months to 10 months beginning with the summer 2024 cohort.

    The decision to start the full-time program in mid-June proved beneficial in multiple ways. Under the previous structure, students who already worked in schools and wanted to pursue teacher certification had to leave their jobs before the end of the school year, which posed a challenge for them and their districts.

    “This new timeline was chosen after a careful review of district calendars across the state,” says Tracy Sinclair, director of TCPCG. “By delaying the start, candidates working as paraprofessionals or long-term substitutes no longer had to quit their jobs early, helping school districts retain essential staff during the critical end-of-school period in June.”

    Sinclair notes this change has also led to a demographic shift in the program’s enrollment. While there are still non-traditional students making mid-career transitions into teaching, many program participants are now recent college graduates.

    “The 10-month program design allows these graduates a brief break between completing their undergraduate studies and starting the intensive graduate program,” she says. “Previously, students had only a few days between their undergraduate graduation and the start of TCPCG, which left little room for adjustment.”

    Instead of offering two six-week summer semesters, the new program structure consolidates coursework into one 10-week summer semester. This allows students to spend more time on fewer courses, enabling a deeper understanding of critical pedagogical concepts. Sinclair explains that this shift from “a mile wide and an inch deep” to more focused, longer courses has improved the overall quality of the education students receive.

    This condensed timeline allows me to balance family responsibilities while pursuing my teaching career and minimizing time away from my children. &#8212 Kamie Merithew, current student

    Despite these changes, Sinclair acknowledges that the program remains rigorous. Students still take five graduate courses over 10 weeks in the summer, which can be challenging. However, the new structure includes shorter class days and built-in time for school-based clinical experiences, giving students more flexibility.

    Ultimately, the shift to a 10-month program has positively impacted enrollment. Sinclair reports a 57% increase in enrollment across all four regional campuses that offer the program, which she attributes to a combination of effective marketing and the appeal of the redesigned structure. This growth is a promising sign for the program’s future as it continues to adapt to meet the needs of aspiring teachers and the Neag School’s partner schools.

    “This condensed timeline allows me to balance family responsibilities while pursuing my teaching career and minimizing time away from my children,” says Kamie Merithew, a current TCPCG student. “As an adult transitioning careers later in life, I can quickly leverage my valuable life experiences and transferable skills in the classroom. The shorter program also reduces tuition costs and living expenses and enables me to gain practical experience to start teaching sooner.”

    Joseph Macary ’94 (CLAS), ’05 ELP, ’16 Ed.D., Vernon Public Schools’ superintendent, is an enthusiastic supporter of TCPCG’s new residency program. (Defining Studios)

    Another change to TCPCG, initially launched in 2021 with just a handful of districts, is its residency program offering students a half-year paid experience in participating school districts. These residencies allow students to spend two days in their specific content area and three days as a building substitute, providing them with valuable hands-on experience. At first, the program was small, but as demand grew the number of participating schools expanded rapidly. Now, TCPCG has partnered with over 20 schools across Connecticut.

    In 2022-2023, a significant milestone was achieved when a district offered a full-year residency.

    “Now, all of UConn’s regional campuses have at least one district offering a full-year residency, giving students a unique opportunity to gain sustained experience while alleviating some of the financial pressures associated with a graduate education,” Sinclair says.

    One of the main benefits of this program is that it allows students to gain professional experience while also earning a salary. Sinclair emphasizes that “this blend of earning while learning helps ease the financial burden while still preparing students for a career in teaching.”

    “From the perspective of school districts, the benefits are twofold,” she says. “Not only do they receive an additional staff member in the form of a building substitute during critical times, such as the lead-up to the holiday season, but they also gain the advantage of having a potential future employee immersed in their school environment for an entire year.

    “This full-year engagement serves as a yearlong interview, allowing schools to evaluate the residents in real-world scenarios,” Sinclair says. “For students, this integration into a school community can foster deeper connections and increase their chances of securing employment post-graduation.”

    “I think it’s great that the TCPCG program has a residency program in various school districts,” says Thomas Murray, a current student. “I know a lot of students in my cohort were ecstatic to hear that they will be getting paid for classroom observations. It gives us the opportunity to be at our placement every day and become more comfortable with the students and building.”

    Will Kampfman ’24 MA, who recognizes the benefits of the revamped TCPCG program, spoke during a Teacher Education Appreciation event this summer at UConn Hartford. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)

    A recent TCPCG alumnus agrees.

    “In addition to the financial benefits of being able to work while attending school, I was able to both work in the education field and at the school – and with the classes – where I would ultimately be doing my student teaching,” says Will Kampfman ’24 MA, a Hartford Public Schools social studies teacher. “My experience through the residency program was invaluable in preparing me for my student teaching experience in the spring, as it allowed me to start working with my cooperating teacher, to gain experience at my placement school, and to begin building positive rapport with my students.”

    Vernon Public Schools is enthusiastic about partnering with TCPCG, specifically developing future teachers through the residency model.

    “This collaboration builds on a longstanding relationship between Vernon schools and UConn, with many of the district’s most successful teachers being UConn graduates,” Superintendent Joseph Macary ’94 (CLAS), ’05 ELP, ’16 Ed.D. says. “Vernon has actively recruited UConn graduates for over a decade, and we have found great success in retaining these teachers, with very few leaving unless for personal reasons like moving.

    “The new residency program is particularly promising. Currently, seven aspiring teachers are placed across Vernon schools, where they are already making an impact,” Macary says. “One principal expressed interest in hiring these residents next year due to their impressive performance. The program allows the district to evaluate whether these residents truly want to pursue teaching before fully committing to the profession.”

    The district views the program as a solution to a national problem: the shortage of teachers. Fewer people were entering the profession even before the pandemic, and COVID-19 worsened the situation. Vernon has struggled to maintain a full staff of teachers, so building a pipeline through TCPCG’s residency program is crucial. Macary hopes many of these future educators will choose to stay in Vernon.

    These program changes – the new residency component that benefits both TCPCG students and the program’s partner districts, and the shortened program length – ensure that UConn’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates continues to be an integral part of Connecticut’s educational landscape. The program prioritizes meeting the needs of the state’s public schools and those of future educators.

    To learn more about the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates, visit s.uconn.edu/teach.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Repackaging Seafood Waste as Plastic Alternatives

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Seafood is a major industry in New England. It generates a lot of revenue for coastal communities, but with that productivity can come a lot of waste.

    Right now, that waste – things like crab and lobster shells – is just dumped into landfills where it decomposes slowly and releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

    Researchers in New England have been looking at how that waste could be used to help rather than harm the environment.

    Mingyu Qiao, assistant professor of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, and Yangchao Luo, associate professor of nutritional sciences, are two researchers in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources investigating how seafood waste and algae can be used to produce plastic-free, biodegradable packaging.

    They recently published four articles on the topic, in Foods, Food Hydrocolloids, and two in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 1 and 2.

    “That’s the motivation,” Qiao says. “We’re looking for ways we can better use that seafood waste to create a value-added product.”

    Plastic packaging is also a major source of waste in the world. Single-use plastics often make their ways into our waters where they pose a danger to sea life.

    Microplastics, pieces of plastic broken down to nearly undetectable sizes, affect humans too, as they have shown up in human brains and reproductive organs.

    Plastics are harmful to human health in another way – PFAS. PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) also known as “forever chemicals” are found in plastics and plastic coatings on paper food wrappers. They leech into our food, and we then consume these harmful chemicals.

    Qiao and Luo are looking for a solution that tackles waste from both directions.

    “Each type of seafood waste has different (chemical) components, and they might have different properties, so it can be good for different applications,” Qiao says. “The challenge is how to identify those molecules, their properties, and the best use.”

    Natural polymers like the ones with which Qiao and Luo work are safer for human, animal, and environmental health, aligning this work with the College’s investment in One Health approaches.

