Category: Americas

MIL-OSI Global: Dismal ticket sales, grumblings from fans and clubs – is FIFA’s latest attempt to establish a global club game doomed before it starts?

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Stefan Szymanski, Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

FIFA is hoping that Lionel Messi can draw the crowds. Megan Briggs/Getty Images

The FIFA World Club Cup, which kicks off in the U.S. on June 14, 2025, may seem like a new competition.

Certainly, soccer’s governing body, FIFA, is promoting it as is it were, marketing the monthlong competition between 32 of the world’s biggest soccer teams as the “pinnacle of club football,” with up to US$125 million in prize money for the winning team and $250 million set aside for promoting “football solidarity.”

In reality, the competition is the latest chapter in FIFA’s long-running quest – going all the way back to 1960 – to create a global championship that would determine which club really is the best in the world.

The organizing body has trumpeted a $1 billion prize pot for the World Club Cup. But FIFA has been less vocal about the broadcasting deal underpinning the event, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia reportedly to tune of $1 billion. That deal was announced just days before Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the host of the men’s 2034 World Cup – a lucrative prize for the Gulf kingdom.

This sounds more like the FIFA we all know, with the whiff of corruption and dodgy dealing that has dogged the organizing body for decades.

FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino.
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

FIFA’s critics argue that the competition is nothing more than an attempt to line the governing body’s coffers. FIFA’s line is that it will not keep “one dollar” from the event, and instead plans to distribute revenue to the clubs.

Not helping FIFA’s case is the fact that clubs and players are similarly unimpressed, protesting that the event is an unnecessary addition to an already-overburdened soccer calendar.

As always, the litmus test for success will come from the fans. So far, things are not going well on that front. Falling prices on Ticketmaster bode ill for the competition. Just days before the games were due to begin, FIFA slashed prices for the opening match: MLS club Inter Miami against Egypt’s Al-Ahly. Reports suggest that less than a third of tickets at the 65,000-seat venue for the opener, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, had sold – despite the likely presence of soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

Of course, the declining number of tourists coming to the U.S. since the second inauguration of Donald Trump – and the president’s recently announced travel ban affecting 19 countries – hasn’t helped encourage fans of the global game to the U.S., even if none of the competing clubs come from one of those countries.

FIFA vs. UEFA

So, given all the problems and controversies, why is FIFA so invested?

As someone who has long researched the nexus of soccer, money and power, I see the World Club Cup as part of a struggle between UEFA, the European governing body that runs the Champions League – currently seen as the pinnacle of soccer club competition – and FIFA, which wants to supplant the Champions League with its own competition.

UEFA’s power stems from hosting the world’s biggest clubs. Only one club from outside Europe appears in soccer data website Transfermarkt’s list of the 50 most valuable squads – with Palmeiras from Brazil squeaking in at 50.

Top players in their prime rarely quit Europe to play on another continent – the high-profile names that opt to play in the U.S. or Saudi leagues tend to be veterans cashing in on their name.

Meanwhile, the world’s soccer talent flocks to European clubs. It’s not just that big clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool or Bayern Munich that can pay top dollar for the star players – less storied clubs like Brentford, Real Sociedad or VfB Stuttgart have the wherewithal to fish in the global player market.

The wealth and status of these clubs form the muscle behind UEFA. And the jewel in the UEFA crown is the Champions League, an annual competition that brings together the best clubs in Europe.

A game of two halves

While UEFA also has its own national competition, the Euros, its pull is nowhere near as great as FIFA’s World Cup.

This division – with FIFA dominating the international team competition and UEFA the club competition – dates back to the 1960s and the early years of mass television.

When the 1966 World Cup was hosted by England, it was one of the very first global sports events, watched by an estimated audience of 400 million people worldwide.

The 1970 World Cup, a legendary event in the eyes of boomer soccer fans, established the four-year ritual that surpasses even the Olympics as a global sporting event.

At this time, UEFA’s Euros were barely a competition at all. The 1968, 1972 and 1976 editions – played in Italy, Belgium and Yugoslavia, respectively – each had only four teams and only four or five games.

UEFA had by then established its role in club competition. The European Cup, as the Champions League was then called, started in 1955.

But the game remembered today for establishing the dominance of European club competition is the 1960 final between Real Madrid and Eintract Frankfurt – a 10-goal thriller that Los Blancos won 7-3.

Ferenc Puskas of Real Madrid scores his team’s sixth goal during the European Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 18, 1960.
Keystone/Getty Images

Witnessed by a crowd of 128,000 at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, the more important statistic was the estimated 70 million television audience in Europe.

The 1968 final at London’s Wembley Stadium, when Manchester United overcame Benfica in honor of the “Busby Babes” – Manchester players who died in a 1958 Munich air disaster while traveling home from a European Cup game – saw a TV audience of 270 million.

A history of failure

The ambition to create a club world cup to rival the European Cup goes back to the 1950s. Soccer powerhouses Brazil and Argentina in particular promoted the idea that the top clubs in Europe should face off against the top South American teams.

The resulting Intercontinental Cup ran from 1960 to 2004, with the top teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL, the South American soccer federation, taking part.

But played in midseason, it barely made an impression on the fans.

In 2000, FIFA created the Club World Championship, with eight teams drawn from the five international federations.

It also attracted little love, and the 2001-to-2004 editions had to be canceled for lack of financial backing.

In the early years, it seemed like an excuse to emulate the Intercontinental Cup, and the first three winners were South American. However, since 2006, all the winners bar one – Brazil’s Corinthians in 2012 – have been European.

Europe is ‘on the beach’

Then, in 2017, Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, announced plans to expand the competition and move it to the summer. With 32 teams, the competition will look more like the World Cup and will receive a lot of TV coverage.

The fact that it will be free to watch will help. So too will the presence of Messi.

Yet the overwhelming feeling going into the competition is that, like its predecessors, the revamped FIFA club competition is destined for failure.

With the European domestic leagues all completed and the Champions League final – the unofficial marker of the end of the soccer season – having taken place on May 31, players and fans appear to be “on the beach,” to use a favorite phrase of soccer commentators.

Ultimately, FIFA’s revamped World Club Cup faces the same issues that beset its forerunners: European teams are overwhelmingly tipped to win.

Rather than the global soccer “solidarity” that FIFA hopes, the competition sets to reinforce the dominance of European clubs – and of Europe’s governing body when it comes to club competition.

Stefan Szymanski 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. Dismal ticket sales, grumblings from fans and clubs – is FIFA’s latest attempt to establish a global club game doomed before it starts? – https://theconversation.com/dismal-ticket-sales-grumblings-from-fans-and-clubs-is-fifas-latest-attempt-to-establish-a-global-club-game-doomed-before-it-starts-258378

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why burning waste to power a giant greenhouse really could be a greener way of growing food

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Newman, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Sustainability Assessment at the Grantham Centre, University of Sheffield

Tomatoes could be grown at an industrial scale using heat generated from burning household waste in Essex, UK. Jenoche/Shutterstock

A new project in Bradwell, Essex, aims to change how we grow food and how we deal with our rubbish. Slated to begin operations in 2027, the Rivenhall greenhouse project could become Europe’s largest low-carbon horticulture facility.

While smaller scale applications already exist, primarily in the Netherlands, a proposal of this size is ambitious: to use heat from waste incineration to power and warm a massive 40-hectare greenhouse to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of tomatoes a year (around 6% of the UK’s current consumption).

The idea is to close two loops at once. By processing most of Essex’s household waste, the region’s reliance on landfill can be reduced – this cuts the amount of biodegradable waste decomposing to release methane (a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide). Also, by diverting the energy from that waste to grow food locally, less produce will need to be imported from regions increasingly vulnerable to climate-related stresses like drought and water scarcity.

The giant greenhouse will sit next to the Rivenhall integrated waste management facility, operated by waste company Indaver. Household waste will be incinerated on site, producing steam. Some of that steam will drive turbines to generate electricity and power the greenhouse. The rest of the steam will heat the greenhouse at a constant temperature all year round.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

To further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a carbon capture system (separates CO₂ from other gases in exhaust streams) will extract around 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from the incinerator’s flue gases. Rather than releasing this into the atmosphere, the captured carbon dioxide will be piped into the greenhouse to enhance plant growth.

Still, the scale of carbon capture is modest and not a quick fix. The 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide expected to be captured annually represents less than 10% of typical emissions from similar-scale waste facilities.

The facility will include 13 hectares of artificially lit greenhouse space for winter growing and a vertical farm (growing crops in stacked layers) converted from a former RAF hangar to grow leafy greens. In theory, this creates a resilient, year-round food production system largely decoupled from fossil fuels and climate-sensitive imports.

Burning waste to grow tomatoes might sound counterintuitive. Incinerators still release emissions after all. As a method of electricity generation, incineration of waste has a higher carbon footprint than burning coal. But in the context of current waste management and food import practices, it may make sense.

According to the UK government’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, around 30.8% of England’s household waste went to landfill in 2023 (around 8 million tonnes). Landfill emissions (primarily methane) are not just large – they’re long-lived and hard to capture.

A modern waste incineration plant.
Below the Sky/Shutterstock

Rivenhall’s model claims to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 20% compared to landfill. When electricity, heat, and food outputs are factored in, and carbon capture included, emissions per kilogram of tomato could be substantially lower than those from conventional imports or fossil-powered greenhouses.

But low-carbon status is not a badge that companies claim, it’s a result that needs to be verified. In lifecycle assessment (a method for measuring the environmental impacts of a product, service, or system, and the focus of my research), low-carbon status only applies if net emissions per kilogram of tomato are demonstrably lower than those from the realistic baseline.

That baseline, be it landfill, composting, anaerobic digestion, or recycling, must be clearly defined. If incinerated waste includes material better suited to recycling, the claimed benefits narrow or vanish.

The success of this particular project hinges not just on technical integration, but on accurate emissions accounting and efficient performance of carbon capture systems.

According to the waste hierarchy, the most sustainable strategy for reducing waste-related emissions is not incineration, but waste prevention and reduction. Energy recovery is better than landfill, but less preferable than eliminating waste altogether.

The bigger picture

In the Netherlands, greenhouses often run on combined heat and power systems. In Canada, some horticultural operations use industrial waste heat. But Rivenhall’s scale and its tight integration with waste management infrastructure makes it unusual. If it works, it could serve as a blueprint for how regions can simultaneously tackle food security and waste while keeping the environmental cost of consumption closer to home.

Beyond greenhouse gas emissions, there are other environmental considerations. Even modern incinerators produce air-polluting nitrogen oxides and particulates, which must be rigorously controlled to avoid human health problems such as lung disease. To comply with the UK’s biodiversity net gain rules, natural habitats and wildlife populations around this site must be enhanced, not degraded.

While delivering on its technical promises, Rivenhall must also prove that its low-carbon credentials are more than just hot air. Even so, projects like this are no substitute for upstream solutions like waste prevention, reduced consumption and circular design.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

– ref. Why burning waste to power a giant greenhouse really could be a greener way of growing food – https://theconversation.com/why-burning-waste-to-power-a-giant-greenhouse-really-could-be-a-greener-way-of-growing-food-258241

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Europe is perfectly placed to lead a world abandoned by the US – but will it meet the moment?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesco Grillo, Academic Fellow, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

Shutterstock/Coffeemil

I believe we Europeans feel far too safe. Europe’s political and economic leadership in the world, which was still unchallenged at the beginning of the century, has long since ceased to exist. Will the dominant cultural influence of Europe be maintained? I think not, unless we defend it and adjust ourselves to new conditions; history has shown that civilisations are all too perishable.

It is astonishing how much these words used in 1956 by Konrad Adenauer, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, still sound valid today. They perfectly define the current state of the union. Europeans are still struggling to adjust to new conditions – and the conditions to which they need to adjust also continue to change dramatically.

The battle for technological leadership is the current version of this struggle. Success in this domain could transform Europe, yet the continent remains complacent about its decline into backwardness. The European commission itself calculates that of the 19 digital platforms that have more than 45 million EU users, only one (Zalando) is from the EU.

Information is (economic and political) power and losing control means to gradually lose both market share and the ability to protect European democracies. Brussels has produced a mass of regulation on digital services, yet American digital platforms are getting away with what European leaders themselves call the manipulation of democratic elections, with very little repercussions. Elon Musk’s X, was banned in Brazil for less – refusing to ban accounts accused of spreading misinformation.

This decline, however, has been slow enough to lull European leaders into complacency about the future.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has a point when he laments that the European Union has been slow to engage in the negotiations he imposed on trade. Indeed, even on trade – one of the very few areas in which the European Union has a mandate from the member states to deal directly with third parties – progress is generally stuttering. The commissioner in charge has to constantly find a common denominator with the agendas of 27 member states, each of which has a different industrial agenda.

Europe’s decision-making processes are sub-optimal. Indeed, they were built for a different age. There is no shared voice on foreign policy – the EU has been able to say far less on Gaza than individual countries like Spain or the UK, for example. This may have the practical consequence of eroding the “moral leadership” that should still be Europe’s soft advantage.

Crisis of confidence

Europe’s failure to respond to real-world changes is due to sub-optimal institutional settings. However the current paralysis in the face of clear need for action may be due to an even more fundamental question of trust in its own capabilities.

On one hand, there still seems room for complacency. As Stanley Pignal, the Charlemagne columnist for The Economist, recently put it, Europe can take a moderate amount of satisfaction from its continued status as a place where people are free to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Yet, it is evident that the institutions needed to concretely achieve those objectives are crumbling: healthcare systems and welfare; robust and independent media; energy and military autonomy in a world without order.

On the other hand, Europe is increasingly resigned. A global poll taken by Gallup International shows that when responding to the question “do you think that your children will live better than you?” seven of the most pessimistic countries of the world are from the EU. Only 16% of Italians and 24% of French respondents answered “yes” to this question.

According to Ipsos, less than half of young Europeans feel prepared to enter the job market. And they blame the education system for that. The picture may well be even worse now – this survey was taken in 2019, before the pandemic, war in Europe and, more importantly, AI made the picture even more uncertain.

Europe has no alternative, as even far-right and far-left parties seem to acknowledge. Note that France’s Rassemblement National and Italy’s Lega no longer talk about exiting the EU but about changing it from the inside. Individual nation states simply do not have the minimum scale to even try to take leadership in a world looking for a new order.

In a world abandoned by the US, Europe stands a real chance. However, it urgently needs to be creative enough to imagine new mechanisms through which EU institutions take decisions and EU citizens have their say. This in turn requires an entire society to somehow recover the reasonable hope that decline is not inevitable (although we also must be aware that it may even nastily accelerate).

Finally, young people are absolutely crucial in the process. The rhetoric of “listening to them” must now be replaced by a call for them to govern. They are today what Karl Marx would have probably defined as a class – with very specific demographic, cultural, economic and linguistic characteristics. These must be turned into a political agenda and a new vision of what Europe of the future could look like.

The challenges ahead for the European Union will be the subject of the forthcoming conference on the Europe of the future in Siena, Italy. This will feed into a seven-point paper that will be discussed with EU institutions.

Francesco Grillo is associated to VISION think tank.

– ref. Europe is perfectly placed to lead a world abandoned by the US – but will it meet the moment? – https://theconversation.com/europe-is-perfectly-placed-to-lead-a-world-abandoned-by-the-us-but-will-it-meet-the-moment-258030

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: For Trump’s ‘no taxes on tips,’ the devil is in the details

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor Questrom School of Business, Boston University

President Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate taxes on tips may sound like a windfall for service workers — but the fine print in Congress’ latest tax bill tells a more complex story.

Right now, Republican lawmakers are advancing the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — a sprawling, 1,100-page proposal that aims to change everything from tax incentives for electric vehicles to health care. It also includes a proposal to end taxes on tips, which could potentially affect around 4 million American workers. The Senate has recently passed its own version – the No Tax on Tips Act.

The idea started getting attention when Trump raised it during a 2024 campaign stop in Las Vegas, a place where tipping is woven into the economy. And the headlines and press releases sound great — especially if you’re a waiter, bartender or anyone else who depends on tips for a living. That may be why both Democrats and Republicans alike broadly support the concept. However, like most of life, the devil is in the details.

