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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI: International Petroleum Corporation to release Q1 2025 Financial and Operational Results on May 6, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Petroleum Corporation (IPC) (TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm: IPCO) will publish its financial and operating results and related management’s discussion and analysis for the three months ending 31 March 2025, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 07:30 CET, followed by an audiocast at 09:00 CET.

    Follow the 2025 first quarter financial and operating results presentation starting at 09:00 CET live on www.international-petroleum.com or using the link or dial in details below:

    Presentation Link: https://ipc.videosync.fi/2025-05-06-q1

    Dial in number(s) Stockholm: +46 (0) 8 5052 0424
      UK-Wide: +44 (0) 33 0551 0200
      USA Local: +1 786 697 3501
       
    Password Quote IPC when prompted by the operator
       

    International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm under the symbol “IPCO”.

    For further information, please contact:

    Rebecca Gordon
    SVP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
    rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
    Tel: +41 22 595 10 50

    Or

    		 Robert Eriksson
    Media Manager
    reriksson@rive6.ch
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
         

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements and information which constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, “forward-looking statements”) relate to future events, including the Corporation’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “forecast”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “budget” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Eucharistic Celebration on the second day of the Novendiali

    Source: The Holy See

    At 10.30 today, Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, on the second day of the Novendiali, a Eucharistic Celebration in memory of the Roman Pontiff Francis was held on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
    On the second day of the Novendiali, a special invitation was extended to the employees and faithful of Vatican City. It was also attended by many teenagers gathered in Rome for the Jubilee dedicated to them. According to official data, approximately 200,000 faithful were present.
    The following is the homily delivered by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin during the course of the Eucharistic Celebration:

    Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin
    Dear brothers and sisters,
    The risen Jesus appears to his disciples while they are in the Upper Room where they have fearfully shut themselves in, with the doors locked (Jn 20:19). Their state of mind is disturbed and their hearts are full of sadness, because the Master and Shepherd they had followed, leaving everything behind, has been nailed to the cross. They experienced terrible things and feel orphaned, alone, lost, threatened and helpless.
    The opening image that the Gospel offers us on this Sunday can also well represent the state of mind of all of us, of the Church, and of the entire world. The shepherd whom the Lord gave to his people, Pope Francis, has ended his earthly life and has left us. The grief at his departure, the sense of sadness that assails us, the turmoil we feel in our hearts, the sense of bewilderment: we are experiencing all of this, like the apostles grieving over the death of Jesus.
    Yet, the Gospel tells us that it is precisely in these moments of darkness that the Lord comes to us with the light of the resurrection, to illuminate our hearts. Pope Francis reminded us of this since his election and often repeated it to us, placing at the centre of his pontificate that joy of the Gospel which, as he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium, “fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew” (n. 1).
    The joy of Easter, which sustains us in this time of trial and sadness, is something that can almost be touched in this square today; you can see it etched above all in your faces, dear children and young people who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee. You come from so many places: from all of the dioceses of Italy, from Europe, from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, from the United Arab Emirates… with you here, the whole world is truly present!
    I address a special greeting to you, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have liked to meet you, to look into your eyes, and to pass among you to greet you.
    In light of the many challenges you are called to confront – I think, for example, of the technology and artificial intelligence that characterise our age in a particular way – never forget to nourish your lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ. Nothing will be too great or too challenging with him! With him you will never be alone or abandoned, not even in the worst of times! He comes to meet you where you are, to give you the courage to live, to share your experiences, your thoughts, your gifts, and your dreams. He comes to you in the face of those near or far, a brother and sister to love, to whom you have so much to give and from whom so much to receive, to help you to be generous, faithful and responsible as you move forward in life. He wants to help you to understand what is most valuable in life: the love that encompasses all things and hopes all things (cf. 1 Cor 13:7).
    Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, Dominica in Albis, we celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy.
    It is precisely the Father’s mercy, which is greater than our limitations and calculations, that characterised the Magisterium of Pope Francis and his intense apostolic activity. Likewise the eagerness to proclaim and share God’s mercy with all – the proclamation of the Good News, evangelisation – was the principal theme of his pontificate. He reminded us that “mercy” is the very name of God, and, therefore, no one can put a limit on his merciful love with which he wants to raise us up and make us new people.
    It is important to welcome as a precious treasure this principle on which Pope Francis insisted so much. And – allow me to say – our affection for him, which is being manifested in this time, must not remain a mere emotion of the moment; we must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another.
    Mercy takes us back to the heart of faith. It reminds us that we do not have to interpret our relationship with God and our being Church according to human or worldly categories. The good news of the Gospel is first and foremost the discovery of being loved by a God who has compassionate and tender feelings for each one of us, regardless of our merits. It also reminds us that our life is woven with mercy: we can only get back up after our falls and look to the future if we have someone who loves us without limits and forgives us. Therefore, we are called to the commitment of living our relationships no longer according to the criteria of calculation or blinded by selfishness, but by opening ourselves to dialogue with others, welcoming those we meet along the way and forgiving their weaknesses and mistakes. Only mercy heals and creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred and violence: this is the great teaching of Pope Francis.
    Jesus shows us this merciful face of God in his preaching and in the deeds he performs. Furthermore, as we have heard, when he presents himself in the Upper Room after the resurrection, he offers the gift of peace and says: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:23). Thus, the risen Lord directs his disciples, his Church, to be instruments of mercy for humanity for those willing to accept God’s love and forgiveness. Pope Francis was a shining witness of a Church that bends down with tenderness towards those who are wounded and heals with the balm of mercy. He reminded us that there can be no peace without the recognition of the other, without attention to those who are weaker and, above all, there can never be peace if we do not learn to forgive one another, showing each another the same mercy that God shows us.
    Brothers and sisters, precisely on Divine Mercy Sunday we remember our beloved Pope Francis with affection. Indeed, such memories are particularly vivid among the employees and faithful of Vatican City, many of whom are present here, and whom I would like to thank for the service they perform every day. To you, to all of us, to the whole world, Pope Francis extends his embrace from Heaven.
    We entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom he was so devoted that he chose to be buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. May she protect us, intercede for us, watch over the Church, and support the journey of humanity in peace and fraternity. Amen.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: eQ PE XVII US has raised USD 168 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    28 April 2025, 10:00 am