    These polymers do not contain synthetic chemicals which are linked to a host of poor health outcomes, and they can be easily degraded in the ocean, given that is where they originated.

    “Nature already has a mechanism to biodegrade those polymers that is millions of years old,” Qiao says.

    Luo works on turning a compound found in crab and lobster shells into packaging using an extraction process that does not generate toxic waste.

    “Even though the polymer is green, the process is not,” Qiao says. “That’s why we’re developing what we call a green biorefinery method using microorganisms that produce enzymes to break down those tissues and then we can extract the polymers sustainably.”

    In partnership with UConn’s Technology Commercialization Services (TCS), Luo and Qiao have forged a strategic alliance with a leading lobster processing company in Massachusetts to implement this innovative green extraction method on seafood waste. Together, they are pursuing a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant to accelerate the development and commercialization of this groundbreaking technology.

    Amit Kumar, senior director of licensing at UConn, says “The seafood processing industry produces valuable waste that is rich in components like chitin and alginate, which have significant potential for diverse applications, from food and medical technologies to sustainable packaging alternatives. These projects aim to harness these materials to create high-impact, eco-friendly solutions across various industries by replacing petroleum-based materials.”

    Qiao works with alginate, a compound found in algae, as an edible coating on food. He is looking at how spraying produce, like strawberries, with an alginate coating can help increase their shelf-life without the need for plastic packaging.

    Alginate is an attractive option for this application because it is completely edible, calorie-free, and not a common allergen, which is a concern for seafood-derived polymers.

    The researchers are also working with local seaweed farmers, collaborating with them as they move toward commercializing this technology.

    A postdoctoral researcher working in Qiao’s lab, Anuj Purohit, has established a company called Atlantic Sea Solutions to develop and commercialize this technology. The company was selected to receive funding from the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, or CCEI over the summer. Atlantic Sea Solutions was selected as one of five teams to compete in the School of Business’ Wolff New Venture Competition in October.

    “This research is not staying on the paper,” Qiao says. “There is commercial interest right now.”

    Qiao and Luo have disclosed three inventions and filed two provisional patents in this area.

    “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the CAHNR leadership for their continued investment in applied research like ours. These projects were initially supported by the CAHNR Exploratory Research Grant and the Strategic Vision Implementation Committees (SVIC) Funding, and we’re now beginning to see the fruits of that investment.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply, Advancing Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate and Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Searching for a Vaccine Against an Ancient Scourge

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Syphilis cases have surged worldwide, leaving public health officials scrounging for ways to stop the spread. Now, a large, collaborative study of syphilis genetics from four continents has found hints of a possible target for a vaccine.

    Syphilis is a sexually transmitted illness that first appeared in Europe about 500 years ago. Its initial symptoms can vary, but the spiral shaped bacterium that causes it can persist in the body for years, often in the central nervous system, and cause birth defects when it infects infants in utero. Syphilis cases decreased in the middle 20th century as easy, effective treatment with injectable penicillin became available, and became uncommon in the 1990s due to changes in sexual behavior in the wake of the HIV epidemic.

    But recently, syphilis has made an unwelcome comeback. There were 207,255 cases in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than any time since the 1950s. Babies, some of them stillborn, made up 3,755 of those cases. Other countries worldwide are seeing the same disturbing upward trend.

    Stopping syphilis’s spread has become a pressing public health goal. Now, an international collaboration of researchers and doctors has collected one of the most extensive genomic surveys of the syphilis bacterium to date and correlated the genetic data with clinical information about the patients who provided the samples. They are using the data to search for proteins on the surface of the microbe that don’t vary. Such stable proteins could be good targets for a vaccine. They published their findings in the September issue of Lancet Microbe.

    Several previous scientific studies using whole genome-sequencing of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (the bacterium that causes syphilis, abbreviated as TPA) have helped researchers begin to understand the global distribution of circulating strains. However, few analyses of specimens for the purpose of evaluating TPA clinical and genetic diversity to inform syphilis vaccine development have been performed.

    This study enrolled participants from four countries, including Colombia, China, Malawi, and the U.S. Samples of TPA genomes from Africa and South America had been underrepresented in previous genetic studies and were a particularly valuable addition to the TPA genetic dataset.

    Once the samples were collected, they were sent to the University of North Carolina’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases in Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) to have their genetic sequences mapped in Dr. Jonathan Parr’s laboratory.

    “Whole-genome sequencing samples collected by partners around the world improved our understanding of circulating Treponema pallidum strains. The results help us understand differences between strains and identify targets for vaccine development,” says Parr.

    The researchers’ genetic mapping and protein modeling found that syphilis bacteria differed noticeably between continents, but there were enough similarities that the researchers believe they could find good targets for an effective global vaccine.

    UConn School of Medicine Professor Justin Radolf, one of the senior authors on the publication and a Principal Investigator on the NIH U19 award that funded the study, emphasized the importance of these findings.

    “By mapping mutations to three-dimensional models of the bacterium’s proteins, we’ve gained crucial insights that will inform the design of a syphilis vaccine,” Radolf says.

    Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are assessing vaccine acceptability to determine what concerns individuals may have on participating in future syphilis vaccine trials and the potential impact of a vaccine on key populations.

    “Engaging with the community now is really important in order to get patients’ opinions and concerns about a future syphilis vaccine trial even before the vaccine has been developed,” says Dr. Arlene C. Seña from UNC-Chapel Hill, co-lead on the clinical study that enrolled participants worldwide and the lead author on the Lancet Microbe manuscript.

    The team has already secured funding to continue their efforts to develop a syphilis vaccine.

    “This study highlights the power of collaboration,” says Juan Salazar, Physician-in-Chief at Connecticut Children’s and co-lead of the project, who also serves as chair of the department of pediatrics at UConn School of Medicine. “Our work here is not just about addressing a local health concern; it’s about contributing to a global solution for a disease that continues to affect millions worldwide.”

    The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and several international research institutions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Confronting the Problem of Suicide

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In 2022, nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide, making it the 11th leading cause of death in the country – and the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14 and 25-34. September is National Suicide Prevention month, when health care providers, advocates, survivors, educators and others work to change public perception on the topic and offer hope for people struggling with suicidal thoughts. Dr. Neha Jain, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UConn Health, recently spoke with UConn Today about common misconceptions on suicide, what warning signs to look out for, and how to find help.

     

    Q: What has been the effect, if any, of the pandemic on what we’ve seen in terms of the problem of suicide?

    As mental health providers, we were all very concerned that the pandemic would lead to an increase in rates of suicide. But what we found, interestingly, is that, during the initial period of the pandemic, suicide actually decreased. And this was attributed to people coming together during a moment of crisis: a lot of people moved back home; there were a lot of campaigns about mental health awareness; there was a push to increase access to mental health services. People were spending more time with their families, so there was less social isolation. We did not see an increase in suicide. If anything, the rates reduced a little bit, though I will say that reduction was driven mostly by white persons and less so amongst populations of color. But by 2022 the rates increased again, and reverted back to the trend we had been observing before the pandemic.


     Q: In general, what kind of factors might make the risk of suicide higher for someone?

    I think of suicide risk factors as falling into two broad categories: first, factors that we cannot change, and then factors that are modifiable, that we can change. For example, male gender has always been a  risk factor for suicide. People who are single,divorced or widowed, certain age groups like adolescents and young adults, and  adults over the age of 65, are  at high risk. In our profession, we tend to focus more on modifiable factors; things like a history of suicide attempts, a history of mental illness or substance use, social isolation, loneliness, limited economic means or economic insecurity, chronic pain and physical illness. Those are all risk factors for suicide that can be modified or treated.


     Q: One thing we hear from students is they want to know what warning signs are. They want to know when it’s appropriate to intervene. But there seems to be a lot of, especially on social media, a lot of contrasting information about that, or misinformation, as it might be. So, what are some warning signs that people should look for?