I’m a business-school economist who has written about tipping, and I’ve looked closely at the language of the proposed laws. So, what exactly has Trump promised, and how does it measure up to what’s in the bills? Let’s start with his pledge.

The promise of money that’s ‘100% yours’

Back in January 2025, Trump said, “If you’re a restaurant worker, a server, a valet, a bellhop, a bartender, one of my caddies … your tips will be 100% yours.” That sounds like a boost in tipped workers’ income.

But when you look at the current situation, it becomes clear that the reality is far more complicated.

First, the new tax break only applies to tips the government knows about — and a lot of that income currently flies under the radar. Tipped workers who get cash tips are supposed to report it to the IRS via form 4137 if their employer doesn’t report it for them. If a worker gets a cash tip today and doesn’t report it, they already get 100% of the money. No one really knows what percentage of tips are unreported, but an old IRS estimate pegs it at about 40%.

What’s more, the current tax code defines tips only as payments where the customer determines the tip amount. If a restaurant charges a fixed 18% service charge, or there’s an extra fee for room service, those aren’t tips in the government’s eyes. This means some tipped workers who think service charges are tips will overestimate the new rule’s impact on their finances.

How the new bills would affect tipped workers

The “Big Beautiful Bill” would create a new tax code section under “itemized deductions” This area of the tax code already includes text that creates health savings accounts and gives students deductions for interest on their college loans.

What’s in the new section?

First, the bill specifies that this tax break applies just to “any cash tip.” The IRS classifies payments by credit card, debit card and even checks as “cash tips.” Unfortunately for workers in Las Vegas, noncash tips, like casino chips, aren’t part of the bill.

While the House bill limits the deduction to people earning less than US$160,000 the Senate bill caps the deduction to the first $25,000 of tips earned. Everything over that is taxed.

Second, the current House bill ends this special tax-free deal on Dec. 31, 2028. That means these special benefits would only last three years, unless Congress extends the law. The Senate bill does not include such a deadline.

Third, the exemption is only available to jobs that typically receive tips. The Treasury secretary is required to define the list of tipped occupations. If an occupation isn’t on the list, the law doesn’t apply.

I wonder how many occupations won’t make the list. For example, some camp counselors get tips at the end of the summer. But it’s unclear the Treasury Department will include these workers as a covered group, since counselors only make up a proportion of summer camp staff. Not making the list is a real problem.

And while the new proposal gives workers an income tax break, there’s nothing in either bill about skipping FICA payments on the tipped earnings. Workers are still required to contribute slightly more than 7% in Social Security and Medicare taxes on all tips they report, which won’t benefit them until retirement. This isn’t an oversight — the bill specifically says employees must furnish a valid Social Security number to get the tax benefits.

There are a few other ways the legislation might benefit workers less than it seems at first glance. Instituting no taxes on tips could mean tipped employees feel more pressure to split their tips with other employees, like busboys, chefs and hosts. After all, these untipped workers also contribute to the customer experience, and often at low wages.

And finally, many Americans are tired of tipping. Knowing that servers don’t have to pay taxes might make some to cut back on it even more.

The specifics of any piece of legislation are subject to change until the moment Congress sends it to the president to be signed. However, as now written, I think the bills aren’t as generous to tipped workers as Trump made it sound on the campaign trail.

Jay L. Zagorsky 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. For Trump’s ‘no taxes on tips,’ the devil is in the details – https://theconversation.com/for-trumps-no-taxes-on-tips-the-devil-is-in-the-details-258276

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stewart Edie, Research Geologist and Curator of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution

Even bivalves looked different during the time of the dinosaurs, as these fossils of an ultra-fortified oyster, left, and armored cockle show. Smithsonian Institution

About 66 million years ago – perhaps on a downright unlucky day in May – an asteroid smashed into our planet.

The fallout was immediate and severe. Evidence shows that about 70% of species went extinct in a geological instant, and not just those famous dinosaurs that once stalked the land. Masters of the Mesozoic oceans were also wiped out, from mosasaurs – a group of aquatic reptiles topping the food chain – to exquisitely shelled squid relatives known as ammonites.

Even groups that weathered the catastrophe, such as mammals, fishes and flowering plants, suffered severe population declines and species loss. Invertebrate life in the oceans didn’t fare much better.

But bubbling away on the seafloor was a stolid group of animals that has left a fantastic fossil record and continues to thrive today: bivalves – clams, cockles, mussels, oysters and more.

What happened to these creatures during the extinction event and how they rebounded tells an important story, both about the past and the future of biodiversity.

Surprising discoveries on the seafloor

Marine bivalves lost around three-quarters of their species during this mass extinction, which marked the end of the Cretaceous Period. My colleagues and I – each of us paleobiologists studying biodiversity – expected that losing so many species would have severely cut down the variety of roles that bivalves play within their environments, what we call their “modes of life.”

But, as we explain in a study published in the journal Sciences Advances, that wasn’t the case. In assessing the fossils of thousands of bivalve species, we found that at least one species from nearly all their modes of life, no matter how rare or specialized, squeaked through the extinction event.

Statistically, that shouldn’t have happened. Kill 70% of bivalve species, even at random, and some modes of life should disappear.

Most bivalves happily burrow into the sand and mud, feeding on phytoplankton they strain from the water. But others have adopted chemosymbionts and photosymbionts – bacteria and algae that produce nutrients for the bivalves from chemicals or sunlight in exchange for housing. A few have even become carnivorous. Some groups, including the oysters, can lay down a tough cement that hardens underwater, and mussels hold onto rocks by spinning silken threads.

We thought surely these more specialized modes of life would have been snuffed out by the effects of the asteroid’s impact, including dust and debris likely blocking sunlight and disrupting a huge part of the bivalves’ food chain: photosynthetic algae and bacteria. Instead, most persisted, although biodiversity was forever scrambled as a new ecological landscape emerged. Species that were once dominant struggled, while evolutionary newcomers rose in their place.

The reasons some species survived and others didn’t leave many questions to explore. Those that filtered phytoplankton from the water column suffered some of the highest species losses, but so did species that fed on organic scraps and didn’t rely as much on the Sun’s energy. Narrow geographic distributions and different metabolisms may have contributed to these extinction patterns.

Biodiversity bounces back

Life rebounded from each of the Big Five mass extinctions throughout Earth’s history, eventually punching through past diversity highs. The rich fossil record and spectacular ecological diversity of bivalves gives us a terrific opportunity to study these rebounds to understand how ecosystems and global biodiversity rebuild in the wake of extinctions.

The extinction caused by the asteroid strike knocked down some thriving modes of life and opened the door for others to dominate the new landscape.

The rebound from the extinction wasn’t so straightforward. Some modes of life lost nearly all their species, never to recover their past diversity. Others rose to take the top ranks. Genera is the plural of genus.
Adapted from Edie et al. 2025, Science Advances

While many people lament the loss of the dinosaurs, we malacologists miss the rudists.

These bizarrely shaped bivalves resembled giant ice cream cones, sometimes reaching more than 3 feet (1 meter) in size, and they dominated the shallow, tropical Mesozoic seas as massive aggregations of contorted individuals, similar to today’s coral reefs. At least a few harbored photosymbiotic algae, which provided them with nutrients and spurred their growth, much like modern corals.

An ancient fossil of a rudist from before the last mass extinction. These bivalves could grow to a meter high.
Smithsonian Institution

Today, giant clams (Tridacna) and their relatives fill parts of these unique photosymbiotic lifestyles once occupied by the rudists, but they lack the rudists’ astonishing species diversity.

Mass extinctions clearly upend the status quo. Now, our ocean floors are dominated by clams burrowed into sand and mud, the quahogs, cockles and their relatives – a scene far different from that of the seafloor 66 million years ago.

New winners in a scrambled ecosystem

Ecological traits alone didn’t fully predict extinction patterns, nor do they entirely explain the rebound. We also see that simply surviving a mass extinction didn’t necessarily provide a leg up as species diversified within their old and sometimes new modes of life – and few of those new modes dominate the ecological landscape today.

Like the rudists, trigoniid bivalves had lots of different species prior to the extinction event. These highly ornamented clams built parts of their shells with a super strong biomaterial called nacre – think iridescent pearls – and had fractally interlocking hinges holding their two valves together.

An ancient fossil of a pearly but tough trigoniid bivalve from the last mass extinction. The two matching shells show their elaborate hinge.
Smithsonian Institution

But despite surviving the extinction, which should have placed them in a prime position to accumulate species again, their diversification sputtered. Other types of bivalves that made a living in the same way proliferated instead, relegating this once mighty and global group to a handful of species now found only off the coast of Australia.

Lessons for today’s oceans

These unexpected patterns of extinction and survival may offer lessons for the future.

The fossil record shows us that biodiversity has definite breaking points, usually during a perfect storm of climatic and environmental upheaval. It’s not just that species are lost, but the ecological landscape is overturned.

Many scientists believe the current biodiversity crisis may cascade into a sixth mass extinction, this one driven by human activities that are changing ecosystems and the global climate. Corals, whose reefs are home to nearly a quarter of known marine species, have faced mass bleaching events as warming ocean water puts their future at risk. Acidification as the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide can also weaken the shells of organisms crucial to the ocean food web.

Findings like ours suggest that, in the future, the rebound from extinction events will likely result in very different mixes of species and their modes of life in the oceans. And the result may not align with human needs if species providing the bulk of ecosystem services are driven genetically or functionally extinct.

The global oceans and their inhabitants are complex, and, as our team’s latest research shows, it is difficult to predict the trajectory of biodiversity as it rebounds – even when extinction pressures are reduced.

Billions of people depend on the ocean for food. As the history recorded by the world’s bivalves shows, the upending of the pecking order – the number of species in each mode of life – won’t necessarily settle into an arrangement that can feed as many people the next time around.

Stewart Edie receives funding from the Smithsonian Institution.

– ref. Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity – https://theconversation.com/ancient-fossils-show-how-the-last-mass-extinction-forever-scrambled-the-oceans-biodiversity-258389

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

Proposed revisions to U.S. energy policy would likely raise consumer prices and climate-warming emissions. zpagistock/Moment via Getty Images

When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House Republicans passed in May 2025 – risks raising Americans’ energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The 1,100-page bill would slash incentives for green technologies such as solar, wind, batteries, electric cars and heat pumps while subsidizing existing nuclear power plants and biofuels. That would leave the country and its people burning more fossil fuels despite strong popular and scientific support for a rapid shift to renewable energy.

The bill may still be revised by the Senate before it moves to a final vote. But it is a picture of how President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans want to reshape U.S. energy policy.

As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which technologies could rapidly cut emissions or are on the verge of becoming viable from those that do little to fight climate change. Unfortunately, the House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

Renewable energy

Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, are providing over 90% of the new electricity currently being added to the grid nationally and around the world. Geothermal power is undergoing technological breakthroughs. With natural gas turbines in short supply and long lead times to build other resources, renewables and batteries offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power.

However, the House bill rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

It would terminate tax credits for manufacturing for the wind industry in 2028 and for solar and batteries in 2032. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that was being stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Deployments would be hit even harder. Wind, solar, geothermal and battery projects would need to commence construction within 60 days of passage of the bill to receive tax credits.

In addition, the bill would deny tax credits to projects that use Chinese-made components. Financial analysts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible.

Analysts warn that the House bill would cut new wind, solar and battery installations by 20% compared with the growth that had been expected without the bill. That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican backed by the oil and gas industry.

Wind turbines and solar panels generate renewable energy side by side near Palm Springs, Calif.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Efficiency and electric cars

Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The bill repeals aid for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits. Homeowners would also lose tax credits for installing solar panels and batteries.

For vehicles, the bill would not only repeal tax credits for electric cars, trucks and chargers, but it also would impose a federal $250 annual fee on vehicles, on top of fees that some states charge electric-car owners. The federal fee is more than the gas taxes paid by other drivers to fund highways and ignores air-quality and climate effects.

Combined, the lost credits and increased fees could cut projected U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 40% in 2030, according to modeling by Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University.

Nuclear power

Meanwhile, the bill partially retains a tax credit for electricity from existing nuclear power plants. Those plants may not need the help: Electricity demand is surging, and companies like Meta are signing long-term deals for nuclear energy to power data centers. Nuclear plants are also paid to manage their radioactive waste, since the country lacks a permanent place to store it.

For new nuclear plants, the bill would move up the deadline to 2028 to begin construction. That deadline is too soon for some new reactor designs and would rush the vetting of others. Nuclear safety regulators are awaiting a study from the National Academies on the weapons proliferation risks of the type of uranium fuel that some developers hope to use in newer designs.

The House-passed bill would protect government subsidies for existing nuclear power plants, like the one in the background, while limiting support for wind turbines.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Biofuels

While cutting funding for electric vehicles, the bill would spend $45 billion to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the impacts of biofuels on land use.

Hydrogen

The bill would end tax credits for hydrogen production. Without that support, companies will be unlikely to invest in the seven so-called “hydrogen hubs” that were allocated a combined $8 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. Those hubs aim to attract $40 billion in private investments and create tens of thousands of jobs while developing cleaner ways to make hydrogen.

The repealed tax credits would have subsidized hydrogen made emissions-free by using renewable or nuclear electricity to split water molecules. They also would have subsidized hydrogen made from natural gas with carbon capture, whose benefits are impaired by methane emissions from natural gas systems and incomplete carbon capture.

However it’s made, hydrogen is no panacea. As the world’s smallest molecule, hydrogen is prone to leaking, which can pose safety challenges and indirectly warm the climate. And while hydrogen is essential for making fertilizers and potentially useful for making steel or aviation fuels, vehicles and heating are more efficiently powered by electricity than by hydrogen.

Still, European governments and China are investing heavily in hydrogen production.

As Congress deliberates on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the nation’s energy agenda is one of many issues being hotly debated.
Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Summing it up

The conservative Tax Foundation estimates that the House bill would cut the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits by about half, saving the government $50 billion a year. But with fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects American households would pay up to $415 more per year for energy by 2035 than if the bill’s provisions were not enacted. If the bill’s provisions make it into law, the extra fossil fuel-burning would leave annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 1 billion tons higher by then.

No one expected former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress. Still, the proposed cuts target the technologies Americans count on to protect the climate and save consumers money.

Daniel Cohan receives funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University.

– ref. How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-positions-us-energy-to-be-more-costly-for-consumers-and-the-climate-257783

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Department of State Press Briefing – June 10, 2025 – 2:00 PM

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

Spokesperson Tammy Bruce leads the Department Press Briefing at the Department of State, on June 10, 2025.

———-
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
X: https://x.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/StateDept
Substack: https://statedept.substack.com

Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USSTATEBPA/signup/32562

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=TwFJmGNy-nk

MIL OSI Video –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to-date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nathaniel M. Tran, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois Chicago

Getting cancer screenings, vaccinations and HIV tests is easier when you can trust your doctor. Hit Stop Media/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When LGBTQ+ patients are unsure if they can be open about their identity and related health needs, it becomes more difficult for them to access high-quality health care.

In our recently published research, my colleagues and I found that how LGBTQ+ people are treated at the doctor’s office has a measurable effect on whether they stay up to date with lifesaving preventive care like flu shots, colorectal cancer screenings and HIV testing.

Results of affirming care

We examined how LGBTQ+ adults rated their health care provider across three areas: LGBTQ+ cultural competency, such as if providers used inclusive language on forms and in person; LGBTQ+ clinical competency, such as their doctor’s knowledge on all aspects of their health; and experiences of discrimination, such as being told to seek care elsewhere.

After analyzing survey data on the experiences of more than 950 LGBTQ+ adults from across the U.S., we saw that three clear patterns emerged.

First, 34% of participants reported having positive health care experiences – meaning their providers were culturally and clinically competent about LGBTQ+ health needs, and did not discriminate against them. These patients were more likely to be up to date on at least one preventive service recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, compared to those receiving neutral or discriminatory care.

Second, 60% of participants reported having neutral experiences, when their providers were clinically competent about LGBTQ+ health needs and didn’t discriminate against them, but were not culturally competent. These patients were 43% less likely to get an HIV test compared to patients reporting affirming care.