    eQ Asset Management has raised USD 168 million for the eQ PE XVII US fund in the beginning of 2025. Fundraising for the eQ PE XVII US fund will continue throughout 2025.

    eQ PE XVII US invests in private equity funds whose strategy is to make equity investments in private small and medium-sized companies in the United States and Canada. The fund’s portfolio will consist of 12–15 funds, mainly sector-specialized, through which the fund will be diversified across more than 150 companies in various industries, states and by vintage. The fund will also make co-investments.

    eQ started its co-operation with RCP Advisors, located in Chicago, in 2015. The current fund is the sixth US fund raised in this partnership. RCP, founded in 2001, is a highly experienced and well-resourced private equity manager, specializing in lower middle market North American funds. Altogether, eQ has raised USD 1.2 billion for its US funds from over 200 clients.

    In addition, during late 2024 and early 2025, eQ has signed private equity programmes totalling over EUR 330 million. Including the capital of current private equity programmes, the total capital is approximately EUR 1 billion. Private equity programmes are typically 4–5 year solutions, offering clients not only a comprehensive PE portfolio managed by eQ, but also transparent reporting and reduced portfolio administration through a single-line balance sheet item.

    Staffan Jåfs, Head of Private Equity, comments:
    “Although the M&A market has been less active than usual for nearly two years, the small and mid-cap segment has still seen more new investments and exits compared to the larger end of the market. We believe the lower middle market segment offers attractive investment opportunities across cycles, as entry valuations and leverage are typically lower, value creation is operational, with cash-only exits to industrial buyers or larger PE funds. Our portfolios primarily consist of service companies focused on domestic markets. Our partnership with RCP is extensive, and this new fund offers our investors access to a highly attractive market via top-tier portfolio funds.”

    At the end of 2024, eQ Asset Management had EUR 13.4 billion in assets under management, of which EUR 3.3 billion was in eQ’s private equity funds. eQ alternates annually between launching European and North American funds. eQ’s private equity funds are intended for professional investors only.