    Dr. Neha Jain is a psychiatrist at UConn Health. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

    For students, I would say really any marked change in behavior is a potential warning sign. It can be a big change in eating or sleeping patterns. It can be somebody just talking about wanting to die, feeling hopeless, feeling more depressed, talking about feeling shame or guilt, talking about being a burden to others. It can be completely withdrawing and not interacting with people anymore. Also, an increase in anxiety, increase in anger or agitation can be a clue. If a person is describing a lot of emotional or physical pain that they cannot bear, that can be a warning sign. And then there are things that you might notice in terms of behavior, for example, if somebody is doing anything that could be considered research about methods of suicide or making preparations for death. Some of those preparations might include giving away important things, writing “goodbye” letters, doing dangerous things like driving fast, drinking heavily, or substance use. All of those can be warning signs. That being said, sometimes suicides can happen with no warning signs at all. So, it is also important to realize that a person may look and act just fine, but they may be feeling something that is not visible on the outside.

    Q: Younger people seem more willing in general to talk about their mental wellness, certainly more so than people of my generation. But is there still a stigma around the topic of suicide? Are people still reluctant to discuss it, for fear they might upset or even trigger someone?

    Absolutely. I think there are lots of different things that play into that, in addition to the stigma in general around suicide. Some people are just too worried to ask – you know, “What if I ask if this person is thinking about suicide, and they say yes. What am I going to do then?” There is also this concern that somehow asking about suicide may actually make a person more likely to commit suicide, and I want to emphasize that isn’t true. So, you should not feel afraid to ask about suicide if you’re worried about it.


     Q: Can you talk about what “suicide contagion” is and how it can be prevented?

    Suicide contagion is exactly what it sounds like, where the suicidal behavior or suicide of one person then influences others to commit or attempt suicide. That effect does seem to be stronger in adolescents and young people, and there have been a lot of well-publicized clusters, particularly if there is a celebrity who commits suicide or attempts suicide. It will often lead to a contagion cluster, and not necessarily in the same geographical area, obviously, because the news can be read anywhere. It’s important to realize that people will talk about suicide if there is a suicide. It will be reported in the media. It doesn’t help to brush away or hide a suicide, but suicide contagion is real, and it’s not so much the actual suicide as how it is portrayed that can affect the contagion behavior. So, if a suicide is presented in a sensationalistic way, there can be a kind of excitement around it. In a 24-hour non-stop news cycle, there will be a lot of description, a lot of drama and, and it may  be presented as  a strategy: “This person was so unhappy, this was their only way out.” Sensational reports can downplay the person’s struggles, downplay the stress or the substance abuse, or other negative experiences they were dealing with. Suicide can and should be reported on, but doing it in a fact-based manner, understanding that it is often a lot more complicated picture than it seems on the surface, is the responsible way to do it.


     Q: What are some common misconceptions people have about suicide?

    The big one that I see is, again, the idea that talking about it or asking somebody about it will make them more likely to attempt suicide. I do not think that is true. I think there is also this idea that, “Oh, this person looks just fine. How could they end their life?” But a person may be able to hide a lot of depression, a lot of conflict, a lot of stress. If you’re worried about your friend, asking them about it and talking about it can be very helpful, so we shouldn’t hesitate.

    Q: That segues perfectly into what might be the most important question: if someone is concerned that a family member, friend, or loved one might be contemplating suicide, what should they do?

    Don’t hesitate to talk, even if you’re not completely sure about what they are planning or contemplating. You can always offer them the crisis lifeline information. The phone number for the suicide crisis Lifeline is 988. They can call that number to talk to a crisis worker. They can also contact the crisis text line, which is often preferable to people, and for that you text TALK to 741741. Don’t hesitate to offer this information to anybody that you think is struggling. Don’t be afraid to put this information out there where everybody can access it. If you feel that there is a life-threatening situation, you can always call either 911 or 211, which is the mental health helpline in Connecticut. The CT suicide advisory board has some useful resources at https://www.preventsuicidect.org/  Finally, I think it is always better to reach out and offer help, or ask for help.

    If you are struggling with severe depression or suicidal thoughts, UConn Health and its psychiatry experts urge you to alert your psychiatric provider immediately. If you do not have a provider, get help by calling:  9-1-1, 2-1-1, or the national Suicide & Crisis Hotline 988, or visit your nearest Emergency Department where health care providers are always standing by to help you stay safe.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund Announces Quarterly Distribution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BROOKFIELD, NEWS, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX: BGI.UN) today announced a distribution of C$0.15 per unit for the quarter ending September 30, 2024. The distribution will be paid on or before October 15, 2024 to holders of record on September 30, 2024.

    Eligible holders of the Units (“Unitholders”) may participate in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”), where they may elect to automatically reinvest their dividends in additional Units. Details of the DRIP are available on the Fund’s website at https://www.brookfieldoaktree.com/fund/brookfield-global-infrastructure-securities-income-fund. Unitholders who wish to participate in the DRIP should contact their investment advisor for further information and to enroll.

    Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund is managed by Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC (PSG). PSG is registered as an investment fund manager in Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and as portfolio manager in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. The Fund uses its website as a channel of distribution of material information about the Fund. Financial and other material information regarding the Fund is routinely posted on and accessible at https://www.brookfieldoaktree.com/fund/brookfield-global-infrastructure-securities-income-fund

    Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

    Contact information:

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Joly and Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant to attend UN General Assembly High-Level Week

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as part of Canada’s delegation to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York City, New York. Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will also travel to New York as part of Canada’s delegation.

    September 23, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as part of Canada’s delegation to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York City, New York. Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will also travel to New York as part of Canada’s delegation.

    During the UNGA High-Level Week, Minister Joly will co-host a high-level panel discussion on the subject of media freedom and present the 2024 Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award with Lord Collins of Highbury, the United Kingdom’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This event reflects Canada’s enduring commitment to support free and independent journalism.

    Minister Joly will also participate in a leader-level meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, co-hosted by Prime Minister Trudeau and Garry Conille, Prime Minister of Haiti, which will focus on the urgent need for Haitian-led solutions in response to the ongoing crisis there. This event will also offer a unique opportunity to mobilize the international community’s support for the Haitian government’s priorities for the transition.

    The Minister will also co-host a high-level event with representatives of Ukraine and Estonia that will underscore the urgent need to restore the rights of children worldwide and enhance child protection, including addressing the unlawful deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. She will highlight Canada’s ongoing efforts to support the repatriation of Ukrainian children and Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression.

    Minister Joly will deliver Canada’s national statement to the United Nations General Assembly, where she will emphasize Canada’s continued commitment to promoting multilateral cooperation, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

    While in New York City, Minister Joly will attend a series of events that will focus on advancing gender equality and fostering the equal and meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes, including an event on the margins of the UNGA High-Level Week that will be attended by women leaders from around the world. The Minister will also participate in an event on securing reproductive choice for women and girls.

    Minister Joly will also meet with numerous partners and allies, including G7 foreign ministers and other senior officials from around the world. Their exchanges will focus on pressing global issues, including the situation in Gaza and the broader Middle East region and Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine. Minister Joly will also emphasize the continued importance of strengthening the rules-based international order and protecting human rights and gender equality.

    While in New York City, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant will attend a discussion focused on promoting the rights of women and girls during the Summit of the Future Action Days and will participate in a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting to discuss key issues related to democracy and human rights in the Commonwealth, including in Bangladesh and Gabon. His discussions during the meeting will help to advance the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that will take place in Samoa in October 2024.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Decline in natural gas price drove decrease in U.S. oil producer revenue in early 2024

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    September 23, 2024

    Data source: Evaluate Energy

    Financial results for 36 publicly traded U.S. oil exploration and production (E&P) companies show that cash from operations in the first quarter of 2024 has decreased in real terms from the first quarter of 2023 due to lower natural gas prices.