Third, 6% of participants reported experiencing discrimination, when their providers were neither culturally nor clinically competent on LGBTQ+ health. These patients were 24% less likely to get a colorectal cancer screening compared to patients reporting affirming care.

Most LGBTQ+ adults in our study reported neutral or even discriminatory care, which leads to avoidable health risks and higher costs for the health system. This provides additional evidence that being supportive of LGBTQ+ patients has measurable improvements for health outcomes.

Fear of discrimination can lead to delayed and missed diagnoses.

Why preventive care matters

Preventive care saves lives and saves money. When diseases like colorectal cancer or HIV are caught early, treatments are often simpler, more effective and less expensive.

When LGBTQ+ patients are made to feel unwelcome or unsafe, we found that they are less likely to get routine preventive care, ultimately driving up long-term costs across the health system. States like North Carolina and Georgia that have more health systems participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index, which evaluates policies and practices around LGBTQ+ care, had higher rates of LGBTQ+ patients reporting positive care experiences compared to states with few participating health systems, such as Tennessee and Alabama.

Other researchers have found that health systems participating in the Healthcare Equality Index have lower rates of nurse burnout and better quality of care, along with higher patient satisfaction among all patients.

Affirming care benefits not just patients, but society as a whole.
Renata Angerami/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Public health in crisis

This study was originally funded by the National Institute on Aging, but it was among the first LGBTQ+-focused projects terminated by the Trump administration in its efforts to eliminate “gender ideology.”

Our team has continued the work independently to ensure that the over 1,250 participants who already shared their experiences and data would not have this information sit idly.

Our findings reinforce what many LGBTQ+ patients already know – nonjudgmental and competent care is not a luxury, but a public health necessity.

Nathaniel M. Tran received funding from the National Institute on Aging and Vanderbilt University.

– ref. LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to-date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society – https://theconversation.com/lgbtq-patients-stay-up-to-date-on-preventive-care-when-their-doctors-are-supportive-saving-money-and-lives-throughout-society-258338

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Binge drinking brake found in mouse brains, offering future path to treating alcohol abuse – new research

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gilles Martin, Associate Professor of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School

Millions of people abuse alcohol. South_agency/E+ via Getty Images

Despite the profound human, social and economic costs of alcohol abuse, existing treatments have failed to provide meaningful relief. Excessive alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In the U.S. alone, 16.4 million people age 12 and older reported binge drinking on five or more days in the past month.

Although there are several drugs available to those seeking to stop or lower their alcohol consumption, their effectiveness is limited, and they often have significant side effects. Over the past three decades, efforts to treat excessive drinking have focused primarily on developing drugs that target proteins that can control how neurons respond to stimuli. Because these proteins are present in almost every neuron throughout the brain, the drugs also affect neurons that aren’t directly responsible for regulating alcohol’s effects. This often leads to unwanted side effects like headache, fatigue, drowsiness or insomnia.

In my work as a neurobiologist, I study the idea that pinpointing the specific brain circuits that play a role in suppressing alcohol consumption is critical to developing targeted treatments with limited side effects. In my newly published research, my team and I identified a small cluster of neurons responsible for suppressing binge drinking.

A map of binge drinking neurons

Researchers have identified several brain regions that play a key role in alcohol abuse. But there has been strong evidence that only a very small number of neurons within these regions underpinned the effects of the drug on brain function.

Small populations of neurons, called neuronal ensembles, have been shown to play a key role in memory formation and experiencing fear. However, researchers haven’t known whether the neuronal ensembles activated during binge drinking also influence binge drinking behavior.

The brain’s binge drinking brakes can go awry.
Victoria Kotlyarchuk/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Considering the billions of neurons contained in the brain, the task of identifying these neurons is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. To solve this challenge, my colleagues and I used a genetically modified mouse model that, upon exposure to alcohol, activates a gene coding for a red fluorescent protein that is selectively expressed in alcohol-sensitive neurons. By tracing these fluorescent neurons, we were able to make a map of the precise locations of affected neurons.

We identified a discrete number of neurons that respond to binge drinking in a brain region called the medial orbitofrontal cortex. This area is known for its key role in controlling decision-making and adapting behavior to a changing environment.

We also found that turning this neuronal ensemble off resulted in a sharp increase of alcohol consumption in mice. This means that the brain has, in essence, a built-in regulation system that is activated during alcohol drinking to act as a brake on its consumption. Should these neurons misfire, the regulatory system would fail, possibly leading to uncontrolled drinking.

Future treatments

Although this study advances our understanding of how and where binge drinking modulates brain function in mice, it remains unclear whether human brains are also equipped with the same neuronal ensemble. If they are, stimulating these neurons may provide a path toward helping people who experience difficulty controlling their alcohol intake.

Although selective control of neuronal activity is a formidable challenge, progress in gene therapy for patients with cancer and other rare diseases offers hope for more effective alcohol use disorder treatments with fewer side effects.

Gilles Martin receives funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

– ref. Binge drinking brake found in mouse brains, offering future path to treating alcohol abuse – new research – https://theconversation.com/binge-drinking-brake-found-in-mouse-brains-offering-future-path-to-treating-alcohol-abuse-new-research-257217

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Where is the center of the universe?

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rob Coyne, Teaching Professor of Physics, University of Rhode Island

In space, there are four dimensions: length, width, height and time. scaliger/iStock/NASA via Getty Images Plus

About a century ago, scientists were struggling to reconcile what seemed a contradiction in Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

Published in 1915, and already widely accepted worldwide by physicists and mathematicians, the theory assumed the universe was static – unchanging, unmoving and immutable. In short, Einstein believed the size and shape of the universe today was, more or less, the same size and shape it had always been.

But when astronomers looked into the night sky at faraway galaxies with powerful telescopes, they saw hints the universe was anything but that. These new observations suggested the opposite – that it was, instead, expanding.

Scientists soon realized Einstein’s theory didn’t actually say the universe had to be static; the theory could support an expanding universe as well. Indeed, by using the same mathematical tools provided by Einstein’s theory, scientists created new models that showed the universe was, in fact, dynamic and evolving.

I’ve spent decades trying to understand general relativity, including in my current job as a physics professor teaching courses on the subject. I know wrapping your head around the idea of an ever-expanding universe can feel daunting – and part of the challenge is overriding your natural intuition about how things work. For instance, it’s hard to imagine something as big as the universe not having a center at all, but physics says that’s the reality.

The universe gets bigger every day.

The space between galaxies

First, let’s define what’s meant by “expansion.” On Earth, “expanding” means something is getting bigger. And in regard to the universe, that’s true, sort of. Expansion might also mean “everything is getting farther from us,” which is also true with regard to the universe. Point a telescope at distant galaxies and they all do appear to be moving away from us.

What’s more, the farther away they are, the faster they appear to be moving. Those galaxies also seem to be moving away from each other. So it’s more accurate to say that everything in the universe is getting farther away from everything else, all at once.

This idea is subtle but critical. It’s easy to think about the creation of the universe like exploding fireworks: Start with a big bang, and then all the galaxies in the universe fly out in all directions from some central point.

But that analogy isn’t correct. Not only does it falsely imply that the expansion of the universe started from a single spot, which it didn’t, but it also suggests that the galaxies are the things that are moving, which isn’t entirely accurate.

It’s not so much the galaxies that are moving away from each other – it’s the space between galaxies, the fabric of the universe itself, that’s ever-expanding as time goes on. In other words, it’s not really the galaxies themselves that are moving through the universe; it’s more that the universe itself is carrying them farther away as it expands.

A common analogy is to imagine sticking some dots on the surface of a balloon. As you blow air into the balloon, it expands. Because the dots are stuck on the surface of the balloon, they get farther apart. Though they may appear to move, the dots actually stay exactly where you put them, and the distance between them gets bigger simply by virtue of the balloon’s expansion.

It’s the space between the dots that’s growing.
NASA/JPL-Caltech, CC BY

Now think of the dots as galaxies and the balloon as the fabric of the universe, and you begin to get the picture.

Unfortunately, while this analogy is a good start, it doesn’t get the details quite right either.

The 4th dimension

Important to any analogy is an understanding of its limitations. Some flaws are obvious: A balloon is small enough to fit in your hand – not so the universe. Another flaw is more subtle. The balloon has two parts: its latex surface and its air-filled interior.

These two parts of the balloon are described differently in the language of mathematics. The balloon’s surface is two-dimensional. If you were walking around on it, you could move forward, backward, left, or right, but you couldn’t move up or down without leaving the surface.

Now it might sound like we’re naming four directions here – forward, backward, left and right – but those are just movements along two basic paths: side to side and front to back. That’s what makes the surface two-dimensional – length and width.

The inside of the balloon, on the other hand, is three-dimensional, so you’d be able to move freely in any direction, including up or down – length, width and height.

This is where the confusion lies. The thing we think of as the “center” of the balloon is a point somewhere in its interior, in the air-filled space beneath the surface.

But in this analogy, the universe is more like the latex surface of the balloon. The balloon’s air-filled interior has no counterpart in our universe, so we can’t use that part of the analogy – only the surface matters.

Trying to figure out how the universe works? Start by contemplating a balloon.
Kristopher_K/iStock via Getty Images Plus

So asking, “Where’s the center of the universe?” is somewhat like asking, “Where’s the center of the balloon’s surface?” There simply isn’t one. You could travel along the surface of the balloon in any direction, for as long as you like, and you’d never once reach a place you could call its center because you’d never actually leave the surface.

In the same way, you could travel in any direction in the universe and would never find its center because, much like the surface of the balloon, it simply doesn’t have one.

Part of the reason this can be so challenging to comprehend is because of the way the universe is described in the language of mathematics. The surface of the balloon has two dimensions, and the balloon’s interior has three, but the universe exists in four dimensions. Because it’s not just about how things move in space, but how they move in time.

Our brains are wired to think about space and time separately. But in the universe, they’re interwoven into a single fabric, called “space-time.” That unification changes the way the universe works relative to what our intuition expects.

And this explanation doesn’t even begin to answer the question of how something can be expanding indefinitely – scientists are still trying to puzzle out what powers this expansion.

So in asking about the center of the universe, we’re confronting the limits of our intuition. The answer we find – everything, expanding everywhere, all at once – is a glimpse of just how strange and beautiful our universe is.

Rob Coyne receives funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

– ref. Where is the center of the universe? – https://theconversation.com/where-is-the-center-of-the-universe-252695

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Do you know how to prepare for your digital life after death? CU Boulder’s student-run clinic has some advice

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dylan Thomas Doyle, Information Science Researcher, University of Colorado Boulder

Older adults have large digital archives that can be hard to access after their deaths. picture alliance/Getty Images

From family photos in the cloud to email archives and social media accounts, the digital lives of Americans are extensive and growing.

According to recent studies by the password management companies NordPass and Dashlane, the average internet user maintains more than 150 online accounts. Individuals produce hundreds of gigabytes of data each year. But few people have plans for what happens to that digital legacy after they die.

Unlike physical possessions, online assets often don’t pass smoothly from one generation to the next. Loved ones struggle to access important accounts or recover treasured photos. Many families face these challenges while already overwhelmed with grief.

Most tech companies haven’t kept up with this reality. Fewer than 15% of popular online platforms have clear systems for handling a user’s death, and customer support is often limited, according to our new study. As people’s “digital footprints” expand, the lack of planning has become both a practical and emotional burden for families. This is especially true for older adults who may not be aware of the steps required to manage their digital estate.

We are an associate professor of information science and a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. We are researching how to design technologies for people engaged in end-of-life planning for their data.

First clinic of its kind

We realized there was no organization or comprehensive website to help people navigate the technical, privacy or practical challenges they were facing. In response, we launched what we believe is a first-of-its-kind solution: the Digital Legacy Clinic.

Just as writing a will helps manage physical possessions after death, planning your digital legacy ensures that your online life is handled according to your wishes.

Our clinic opened in late 2024. The free clinic offers support both to people planning for the end of their digital lives and to those managing the digital estates of loved ones who have died.

Led by students and housed in the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Information Science department, the clinic operates much like a pro bono law clinic. Community members in the Denver and Boulder areas, as well as from across the country, can contact the clinic for help.

First, a person interested in getting support fills out a simple form. Then, a member of the clinic will send a follow-up email to clarify and offer preliminary advice. Since every case is different, often clinic workers will then meet via Zoom with a client to create a personalized plan for them and their family.

How the clinic helps

The clinic offers guidance on a wide range of digital estate concerns, including setting up digital legacy tools such as trusted contacts on Google and Apple or legacy contacts on Facebook – someone you choose to manage your main profile after you’ve died. People can also get guidance on how to memorialize or delete social media or other online accounts after a loved one has died.

For example, Facebook allows you to either memorialize an account or request its removal. To memorialize it, you’ll need to submit a form with the person’s name, date of death, proof of passing, such as an obituary, and verify your relationship to the deceased. Including these steps can help your loved ones manage a digital legacy with clarity and care.

The clinic also helps people recover and preserve digital assets. That includes photos, videos, emails and other important documents, such as legal documents stored on a Google Drive.

For those who are planning for after they die, the clinic can guide them in creating a digital estate plan. That plan might include inventorying online accounts, documenting login credentials and leaving instructions for account closure, or determining steps to email the documents to your lawyer.

Students supporting their community

The ongoing work of the clinic is run entirely by undergraduate and graduate students, who build and maintain the clinic’s website, manage the client intake process and research solutions tailored to each case.

For the students, it’s a hands-on learning opportunity that connects academic work to real-world needs. The experience is also professionally valuable. Students learn how to communicate complex tech topics with empathy, navigate privacy laws and manage sensitive data responsibly.

A resource for older adults

While the Digital Legacy Clinic is available to people across the country, its location in Boulder makes it especially accessible to older adults in the Boulder and Denver areas who may prefer or benefit from in-person support.

For older adults, the Digital Legacy Clinic can help them organize their digital lives and make passing their digital archives on to their families easier.
Robert Alexander/Getty Images

For older adults, the clinic can play a crucial role in helping them organize their digital lives while they’re still alive. This can reduce confusion for loved ones later and even help prevent issues such as identity theft or account misuse. Many older adults now maintain extensive online presences, but they may not have the tools or knowledge to ensure their accounts are secure and accessible to people they trust.

Jed Brubaker currently receives research funding from the National Science Foundation and Google. In the past he has recieved research funding from Facebook and Mozilla. During 2014-2020 he worked as a research for the Legacy Contact and Memorialized Profile features at Facebook.

Dylan Thomas Doyle 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. Do you know how to prepare for your digital life after death? CU Boulder’s student-run clinic has some advice – https://theconversation.com/do-you-know-how-to-prepare-for-your-digital-life-after-death-cu-boulders-student-run-clinic-has-some-advice-257867

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Seizure of contraband and unauthorized items at Dorchester Penitentiary – Medium security unit

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

June 10, 2025 – Dorchester, New Brunswick – Correctional Service Canada

On June 2, 2025, as a result of the vigilance of staff members, a package containing contraband and unauthorized items was seized on the perimeter of the medium security unit at Dorchester Penitentiary.

The items seized included methamphetamine, marijuana, shatter, nicotine patches and tobacco. The total estimated institutional value of this seizure is $534,100.

The police have been notified and the institution is investigating.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) uses a number of tools to prevent drugs from entering its institutions. These tools include ion scanners and drug-detector dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates, and visitors.

CSC is heightening measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to introduce contraband into correctional institutions.

CSC has also set up a telephone tip line for all federal institutions so that it may receive additional information about activities relating to security at CSC institutions. These activities may be related to drug use or trafficking that may threaten the safety and security of visitors, inmates, and staff members working at CSC institutions.

The toll-free number, 1‑866‑780‑3784, helps ensure that the information shared is protected and that callers remain anonymous.

MIL OSI Canada News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Anand to welcome her Luxembourg counterpart to Ottawa

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

June 9, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will welcome Deputy Prime Minister,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Cooperation, and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, to Ottawa from June 10 to 12, 2025.