    Helsinki, 28 April 2025

    eQ Asset Management Ltd

    Further Information:

    Staffan Jåfs, Head of Private Equity, eQ Asset Management Ltd
    +358 (9) 6817 8736, staffan.jafs@eQ.fi 

    eQ is a Finnish group of companies specialising in asset management and corporate finance business. eQ Asset Management offers a wide range of asset management services (including private equity funds and real estate asset management) for institutions and individuals. The assets managed by the group total approximately EUR 13.4 billion. Advium Corporate Finance, which is part of the group, offers services related to mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and equity capital markets. The share of the group’s parent company eQ Plc is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. More information about the group is available on our website at www.eQ.fi.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Peter Dutton calling the ABC and the Guardian ‘hate media’ rings alarm bells for democracy

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne

    In front of a crowd of party faithful last weekend, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton referred to the ABC, Guardian Australia and other news platforms as “hate media”. The language was extreme, the inference being these outlets were not simply doing their jobs, but attacking him and his side of politics because of ideological bias.

    Speaking at a Liberal Party campaign rally in the Melbourne western suburb of Melton, Dutton said:

    Forget about what you have been told by the ABC, The Guardian and the other hate media. Listen to what you hear [at] doors. Listen to what people say on the pre-polling. Know in your hearts that we are a better future for our country.

    Melton is in the Labor-held seat of Hawke, which the Liberals believe they can win.

    Dutton provided no evidence to support his accusation, for the good reason that there has been nothing in the ABC’s or Guardian Australia’s coverage of Dutton that could remotely justify it.

    By a process of elimination, the “other hate media” to which he referred can only be The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, given the News Corporation mastheads have been unflagging in their support for him throughout the campaign.

    What has been common to the campaign coverage by the ABC, Guardian Australia, The Age and the SMH has been close scrutiny of both sides and both leaders.

    The three newspapers in particular have put renewed resources into independently fact-checking claims made by both Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and have caught out both men telling falsehoods.

    The broadcast news media on the whole have played it straight, except of course for Sky News after dark, which has been as relentlessly pro-Coalition as their News Corp newspaper stablemates.

    Beyond these professional mass media platforms, there have been clearly partisan social media influencers working on both sides, as well as a range of podcasters, but none of these has been guilty of hate speech towards Dutton or anyone else.

    The inescapable conclusion is that Dutton equates scrutiny of him by journalists with hate speech.

    This is where his attitude becomes dangerous to democracy. It comes straight from US President Donald Trump’s playbook, where the professional mass media are “fake news” and the “enemy of the people”.

    It is designed to play not just on people’s longstanding distrust of the news media in general – though not of the ABC – but on some voters’ sense of grievance at the way governments have treated them.

    This worked for Trump in the United States, but it became obvious early in the campaign that any association with Trumpism was a strong political negative in Australia, particularly in the atmosphere of alarm generated by his tariff war.

    Dutton then took pains to distance himself from Trumpism, and at the Liberal launch in Western Australia his face was a picture of alarm when Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, whom he had appointed to the Trumpian-sounding post of shadow minister for government efficiency, used the slogan “Make Australia Great Again”.

    But it is typical of his incoherent campaign that at the start of the last week he should be echoing the Trumpian view of the media in such extreme terms, creating even more instability. In an ABC interview, his shadow minister for finance, Jane Hume, refused to support him, saying “that wouldn’t be a phrase I would use”.

    It also raises legitimate questions about how Dutton would treat the media should he become prime minister. For example, if a media platform refused to obey his wishes, or provide him with coverage of which he approved, would its representatives be excluded from prime ministerial access?

    Not long ago, such a proposition would have been inconceivable, but Trump banned the Associated Press (AP) from presidential access because it would not obey his instruction to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. A federal judge later found the ban violated the First Amendment, and ordered AP’s access to be restored.

    It is very improbable Dutton would even try to impose his will on the commercial media in Australia, especially the newspapers.

    In fact, Guardian Australia has turned his remark into a fundraising opportunity. It emailed subscribers with the subject line “A note from the ‘hate media’,” comparing Dutton’s language to that of Trump, and asking for financial support to keep holding figures like Dutton to account.

    But his potential to punish the publicly funded ABC is another matter.

    From statements he has made during the campaign, it seems certain the ABC would be in for more funding cuts and an investigation into its operations of the kind Trump has launched into America’s National Public Radio.



    Read more:
    What would – and should – happen to the ABC under the next federal government?