    Production expenses, which can also affect cash from operations, have stabilized after supply chain issues that caused increased costs appear to be largely resolved. Capital expenditures, which represent investment in oil and natural gas production, were flat over the same period.

    In the first quarter of 2024, lower crude oil and natural gas prices helped reduce cash from operations by 12% compared with the first quarter of 2023, to $23.3 billion. Although West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices declined 2% over this period, U.S. crude oil production by these companies increased 5% to nearly 4.2 million barrels per day (b/d).

    Relatively large production cuts by OPEC+ have supported crude oil prices and spurred production among non-OPEC+ sources, including U.S. producers. Increased production would normally result in more cash from operations, but substantially lower natural gas prices likely hampered revenue for these companies.

    Natural gas prices fell 26% from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024 and reached their lowest average monthly inflation-adjusted price since at least 1997. Although the companies in this analysis focus on crude oil production, natural gas still typically makes up around 30% of what they produce because of associated natural gas present in crude oil deposits and more diversified operations by some of the E&P companies in the group.

    Data source: Bloomberg L.P.
    Note: WTI=West Texas Intermediate, 1Q19=first quarter of 2019, 1Q24=first quarter of 2024

    Production expenses—such as the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and production taxes—increased substantially per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) in 2021 and 2022 as supply chain issues caused material and labor costs to more than double from the 2019 average. Production expenses have since declined, decreasing 40% between the second quarter of 2023 and the recent high in the second quarter of 2022.

    Production expenses have been relatively flat since the second quarter of 2023, averaging $26/BOE. In addition to supply chain improvements, improved drilling productivity and increasing takeaway capacity in the Permian region have also reduced production expenses on a BOE basis.

    Data source: Evaluate Energy
    Note: 1Q19=first quarter of 2019, 1Q24=first quarter of 2024

    We base our analysis on the published financial reports of 36 publicly traded oil companies that produce most of their crude oil in the United States. As a result, our observations do not represent the entire sector because we exclude private companies, which do not publish financial reports. The included 36 publicly traded companies accounted for 32% of the crude oil produced in the United States in the first quarter of 2024, or about 4.2 million barrels per day.

    Principal contributor: Alexander de Keyserling

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Minister Joly and Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant to Participate in United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will be part of the Canadian delegation, alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York. Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will also travel to New York as part of the Canadian delegation.

    September 23, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as part of the Canadian delegation to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York. Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will also travel to New York as part of the Canadian delegation.

    During the 79th session of the General Assembly, Minister Joly will co-chair a high-level panel discussion on press freedom and present the 2024 Canada–United Kingdom Press Freedom Award, along with the United Kingdom’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Lord Collins of Highbury. This event demonstrates Canada’s enduring commitment to supporting free and independent journalism.

    Minister Joly will also participate in a meeting of the leaders of the United Nations Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, co-chaired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Prime Minister of Haiti, Garry Conille. The meeting will focus on the urgent need for solutions that are being put forward by the Haitian people in response to the current crisis in the country. This event will also provide a unique opportunity to mobilize international support for the Haitian government’s priorities for the transition.

    The Minister will also co-host another high-level event with representatives from Ukraine and Estonia, which will highlight the urgent need to restore children’s rights around the world and improve child protection, including by addressing the illegal deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. The Minister will highlight Canada’s ongoing efforts to support the repatriation of Ukrainian children and Canada’s steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression.

    Minister Joly will deliver Canada’s national statement to the General Assembly, during which she will highlight Canada’s unwavering commitment to promoting multilateral cooperation, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

    While in New York, Minister Joly will participate in a series of events aimed at advancing gender equality and promoting women’s equal and meaningful participation in decision-making, including an event on the sidelines of the UNGA High-Level Week, which will feature women leaders from around the world. The Minister will also participate in an event aimed at ensuring reproductive choice for women and girls.

    In addition, Minister Joly will meet with numerous partners and allies, including G7 foreign ministers and other senior officials from around the world. Their discussions will focus on pressing global issues, including the situation in Gaza and the broader Middle East, as well as Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine. During these meetings, Minister Joly will also emphasize the importance of strengthening the rules-based international order and protecting human rights and gender equality.

    In New York, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant will attend a discussion on advancing the rights of women and girls as part of the Future Summit Action Days and participate in a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to discuss key issues related to democracy and human rights in the Commonwealth, including in Bangladesh and Gabon. Discussions at the meeting will help advance the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in October 2024.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Arkansas Governor, Local and Community Leaders Congratulate Standard Lithium, Equinor for U.S. Department of Energy Provisional Grant up to US$225 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEWISVILLE, Ark., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium development company and Equinor, a global energy leader, is pleased to share that its jointly-owned U.S. subsidiary, SWA Lithium LLC has been selected for up to US$225 million award negotiation from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”). The conditional award, overseen by the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, is one of the largest ever awarded to a U.S. critical minerals project and part of the second wave of funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This DOE funding is aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing of all segments of the battery supply chain and increasing production of critical minerals in the U.S. 

    “Arkansas is proud of its all-of-the-above energy strategy, with a rich production history of oil, natural gas, bromine, and now, lithium,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders. “Lithium has the potential to supercharge South Arkansas’ economy – and this announcement from Standard Lithium moves us closer to that goal.”

    “Congratulations to SLI and its partners, and what an exciting investment in Arkansas,” said Arkansas Secretary of Energy and Environment, Shane Khoury. “This award helps ensure that Arkansas stays on track to become a world leader in lithium production and promotes lithium extraction in a proven and cleaner manner.”

    “The announcement by Standard Lithium today is exciting news for south Arkansas,” said Arkansas State Senator Matt Stone. “The $225 million grant from the Department of Energy will firmly establish Arkansas as an energy leader and pave the way for hundreds of jobs for our State.”

    “Standard Lithium’s Department of Energy grant marks a pivotal investment in South Arkansas, empowering local communities while strengthening our nation’s future,” said Arkansas State Senator Ben Gilmore. “This initiative not only fosters economic growth but also plays a crucial role in breaking our dependence on China and securing a resilient supply chain for lithium and beyond.”

    “Congratulations to the SLI/Equinor team,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald. “Arkansas is excited to see the validation of the lithium industry growth opportunities that will benefit thousands of Arkansans. This award and others solidify Arkansas’ significant role in securing North America’s lithium supply chain.”

    “South Arkansas College is excited about this news for our long-term partner Standard Lithium, and we will continue to support them in any way possible in the future,” said President of SouthArk College, Dr. Stephanie Tully-Dartez.

    “This is great news for the people of South Arkansas and a significant investment in our future and in our nation’s future by helping to break dependence on foreign sources and supply chain for critical minerals,” said Former Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd. “Not only will this investment directly create hundreds of jobs, it will indirectly create numerous opportunities for improved healthcare, childcare, and workforce development and have a lasting positive impact on South Arkansas and beyond.”

    “UA -Pulaski Tech is proud to be an educational partner on the workforce training component of this enormous investment in domestic production, securing of supply chains and jobs in Arkansas,” said Dr. Summer Deprow, Chancellor of the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. 

    “Congratulations Standard Lithium on receiving this outstanding award,” said Lafayette County Judge, Valarie Clark. “Lafayette County is grateful for the opportunity to support this great company in their future endeavors.”

    “I am very proud of Standard Lithium and their persistence in receiving the funding that has been procured by their organization,” said Columbia County Judge, Doug Fields. “I know personally the challenge there is to obtain funding for a project! I’m proud to give my full support to Standard Lithium, and their endeavors to provide new jobs, new infrastructure, and to see them support the community in much-needed ways, not to mention the boost to our economy! Congratulations to Standard Lithium!”