Minister Anand and Minister Bettel will meet to discuss working together to advance our countries’ shared interests, including bolstering the rules based international order and maintaining a strong global economy.

During his visit, Minister Bettel will inaugurate Luxembourg’s new diplomatic presence in Canada, highlight 80 years of bilateral relations, and celebrate Luxembourg’s National Day, which is on June 23. The Honourable Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will participate in a reception hosted by Luxembourg to mark these important occasions.

MIL OSI Canada News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Physics Breakthrough to Evaluate Fundamental Theory of Nature

Source: US State of Connecticut

An international group of physicists, including two UConn faculty, have published a white paper representing a major step forward in developing our understanding of one of the smallest units of our world, and with it, the basic laws of physics.

Thomas Blum, professor, and Luchang Jin, associate professor, in the Department of Physics are authors on this paper and members of the Muon g-2 Theory Initiative.

The group which includes more than 100 scientists from around the world formed in 2017.

The white paper deals with muons, a type of elementary particle. Muons are a lot like electrons, negatively charged subatomic particles, but they are about 200 times heavier.

Compared with many other elementary particles the muon is easier to study because it’s a kind of “Goldilocks” particle. It doesn’t interact too strongly nor too weakly with other particles.

Quarks, for example, interact so strongly with other particles they are difficult to isolate for study. But if a particle interacts too weakly with others this is also a problem, because the technology used to measure a particle’s properties actually depends on particle interactions.

Because of this, dark matters and neutrinos are difficult to study. Scientists need to build very large detectors in order to have a chance of capturing just a handful of particles. This makes the muon’s unique advantages important for probing the unknown.

“We’re interested in the muon because it presents an opportunity for something that we can measure extremely precisely in the lab and we can also calculate extremely precisely from our most fundamental theory of nature,” Blum says.

This white paper presents the theoretical side of this group’s work, which uses cutting-edge calculations to determine the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.

A particle’s magnetic moment is usually described by the g-factor (g), which is theoretically predicted to equal two. But, particles are constantly interacting with other particles, changing this value – this is the anomalous magnetic moment, or g minus two (g-2).

This quantity is critical for evaluating the Standard Model, a description of the fundamental forces and particle types that make up the entire known universe.

The value of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is a part of the Standard Model but it has some uncertainty associated with its calculation. Hence, doing a better calculation will strengthen the Standard Model overall.

The theoretical calculations published in this white paper will then be compared to the value from an experiment conducted at Fermilab outside of Chicago.

The agreement or disagreement between these two results could alter our understanding of particle physics as we know it.

“If they don’t agree, we know that the Standard Model is not quite right and we have to improve it, we have to change it to include this new effect,” Blum says. “Even if we don’t find a discrepancy, it’s important to test our most fundamental theories as precisely as we can and know when or if they break down.”

This latest development builds upon decades of scientific advancement, including the work of Blum and Jin.

Blum was the first to calculate the contribution of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) – one of the three essential forces in the Standard Model – to the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment using a numerical technique called lattice QCD.

Since that first calculation Blum, Jin, and their collaborators have calculated the contribution of the hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, producing one of the most precise values at that point using lattice QCD.

“Groups all over the world are doing these calculations and improving the precision and the accuracy of those calculations to the point where, now we believe those are the most robust parts of the HVP calculation and now we can make an accurate comparison of the Standard Model to the experiment,” Blum says.

Jin contributed significantly to improving the precision of another hadronic contribution (i.e., arising from QCD) known as light-by-light scattering.

“We made some methodological developments which greatly improved the efficiency and reduced systematic errors,” Jin says.

This work is a testament to both advances in computing, as these calculations rely on state-of-the-art supercomputers housed in national laboratories, alongside theoretical advancements.

“We need both,” Blum says. “We need the improved algorithms and methods, and we need the most powerful computers we can get our hands on.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: It’s Not the Game, It’s the Group: Sports Fans Connect the Most Over Rituals

Source: US State of Connecticut

Professor of anthropology Dimitris Xygalatas is a scientist and self-declared rational thinker. But he’s also a lifelong soccer fan, and he fully admits that when his Greek home team finally won their league in 2019, he cried tears of joy.

“Not what you might call a rational organism’s behavior,” he jokes.

But his reaction is in keeping with his latest study, published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), which shows that the intense feelings of joy, unity, and excitement fans experience surrounding sports can be less about the game and more about the ritual of coming together.

“Rituals are the kinds of things that, at first glance, don’t make any sense in terms of human behavior, but are deeply meaningful to people,” says Xygalatas.

With the cooperation of a die-hard Brazilian soccer (actually, it’s “football,” Xygalatas grudgingly reminds us Americans) fan club, Xygalatas and his team tracked the physiological arousal of fans before, during, and after a state championship final in Minas Gerais between local rival teams.

Using wearable heart monitors, they measured the emotional reactions of fans during the ritual of Rua de Fogo (Street of Fire), where crowds gather near the stadium to welcome the team’s bus. As it arrives, fans light flares, smoke bombs, and fireworks, wave flags, and chant to boost team morale and unify supporters.

The scientists outfitted participants with EKG monitors hidden beneath their clothing. The devices measured heart rate fluctuations, which is a proxy for emotional arousal, as fans participated in the pre-game celebration, entered the stadium, and watched the match unfold.

What they found was striking: The levels of shared excitement, or what the scientists call “collective effervescence,” peaked not during the game, but during the pre-game fan rituals.

Only when the home team scored a goal did those physiological markers exceed the emotional high of the pre-match gathering.

“What we see is that, in fact, the pre-game ritual generates more emotional synchrony than the game itself,” Xygalatas says. “There’s a single moment in the entire game when they have more collective emotional synchrony than the pre-game ritual, and that’s when they scored a goal.”

The findings underscore Xygalatas’ broader work to understand how ritual shapes human behavior and identity.

Xygalatas’ past research has taken him to remote firewalking ceremonies and intense religious festivals. But soccer, he says, offers a unique laboratory: It’s a global obsession that’s rich in ritual and pageantry, but largely free from political or religious ideology.

“People attribute a lot of meaning to sports,” Xygalatas says. “Sports generate billions and billions of dollars globally, and they take up so much of people’s attention. And the reason they do that is not just because of what’s happening on the pitch. It’s because of these ritualized interactions that occur among the fans.”

The implications, the paper argues, extend beyond sports. Ritualized group behaviors like concerts, religious ceremonies, or political rallies, may powerfully shape people’s emotions and even their beliefs.

“By going to these events, we’re actually shaping our beliefs,” he says. “So, sports is not just an excuse for people to get together. It’s a driver of identity.”

Xygalatas speaks from experience. As a young man growing up in Thessaloniki, Greece, he was a member of a soccer fan club. One day, while wearing his team’s scarf in the wrong neighborhood, he was ambushed by four men and brutally attacked, an incident that echoes the fatal beating of a 19-year-old in his hometown years later, also over team allegiance.

“I felt a blow to my head from behind, and next thing I knew, there were four men beating me, kicking me on the head, everywhere,” remembers Xygalatas. “The reason I was able to escape is that another group of men was turning the corner, wearing my insignia, so they chased them away.”

Football, he says, is the only sport that regularly leads to deadly violence, a fact that leagues and governing bodies like FIFA should take seriously.

[embedded content]

He says it’s in soccer clubs’ best interest to strike a balance between building loyalty, which Europeans and South Americans are excellent at doing, and making it safe for people to participate in.

Still, Xygalatas is clear that he’s not advocating for less passion. He hopes his work helps people understand why they care so deeply in the first place.

“If we look at what makes us human, we realize that it’s our ability and our need to derive meaning from things that seem meaningless,” he says.

Xygalatas’ co-authors on this paper are Mohammadamin Saraei, graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences; Vitor Leandro da Silva Profeta, professor in the Departamento de Educação Física at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; and Gabriela Baranowski-Pinto, professor in the Department of Human Movement Sciences at the Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: International Melville Conference at UConn Avery Point to Celebrate ‘Moby-Dick’ Author

Source: US State of Connecticut

In almost the same way the rope aboard the Pequod “folds the whole boat in its complicated coils,” so too have the details of the 14th International Melville Society Conference around UConn’s Mary K. Bercaw Edwards.

Who knew planning a weeklong event at UConn Avery Point for 150 Herman Melville scholars from lands as far away as those along the route in the hunt for Moby Dick would imitate passages from the English professor’s favorite chapter in the novel by the same name?

The whaling line, Melville writes of the rope, is both “magical, sometimes horrible.”

But once the scholars arrive and the opening plenary address begins on Monday, June 16, Bercaw Edwards says she’ll settle in and enjoy what the week has to offer as the UConn campus and southeastern Connecticut show off their maritime heritage.

“It’s going to be an amazing conference. The talks look outstanding, and everyone is so excited to be in this location,” Bercaw Edwards says.

Titled “Oceanic Melville,” the conference follows a 2022 gathering in Paris and other global destinations through the years including Poland in 2007, Israel in 2009, Italy in 2011, and Japan in 2015. The first was held in Greece in 1997, with gatherings planned generally biennially.

The latest exhibition, “Oceanic Melville,” at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art features artwork inspired by Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick,” including artist Robert Del Tredici’s mixed media print, “Torn Body, Gnashed Soul.” The exhibition at UConn Avery Point is open through June 19. (Kimberly Phillips/UConn Today)

Bercaw Edwards says The Melville Society, an international organization dedicated to the study of the author, asked her to arrange a conference at Avery Point in part because of its proximity to Mystic Seaport Museum just 15 minutes down the road where the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world, is on display.

The Morgan was launched in 1841 from New Bedford, Massachusetts, built seven months after and 7 miles away from the Acushnet, the whale ship on which Melville served as a crewmember in the Pacific Ocean before writing “Moby-Dick,” making the Morgan as identical as possible to the Acushnet.

While several days of panel discussions and other academic talks (some are open to the public) on topics ranging from Melville in popular culture to Melville and his animals are the centerpiece of the conference, Bercaw Edwards says a daylong trip to the Museum, where she works in the summer, and the chance to get up close with the Morgan is a highlight.

“They’ll see us raise sails, lower and raise the whale boat. They’ll get to pull on the halyards, which will give them a visceral feeling of what it’s like to set sail,” she says of conference attendees. “We’re also going to give them an opportunity to actually row in whale boats.”

Participants’ day at the Museum also will include the daily activities available to the public, including a concert by staff musicians playing and singing the songs mentioned in “Moby-Dick” and a 35-minute play with three actors using Melville’s words to tell the story of Ahab and the whale.

“Monstrous: Whaling and its Colossal Impact,” the Museum’s newest exhibition that opened in late May and runs through Feb. 16, 2026, by happenstance coincides with the conference.

The exhibition has been built around Mexican American artist Jos Sances’ scratchboard mural, “Or, The Whale,” a 51-foot-long artwork the same size as a juvenile sperm whale. Bercaw Edwards says Sances created the piece after reading and finding inspiration in “Moby-Dick.”

“Sances is a screen printer and a scratchboard artist who’s from Mexico and lives in California – and then he read ‘Moby-Dick’ and was driven to make this mural,” she says. “With his background, there was nothing that would have drawn him naturally to reading a book by a white New England author, but he did just like so many others do.”

‘Deep and Important Questions’

From the perspective of Pequod crewmember Ishmael, “Moby-Dick” tells the story of Captain Ahab’s trek across the globe for vengeance against the albino sperm whale Moby Dick, which took off his leg during a previous encounter.

Some chapters are incredibly dense with precise details about whaling and sailing, while others are so action-packed the story moves quickly. It’s considered among the greatest American novels and for many English majors might be considered their very own white whale.

“Quenchless Feud (Ahab)” from artist Jos Sances is on display as part of “Oceanic Melville” at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point. (Kimberly Phillips/UConn Today)

Bercaw Edwards says she’s oftentimes amazed that today’s audiences are so interested in something written in 1851 – that’s nearly 175 years ago – especially given that it’s authored by a dead, white male and features the killing of whales.

“It seems as politically incorrect as it can possibly be, and yet it feels as if it’s still on the ascendancy,” she says. “It’s a long, dense, tough book, and yet it’s immensely popular. There are graphic novels, movies, plays, concerts, memes, and T-shirts about it.”

She says she once witnessed a colleague who writes about Melville in popular culture mention the word “tattoo” during a talk, and afterward a throng of people gathered around to show him the Melville-inspired artwork on their biceps, forearms, and calves.

“It’s just amazing to me that Melville is so popular. I think it’s because he asks all kinds of deep and important questions: Is there truth? Is there justice? Is there anything beyond our human existence? How do we go about life? And he doesn’t give us any answers. Every time you think ‘OK, that’s the answer,’ he undercuts it. He wants you to realize there are no answers, but he’s asking these great questions. I think that’s part of why it’s still eternal,” she says.

Never mind the beauty of Melville’s writing.

“At the end of Chapter 1, Melville writes, ‘It is but well to be on friendly terms with all the inmates of the place one lodges in.’ I’ve always loved that. We should all get along,” Bercaw Edwards says. “I also love, ‘Ignorance is the parent of fear.’ People are afraid of things they don’t know. It’s so true.”

Pequod third mate Flask fears butter – yes, a stick of butter – Bercaw Edwards continues, noting the humor in the book. He feels as if he’s not entitled to the spread: “So when they’re all eating with Ahab – Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask – they’re always really quiet because they’re kind of nervous around Ahab, and Flask, of course, never dares to take butter. Then Melville writes, ‘For Flask is a butterless man.’”

Reading ‘Moby-Dick’

Every time “Moby-Dick” appears on a syllabus in one of Bercaw Edwards’ classes, she says she gives it a fresh read, no specific routine around it, no tableside requisite cup of black tea to share with Ahab.

She’s delighted in its humor during her at least 35 times rereading it through the years – so many instances that she finds herself quoting it as she goes along. And when she gets to her favorite chapter – number 60, “The Line” – she knows she’ll get the best Melville has to offer.

“He’s describing the whale line, which is attached to the harpoon and thrown into the whale. He has really basic information about the line, about rope, and then it’s infused with all kinds of humor,” she says, quoting his description of hemp: “Hemp is a dusky, dark fellow, a sort of Indian; but Manilla is as a golden-haired Circassian to behold.”

Melville then builds to what Bercaw Edwards calls a “metaphysical lift,” explaining that the whale-line surrounds the boat, crisscrossing it and traveling by each of the crewmembers. He then notes that we’re all surrounded by ropes, and no one knows when it will take you to eternity.

“It’s set up like a sermon,” she says of the chapter. “Sermons pick apart a line from biblical text. This does the same thing. It just does it with real line rather than a line of text.”

Then again, Bercaw Edwards can relate to Melville and journeys around the world better than most.

As her friends shifted into high school upperclassman status at 16 years old, she and her family went to sea, she says. The family of five – Mom and Dad, sister and brother, and her – sailed around the globe on a journey that took 3½ years.

“When I went to college, I knew I wanted to be an English major, but I was thinking I would study Henry James,” she says of the American British author. “Then my professor suggested that with my sailing background I should be a Melville scholar – and now I can’t imagine anything else. All my scholarship has been on Melville, with a little on Joseph Conrad and Jack London, but always centered on Melville.”

She acknowledges, though, that for some, reading “Moby-Dick” might be daunting, to which she offers four words of advice: Visit Mystic Seaport Museum.

Seeing the whale boat demonstrations and getting onboard the Morgan to imagine sleeping in its belly every night for between two and five years oftentimes help people get through those challenging whaling chapters.

She further recommends listening to the story as an audio book.

“When people hear it read aloud, they’ll often see how funny it is. I mean, it’s full of humor, and that’s often lost when people get stuck on the fact that this is The. Great. American. Novel,” she says.

From July 31 to Aug. 1, Mystic Seaport Museum will host its 40th annual “Moby-Dick” Marathon reading of the book to coincide with Melville’s Aug. 1 birthday. Readers gather onboard the Morgan and take about 24 consecutive hours to get through the 135 chapters.

“One of the things I always notice is people listening and then they start to laugh and feel embarrassed, like they’re not supposed to. This is The Great American Novel, but of course we’re supposed to laugh,” she adds.