    Coalition prime ministers going back to John Howard have had a hostile relationship with the ABC. Howard stacked the ABC board, and the panel that nominates its members, with ideological mates.

    In the eight years from 2014 to 2022, under the Coalition governments of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison, $526 million was cut from the ABC’s budget.

    During that time, there was also a series of inquiries into the ABC, set up to satisfy politicians with a beef against the ABC, notably Pauline Hanson.

    The day after Dutton’s “hate media” statement, the ABC’s 4 Corners program revealed he failed for two years to disclose he was the beneficiary of a family trust that operated lucrative childcare businesses when he was a cabinet minister.

    This is unlikely to improve his view of the national broadcaster. He may even see it as more hate. In fact, it is just good journalism.

    Denis Muller and Nicole Chvastek will discuss this further on their Truth, Lies and Media podcast on Wednesday April 30.

    Denis Muller 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. Peter Dutton calling the ABC and the Guardian ‘hate media’ rings alarm bells for democracy – https://theconversation.com/peter-dutton-calling-the-abc-and-the-guardian-hate-media-rings-alarm-bells-for-democracy-255412

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Interoil’s Annual Statement of Reserves 2024 released

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, 28 April 2025

    Interoil Exploration and Production ASA today released the Annual Statement of Reserves for 2024. Please find the document attached. The report is also available on the company website.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and is prepared in accordance with Oslo Stock Exchange’s Listing and disclosure requirements for oil and natural gas companies.

    + + +

    Please direct any question to ir@interoil.no

    Interoil Exploration and Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company – listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with focus on Latin America. The Company is operator and license holder of several production and exploration assets in Colombia and Argentina with headquarter in Oslo. 

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Online Casinos New Zealand: 7Bit Casino Picked as Top Casino for NZ Players

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Exosens delivers strong revenue growth in Q1 2025 in a dynamic defense market environment; Fully on track to 2025 guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EXOSENS DELIVERS STRONG REVENUE GROWTH IN Q1 2025 IN A DYNAMIC DEFENSE MARKET ENVIRONMENT

    FULLY ON TRACK TO 2025 GUIDANCE

    HIGHLIGHTS

    • Sustained revenue growth of +21.1% to €104.9m in Q1 2025, reflecting strong like-for-like performance (+18.0%)
      • Continued strong growth in Amplification revenue (+29.1% vs. Q1 2024), driven by a growing demand of image intensifier tubes for Defense night vision applications from NATO and Tier-1 allies forces
      • Detection & Imaging revenue slightly down (-1.0% vs. Q1 2024), affected by temporary headwinds mostly related to Telops, the Group’s imaging systems business in Canada (+16% growth vs. Q1 2024 excluding Telops). Growth is expected to resume and accelerate throughout the remainder of the year supported by solid underlying end-market trends
    • Adjusted gross margin up +28.1% to €52.6m in Q1 2025 (margin rate of 50.1%, +270bps vs. Q1 2024), mainly driven by strong Amplification growth (+39.5%)
    • Closing of Noxant acquisition, reinforcing Exosens’ position in high-performance cooled infrared imaging, particularly in fast growing Defense and Surveillance markets

    OUTLOOK

    • Fully on track to deliver on 2025 guidance: continued strong performance expected, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties

    Mérignac (France), 28 April 2025 – Exosens (EXENS; FR001400Q9V2), a high-tech company focused on providing mission and performance-critical amplification, detection and imaging technologies, today publishes its revenue and adjusted gross margin for the first quarter of 2025.

    “After a very successful 2024, which marked a turning point in our trajectory and saw us exceed our IPO guidance, we are proud to start 2025 with a strong Q1 performance, confirming the positive momentum across our core markets. Regarding our Defense-related activities, demand remains high amid increasing geopolitical tensions and sustained investment from NATO countries and Tier-1 allies. This solid start of the year demonstrates the strength of our positioning and our ability to execute. Amplification continues to be a key growth engine, supported by accelerating demand and increased capacity, while our Detection & Imaging segment is on track to deliver solid like-for-like growth, progressively improving over the course of the year.

    Supported by strong fundamentals , and solid operational performance, we are fully confident in our ability to deliver our 2025 objectives and continue creating long-term value for all stakeholders.” commented Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens.