    About the South West Arkansas Project

    The South West Arkansas Project (“SWA” or the “Project”) is located in Lafayette and Columbia Counties, Arkansas, and is being developed in partnership with Equinor, which holds a 45% non-operating interest in the Project. SWA’s Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.4 Mt and 0.4 Mt lithium carbonate equivalent, with an average lithium concentration of 437 mg/L, has some of the highest reported lithium brine concentrations in North America. The design engineers working on behalf of the Company are developing Front-end Engineering Design (“FEED”) and a Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) that contemplates total production of up to 45,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate, to be developed in two phases of 22,500 tonnes per annum each.

    SWA’s direct lithium extraction and lithium carbonate facilities are planned to be located on a 118-acre property in rural Lafayette County, approximately 7 miles south of Lewisville, Arkansas. The Project is expected to create up to 300 construction jobs and 100 direct jobs and dedicate millions of dollars to community impact efforts that will benefit the local area through infrastructure improvements, community health initiatives, educational partnerships, and workforce development programs.

    The Company completed a Preliminary Feasibility Study for the project in 2023, and a DFS and FEED are currently underway.

    Qualified Person

    Steve Ross, P.Geol., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and Vice President Resource Development for the Company, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information in this news release.

    About Standard Lithium

    Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by the highest quality resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and purification process. The Company’s flagship projects are located in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor ASA, Standard Lithium is advancing the South West Arkansas project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively exploring promising lithium brine prospects in East Texas. Additionally, the Company is advancing the Phase 1A project in partnership with LANXESS Corporation, a brownfield development project located in southern Arkansas. Standard Lithium also holds an interest in certain mineral leases in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

    Standard Lithium is jointly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the trading symbol “SLI”. Please visit the Company’s website at https://www.standardlithium.com.

    About Equinor

    Equinor is an international energy company committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future. Equinor’s portfolio of projects encompasses oil and gas, renewables and low-carbon solutions, with an ambition of becoming a net-zero energy company by 2050. Headquartered in Norway, Equinor is the leading operator on the Norwegian continental shelf and is present in around 30 countries worldwide. Our partnership with Standard Lithium to mature DLE projects builds on our broad US energy portfolio of oil and gas, offshore wind, low carbon solutions and battery storage projects.

    For more information on Equinor in the US, please visit: Equinor in the US – Equinor

    Media Contacts:

    Allysa Iverson 
    Standard Lithium Ltd.
    a.iverson@standardlithium.com

    Ola Morten Aanestad 
    Equinor
    oaan@equinor.com

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target”, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: World’s top 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity, as “the shadow of global oligarchy hangs over UN General Assembly,” says Oxfam

    Source: Oxfam –

    • Over a third of world’s biggest 50 corporations —worth $13.3 trillion— now run by a billionaire or has a billionaire as a principal shareholder.
    • Global South countries own just 31 percent of global wealth, despite being home to 79 percent of global population.
    • Oxfam urges multilateral action to advance new global framework on tax, cancel debts and rewrite intellectual property rules for pandemics.

    The richest 1 percent have more wealth than the bottom 95 percent of the world’s population put together, new Oxfam analysis of UBS data reveals today ahead of the annual UN High-Level General Debate.

    Billionaires are exerting new levels of control over economies, with a billionaire either running or the principal shareholder of more than a third of the world’s top 50 corporations. The combined market capitalization of these corporations is $13.3 trillion.

    Oxfam’s briefing paper “Multilateralism in an Era of Global Oligarchy” warns that multilateral efforts to respond to critical global challenges, including the climate crisis and persistent poverty and inequality, are being undermined by the ultra-wealthy and mega-corporations fueling inequality within and between countries.

    Despite being home to 79 percent of the world’s population, Global South countries own just 31 percent of global wealth.

    “The shadow of global oligarchy hangs over this year’s UN General Assembly. The ultra-wealthy and the mega-corporations they control are shaping global rules to serve their interests at the expense of people everywhere. The iconic UN podium is increasingly feeling diminished in a world in which billionaires are calling the shots,” said Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International’s Executive Director.

    The paper describes a “movement toward a global oligarchy,” where the ultra-rich, often through their increasingly monopolistic corporations, shape global political decision-making and rules to enrich themselves while thwarting vital global progress.

    The top 1 percent own 43 percent of all global financial assets. Just two corporations control 40 percent of the global seed market. The “big three” US-based asset managers —BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard— hold $20 trillion in assets, close to one-fifth of all investable assets in the world.

    “While we often hear about great power rivalries undermining multilateralism —it is clear that extreme inequality is playing a massive role. In recent years the ultra-wealthy and powerful corporations have used their vast influence to undermine efforts to solve major global problems such as tackling tax dodging, making Covid-19 vaccines available to the world and canceling the albatross of sovereign debt,” said Behar.

    Oxfam details three recent examples of extreme inequality eroding multilateral efforts —and where civil society and Global South leaders have offered inequality-busting solutions:

    • Powerful corporations undermining tax cooperation. The OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) fell short of realizing its potential, with new rules for profit allocation that will deliver only tiny extra revenues for lower-income countries of as little as 0.026 percent of their GDP. The exclusion of financial services from OECD rules is a carve-out attributed to lobbying from countries with large banking and financial sectors. Global South countries, led by African countries, are instead advancing negotiations for a fairer tax convention at the UN that, along with Brazil’s leadership at the G20, offer a pathway for fairly taxing the super-rich and mega-corporations.
       
    • Big Pharma resisting efforts to break up their monopolies over Covid-19 vaccine technologies to unlock supply. Monopoly control over vaccine production was highly profitable during the pandemic. In 2021 alone, the seven largest manufacturers generated an estimated $50 billion in net profit from the sale of Covid-19 vaccines, resulting in huge payouts to rich shareholders and the emergence of new vaccine billionaires. The CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla described the call to share Covid-19 vaccine technologies as “dangerous nonsense.” The failure to equitably share vaccines contributed to as many as 1.3 million excess deaths worldwide. A new pandemic treaty with strong provisions to suspend patents and allow for easier transfers of technology offers promise.
       
    • Private creditors exacerbating the global debt crisis. Low-income countries spend nearly 40 percent of their annual budgets on debt service, over 60 percent more than they spend on education, health, and social protection combined. Over half of low- and middle-income countries’ external debt is owed to private lenders like banks and hedge funds. Some of these creditors are “vulture funds,” which purchase distressed debt on the cheap and exploit legal mechanisms to be repaid in full, reaping outsized profits.

    “Only a solidarity-based multilateralism can reverse the movement toward global oligarchy. Some world leaders are showing they recognize this and are stepping up to fight inequality —but we need many more to demonstrate this courage,” said Behar.

    “Ultimately, a fairer world and international order —where corporations pay their fair share, global public health is prioritized, and where all countries can invest in their own people— benefits us all. This is not new, and it’s long what leaders especially from the Global South have called for.”  
     

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken hosts a G7+ Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine Energy Sector Support – 9:45 AM

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

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosts a G7+ Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine Energy Sector Support in New York City, New York, on September 23, 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL4tTyzS4gU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken delivers remarks at the Advancing Sustainable Development – 2:10 PM

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

    Secretary Blinken delivers remarks at the Advancing Sustainable Development through Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI event in New York City, New York., on September 23, 2024.
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

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

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

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

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

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJlzUU4ySd0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken delivers remarks at the Freedom Online Coalition Ministerial Event – 11:00 AM

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

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken delivers remarks at the Freedom Online Coalition Ministerial Event on AI for Humanity: Charting the Global Course for Human Rights-Based Governance in New York City, New York, on September 23, 2024.
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

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

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

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

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

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRobgVHr19w

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: WHO will be the SOY? | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    About the U.S. Army:

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken participates at the High-Level Meeting – 4:00 PM

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

    Secretary Blinken participates at the High-Level Meeting to Launch the Friends of Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in New York City, New York, on September 23, 2024.
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

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

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

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

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

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN8-gnA1-Xc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Army Cribs: VOLAR Barracks! | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    : Jedhel Somera

    On this edition of Army Cribs, we take you on a virtual tour of the all-new Volar Barracks at Fort Campbell, Ky!