Public Events and AVS Exhibition

With grant funding from Connecticut Humanities and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, several events during The Melville Society conference will be open to the public, Bercaw Edwards says.

The opening plenary talk at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, June 16, “Other Seas: Sailing Without Ahab,” will come from St. John’s University English professor Steve Mentz, who’s figured prominently in the field of blue humanities. He will discuss how humans engage with water, along with the history and theory of water-centric thinking.

“The Pod” from artist George Klauba is on display as part of “Oceanic Melville” at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point. (Kimberly Phillips/UConn Today)

Then, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, “Does the Whale Diminish? – Will He Perish? Cross-Disciplinary Currents in Conversation” will offer a panel discussion with Anne Cohen from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, conservation biologist and author Joe Roman, and Portuguese marine researcher Rui Prieto.

The closing plenary address at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, also is open to the public. It features Lenora Warren from Cornell University, one of the leading scholars about Melville and race. Her talk, “Melville’s Ghosts,” dovetails with the day also being Juneteenth.

At the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at Avery Point, the exhibition “Oceanic Melville” comes together thanks to curator and gallery director Jeanne Ciravolo, along with Bercaw Edwards and Robert K. Wallace from Northern Kentucky University.

Ciravolo says she mentioned during a campus faculty meeting more than a year ago that she enjoys making the gallery’s exhibitions interdisciplinary experiences and afterward Bercaw Edwards asked if she was interested in working together on a show to dovetail with the conference.

“I absolutely was,” Ciravolo says. “I’m a reader. I once thought I’d be an English teacher, but I became an artist, so to have the opportunity to marry literature plus art is very unusual for me and special.”

About two dozen framed artworks on loan from The Melville Society, which houses its collection at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, are part of the show, along with several artists’ books, Ciravolo says, noting that most of the pieces relate to “Moby-Dick.”

This includes three full-color pieces from artist George Klauba, prints from sculptor and graphic artist Leonard Baskin, and an abstract piece, “Skin’s Path/Moby Dick,” from artist Aileen Callahan, a charcoal on paper that depicts the damaged skin of a whale that’s been beaten with time.

“The idea is to always get a mix of things, a variety of style and media, into the gallery,” Ciravolo says, explaining she and Bercaw Edwards visited the New Bedford Museum to pour through The Melville Society’s full collection, as well as the Museum’s Elizabeth Schultz Collection, and select the most powerful artworks from watercolor to printmaking.

“The scholars who are coming are going to appreciate seeing these artworks,” Ciravolo says. “I love that it will be a generative experience for them and that the public will have the chance to see this very interesting show. We’re here on Long Island Sound, near the whaling center of New England, so it’s a perfect place for this.”

The AVS Gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. in the Branford House at UConn Avery Point. It will have extended hours from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 16, and Tuesday, June 17, during the Melville conference for both participants and the public. The “Oceanic Melville” exhibition is open now through Thursday, June 19.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Support for International Students and Scholars

Source: US State of Connecticut

To the UConn and UConn Health Community,

We are announcing the launch of a new website created to support UConn’s international students, scholars, and employees. It will serve as a central hub for key information, guidance, and resources to help navigate and understand federal immigration updates, as well as related university policies.

The site was created in response to the evolving landscape of immigration policy, and reflects our commitment to keeping you informed and supported.

We encourage you to explore the site and share it with colleagues or students who may find it helpful. The site, Support for UConn’s International Community, will be updated regularly with new information and resources as they become available.

If you have suggestions or additional needs, please reach out to any of the following offices:

In recent weeks, there have been several significant immigration developments affecting institutions of higher education. These include a reported pause in expanding visa appointment availability for international students; new executive branch vetting procedures that may apply to international employees, including potential Requests for Evidence (RFEs) for biometric data such as photographs, fingerprints, and signatures; a public statement regarding possible visa revocations for certain Chinese students; and most recently, a presidential proclamation limiting travel and entry from 19 countries.

We want to reassure our community that we are actively monitoring these developments and are working diligently to provide timely communication and support to those who may be affected.

International Student and Scholar Services, Human Resources, the Dean of Students office, and UConn Health’s International Office will host an informational webinar to review the recent executive actions in greater detail. We invite you to join us on Tuesday, June 10, from noon to 1 p.m. You can access the webinar here.

UConn is committed to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all our faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars. We hope this resource will help you stay informed as we continue to navigate these evolving challenges together.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hinson, Cherfilus-McCormick Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand PACT Act Benefits for Vietnam Veterans with Glioblastoma

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) introduced the Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith Glioblastoma Parity Act, which amends the PACT Act to ensure Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange can access critical benefits for glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.

The bill, named in honor of Specialist Fourth Class (SP4) Keith Smith, was inspired by a letter Congresswomen Hinson and Cherfilus-McCormick received from his widow, Linda Smith, an Iowa resident. SP4 Smith, a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange, died from glioblastoma—a condition not currently recognized under the PACT Act for Agent Orange exposure. As a result, he was denied critical benefits. Linda Smith now advocates to ensure no other veteran or family faces the same injustice.

“This was Keith’s wish─to help other Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange. Adding glioblastoma to the list of presumptive conditions as part of the PACT Act would help fulfill that wish.” – Linda Smith.

“Ensuring our veterans receive the benefits they have earned remains a top priority for me. I was proud to support the PACT Act to expand access to care for those exposed to toxic substances, but more work remains. Glioblastoma is not recognized as a presumptive condition under the PACT Act for Agent Orange exposure, despite mounting evidence. I had the honor of speaking with Linda Smith of Independence, Iowa—the widow of Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith, who tragically passed away from Glioblastoma. SP4 Smith served our country with pride and honor, but under the current PACT Act, he was still unable to receive the health care he deserved. I’m humbled to co-lead this bipartisan effort to update the law and ensure all veterans have access to the highest quality care. Naming this bill in SP4 Smith’s honor is a deserving tribute to his life and service, and an opportunity for Iowans and all Americans to help save lives while honoring one of our own.” – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

“When our veterans serve, we make a promise to stand by them—not just in war, but long after they return home. Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith answered that call with courage in Vietnam, risking everything in service to our nation. This bipartisan bill is more than legislation—it’s a solemn commitment to honor his legacy, uplift his memory, and ensure that no veteran is forgotten. By recognizing his sacrifice, we reaffirm our duty to all those who have served and continue to serve, and we take a meaningful step toward keeping the promises we’ve made.” – Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick

“The Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH) is proud to endorse this critical piece of legislation. Glioblastoma claims far too many veteran lives annually. This bill is a huge step in rectifying past disparities and honoring the tremendous legacy of SP4 Smith.” – COL. Vincent Alcazar, USAF (ret.), Founder and Director of MACH

“The Invisible Enemy proudly supports the Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith Glioblastoma Parity Act introduced by Congresswomen Cherfilus-McCormick and Hinson. Glioblastoma has affected many servicemembers, whether due to Agent Orange on the battlefield or radiation at the Nevada Test and Training Range (HB 1400). We are deeply grateful to the Members of Congress who continue to support veterans by recognizing glioblastoma as a presumptive condition related to their service. These efforts bring hope and long-overdue recognition to those who have sacrificed in silence.” – David Tilem, Executive Director of the Invisible Enemy

The full text of the bill can be found here.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Wang Yi congratulates Javier Efrain Bu Soto on taking office as Honduran Foreign Minister

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday congratulated Javier Efrain Bu Soto on his assumption of office as Honduran Foreign Minister.

In his message, he noted that in March 2023, the heads of the two states made a far-sighted strategic decision, opening a new chapter in the history of relations between China and Honduras.

In the more than two years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have witnessed rapid development of bilateral relations and achieved fruitful results in bilateral cooperation, which has brought tangible benefits to both peoples, the minister said.

Facts have proven that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras is a significant modern achievement with long-term benefits, Wang added.

He said Beijing highly values Tegucigalpa’s commitment to the one-China principle and will continue to support Honduras as much as possible in developing its economy and improving the well-being of its people.

Wang Yi expressed his willingness to establish a strong working relationship with J.E. Bu Soto, jointly implement the important agreements reached by the two heads of state, and continuously improve the level of relations between China and Honduras. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 11, 2025
India’s space ambitions soar with historic Axiom Mission 4 and Gaganyaan Programme

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

India is poised to make history as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force prepares to become the first Indian astronaut in over four decades to travel to space. Selected under the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Human Spaceflight Programme, Shukla will serve as Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on June 11, 2025. This mission, reviving the legacy of Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 spaceflight, underscores India’s bold ambition to lead in global space exploration.

Managed by Axiom Space and led by Commander Peggy Whitson of the USA, Ax-4 is a landmark collaboration involving India, Poland, and Hungary, each sending government-sponsored astronauts to the ISS for the first time. Shukla’s role highlights India’s growing prominence in the global space community, focusing on operational readiness, microgravity adaptation, and advanced scientific experiments in space biology and life support systems. His work will include pioneering studies on edible microalgae to explore their growth under microgravity and space radiation, alongside research on cyanobacteria like Spirulina and Synechococcus for self-sustaining life support systems. An ISRO-led project, Voyager Tardigrades, will investigate the resilience of tardigrades in space, aiming to uncover molecular mechanisms for surviving extreme environments. Additional experiments on crop seeds, myogenesis, STEM demonstrations, and sprouts will further bolster India’s space science expertise. These efforts, developed in partnership with ISRO, NASA, and the Department of Biotechnology, are vital for long-duration missions and align with India’s Gaganyaan Programme, targeting a crewed mission to Low Earth Orbit by 2027.

The Gaganyaan Programme, backed by a ₹20,193 crore budget, is India’s flagship initiative for indigenous human spaceflight. It aims to develop and validate technologies for safe crewed missions, with a vision to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and achieve a crewed lunar landing by 2040. Four Indian Air Force test pilots—Group Captains PB Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shukla—have completed rigorous training. As of May 2025, the programme is in its final phase, with the Human-rated LVM3 vehicle, Crew Escape System, and Crew Module undergoing final testing for a planned 2027 launch. Gaganyaan is expected to drive technological innovation, industrial growth, and high-tech job creation, while inspiring future generations in STEM fields.

India’s space programme has already achieved remarkable milestones. Between January 2015 and December 2024, ISRO launched 393 foreign satellites and three Indian customer satellites, serving 34 countries, including the USA, UK, and Singapore. In 2017, ISRO set a world record by launching 104 satellites in a single mission. The Chandrayaan-3 mission made India the first nation to land on the Moon’s southern pole, with the Pragyan rover confirming sulphur presence. The Aditya L-1 solar mission, launched in 2017, captured unprecedented solar flare data in February 2025. Upcoming initiatives like the SpaDeX mission in December 2024 will demonstrate indigenous docking technology, while ISRO’s Orbital Re-entry Vehicle will enable autonomous re-entry and landing capabilities.

International collaborations are central to India’s space strategy. Partnerships with NASA on the NISAR mission, ESA on astronaut training and microgravity research, CNES on the TRISHNA satellite, and JAXA on lunar exploration studies highlight India’s global role. The India Space Policy 2023 and liberalized FDI norms, allowing up to 100% investment in certain space activities, have fueled private sector growth, with over 328 space startups emerging in recent years. Central Public Sector Enterprises like Antrix Corporation Limited and NewSpace India Limited, alongside IN-SPACe, are driving innovation and commercialization. The space budget has nearly tripled over the past decade, from ₹5,615 crore in 2013-14 to ₹13,416 crore in 2025-26, reflecting strong government commitment.

India’s Space Vision 2047 outlines ambitious goals, including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, lunar landings, and missions to Venus.

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: It’s a three-peat! Questrade leads annual ranking as MoneySense’s Best Online Broker in Canada again for 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questrade (www.questrade.com) — Canada’s #1 rated* online brokerage — is honoured to share that it has retained the title of MoneySense’s Best Online Broker in Canada for 2025, landing atop the ranking for a third consecutive year. The annual MoneySense review, conducted in partnership with research firm Surviscor, assesses and compares Canadian online brokerages across four pillars of investor experience including desktop and mobile platforms, service efficacy, and commissions and fees.

“Reclaiming the title of Best Online Broker in Canada adds to an already eventful year for Questrade with our move to offer $0 commission trading alongside our introduction of real-time fractional trading and Questrade Plus,” said Rob Galaski, Chief Journey Officer, Questrade. “This recognition stands as another powerful acknowledgement of our team’s work to deliver Canada’s most complete and compelling investment offering, furthering our mission to help all Canadians become much more financially successful and secure.”

In another standout year where Questrade outperformed its peers across many of the investor experience categories, it was applauded for its surprise move to introduce $0 commission trading, as well as its reliable customer service experience, industry-leading digital investment platforms, and ongoing commitment to investor education.

“We’re proud to once again name Questrade as MoneySense’s Best Online Broker in Canada for 2025,” said Natasha Macmillan, Senior Business Director, MoneySense. “Questrade leads the way with a robust, user-focused platform that prioritizes accessibility, innovation, and exceptional service, delivering genuine value to investors at every experience level. Its unwavering commitment to enhancing the investor experience, education, and ongoing support truly sets Questrade apart from the competition.”

Adding to the repeat recognition, MoneySense’s 2025 review also named Questrade as best broker for new and seasoned investors, $0 commission trading, user experience, and account experience, highlighting the online brokerage’s attention to the evolving needs and preferences of active and passive investors alike.

For a full breakdown of the rankings and explanation of all the criteria used, please visit the following link: https://www.moneysense.ca/save/investing/best-online-brokers-in-canada/.

About Questrade

Questrade, Inc. (“Questrade”) is changing the Canadian financial services industry by leveraging technology to lower fees while providing a viable alternative to traditional financial investment options, thereby allowing Canadians to Keep More of their Money. As a leader and innovator in financial services, Questrade is a trusted ally that advocates for consumers, focused on improving value. With 25 years of challenging the status quo as one of Canada’s leading, non-bank online brokerages and over $50 billion in assets under administration, Questrade and its affiliates provide financial products and services, including securities and foreign currency investments. For more information, visit www.questrade.com or on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) @Questrade. Questrade, Inc. is a registered investment dealer, a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Questrade is a wholly owned subsidiary of Questrade Financial Group Inc.

*MoneySense 2025

Media Contact

For more information, please contact J.R Gabriel, Questrade Financial Group at: jgabriel@questrade.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/620d1e9c-156f-4ff2-a10f-86b40da8f80a

The MIL Network –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: 100 years ago, the Social Gospel movement pushed to improve workers’ lives – but also to promote its vision of Christian America

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina Littlefield, Associate Professor of Communication and Religion, Pepperdine University

Immigrant children from Central Europe at a settlement house in St. Louis. Thomasa.nagel/Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump has praised the Gilded Age, which he believes was a time of immense national prosperity thanks to tariffs, no income tax, and few regulations on business.

Similar to today, the late 19th century was a time where a small group of men enjoyed immense wealth, privilege and power to shape the nation. It was a time of immense inequality, as factory and housing conditions crushed the lives of the poor.

And it was a time of white Christian nationalism.

In Northern cities, reformers saw the wealth gap, the plight of workers and the squalid conditions in tenements as undermining their vision of a Christian America. Fueled by faith, the Social Gospel movement worked to expand labor rights and improve living conditions at the turn of the 20th century.

At the same time, many of these white Protestant activists believed their own culture and race to be superior, and this prejudice hindered their efforts. They often spouted anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant rhetoric, and mostly ignored Black workers’ plight.

One of Jacob Riis’ many photographs of living conditions on New York’s Lower East Side.
Bettmann via Getty Images

Ever since the Puritans landed, white Christian nationalism has informed how many Protestants try to shape their country – a history I trace with church historian Richard T. Hughes in the book “Christian America and the Kingdom of God.” But Christian nationalism has taken dramatically different forms over time. The progressive Social Gospellers of a century ago are a particularly striking contrast to the conservative Christian right that has shaped U.S. politics for half a century, up to today.

Guardians of a Christian nation

There are many differences between Christian nationalism then and now. Like many conservative Christians today, however, the Social Gospellers believed that the United States was uniquely chosen and blessed by God, and called to be a Christian nation. They saw themselves as the rightful guardians of that mission. And though the country was still overwhelmingly Protestant, they feared they were losing influence.