    Strong revenue performance in Q1 2025 in a dynamic defense market environment

      Q1 2024 Q1 2025 Change Like-for-like
      In €m In €m In €m In % In %
    Amplification 63.3 81.7 +18.4 +29.1% +29.3%
    Detection & Imaging 24.2 24.0 (0.2) (1.0)% (13.0)%
    Eliminations & Other (0.8) (0.7) +0.1 n/a n/a
    Total revenue 86.7 104.9 +18.3 +21.1% +18.0%

    Exosens delivered strong revenue performance in Q1 2025, demonstrating its ability to continue its sustained growth trajectory. Consolidated revenue amounted to €104.9 million, which represented a growth of +21.1% (+€18.3 million) compared to Q1 2024. On a like-for-like basis, revenue grew by +18.0% year-over-year, driven by continued strong momentum in Defense end-markets.

    Amplification revenue amounted to €81.7 million in Q1 2025, marking a significant growth of +29.1% (+€18.4 million) compared to Q1 2024, reflecting higher sales volumes due to increased production capacity and growing demand of image intensifier tubes for Defense night vision applications.

    Reflecting this dynamic market environment, Exosens has continued benefiting from its position as the strategic supplier of NATO and Tier-1 allies, which have continued to ramp up their procurement of night vision systems on the back of the need for armies to enhance their night fighting capabilities. This positive trend was particularly noticeable in Europe with a number of major business wins, notably in Eastern and Northern Europe.

    Detection and Imaging revenue amounted to €24.0 million in Q1 2025, representing a small decline of -1.0% compared to Q1 2024. The first semester revenue contribution for Detection & Imaging is typically lower due to seasonality. On a like-for-like basis, D&I revenue was down -13.0% (-€3.1 million), mainly due to Telops, the Group’s Canadian-based imaging system business. Telops was temporarily impacted by US tariff uncertainties and reductions in federal science funding, which resulted in softer demand from US customers, as well as by delays in securing certain export licenses. Excluding Telops, D&I revenue grew by around +16% year-over-year and was broadly stable on a like-for-like basis.

    Exosens continued to see robust demand across its key high-growth markets, particularly in Nuclear and Defense & Surveillance.

    The Group expects D&I like-for-like growth to resume and accelerate throughout the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year, supported by solid underlying end-market trends.

    On the M&A front, Exosens closed on 13thMarch 2025 the acquisition of Noxant, a specialist in high-performance cooled infrared cameras. Noxant’s range of high-performance MWIR cooled camera cores provides complementary capabilities that meet the increasing demand for advanced infrared solutions, particularly for drone-based Defense and Surveillance applications where camera integration is required. Meaningful synergies are expected with Exosens’ imaging business leveraging its technologies portfolio and worldwide commercial reach.

    The Group has started Noxant’s integration process, which is expected to be finalized by end-June. Q1 2025 revenue and adjusted gross margin do not include any contribution from this acquisition.

    Otherwise, the closing of the acquisition of NVLS, a specialist in man-portable night vision and thermal devices, is expected to occur during Q2 2025, pending customary clearances and approvals.

    Adjusted gross margin up +28.1% in Q1 2025

      Q1 2024 Q1 2025 Change
      In €m % of sales In €m % of sales In €m In %
    Amplification 29.2 46.2% 40.8 49.9% +11.6 +39.5%
    Detection & Imaging 11.8 48.9% 11.8 49.3% (0.0) (0.1)%
    Eliminations & Other 0.0 n/a 0.0 n/a n/a n/a
    Adjusted gross margin 41.1 47.4% 52.6 50.1% +11.5 +28.1%

    Exosens recorded a strong increase in adjusted gross margin at Group level, mainly driven by higher sales volumes, improved yields and favorable product mix. The Group’s adjusted gross margin stood at €52.6 million in Q1 2025, reflecting a growth of +28.1% (+€11.5 million) compared to Q1 2024. As a percentage of consolidated revenue, adjusted gross margin was 50.1% in Q1 2025, representing an improvement of 270 basis points year-on-year.

    Adjusted gross margin for the Amplification segment reached €40.8 million in Q1 2025, recording a growth of +39.5% (+€11.6 million) compared to Q1 2024. Margin rate increased by 370 basis points to 49.9% in Q1 2025, driven by the strong growth in sales volume with increased production capacity, improved yields and favorable product mix.