    About the U.S. Army:

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

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

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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dadwqMpRo4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: This Week in NJ – September 20th, 2024

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    Governor Murphy Announces $180 Million Awarded to Nonprofit Groups and Local Governments Through Lead Remediation and Abatement Program

    At the Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development, Governor Murphy announced that his Administration will soon commit $180 million to nonprofit organizations and local governments across the state through the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Lead Remediation and Abatement Program (LRAP). These funds help grantees conduct lead-safe repairs in homes where adults and children are exposed to lead-based paint. Once DCA obligates the final $40 million this month, it will have awarded all of the Murphy Administration’s historic investment made in the State Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023 budgets to address the threat of childhood lead poisoning.

    “We are providing grants to communities up and down our state — from Paterson to Vineland — so we can ensure that every one of our children is protected from the dangers of lead-based paint,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This funding will directly benefit thousands of households and is a perfect example of how safe housing is at the heart of our Administration’s vision for making New Jersey the best place, anywhere in America, to raise a family.”

    “DCA is incredibly proud to administer a grant program that is protecting New Jersey’s families and children from the detrimental effects of lead poisoning,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “By collaborating with nonprofit groups and local governments, we are providing residents with the information and financial assistance they need to live free of lead-based paint in their homes.”

    READ MORE

    Murphy Administration Announces Opening of Income-Based Charge Up+ EV Incentive

    Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)  announced the opening of Charge Up+, an additional income-based incentive of $2,000 available through the State’s Charge Up New Jersey electric vehicle (EV) incentive program. The announcement follows the launch of Year Five of Charge Up New Jersey in July 2024.

    “I’m thrilled to announce this additional step toward ensuring every New Jerseyan can choose clean transportation, regardless of their income,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “My administration continues to prioritize lowering emissions and improving air quality in our communities, no matter the zip code, by making EVs more affordable and accessible to all.”

    “Through the introduction of Charge Up+, the Murphy Administration is once again building upon the success of its highly popular EV incentive program,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “Combined with the Charge Up base incentive and federal EV tax credit, this additional incentive will further expand the number of New Jersey families who can reap the environmental and economic benefits of clean transportation.”

    Through Year Five of the Charge Up New Jersey program, all eligible vehicles up to a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $55,000 can receive a $2,000 base incentive. Residents can take advantage of this incentive directly at the car dealership or showroom and apply the incentive instantly to their purchase or lease at the point of sale. Charge Up New Jersey also offers a $250 rebate for the purchase and installation of a qualifying Level 2 charger through the In-Home EV Charger Incentive.

    The additional income-based incentive of $2,000 will be available to prequalified income-eligible applicants for a total of $4,000. Customers who are eligible for the Charge Up+ incentive must prequalify before visiting the dealership to ensure that the full $4,000 can be applied to their purchase or lease.

    READ MORE

    DCF Awards Funding to Expand Universal Home Visiting Initiative in New Jersey

    As part of the State’s efforts to expand Family Connects NJ — New Jersey’s universal nurse home visitation program — the Department of Children and Families (NJDCF) has awarded contracts to two partner-agencies to make free nurse visits available to every family with a newborn in an additional six counties. Beginning January 2025, this lifesaving program will continue in Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Mercer, and Middlesex Counties, and expand to Somerset, Sussex, Passaic, Hudson, Bergen, and Ocean Counties. 

    The law establishing a universal nurse home visitation program was signed by Governor Murphy in July 2021, making New Jersey the second state in the nation to advance a universal home visitation program specifically designed to support parents and families welcoming a newborn through childbirth, adoption, or foster care placement, as well as families that have experienced the tragedy of stillbirth or neonatal loss. Family Connects NJ is a key component to First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative, which aims to make New Jersey the safest, most equitable state in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.

    Hypertensive pregnancy disorders are a leading cause of preventable pregnancy-related deaths in New Jersey, and the New Jersey Maternal Mortality Review Committee has found that the majority of pregnancy-related deaths occur postpartum. In fact, in March of this year, a total of 14% of nurse home visits—more than 1 in 10—resulted in a referral of a mother or an infant to the emergency room for follow-up on something that couldn’t wait for the regular checkup, with the most common reason being post-partum hypertension. This is critical since post-partum hypertension is a life-threatening complication commonly associated with stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure.

    In January, the program launched in five counties — Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Mercer and Middlesex.

    “Having a strong support system during the early days of parenthood is crucial. When new parents bring their baby home for the first time, it can be overwhelming. It takes a village to raise a child, and through Family Connects NJ, the State of New Jersey is committing to be part of that village while families adjust to life with a newborn,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This innovative home visitation program raises the bar for postpartum care by ensuring both new mothers and their babies can access the care and resources they need. I’m pleased to see this successful, life-saving program expand into more New Jersey counties, enabling more families to benefit from critical support.”

    “Family Connects NJ is the most robust universal nurse home visitation program in the nation, providing the support new mothers need to ensure they and their families are healthy and thriving in the crucial weeks post birth,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “I am thrilled to continue our planned expansion of this vital program as we enter six additional counties starting in January.  Family Connects NJ will help cement New Jersey as the gold standard and the safest, most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.”

    READ MORE

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, on the margins of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly.

    The Prime Minister congratulated the Secretary-General on the adoption of the Pact for the Future, and the two leaders discussed progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As Co-Chair of the SDG Advocates group and the SDG Stimulus Leaders group, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to championing global action toward meeting the SDGs. He underscored the urgent need for development finance in support of the SDGs and for innovative approaches and tools to tackle multifaceted challenges.

    The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General exchanged views on pressing global issues and ongoing challenges to the rules-based international order. They reiterated their strong support for democracy and the need to foster global peace and stability.

    On the situation in the Middle East, the leaders reiterated the need for an urgent ceasefire and expressed their deep concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They agreed on the importance of securing a path toward lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and underscored the importance of upholding international humanitarian law, ensuring humanitarian access to the affected areas, and protecting civilians.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and Secretary-General Guterres discussed the situation in Haiti and agreed on the need for ongoing and sustained support for the transitional government and the UN-authorized Multinational Security Support mission. 

    Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized Canada’s ongoing support for Ukraine and our commitment to work with international partners to address the global impacts of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion.

    Secretary-General Guterres thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for Canada’s strong support for the UN. The two leaders agreed to remain in contact and to continue working together, particularly in the context of Canada’s G7 Presidency next year.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Inside the collapse of Disney’s America, the US history-themed park that almost was

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

    Disney has long promoted a sanitized and nostalgic view of American history. Bettmann/Getty Images

    As a top producer of children’s entertainment, Disney is no stranger to America’s culture wars.

    Liberals have long criticized the company for its products’ promotion of gender stereotypes and racist tropes. Meanwhile, conservatives have excoriated the company for being “too woke,” whether it was casting actresses of color in live action remakes of the “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White” or coming out against a Florida statute that curtails discussion of gender and sexuality in public schools.

    As Disney CEO Bob Iger grapples with the unenviable task of navigating criticism from all sides, I can’t help but recall how executives decided to table an effort to “Disneyfy” American history 30 years ago.

    My research and teaching investigates how media companies such as Disney construct historical narratives for popular consumption. I can only imagine how today’s culture wars would have expressed themselves at Disney’s proposed theme park, which would have featured everything from Civil War forts to Native American villages.

    Disney eyes the outskirts of DC

    From his early days as an animator, Walt Disney presented a sanitized and nostalgic view of America.

    Mickey Mouse represented the “everyman,” while the company’s animators drew a largely optimistic portrait of America, first in the studio’s animated films and later in their theme parks. Anyone who has walked down Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A., witnessed Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents or visited Epcot’s American Adventure can see how Disney strives to present an uncomplicated, uncritical view of the nation and its leaders.