New research explored the history of the Bible – research that many Christians feared would undermine people’s trust in Scripture as the word of God, by emphasizing its human composition. New scientific ideas about the Earth’s creation and human evolution challenged their visions of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. Meanwhile, rapid industrialization and urbanization had created new social challenges, such as workers’ safety and living conditions, leading some to reject faith as irrelevant to their needs.

Social Gospellers wanted to vindicate Christianity and show it was still relevant to modern life. But white leaders’ vision of what a Christian America should look like conflated their Protestant faith with their race and culture.

Josiah Strong, for example, was a Congregationalist minister known for promoting factory safety. But he stoked fear of Catholic immigrants and endorsed the expansion of the U.S. as a benevolent empire. The Anglo-Saxon race “is destined to dispossess many weaker races, assimilate others, and mold the remainder,” Strong argued in his 1885 book, “Our Country.”

Baptist reformer Walter Rauschenbusch.
Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Another Social Gospel reformer, Northern Baptist theologian Walter Rauschenbusch, railed against unrestrained greed, political corruption, militarism and contempt between elites and the working class. But he shared the white supremacy of his age. God was favoring Germanic and Anglo-Saxon people, he claimed, to enact God’s purposes.

“Other races are as dear to God as we and he may be holding them in reserve to carry His banner when we drop it,” he wrote in an undated article. But it was part of God’s plan, he believed, for Northern Europeans to “hold the larger part of the world’s wealth and power in the hollow of their hands and the larger share of the world’s intellectual and spiritual possessions in the hollow of their heads.”

The ‘right’ kind of Christian

Though many white Protestants felt threatened by the challenges of immigration, they were still a clear majority, and they presumed that most Americans would endorse applying Christian ethics to public policy and social reform.

Jane Addams speaks to visitors in 1935 at Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago that she co-founded in 1889.
National Archives via Wikimedia Commons

What’s more, women gaining the right to vote in 1920 meant Social Gospel leaders expanded Protestants’ power at the ballot box. Many Social Gospel leaders embraced women’s suffrage because women were already leading supporters for their causes: For example, Frances Willard, who promoted temperance and workers’ rights; and Jane Addams, who ran a Christian “settlement house,” or community center, for the poor.

But in another sense, demographics were not on their side. The U.S. might have been a very white and Christian country, but in some Social Gospellers’ minds, the era’s waves of immigrants were not the “right” kind of Christian: Northern European and Protestant. Immigration was shifting from Great Britain, Ireland and Germany to Russia, Poland, Hungary and Italy. While Protestants far outnumbered Catholics nationally, Strong wrote that they were double the Protestant population in major cities like New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

A Polish mother and her nine children waiting at Ellis Island.
U.S. National Park Service

Strong argued that Catholic immigrants were lazy, prone to alcoholism and criminal activity, and willing to sell their vote to corrupt city politicians. He claimed they would corrupt the morals of Anglo-Saxon Americans, and that if the Catholic population grew, it would undermine Protestants’ religious liberty.

Nativist views like these led to the National Origins Act of 1924, which restricted the number of immigrants. Quotas for each country were based on the profile of the American population in 1890 – an attempt to maintain Protestant dominance against Catholic and Jewish immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. That distrust also kept Social Gospellers from partnering with Roman Catholic leaders on shared concern for workers.

Flourishing for all, or some?

Still, when it came to workers’ basic needs, reformers cared deeply about improving circumstances for the “least of these.” The movement was strongly influenced by the biblical parable of the sheep and the goats: verses in the Book of Matthew where Jesus promotes feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, clothing the naked and visiting those in prison.

Social Gospellers aimed to prove that Christianity could answer the social challenges caused by industrialization, urbanization and immigration. For the most part, they sought to use their privilege in ways that promoted the flourishing of all Americans, such as expanding labor rights and providing services to the poor through settlement houses.

A photograph by Jacob Riis in a small New York City sweatshop in the 1880s.
Bettmann via Getty Images

In 1908, for example, the Federal Council of Churches adopted a 14-point statement called the “Social Creed,” affirming that churches should support reforms “to lift the crushing burdens of the poor, and to reduce the hardships and uphold the dignity of labor.” While some of the reforms they called for are taken for granted today — like one day off per week — other calls, like a living wage for all, are yet to be realized.

Over the past half-century, the modern Christian right, too, has feared that its vision for the nation is eroding. Conservative churches have seen their influence drop as more Americans move away from organized religion and reject their rejection of LGBTQ+ people.

I — along with other scholars — argue that these fears have helped fuel resurgent Christian nationalism today. Since merging with the tea party movement during the Obama administration, the Christian right has increasingly embraced an anti-immigration and anti-minority stance, fearing the loss of its own standing.

Like the Social Gospellers of a century ago, the Christian nationalists of recent decades are wary of religious and racial change in their country. Yet the movement’s priorities – often focused around its vision of families, sex and gender – are starkly more limited than the broader quality-of-life issues that Social Gospellers addressed.

Both groups desired an America rooted in biblical values. But each interpreted Scripture through its own lens, seeking to remake America in its own, white Protestant image.

Christina Littlefield 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. 100 years ago, the Social Gospel movement pushed to improve workers’ lives – but also to promote its vision of Christian America – https://theconversation.com/100-years-ago-the-social-gospel-movement-pushed-to-improve-workers-lives-but-also-to-promote-its-vision-of-christian-america-255216

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Partnering for Prosperity: Beatty Boosts Small Financial Institutions Nationwide

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Beatty reintroduced H.R. 3709 the ‘Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act’ to codify the Financial Agent Mentor-Protégé Program at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The program pairs up small and rural financial institutions with large banks and credit unions, providing resources, training, and technical assistance to help them better serve their communities and become Financial Agents to Treasury.

Small financial institutions, including Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), play a critical role in their communities, yet there are only 151 MDI banks left in the United States, and the number of minority-owned banks has dropped more than 30% since its peak in 2008. Although their numbers have largely stabilized in recent years, MDIs generally have much higher expenses and are often forced to merge with other minority-owned banks to survive.

“Small financial institutions are anchors of local economies across the U.S., providing mortgage credit, small business lending, and other critical banking services to their communities ,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “These institutions know the financial needs of their communities best, and codifying the mentor-protégé program at Treasury will go a long way toward preserving and strengthening their impact across America —and advancing our mission of an inclusive financial system.”

“The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is pleased to support Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s Advancing the Mentor-Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act, which would establish a Treasury Financial Agent program enabling partnerships between MDIs, rural community banks, and other financial institutions,” said Rebeca Romero Rainey, ICBA President and CEO. “This legislation reinforces and supports the critical role MDIs and rural community banks serve as a lifeline in their communities, providing tailored financial products, and fostering greater economic growth.”

“The American Bankers Association is pleased to support Rep. Beatty’s Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act, which would increase the ability of community banks, rural financial institutions and MDIs to meet the financial service needs of their customers, clients and communities,” said Rob Nichols, ABA President and CEO. “By strengthening partnerships between large banks and these community financial institutions with the help of the Treasury Department, this bill will provide significant benefit to consumers across the country and the broader economy.”

“The National Bankers Association (NBA) proudly supports Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act, which takes a critical step toward strengthening small, mission-driven banks,” said Nicole Elam, President and CEO of the NBA. “This legislation builds on existing Treasury efforts by expanding the scope of support for Minority and Rural Depository Institutions—ensuring they have greater access to federal resources and opportunities. Through the establishment of a Financial Agent Mentor-Protégé Program, larger financial institutions will be able to mentor and support small, mission-driven banks in enhancing their operational capacity, deepening community impact, and qualifying to serve as financial agents of the U.S. government.”

“America’s Credit Unions applauds Rep. Joyce Beatty’s efforts to promote programs that support minority depository institution (MDI) credit unions and other credit unions. We are pleased to see the reintroduction of the Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act. This bill would empower MDI and other smaller credit unions to collaborate with larger credit unions in these mentorship efforts. This builds on the credit union culture of ‘people helping people’ and working cooperatively to ensure the success of communities they serve,” said Jim Nussle, America’s Credit Unions President/CEO.

The full bill text can be found HERE.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: CUSIP Global Services Teams with Aumni, Inc., a J.P. Morgan company, to Offer CUSIP Identifiers for Private Companies

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NORWALK, Conn., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CUSIP Global Services (CGS) today announced a collaboration with Aumni, Inc. (“Aumni”), a J.P. Morgan company specializing in venture capital data solutions, to expand CUSIP coverage for venture-backed and private equity-owned private companies. This expanded coverage provides standardized identifiers for company issuers and their financial instruments, thereby increasing efficiency, accuracy, and security in reporting, settlement, and analytics for venture capital firms, private equity firms, and their investors.

The CUSIP is a nine-character alphanumeric security identifier that captures the unique attributes of issuers and their financial instruments throughout the U.S. and Canada. Widely recognized as a trusted standard in the financial markets, the CUSIP is a foundational building block that allows for efficient trading, clearing, and settlement across dozens of asset classes. Private equity markets have historically not had a standard identifier, resulting in the use of manual, error-prone solutions for security tracking and identity resolution.

“This collaboration marks a significant step forward in enabling the same level of efficiency in private markets that public markets have enjoyed for decades. By standardizing private company identifiers, we are paving the way for more streamlined operations and better decision-making for all market participants, which we feel is becoming ever more important as these alternative asset classes continue to grow,” said Scott Preiss, Senior Vice President and Global Head, CGS. “This exciting collaboration with Aumni helps CGS fulfill its mission, as directed by our industry-appointed Board of Trustees, to keep innovating and expanding the depth and breadth of CUSIP coverage as new market needs develop.”

Aumni is a leading software platform for private market investors to manage investment portfolio data, analytics, and insights. By combining Aumni’s expertise in private market data structuring with CGS’s Private CUSIP assignment capabilities and reputation as a trusted provider of capital markets reference data, customers will benefit from rich company- and security-level metadata to support portfolio management.

“We are excited to work with CGS on providing standardized security identifiers to the venture capital and private equity space,” said Alex Woodgate, Head of Corporate Development and Data Solutions at Aumni. “Consistent reference data for private securities will simplify reporting and enable efficiencies for GPs and LPs, and unlock further innovation opportunities for the private markets ecosystem.”

Beginning today, existing CGS customers will gain access to a free version of the Private CUSIP feed alongside their existing products and services. Customers can choose to upgrade to a premium service, adding a larger pool of company and security identifiers, additional metadata for each identifier, and the ability to request new identifiers.

For more information, please visit https://www.cusip.com/cusip/privateEquityData.

About CUSIP Global Services
CUSIP Global Services (CGS) is the global leader in securities identification. The financial services industry relies on CGS’ unrivaled experience in uniquely identifying instruments and entities to support efficient global capital markets. Its extensive focus on standardization over the past 50 plus years has helped CGS earn its reputation as the industry standard provider of reliable, timely reference data. CGS is also a founding member of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) and co-operates ANNA’s hub of ISIN data, the ANNA Service Bureau. CGS is managed on behalf of the American Bankers Association (ABA) by FactSet Research Systems Inc., with a Board of Trustees that represents the voices of leading financial institutions. For more information, visit www.cusip.com.

For More Information:

John Roderick
J. Roderick Public Relations for CUSIP Global Services
john@jroderick.com
+1 (631) 584.2200

The MIL Network –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Laser Focused: Keith Barr Leads Orion’s Lunar Docking Efforts

Source: NASA

Keith Barr was born only months before the historic Apollo 11 landing in 1969. While he was too young to witness that giant leap for mankind, the moment sparked a lifelong fascination that set him on a path to design technology that will carry astronauts farther into space than ever before.
Today, Barr serves as a chief engineer and Orion Docking Lidar Field Test lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He spearheads the field testing of docking lidars for the Orion spacecraft, which will carry astronauts to the Moon on the Artemis III mission. These lidars are critical to enabling Orion to autonomously dock with the human landing system on Artemis III — the mission that will land astronauts near the Moon’s South Pole for the first time in history.

“The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions are some of humanity’s greatest technical achievements,” he said. “To be part of the Artemis chapter is a profound honor.”
In recognition of his contributions, Barr was selected as a NASA Space Flight Awareness Honoree in 2025 for his exceptional dedication to astronaut safety and mission success. Established in 1963, NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program celebrates individuals who play a vital role in supporting human spaceflight. The award is one of the highest honors presented to the agency’s workforce.
With a career spanning over 25 years at Lockheed Martin, Barr is now recognized as a renowned leader in lidar systems—technologies that use laser light to measure distances. He has led numerous lidar deployments and test programs across commercial aviation, wind energy, and military markets.
In 2019, Barr and his team began planning a multi-phase field campaign to validate Orion’s docking lidars under real-world conditions. They repurposed existing hardware, developed a drone-based simulation system, and conducted dynamic testing at Lockheed Martin facilities in Littleton, Colorado, and Santa Cruz, California.
In Littleton, the team conducted two phases of testing at the Space Operations Simulation Center, evaluating performance across distances ranging from 50 meters to docking. At the Santa Cruz facility, they began much farther out at 6,500 meters and tested down to 10 meters, just before the final docking phase.
Of all these efforts, Barr is especially proud of the ingenuity behind the Santa Cruz tests. To simulate a spacecraft docking scenario, he repurposed a lidar pointing gimbal and test trailer from previous projects and designed a drone-based test system with unprecedented accuracy.
“An often-overlooked portion of any field campaign is the measurement and understanding of truth,” he said. “The system I designed allowed us to record lidar and target positions with accuracy never before demonstrated in outdoor docking lidar testing.”

The test stand at the Santa Cruz Facility had once been used for Agena upper stage rockets—a key piece of hardware used during the Gemini program in the 1960s. “We found a Gemini-era sticker on the door of the test bunker—likely from the time of Gemini VIII, the first space docking completed by Neil Armstrong and David Scott,” Barr said. “This really brought it home to me that we are simply part of the continuing story.”

Barr spent more than two decades working on WindTracer—a ground-based Doppler wind lidar system used to measure wind speed and turbulence at airports, wind farms, and in atmospheric research.
The transition from WindTracer to Orion presented new challenges. “Moving onto a space program has a steep learning curve, but I have found success in this new arena and I have learned that I can adapt and I shouldn’t be nervous about the unknown,” he said. “Learning new technologies, applications, and skills keeps my career fun and exciting and I look forward to the next giant leap—whatever it is.”

Barr’s passion for flight moves in tandem with his pursuit of innovation. Over his career, he has flown over 1.6 million miles on commercial airlines. “I often joke that I’m on my fourth trip to the Moon and back—just in economy class,” he said.
Before specializing in lidar systems, Barr flew as a captain and assistant chief pilot at New England Airlines, operating small aircraft like the Piper Cherokee 6 and the Britten-Norman Islander.
He also worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, contributing to several NASA airborne missions aimed at unraveling the science behind global ozone depletion.

As Barr reflects on his journey, he hopes to pass along a sense of legacy to the Artemis Generation. “We are in the process of writing the next chapter of human space exploration history, and our actions, successes, and troubles will be studied and analyzed well into the future,” he said. “We all need to consider how our actions will shape history.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes MTL Cannabis Corp. to OTCQX

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced MTL Cannabis Corp. (CSE: MTLC; OTCQX: MTLNF), a company engaged in the cultivation and production of cannabis products for recreational and medical purposes, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. MTL Cannabis Corp. upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB® Venture Market.

MTL Cannabis Corp. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “MTLNF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

The OTCQX Market is designed for established, investor-focused U.S. and international companies. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Graduating to the OTCQX Market from the OTCQB Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors.

Our upgrade to the OTCQX® Best Market marks a significant milestone for MTL Cannabis Corp. as we expand our presence and accessibility in the US market,” said Michael Perron, CEO of MTL Cannabis Corp. “This step underscores our commitment to reaching a broader investor base, increasing liquidity, and positioning MTL Cannabis Corp. as a key player in the global cannabis industry.”