    Adjusted gross margin for the Detection and Imaging segment amounted to €11.8 million in Q1 2025, stable compared to Q1 2024. Margin rate improved by 50 basis points to 49.3% in Q1 2025, despite lower revenue, driven by better yields, effective cost control, and supply chain synergies.

    Evolution of corporate governance

    The Board of Directors of Exosens, at its meeting on 25 April 25, proposed to the upcoming annual combined General Meeting on 23 May to appoint Bpifrance Investissement as a director.

    This nomination of Bpifrance Investissement, represented by Ms. Dorianne Bonfils as permanent representative, for a seat on the Board of Directors is aligned with Bpifrance Participations’ increased investment in Exosens’ share capital.

    Following the exercise of the call option on Exosens shares granted by HLD as part of Exosens’ IPO, Bpifrance Participations acquired an additional 2.7% stake in the share capital and voting rights on 25 April 2025 and now ranks as Exosens’ second-largest shareholder, holding 7.2% of the share capital and voting rights, behind the HLD Group.

    At its meeting on 25 April 2025, the Board of Directors, following the recommendation of Exosens’ Nominations and Compensation Committee, and after evaluating its independence according to the AFEP-MEDEF code criteria, confirmed Bpifrance Investissement’s status as an independent director, should it be appointed by the Company’s General Meeting.

    Outlook for 2025 and the 2024-2026 period confirmed

    Exosens expects a continued strong performance in 2025, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties compared to 2024.

    The Group expects a high-teens 2024-2026 adjusted EBITDA CAGR and a cash conversion1ratio in the range of 70%-75% over the period, taking into account capacity investment in Europe and in the US.

    Furthermore, the Group intends to pursue its growth strategy, at a pace consistent with historical trend, while maintaining a leverage ratio2of around 2x.

    Financial calendar

    • 29/04/2025: Publication of 2024 universal registration document;
    • 23/05/2025: Annual general meeting;
    • 31/07/2025: H1 2025 results (publication before market opening);
    • 27/10/2025: Q3 2025 revenue & adj. gross margin (publication before market opening).

    About Exosens

    Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.

    Investor relations

    Laurent Sfaxi, l.sfaxi@exosens.com

    Media relations

    Brunswick Group, exosens@brunswickgroup.com

    APPENDIX

    Definitions

    Like-for-like growth is the revenue growth achieved by the Group excluding currency impact and scope effect, which corresponds to the revenue recorded during period “n” by all the companies included in the Group’s scope of consolidation at the end of period “n-1” (excluding any contribution from the companies acquired after the end of period “n-1”), compared with revenue achieved during period “n-1” by the same companies. Like-for-like growth for the first quarter of 2025 therefore excludes the contribution of Centronic and LR Tech, acquired by the Group in July 2024 and September 2024, respectively.

    Adjusted gross margin is equal to the difference between the selling price and the cost price of products and services (including notably employee benefits).

    Adjusted EBITDA is defined as operating profit, less (i) additions net of reversals to depreciation, amortization and impairment of non-current assets; (ii) non-recurring income and expenses as presented in the Group’s consolidated income statement within “Other income” and “Other expenses”, and (iii) the impact of items that do not reflect ordinary operating performance (in particular business reorganization and adaption costs, costs relating to acquisition and external growth transactions, as well as the IFRS 2 share-based payment expense).

    Cash conversion is calculated as follows: (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized research and development costs – capital expenditure) / adjusted EBITDA – capitalized research and development costs).

    Leverage ratio is calculated as net debt / adjusted EBITDA as defined in the Group’s Senior Credit Facilities Agreement entered into as part of the refinancing executed in the frame of the IPO.

    Forward-looking statements

    Certain information included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Exosens operates, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements included in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and detailed in Chapter 3 “Risk Factors” of the registration document approved on 22 May 2024 by the French financial markets’ authority (“Autorité des marchés financiers”) under number I. 24-010. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of the Group. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements. This press release is provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute and should not be deemed to constitute an offer to the public of securities.