    In 1984, Michael Eisner became the company’s CEO. He was credited with revitalizing Disney’s brand through producing hit animated features such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid,” and spearheading theme parks such as Disney–MGM Studios – now known as Hollywood Studios – and Disneyland Paris.

    Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, seated on the left, appears with former President Ronald Reagan at a Disney World parade in 1990.
    Mike Guastella/WireImage via Getty Images

    A visit to Colonial Williamsburg inspired Eisner’s next venture: a theme park based on U.S. history that would be built outside of Washington, D.C.

    Beginning in 1993, the company quietly started purchasing real estate in northern Virginia using shell companies. The land acquisitions became public knowledge only a few days before the announcement of the theme park, aptly named Disney’s America.

    The news was largely welcomed by politicians. Eisner had already gained the support of the state’s outgoing and incoming governors, along with the Virginia Commission on Population Growth and Development. The plan was to build the park in Haymarket, Virginia, a small, wealthy area southwest of Washington, D.C., a few miles from Manassas, the site of two major Civil War battles.

    History isn’t so simple

    Although Disney had diligently worked to consolidate support ahead of the announcement, signs of conflict emerged during the first press conference, which featured Bob Weis, a Disney vice president who had helped oversee the planning of several theme parks.

    “This is not a Pollyanna view of America,” he told the group of assembled reporters. “We want to make you a Civil War soldier. We want to make you feel what it was like to be a slave or what it was like to escape through the underground railroad.”

    Questions over how Disney would tell the complex – often discriminatory – history of the nation spurred a group of historians, led by David McCullough, to lodge their concerns: How would Disney construct its narrative of the United States? And how would the park affect Manassas, one of the most important Civil War battle sites?

    The proposed theme park was to be located just a few miles from Manassas National Battlefield Park.
    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    According to the original plans and brochures, Disney’s America would contain nine sections: a Colonial-era Presidents Square, an Indigenous village, Ellis Island, a factory town from the Industrial Revolution, a Civil War fort, a county fair, an early 19th-century port, a World War II-era battlefield and a Depression-era family farm.

    On the surface, these themed areas seemed fitting. You could easily see them as exhibits at the Smithsonian. But issues emerged when people took into account that this was still a Disney theme park, with entertaining guests and making money likely taking precedence over historical accuracy and contemporary sensitivities and sensibilities.

    The story of immigration, for example, would have been told through the musical-comedy stylings of Kermit the Frog and the other Muppets.

    There were also concerns over how Disney would handle the exploitative and violent history of the treatment of a number of groups.

    This included the enslavement of Africans and the genocide of Indigenous populations, the latter of which was also connected to the forthcoming 1995 release of “Pocahontas.” Historians later highlighted the film’s distorted history, and it isn’t far-fetched to imagine rides or attractions based on those misrepresentations at Disney’s America.

    Mickey Mouse goes to Washington

    Even as plans came together for Disney, criticism began to mount.

    Disney issued an ultimatum to the Virginia legislature to improve infrastructure surrounding the site, threatening to abandon the project if the US$150 million for infrastructure improvements were not passed on the last day of the Virginia General Assembly’s legislative session in March 1994.

    In June, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution opposing the park, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing regarding the proposed project’s environmental impact.

    The proposed logo for Disney’s America.
    Wikimedia Commons

    The now-infamous hearing featured discussions regarding sewage, traffic and lodging, and even saw U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, who at the time was a registered Democrat, place a Mickey Mouse hat on the lectern in a show of support.

    As criticism mounted, Disney decided to shift its approach. In the summer of 1994, it renamed the project Disney’s American Celebration.

    Rather than highlight periods or events in American history, the new concept would focus more on themes: Democracy, Work, Family, Generations, Streets of America and the Land.

    Many of the attractions featured in these lands would have resembled attractions already in Disney parks. For example, Generations would have been similar to the Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress, while the Land was already a pavilion at Epcot.

    This would have also opened more opportunities for sponsorship. The Work section of the park would have included virtual factory tours of popular brands such as Apple or Crayola, while Streets of America would have featured cuisine from around the country, similar to Downtown Disney, which opened in 1997 in Disney World and in 2001 at Disneyland.

    It all falls apart

    Disney abruptly announced on Sept. 28, 1994, that it would abandon these plans.

    Although the criticism from historians was a factor, there were also concerns about the park’s profitability in colder months. The company faced mounting debt from its Paris theme park and uncertain leadership after the death of senior executive Frank Wells in a helicopter crash in April 1994. Eisner, meanwhile, had undergone bypass surgery in July 1994.

    Many of the attractions that were planned for the Virginia site found their way into Disney parks, particularly in Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim.

    Disney, both under Walt’s leadership and after his death, has long leveraged patriotism for the sake of its media content and park experiences. From Mickey Mouse to the Hall of Presidents, Disney’s nostalgic, linear and uncomplicated view of American progress has been foundational to the Disney experience.

    However, an entire park dedicated to this approach – just down the road from a real battlefield integral to the bloodiest war in U.S. history – was too much for historians and other critics to ignore.

    Disney’s failure to profit from an uncritical celebration of America may have been a blessing in disguise, as it avoided constructing yet another battlefield in the culture wars.

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

    – ref. Inside the collapse of Disney’s America, the US history-themed park that almost was – https://theconversation.com/inside-the-collapse-of-disneys-america-the-us-history-themed-park-that-almost-was-236931

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sharks and rays leap out of the water for many reasons, including feeding, courtship and communication

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By A. Peter Klimley, Adjunct Associate Professor of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis

    Manta rays breaching in waters off Costa Rica. Peter Loring, iStock/Getty Images

    Many sharks and rays are known to breach, leaping fully or partly out of the water. In a recent study, colleagues and I reviewed research on breaching and ranked the most commonly hypothesized functions for it.

    We found that removal of external parasites was the most frequently proposed explanation, followed by predators chasing their prey; predators concentrating or stunning their prey; males chasing females during courtship; and animals fleeing predators, such as a ray escaping from a hammerhead shark in shallow water.

    We found that the highest percentage of breaches, measured by the number of studies that described it, occurred in manta rays and devil rays, followed by basking sharks and then by eagle rays and cownose rays. However, many other species of sharks, as well as sawfishes and stingrays, also perform this behavior.

    A breaching white shark surprises researchers off Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

    Why it matters

    It takes a lot of energy for a shark or ray to leap out of the water – especially a massive creature like a basking shark, which can grow up to 40 feet (12 meters) and weigh up to 5 tons (4.5 tonnes). Since the animal could use that energy for feeding or mating, breaching must serve some useful purpose.

    Sharks that have been observed breaching include fast-swimming predatory species such as blacktip sharks and blue sharks. White sharks have been seen breaching while capturing seals in waters off South Africa and around the Farallon Islands off central California.

    However, basking sharks – enormous, slow-swimming sharks that feed by filtering tiny plankton from seawater – also breach. So do many ray species, such as manta rays, which also are primarily filter feeders. This suggests that breaching likely serves different functions among different types of sharks and rays.

    The most commonly proposed explanation for breaching in planktivores, like basking sharks and most rays, is that it helps dislodge parasites attached to their bodies. Basking sharks are known to host parasites, including common remoras and sea lampreys. The presence of fresh wounds on basking sharks that match the shape and size of a lamprey’s mouth suggests that breaching has torn the lampreys off the sharks’ bodies.

    Basking sharks are filter feeders that live on plankton. They may breach to rid their bodies of parasites.

    Other species may breach to communicate. For example, white sharks propelling themselves out of the water near the Farallon Islands may do so to deter other sharks from feeding upon the carcass of a seal.

    Researchers have seen large groups of mantas and devil rays jumping together among dense schools of plankton – presumably to concentrate or stun the plankton so the rays can more easily scoop them up. Scientists have also suggested that planktivorous sharks and rays may breach to clear the prey-filtering structures in their gills.