About MTL Cannabis Corp.
MTL Cannabis Corp., through its subsidiaries, engages in the cultivation and production of cannabis products for recreational and medical purposes in Canada.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX^® Best Market, OTCQB^® Venture Market, and Pink^® Open Market.

Our OTC Link^® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS™ are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:
OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

The MIL Network –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Executive Order “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” -– Draganfly Selected by Southern Border Cochise County Sheriff’s Department for Drone Pilot Program.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Tampa, FL, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an award-winning, industry-leading drone solutions and systems developer, is pleased to announce its selection by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department to support a new drone pilot program aimed at enhancing surveillance and operations along the southern border. This initiative aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s executive order, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” which seeks to reassert America’s leadership in unmanned aerial systems for security and defense.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, recognized nationally for its innovative use of technology in law enforcement, has previously implemented high-resolution camera networks, sensor-integrated mobile units, and ground surveillance radar systems. These efforts have garnered commendations and visits from President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, highlighting the department’s leadership in border enforcement and technological integration.

“The southern border is one of America’s most critical national security frontiers,” said Captain Tim Williams of Cochise County Sheriff’s Department. “Our department has always been committed to leveraging the best tools available. With Draganfly as our drone partner, we’re entering the next phase of smart border enforcement. Their systems will enhance our ability to protect communities, manage humanitarian concerns, and respond rapidly to evolving threats.”

Under this new pilot program, the department will deploy the Draganfly family of drones for extended border surveillance, quick-response missions and nighttime operations. Draganfly’s drones are known for their adaptability and multi-mission capabilities, providing law enforcement and public safety operators the ability to execute a variety of operating tactics and capabilities from a single vehicle, with a variety of configurations available to support various payload and range demands. Draganfly products are capable of integrating with a variety of incumbent hardware and software solutions, including TAK(Team Awareness Kit) network compatibility, enabling a seamless integration with existing capabilities.

“We are honored to be working with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department on this historic program,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “Their team represents some of the best of American law enforcement—innovation-focused, community-minded, and mission-ready. This project embodies the spirit of President Trump’s executive order and sets a gold standard for how drone technology should be used to secure national borders.”

This initiative not only reinforces the department’s legacy of operational excellence but also positions Cochise County as a national model for technology-enabled border enforcement.

About Draganfly

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO; CSE: DPRO; FSE: 3U8) is the creator of quality, cutting-edge drone solutions, software, and AI systems that revolutionize how organizations can do business and serve their stakeholders. Recognized as being at the forefront of technology for over 25 years, Draganfly is an award-winning industry leader serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections, security, mapping, and surveying markets. Draganfly is a company driven by passion, ingenuity, and the need to provide efficient solutions and first-class services to its customers around the world with the goal of saving time, money, and lives.

NASDAQ (DPRO)
CSE (DPRO)
FSE (3U8)

Media Contact:
Erika Racicot
Email: media@draganfly.com

Company Contact:
Email: info@draganfly.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain “forward looking statements” and certain “forward-looking ‎‎‎‎information” as ‎‎‎‎defined under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements ‎‎‎‎and information can ‎‎‎‎generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‎‎‎‎‎“may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, ‎‎‎‎‎“estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “plans” or similar ‎‎‎‎terminology. Forward-looking statements ‎‎‎‎and information are based on forecasts of future ‎‎‎‎results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and ‎‎‎‎assumptions that, while believed by ‎‎‎‎management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant ‎‎‎‎business, economic and ‎‎‎‎competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements ‎‎‎‎include, but are not ‎‎‎‎limited to, statements with respect to Draganfly’s drones being known for their adaptability and multi-mission capabilities, providing law enforcement and public safety operators the ability to execute a variety of operating tactics and capabilities from a single vehicle, with a variety of configurations available to support various payload and range demands, as well as their capable of integrating with a variety of incumbent hardware and software solutions, including TAK network compatibility, enabling a seamless integration with existing capabilities. Forward-‎‎‎‎looking statements and information are subject to various ‎known ‎‎and unknown risks and ‎‎‎‎‎uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to ‎control or ‎‎predict, that ‎‎‎‎may cause ‎the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be ‎materially ‎‎different ‎‎‎‎from those ‎expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions ‎about ‎‎such ‎‎‎‎risks, uncertainties ‎and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the potential ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎impact of epidemics, ‎pandemics or other public health crises, including the ‎COVID-19 pandemic, on the Company’s business, operations and financial ‎‎‎‎condition; the ‎‎‎successful integration of ‎technology; the inherent risks involved in the general ‎‎‎‎securities markets; ‎‎‎uncertainties relating to the ‎availability and costs of financing needed in the ‎‎‎‎future; the inherent ‎‎‎uncertainty of cost estimates; the ‎potential for unexpected costs and ‎‎‎‎expenses, currency ‎‎‎fluctuations; regulatory restrictions; and liability, ‎competition, loss of key ‎‎‎‎employees and other related risks ‎‎‎and uncertainties disclosed under the ‎heading “Risk Factors“ ‎‎‎‎in the Company’s most recent filings filed ‎‎‎with securities regulators in Canada on ‎the SEDAR ‎‎‎‎website at www.sedar.com and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on EDGAR through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes ‎‎‎no obligation to update forward-‎looking ‎‎‎‎information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-‎‎‎looking information represents ‎‎‎‎‎managements’ best judgment based on information currently available. ‎‎‎No forward-looking ‎‎‎‎statement ‎can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. ‎‎‎Accordingly, readers ‎‎‎‎are advised not to ‎place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or ‎‎‎information.‎

The MIL Network –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Raft of tech companies investing in Britain as government vows to unleash growth
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Raft of tech companies investing in Britain as government vows to unleash growth

From AI to fintech, leading global tech firms that will power the next Industrial Revolution announce major UK investments, creating highly-skilled jobs from Edinburgh to Warwick.
From AI to fintech, leading global tech firms that will power the next Industrial Revolution announce major UK investments, creating highly-skilled jobs from Edinburgh to Warwick.

Technological progress will define the decades ahead, unleashing new innovations that could make us healthier, wealthier and safer – Science and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle told an audience today.

Government will go all in on science and tech to deliver the growth, improved healthcare, and clean energy breakthroughs that are central to the upcoming modern Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change.

Hundreds of well-paid, highly-skilled tech jobs will be created from Edinburgh to Warwick, and beyond, as the Science and Technology Secretary has confirmed a raft of investments into the UK by leading global technology companies today (Tuesday 10 June). These significant investments range from AI to fintech, and some see the companies involved setting up shop in the UK for the very first time.

Peter Kyle unveiled this news in a keynote speech at London Tech Week, where he also set out more of the government’s plan to put the white-hot potential of science and technology to work, building a better UK. Investments like these, together with partnerships like that announced with NVIDIA by the Prime Minister yesterday, and new government measures set out by the Secretary of State, will ignite the growth the UK needs to truly deliver on the government’s Plan for Change.

From harnessing AI to boost healthcare and clean energy, to new measures to support innovative early-stage science and tech companies to thrive, going all in on science and tech is the route to the medical breakthroughs, ways of making energy cheaper and greener, and good-quality jobs that will make all our lives better. It’s one of the growth-driving sectors in the government’s forthcoming modern Industrial Strategy, and today’s speech sets out elements that will drive the success of the strategy.

Investments being announced today:

Liquidity, a US-based global AI fintech, will launch its European headquarters in London as part of a plan to invest an additional £1.5 billion into cutting-edge enterprises over the next 5 years

InnovX AI, one of Europe’s leading startup hubs, investing £14.7 million in a new London technology hub, creating 30 jobs

Nebius, a Dutch AI infrastructure company, announcing a long-term commitment to back the UK’s AI sector, starting with an initial investment of £200 million. They will establish a UK AI Factory – with 2 potential sites in South East England currently being assessed – that could result in thousands of jobs coming online in the decades to come

Capgemini, one of the world’s largest business and technology transformation partners, expanding its UK presence with a new London HQ, following strong revenue growth over the years.

Netcompany, a Danish IT consultancy, investing £2 million as it expands its Leeds office and launches a new site in Edinburgh, eventually set to create 150 jobs

Ekimetrics, a French AI solutions firm, is investing £8.5 million in their UK operations, creating over 150 roles in London over 3 years as part of its Elevate 2028 strategy

Yuno, a Colombia-based global fintech that is rapidly expanding, is choosing London for its European headquarters

Rebeldot, a Romanian software and tech consultancy, opening its UK subsidiary in Warwick, as part of plans to expand its presence in the UK

To succeed, the UK’s tech leaders need stability and certainty. Today the Science and Tech Secretary has set out the ways in which the British state will be an active partner and enabler, working with the private sector to unlock the promise of technology, to help unleash the next Industrial Revolution and build a better Britain.

The government’s upcoming modern Industrial Strategy will also provide a credible 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in high-growth sectors like digital and technologies. This will secure the UK’s position as the best place in Europe to create, invest, and scale-up a fast-growing digital and technologies business.

These include an £86 billion commitment to funding for R&D, a new £25 million scheme to bring elite AI experts to the UK, £187 million for new schemes to train up the tech workforce of tomorrow, and £1 billion funding for the AI Research Resource announced by the Prime Minister yesterday.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

We have all seen over the last few years, just how rapidly and profoundly technologies like AI are transforming the economy, and our society. Britain can – and must – be at the cutting edge of this change. The era of hesitancy is over: we can be the masters of our fate, and through the measures I am announcing today, we will harness the vast potential of our trillion-pound tech sector to help remake our country for the better.

This is the Plan for Change, in action. The UK has all the tools needed for success in science and technology, and by working as an active partner to our world-leading universities and cutting-edge businesses, this government will ensure that we seize the era-defining opportunities before us.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

The UK continues to be a prime destination for tech businesses from across the world to come and succeed, and London Tech Week is a shining example of this.

Securing valuable high-tech investment is an integral mission of this government and seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the Plan for Change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain.

With tech being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming modern Industrial Strategy, we’re not only helping attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK.

Announcements being made today are evidence of the holistic approach the government is taking to turbo-charging Britain’s tech sector.

Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship

To encourage the investment and access to risk capital that is critical for science and tech-backed businesses in the early stages, we are opening the Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship for a second cohort and round of applications, to increase the capacity of the UK financial sector to invest in the tomorrow’s breakthroughs, today. This will be delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Imperial Business School.

Turing AI ‘Global’ fellowships

New efforts to build the skills base Britain needs to seize the potential of AI, are being backed with £25 million. A prestigious new AI talent fellowship will be launched, to attract 5 top AI experts to the UK: the Turing AI ‘Global’ fellowships. Fellows will receive substantial packages to relocate to the UK and quickly build a team of experts to conduct frontier AI research and contribute to the UK’s AI ecosystem.

Encode: AI for Science Fellowship

The government also intends to fund a UK-based expansion of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship. Conceived and delivered by Pillar VC and enabled by ARIA, the programme embeds world-class AI researchers into cutting-edge scientific labs, accelerating the pathway to industry, and enabling talent to spend one year immersed in intensive exploration, feedback, and development cycles.

The Encode fellowships will commence earlier, with new talent arriving in the UK by Autumn 2025. This will be backed by the UK Sovereign AI Unit with up to £5 million in government funding.

This investment will ensure the UK further benefits from the extraordinary talent Encode has already attracted, catalysing new collaborations in areas such as climate modelling, rare disease treatment, crop development, and neuroscience. Encode is one of the first initiatives launched and supported through ARIA’s flagship Activation Partners initiative.

Spinouts Register

Meanwhile a world-first new Spinouts Register marks a step-change in the type and quality of information available on the UK’s spinouts – which will inform better policymaking, and enable better support for these important companies. This comprehensive database covering the more than 2,000 spinouts formed since 2012/2013 in the UK, represents the first ever ‘official’ list of all spin-out companies produced by UK universities.

The first flagship analysis to better understand how spinouts grow and succeed, drawing on data within the Register, is also being published today, by the University of Cambridge’s Policy Evidence Unit for University, Commercialisation and Innovation (UCI). Initial findings show university spinouts outperform other start-ups, including contributions in key strategically important sectors, with university spinouts comprising 70% of the top 20 life science startups by investment raised. The Register has been developed by the Higher Education Statistics Agency with Research England and UCI.

Working internationally delivers benefits beyond investment, and working with global partners is also critical to the UK’s ambitions for science and technology. The vast opportunities for our innovators through schemes like Horizon Europe are central to that. Later today, Peter Kyle will meet with European Commissioner for Research and Innovation Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva to discuss how to exploit these opportunities even further, building on the UK having recently gained access to more quantum and space Horizon funding calls.

All of this is on top of commitments to the UK’s innovation and technology-forward future announced by the Prime Minister, yesterday, including greater support for researchers to spin their ideas out into successful businesses, and new schemes like the Tech First programme that will give British workers the skills they need to thrive in the decades ahead. The government is also developing the National Digital Exchange, a web platform that could save the public sector £1.2 billion on buying tech, as well as cutting duplicative costs and processes.

DSIT media enquiries

Email press@dsit.gov.uk

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 10 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s opening remarks at press conference at Ocean Conference [Full transcript, scroll down for French]

Source: United Nations secretary general

Good morning,

We are in Nice on a mission – save the ocean, to save our future.

That was my message at the Conference opening yesterday, and it is the message I have carried through all my meetings.

The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet.

It produces half of the oxygen we breathe, nourishes billions of people, supports hundreds of millions of jobs, and underpins global trade.

For many, the ocean is more than a source of food and livelihood.

It shapes cultures…anchors identities… and feeds the soul.

Yet, we are treating it like a limitless resource – pretending it can absorb our abuse without consequence.

Every year, we see more troubling signs that our ocean is under siege.

Fish populations are collapsing due to reckless illegal fishing and overexploitation.

Climate change is driving ocean acidification and heating – destroying coral reefs, accelerating sea level rise, and threatening communities worldwide.

And plastic pollution is choking marine life and infesting our food chain – ultimately ending up in our blood and even our brains.

When we poison the ocean, we poison ourselves.

Dear friends,

There’s a tipping point approaching – beyond which recovery may become impossible.

And let us be clear:

Powerful interests are pushing us towards the brink.

We are facing a hard battle, against a clear enemy.

Its name is greed.

Greed that sows doubt… denies science… distorts truth… rewards corruption… and destroys life for profit.

We cannot let greed dictate the fate of our planet.

That is why we are here this week: to stand in solidarity against those forces and reclaim what belongs to us all.

Governments, business leaders, fishers, scientists… everyone has a responsibility and a vital role to play.

Throughout my many engagements at the Conference, I have highlighted four priorities.

First – we must transform how we harvest the ocean’s bounty.

It is not about fishing, it’s about how we fish.

Sustainable fishing is not a choice – it is our only option.

This means stronger global cooperation, strict enforcement against illegal fishing, and expanded protected areas to rebuild stocks and safeguard marine life.

And it means delivering on the 30 by 30 target – to conserve and manage at least 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.

We have a moral duty to ensure future generations inherit oceans swarming with life.

Second – we must confront the plague of plastic pollution.

This means phasing out single-use plastics, overhauling waste systems, and boosting recycling.

All countries must quickly finalize an ambitious, legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution. And we hope that this will happen this year.

Third – the fight against climate change must extend to the seas.

For decades, the ocean has been absorbing carbon emissions and taking the heat of a warming planet.

That comes at great cost.

As we prepare for COP30 in Brazil, countries must present ambitious national climate action plans.

These plans must align with limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius;

Cover all emissions and the whole economy;

And in line with the commitments countries have made to accelerate the global energy transition and seize the benefits of clean power.

Last year, for the first time, the annual global temperature was 1.5°C hotter than pre-industrial times.

Scientists are clear: that does not mean that the long-term global temperature rise limit to 1.5 degrees is out of reach.

It means we need to fight harder.

The ocean depends on it – and so do we.

I urge countries to champion ocean-based climate solutions – like protecting mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.

We must also increase financial and technological support to developing countries – so that they can protect themselves from extreme weather and respond when disasters strike.

The survival of coastal communities and Small Island Developing States depends on it.

And fourth – we must implement the recent Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

The Agreement is a historic step towards protecting vast areas of our ocean.