    1 Cash conversion is defined as (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized R&D – capex) / (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized R&D).
    2 Leverage ratio is defined as net financial debt / adjusted EBITDA.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at ultra-processed food consumption and premature deaths

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looks at ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and premature mortality. 

    Prof Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, said:

    “There are limitations to this paper, including the points the authors themselves raised.  Nonetheless, evidence on the ‘health harms of UPF’ are accumulating and this paper does add to that body of evidence, and UPFs are unlikely to be healthful.

    “We already know that correlation does not necessarily mean causation.  But well conducted observational studies with long term prospective cohort data are often the best we are going to get realistically; we will not get randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of behaviours awaiting death or chronic disease events, and RCTs have their own biases and limitations, particularly for behavioural factors (different to taking medication vs placebo studies).  So we should not ignore such findings, especially as the current research has reported consistently similar associations in several countries which increases the degree of confidence.

    “In addition to the 8 countries they included for their population attributable fraction (PAF) estimates (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, UK, USA), it would have been useful if they had also included the countries that provided the results on associations of UPFs with mortality but were not included (e.g. France, Italy, Spain).”

    Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, said:

    “I’d be pretty cautious about the details and specific numerical estimates in this paper, for reasons I’ll explain.  Also, some of the terminology in the paper and the press release appears, in my opinion, much more definite about what’s causing what than the evidence in the paper merits.  That’s partly because some of the technical wording, even though it’s standard in this kind of research, doesn’t mean quite the same as it means in ordinary English.

    “The problems of interpretation arise because the studies involved are observational, but they go further than that.  The researchers have to make mathematical assumptions about exactly how UPF consumption is correlated with mortality risk, and even though they base these assumptions on data, there is at least one issue (described later).  And in calculating what’s known as the attributable epidemiological burden, or population attributable fraction, of UPF consumptions, the researchers may appear to be making a simple comparison, but in fact it’s a lot more complicated than you might think.

    “The data that the paper draws on for its conclusions, about consumption of UPFs and mortality, is all observational.  The researchers are not reporting any new data here – they are taking data from previous studies, and population estimates for the countries concerned, and putting it all together.  Nothing at all wrong with that – in fact in general it’s a good idea to review studies of the same things from different times and places, to see what overall picture emerges.

    “The seven studies that the authors of this paper used, to find an overall pooled estimate of the association between UPF consumption and all-cause mortality, are all themselves observational.  Again there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s pretty difficult, indeed impossible in most cases, to do a study linking diet to long-term health outcomes that is not observational.  Such a study would have to allocate different individuals to different diets, and somehow ensure that they stuck to these diets for many years.  So instead, researchers record what people eat, and then follow them up for a long time and record if and when they die.

    “This all means that it’s impossible, for any one study like that, to be sure whether differences in mortality between people who consume different UPF amounts are actually caused by differences in their UPF consumption.  There are bound to be many other differences between groups who consume different UPF amounts, in terms of other details of their diet, their lifestyle, their economic position, their sex and age, and so on.  These differences might be, in part or in whole, the reason for the differences in the risk of early death.  In other words, each individual study can find a correlation, an association, but can’t say for sure whether the association between UPF consumption and mortality is one of cause and effect.  It might be, or it might not.

    “The researchers in each of the studies reviewed in this new paper obviously are aware of this, and they all made statistical adjustments to allow for differences in other factors (though in different ways in different studies).  But that doesn’t make the problem disappear – you still can’t be sure from any study of this kind exactly what’s causing what.

    “The fact that the new paper puts together data from seven different observational studies does again help somewhat with the issue of what’s causing what, but it can’t deal with it entirely.  There have been many criticisms of interpretation of observational studies involving UPFs and health outcomes, some of them on the basis that UPFs are defined in rather different ways by different writers, or on the grounds that the mechanisms by which UPFs might actually cause ill health haven’t been established clearly enough.

    “I’m certainly not saying that there is no association between UPF consumption and ill health – just that it’s still far from clear whether consumption of just any UPF at all is bad for health, or of what aspect of UPFs might be involved.

    “Then there are particular aspects of this new study that make the interpretation more complicated than it would be for other observational studies of UPFs and health.