    Understanding more clearly when and how different types of sharks and rays breach can provide insights into these animals’ life habits, and into their interactions with their own species and competitors.

    How we did our work

    I worked with marine scientists Tobey Curtis, Emmett Johnston, Alison Kock and Guy Stevens. Across our various projects, we have seen breaching in bull sharks in Florida, basking sharks in Ireland, white sharks in South Africa and central California, and manta rays in the Maldives. Each of us has proposed different explanations for why the animals did it.

    We reviewed scientific studies and video footage to see what species had been observed to breach, under what conditions, and the functions that other researchers had proposed for them doing so. This included information gathered from data logging tags attached to sharks and rays, digital photography, and imagery from underwater and aerial drones.

    Our review proposes further studies that could provide more information about breaching in different species. For example, attaching data loggers to individual animals would help scientists measure how quickly a shark or ray accelerates as it propels itself out of the water.

    Experiments in aquarium tanks could provide more insight into why the animals breach. For example, scientists could add remoras to a tank containing bull sharks, which can live in an aquarium environment, and observe how the sharks respond when remoras attach themselves to the sharks’ bodies.

    In the field, researchers could play audio recordings of splashes from breaches to elicit withdrawal or attraction responses from sharks tagged with ultrasonic transmitters. There remains much to learn about why these animals spend precious energy jumping out of the water.

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

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

    – ref. Sharks and rays leap out of the water for many reasons, including feeding, courtship and communication – https://theconversation.com/sharks-and-rays-leap-out-of-the-water-for-many-reasons-including-feeding-courtship-and-communication-238487

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Goodwill created a new high school for dropouts − it led to better jobs and higher wages

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Patrick Turner, Associate Research Professor of Economics, University of Notre Dame

    Graduates found jobs in high-paying sectors, new research shows. izusek/E+ via Getty Images

    When Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana realized most of the clients in its job-training program lacked a high school diploma, it set out to address the issue.

    In 2010, with the help of per-pupil funding from the state, the nonprofit opened The Excel Center, a tuition-free high school tailored for adults. The charter school offered flexible schedules, free on-site child care, transportation assistance and a life coach. Thirteen years later, research by my team at the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities shows that The Excel Center is a success.

    Indiana graduates of the program, which has now expanded to 10 other states and the District of Columbia, were able to find better jobs and earn substantially more over their lifetimes than their peers who did not graduate from the program.

    At the Lab for Economic Opportunities – or LEO – I worked with colleagues Rebecca Brough and David Phillips to measure the economic return of graduating from The Excel Center. We found that graduates of The Excel Center experience a nearly 40% increase in earnings five years after applying – or roughly US$80,000 more in their pockets over their lifetimes – than similarly situated adults who applied but did not enroll. The LEO team did not receive any funding from The Excel Center or Goodwill in its research, although Goodwill provided assistance with data.

    More steady employment

    According to our research, graduates of The Excel Center didn’t just earn more, but the jobs they found were more stable. Excel graduates experienced a 22% increase in continuous employment within the same industry over five years than their peers in the comparison group. Graduates of the program were 19% less likely to work in the hospitality industry – among the lowest-paid sectors in the country – and more likely to work jobs such as pharmacy technician, dental assistant or in HVAC maintenance.

    Graduates of Excel found jobs in high-paying sectors, such as HVAC maintenance.
    Mikael Vaisanen/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    In addition to a diploma, students earned industry-recognized credentials, such as those in phlebotomy and child development, and certification as nursing assistants and pharmacy technicians. These credentials opened up careers in industries such as health care and education.

    Some students used the certificates as a launching point for additional study at the local community college. At the time we conducted our research, Excel graduates in Indiana were more likely to have earned college credits: Roughly 30% of Excel graduates earned college credit, compared with 11.5% of the group that didn’t enroll.

    To reach these conclusions, we looked at the data of more than 9,000 Excel Center applicants from 2013–15. We focused on their earnings over the five years before and after they applied to the program. Our analysis compared the experience of Excel students – both graduates and nongraduates – with other adult residents of Indiana from similar backgrounds who had expressed interest in going to The Excel Center but never enrolled.

    Why it matters

    The Excel program is not just good for the students who graduate; it offers the states who help fund the program a return on their investment. Because graduates earn more, they pay more in taxes, allowing states to recoup much of the per-student cost over the graduates’ working careers. Each additional dollar of government funding generates $20 in benefits for the typical Excel Center student, measured as the present value of their lifetime increase in after-tax earnings.

    In contrast, federally funded programs such as Job Corps and Adult Education and Literacy primarily help adults without credentials study and pass a high school equivalency exam, such as the GED test. But research suggests a GED diploma has little effect on earnings, especially for women.

    More than 23 million adults in the U.S. lack a high school credential such as a diploma or a GED certificate. They are not only shut out of most jobs but also earn substantially less than their peers who have graduated from high school.

    Plans to expand

    Goodwill is leveraging the LEO study to expand the impact of its programs. In addition to the 18 Excel Center campuses the group currently operates throughout central and southern Indiana, it has partnered with Goodwill regions across the country to bring adult high schools to Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, South Carolina and Washington, D.C.

    LEO’s data was cited directly when Arizona, which had been one of 18 states without a high school option for adults, decided to join the Excel roster. In February 2020, state lawmakers – prompted by testimony from Goodwill and by the LEO research – amended the state’s law to establish a continuing high school program in the state.

    Patrick Turner has received funding to support his research from J-PAL North America, the TIAA Institute, the Russel Sage Foundation, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and Policy Impacts.

    – ref. Goodwill created a new high school for dropouts − it led to better jobs and higher wages – https://theconversation.com/goodwill-created-a-new-high-school-for-dropouts-it-led-to-better-jobs-and-higher-wages-235079

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Repsol to present at the dbVIC – Deutsche Bank ADR Virtual Investor Conference on September 25 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MADRID, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Repsol (REP), based in Madrid, is a global multi-energy company that creates value through innovation, efficiency, and respect to drive progress in society and achieve a profitable energy transition, today announced that Repsol Senior Investor Relations Officer Álvaro Visús will present at the dbVIC – Deutsche Bank American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Virtual Investor Conference on September 25th. This virtual investor conference is aimed exclusively at introducing global companies with ADR programs to investors.

    DATE: September 25, 2024
    TIME: 10:30 AM ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/47xPcjS

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time – both in the presentation hall as well as the organization’s “virtual trade booth.” If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Participation is free of charge.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Strategic Update 24-27 (Link) focus on achieving a profitable energy transition, which prioritizes investments with Repsol’s current integrated portfolio of quality assets and low-carbon initiatives, attractive shareholder remuneration, and the maintenance of financial strength.

    About Repsol

    Repsol is a global multi-energy company that is capable of meeting all its customers’ needs, whether at home or on the move. It employs 25,000 people in more than twenty countries and serves twenty-four million customers.

    Its extensive network of 4,500 service stations across Spain, Portugal, Peru and Mexico offers fuels and is incorporating alternatives such as 100% renewable fuels, electric recharging, AutoGas, and natural gas for vehicles. In addition, Repsol has 2.4 million electricity and gas customers in Spain and Portugal and is the fourth largest operator in this market in Spain. The company is building a diversified renewable generation portfolio, with an installed capacity of 3.118 MW, mainly in Spain, the United States and Chile.

    Producing an average of 599,000 barrels of oil per day, Repsol boasts one of Europe’s most efficient refining systems. Repsol is transforming its six industrial complexes in the Iberian Peninsula into multi-energy hubs, capable of turning a wide variety of raw materials and waste into products with a low carbon footprint such as 100% renewable fuels, which will be key to achieving its goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®

    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    Contacts
    REPSOL
    Investor Relations: investor.relations@repsol.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences

    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

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