I congratulate the 134 countries that have signed and the 49 and counting that have ratified the Agreement – including 18 new signatures and 18 ratifications yesterday alone.

The entry into force is within our sight.

And I call on all remaining nations to join swiftly.

We do not have a moment to lose.

Finally, on seabed mining, we have a collective responsibility to proceed with great caution.

I support the ongoing work of the International Seabed Authority on this important issue.

As I said yesterday, the deep sea cannot become the Wild West.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated.

Ocean health is inseparable from human health, climate stability, and global prosperity.

But I leave Nice energized and encouraged by the many pledges already made.

Encouraged by island nations and Indigenous Peoples sharing their stories and expertise…

Encouraged by young activists demanding action and accountability…

Scientists developing innovative solutions for all…

Business leaders investing in the blue economy…

This is the global coalition we need.

I urge everyone to step forward with decisive commitments and tangible funding.

The ocean has given us so much.

It is time we returned the favor.

Our health, our climate, and our future depend on it.

Thank you. Je vous remercie.

Question: Secretary General, you warned against a wild west on deep sea mining. Beyond words, what specific actions would you like countries to take to either stop deep sea mining or put in place strong regulations?

Secretary-General: Well, as I mentioned, there is an institution that has a key role to play, and is playing it, and I trust that they will be doing what is necessary to avoid the Wild West that I mentioned. It is the International Seabed Authority, and I think it’s extremely important not to have any kind of initiative that is beyond whatever will be established by the International Seabed Authority.

Question: Mr. Secretary-General, you said we have to save the ocean. Are you happy with this conference? Do you think it will make a difference?

Secretary-General: I think it is making a difference. There is one aspect that is particularly evident. UNCLOS, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, took 12 years to enter into force. We are two years from the BBNJ, and we have already, as of today, 49 ratifications [Editor’s Note: 50 including the EU] with 15 commitments to do it soon, which means that it will, in the next few months, reach the entry into force. That is a record – a little bit more than two years. So, I see a momentum and an enthusiasm that was difficult to find in the past.

And the way this meeting was attended – not only by countries, but by civil society, by the business community, by indigenous communities, representing more than double those that came to the Lisbon conference that I attended two years ago – shows the very strong commitment made by countries in relation to enlarging the protection areas. All these shows a momentum that, to be honest, I had never witnessed in conferences of this type. Am I entirely happy? Of course not. I would like things to move much faster.

And let’s not forget that there is a clear link between biodiversity, climate and marine protection. And in that clear link, we still have some dramatic gaps. And one of the most worrying ones is, of course, the impact of climate change on the oceans – the fact that the rising of sea levels is accelerating; the fact that waters are more and more warmer with acidification. We see the impacts in coastal areas. We see the corals bleaching, and we see that climate change became an extremely dramatic threat to the lives of our oceans. And there, I have to say, we are moving slowly, and I hope the COP in Belém will be able to provide the necessary acceleration.

Question: You said that sustainable fishing was the only option left, but for small states like Sri Lanka that’s struggling with bottom trawling – a regional practice – and IUU fishing [Illegal, unreported and unregulated], we don’t have the capacity to enforce and control external actors like that. What can the UN do to assist small states to protect its fish stocks and marine ecology?

Secretary-General: I think we must develop forms, first of all, of accountability in relation to illegal fishing and in relation to the way fishing resources of developing countries are being exploited by a certain number of predators. So, there is a question of accountability, and we’ll be doing our best to increase the mechanisms of international accountability that for the moment – let us be clear – are extremely limited and inefficient.

Question: CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are a double problem for the ocean because of acidification, and they are hitting the atmosphere and the ocean. At the same time, there’s a lot of oil industry activity that happens in the ocean, which is a continuing risk. What message and agreements do you expect to hear from the countries in this conference regarding the fossil fuel industry or is this not a subject right now in this conference?

Secretary-General: I believe the energy transition will be more central in the COP meeting than in this meeting. But there are two things that, for me, are absolutely evident. First is that 85 per cent of the emissions correspond to fossil fuels. So the problem of climate change is essentially linked to fossil fuels. The second is that we are witnessing an energy transition that demonstrates that the cheapest way to produce energy is through renewables.

You might have heard what I said about greed. There is a dramatic effort from the fossil fuel industry to distort the reality. But one thing for me is inevitable – the fossil fuel age is coming to an end, and the renewable age will be there as the age of the future. The problem is, will that be done on time? And what we need is to accelerate that transition. And I hope that in the COP there will be a very strong message in this regard.

Question: I wanted to ask if you have concerns generally about the 1.5 target slipping out from policymakers’ speeches as people come to accept that it’s not likely to be met. Are you concerned that people are moving ahead and starting to talk about 2 degrees? How do you keep up the message around 1.5 when the science looks certain that it will be passed?

Secretary-General: I am concerned. Scientists are very clear when they tell us that the 1.5 degrees is still achievable as a limit to global warming. But they are also unanimous in saying that we are on the brink of a tipping point that might make it impossible. So there is a matter of urgency that is extremely important, and that is the reason of my concern. Until now, we have not seen enough urgency, enough speed in making things move fast, in energy transition and in other aspects that are essential to keep 1.5 degrees alive. A lot of progress is being seen, but not yet enough, and we must accelerate our transition. And this is, for me, the most important objective of the next COP, and of the pressure we are making at the present moment on countries to have Nationally Determined Contributions, the so-called national action plans, that are fully compatible with 1.5 degrees, which foresees until 2035 a dramatic reduction of emissions.

****

LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL
REMARQUES À LA PRESSE À LA CONFÉRENCE DES NATIONS UNIES POUR L’OCÉAN

Bonjour à tous,

Nous sommes à Nice en mission : sauver l’océan – pour sauver notre avenir.

C’était le message que j’ai porté à l’ouverture de la Conférence hier.
Et c’est le message que j’ai répété à chacune de mes rencontres ici.

L’océan est le poumon de notre planète.

Il produit la moitié de l’oxygène que nous respirons… nourrit des milliards de personnes… soutient des centaines de millions d’emplois… et fait tourner le commerce mondial.

Mais pour beaucoup, l’océan est bien plus qu’une ressource.

Il façonne des cultures. Il ancre des identités. Il nourrit l’âme humaine.

Et pourtant, nous le traitons comme une ressource inépuisable – comme s’il pouvait absorber nos abus sans conséquences.

Chaque année, les signes de détresse se multiplient.

Les stocks de poissons s’effondrent sous l’effet de la pêche illégale et de la surexploitation.

Le dérèglement climatique provoque l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans – détruisant les récifs de corail, accélérant la montée des eaux, et mettant en péril des communautés entières.

La pollution plastique étouffe la vie marine et contamine notre alimentation – jusqu’à se retrouver dans notre sang… et même dans notre cerveau.

En empoisonnant l’océan, c’est nous-mêmes que nous empoisonnons.

Chers amis,

Nous approchons un point de bascule – au-delà duquel tout retour en arrière pourrait devenir impossible.

Soyons clairs : des intérêts puissants nous poussent dangereusement vers le précipice.

Nous livrons un combat difficile, contre un ennemi bien identifié.

Son nom, c’est la cupidité.

Une cupidité qui sème le doute… nie la science… déforme la vérité… récompense la corruption… et détruit la vie au nom du profit.

Nous ne pouvons pas laisser la cupidité dicter le sort de notre planète.

C’est pourquoi nous sommes ici cette semaine : pour faire front ensemble face à ces forces – et reprendre ce qui appartient à toutes et à tous.

Les gouvernements, les chefs d’entreprise, les pêcheurs, les scientifiques… chacun a une responsabilité, chacun a un rôle vital à jouer.

Tout au long de la Conférence, j’ai mis en avant quatre priorités.

Premièrement – nous devons transformer la manière dont nous récoltons les richesses de l’océan.

La question n’est pas de pêcher ou non — mais de savoir comment nous pêchons.

La pêche durable n’est pas une option – c’est notre seule voie possible.

Cela exige une coopération internationale renforcée, une lutte implacable contre la pêche illégale, et une extension des aires marines protégées pour reconstituer les stocks et préserver la vie marine.

Cela implique aussi de tenir l’objectif 30-30 : protéger et gérer au moins 30 % des zones marines et côtières d’ici 2030.

Nous avons le devoir moral de transmettre aux générations futures des océans pleins de vie.

Deuxièmement – nous devons combattre le fléau de la pollution plastique.

Cela signifie éliminer progressivement les plastiques à usage unique, réformer les systèmes de gestion des déchets, et renforcer le recyclage.

Tous les pays doivent conclure rapidement un traité mondial ambitieux et juridiquement contraignant pour mettre fin à la pollution plastique. Et nous espérons que cela se produira cette année.

Troisièmement – la lutte contre le changement climatique doit aussi se mener en mer.

Depuis des décennies, l’océan absorbe nos émissions de carbone et la chaleur d’une planète en surchauffe.

Cela a un prix.

À l’approche de la COP30 au Brésil, les pays doivent présenter des plans d’action climatique nationaux ambitieux.

Des plans compatibles avec l’objectif de limiter la hausse des températures à 1,5 °C ;

Qui couvrent toutes les émissions et l’ensemble de l’économie ;

Et conformément aux engagements des pays à accélérer la transition énergétique mondiale, en saisissant les opportunités offertes par les énergies propres.

L’an dernier, pour la première fois, la température mondiale annuelle a dépassé de 1,5 °C les niveaux préindustriels.

Les scientifiques sont clairs : cela ne signifie pas que la limite de 1,5 °C est hors de portée.

Cela signifie que nous devons redoubler d’efforts.

L’océan en dépend — et nous aussi.

J’appelle les pays à soutenir les solutions climatiques basées sur l’océan — comme la protection des mangroves, des herbiers marins et des récifs coralliens.

Nous devons aussi accroître le soutien financier et technologique aux pays en développement – pour qu’ils puissent se protéger face aux phénomènes climatiques extrêmes, et répondre rapidement quand les catastrophes frappent.

La survie des communautés côtières et des petits États insulaires en dépend.

Quatrièmement – nous devons mettre en œuvre l’Accord sur la biodiversité marine des zones situées au-delà des juridictions nationales.

L’ Accord est une avancée historique pour protéger d’immenses espaces marins.

Je félicite les 134 pays qui l’ont signé, et les 49 – et c’est pas fini – qui l’ont déjà ratifié, dont 18 signatures et 18 ratifications enregistrées hier seulement.

L’entrée en vigueur est à notre portée.

J’en appelle à tous les autres États pour de les rejoindre sans attendre.

Nous n’avons pas une minute à perdre.

Enfin, sur l’exploitation minière des fonds marins, nous avons une responsabilité collective d’agir avec une extrême prudence.

Je salue les travaux en cours de l’Autorité internationale des fonds marins sur cette question cruciale.

Comme je l’ai dit hier, les grands fonds ne peuvent devenir le Far West des temps modernes.

Mesdames et Messieurs les journalistes,

L’urgence de ce moment ne peut être exagérée.

La santé de l’océan est indissociable de la santé humaine, de la stabilité climatique et de la prospérité mondiale.

Mais je quitte Nice plein d’énergie et d’espoir, porté par les nombreux engagements déjà pris.

Porté par les récits et l’expertise des nations insulaires et des peuples autochtones…

Par la détermination des jeunes militants qui exigent des comptes…

Par les scientifiques qui inventent des solutions pour toutes et tous…

Et par les acteurs économiques qui investissent dans une économie bleue durable.

C’est cette coalition mondiale dont nous avons besoin.

J’en appelle à chacun : engagez-vous avec clarté, avec ambition, et avec des financements concrets.

L’océan nous a tant donné.

Il est temps de lui rendre la pareille.

Notre santé, notre climat et notre avenir en dépendent.

Je vous remercie.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: EWIA launches funding offering on Conda to drive solar business in Africa
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- Raising capital for growth, expansion, and diversification
- Tokenized participation certificate issuance
- Geschäftsmodell mit dreifachem Impact
Munich/Accra, 10 June, 2025 – EWIA Green Investments launched a new financing round today on the digital financing platform Conda (conda-capital.com). In order to raise additional equity capital for its growth strategy, the company is issuing tokenized participation certificates worth up to €2 million through a specially established special purpose vehicle (SPV). Since its founding in 2020, EWIA has become a major player in the commercial renewable energy segment in West Africa. Following the successful launch of solar financing and operation for commercial and industrial customers in Ghana, EWIA is now pushing ahead with expansion in Nigeria and Cameroon, as well as diversification into new business areas.

“Power generation is too expensive and dirty in large parts of Africa, and blackouts are a daily occurrence,” says co-founder and managing director Ralph Schneider. ”EWIA is helping to meet Africa’s growing energy needs with clean, affordable, and reliable solar power.” In 2020, EWIA Green Investments launched in Ghana as a dedicated solar financier, helping medium-sized businesses transition from diesel generators to clean, cost-effective solar energy. By analyzing electricity demand and refinancing potential across various industries, EWIA designs tailored solar solutions that meet the specific needs of each client.Today, EWIA also installs PV systems in-house, acting as an EPC project developer responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction. A subsidiary builds solar-powered telecom towers for mobile network operators

Triple Impact Investment

“By transferring capital and know-how to sub-Saharan Africa, we help local businesses operate more successfully, become more competitive, and create jobs — all crucial factors for both the economic and social development of a continent with the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world,” says co-founder and managing director Timo Schäfer. “At the same time, we offer investors in Europe the opportunity to participate in the growth potential of this dynamic market.”

With subsidiaries currently operating in three African countries, EWIA itself already employs 76 staff — including 31 women — in highly skilled roles with long-term career prospects.

Financing growth

With the acquisition of SunErgy GmbH in April, EWIA expanded into Cameroon, where it is electrifying entire villages. SunErgy has been licensed by the Republic of Cameroon to establish solar power supplies for 92 villages with approximately 600,000 people, as well as schools, health centers, and private and public companies in the southwestern region of the country. As part of the transaction, investment and asset manager KGAL acquired a stake in EWIA. At the same time, EWIA is pressing ahead with its expansion into the Nigerian market – the continent’s largest economy. Over the next five years, EWIA aims to expand its project portfolio to over €63 million and significantly increase its footprint in West Africa.

Under the current offering, investors can subscribe to participation certificates in a special purpose vehicle that holds an interest in EWIA Green Investments GmbH for a minimum amount of €250 per share. The investment has no fixed term and is based on a company valuation of approximately €12.3 million.

As with equity, investors participate in profits and in the development of the company’s value in proportion to their share equivalent. Detailed information is available at
https://conda-capital.com/campaign/ewia-3-0-indirekte-beteiligung/.

With the funds from the newly launched offering, EWIA aims to solidify its market position through scalable operations, a stronger team of skilled professionals, and the continued development of the EWIAFinance.de platform

About EWIA Green Investments

EWIA provides small and medium-sized businesses in Africa with access to clean solar energy and serves as a bridge builder to investors in Europe as well as for the transfer of technology know-how. Based in Munich, Germany, with operating entities in Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria, EWIA offers private and institutional investors access to attractive impact investments in the fight against climate change and for sustainable economic growth in Africa. Private investors can also invest specifically in solar projects via ewiafinance.de.

With EWIA’s flexible full-service financing solution, companies in Africa have the opportunity to obtain solar power, financing, security and service from a single source. In the infrastructure sector, EWIA funds and constructs mobile phone communication masts and traffic monitoring systems and equips them with PV systems. www.ewiainvestments.com

Contact for queries:

EWIA Green Investments GmbH
Ralph Schneider, CEO
ralph.schneider@EWIAinvestments.com
+49 162 1366 984

Schwarz Financial Communication
Frank Schwarz
schwarz@schwarzfinancial.com
+49 611 58029290

Disclaimer: Not for publication in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, or any other jurisdiction outside the EU, and in particular in jurisdictions that prohibit the offering or sale of these instruments.

Risk warning: The purchase of this investment involves significant risks, including the possibility of total loss. Please inform yourself thoroughly before investing and seek professional advice. Detailed explanations can be found at Conda Capital Market.

The MIL Network –
June 10, 2025