    “The authors begin by estimating the nature of the association between the consumption of UPFs and the risk of premature death.  That is, they aren’t just trying to see whether high levels of UPF consumption are correlated with higher mortality.  They want to know something more precise – exactly how much does the risk of dying increase, for every additional 10 per cent of a person’s calorie intake that comes from UPFs.  (Again, no assumption here that the increase in risk is all caused by UPFs.)  That sounds fine, but it involves assuming a particular mathematical form for the association (in the light of the data).

    “After that, the authors use the estimate of that association between UPF consumption and risk of early death to calculate estimates of the population fraction of premature deaths (ages 30-69) attributable to UPF consumption, for 8 different countries including the UK.  They use that to calculate estimates of the number of additional deaths in each of the 8 countries attributable to UPF consumption, and some of those numbers look pretty large.

    “This is done by taking data on the number of people in different groups (defined by age and sex) in each country.  This is then used to calculate how many would be expected to die at current levels of UPF consumption (using data from the estimate of the association between UPF consumption and premature death in all the studies that were put together in the first part of the work, so not just for the UK for example).  Finally this is compared with the number that would be expected to die in a theoretical population where nobody consumes (or ever consumed) UPFs.  No such population exists, not in a whole country, so this calculation has to be based on a statistical model.  Then the deaths attributable to UPF consumption is the difference between these two expected numbers of deaths.

    “What this sounds like, for the UK in 2018-19 for example, is that there would have been almost 18,000 fewer deaths of people aged between 30 and 69, if nobody in the country had consumed any UPFs (ever). However, that’s very far from the whole story, for a lot of reasons.

    “First, it doesn’t mean that, because the studies involved are observational, and as the authors of the new paper rightly point out, there could be factors that could not be adjusted for in the original studies, that are involved in causes of early death.  That’s why it’s called a population attributable fraction, rather than something even more definite, like population fraction caused by UPFs.  Technically, it can’t mean that we know we could save those lives just by changing UPF consumption.

    “But it’s deeper than that.  There isn’t a whole population in the UK or in the other seven countries in the study, where nobody ever consumed any UPFs.  So the comparison is being made between an estimate for current UPF consumption levels and an estimate for a theoretical population that can’t exist.  Even if somehow all UPFs were banned today, it would take many decades before there was a population where nobody had ever consumed UPFs.

    “And even if somehow we did get to that position, well, people have to eat something, and if they aren’t getting their calories from UPFs, they would need to get them from something else.  They might well not get them all in the same way that people who consume very few UPFs do today.  We just can’t tell.

    “So it’s not the case that we could save 18,000 premature deaths annually in the UK by taking action to reduce UPF consumption.  This doesn’t mean that taking such actions wouldn’t reduce early deaths – just that we can’t tell how much the reduction might be, or when it would occur, or how much longer the individuals concerned might have lived – not from the calculations in this paper.

    “I have some other concerns.

    “Several of the authors of the new paper collaborated on a previous paper, published in 2023 (reference 17 in the new paper, which is the reference given for the model used in the new paper for estimates of attributable deaths).  The 2023 paper uses similar methodology to make an estimate of the premature deaths attributable to UPFs in Brazil in 2019.  This uses similar data on the association between UPF consumption and premature mortality, from a systematic review and meta-analysis, to what’s used in the new paper, except that there are three additional studies reviewed in the new paper.  The estimate is only for Brazil, and is 57,000 deaths in a year.  The estimate for Brazil in the new paper is just over 25,000 deaths in a year.

    “The big difference between the 2023 and the 2025 estimates for Brazil seems to be very largely because of a different assumption made in the two papers about the mathematical form of the association between UPF consumption and death risk.  (In the jargon, they use a log-linear model in the 2023 paper but a linear model in the 2025 paper.)  The new estimate is based on more data from more countries – but the big difference does emphasise the importance of mathematical modelling assumptions.  Data can throw light on what assumptions are appropriate, but don’t tie things down very firmly at all in a situation like this.

    “Finally, the systematic review and meta-analysis in the new paper is missing some of the technical details that one normally sees in this kind of work.  The paper is very unclear on how the researchers chose the studies they included in their review, which after all drives all the estimates of attributable deaths.  The authors write that studies were selected ‘on the basis of recently published systematic reviews’.  That’s not normally the way it’s done, and in any case three of the included studies were not mentioned in the systematic reviews that are referred to in the new paper.  I don’t know where the researchers got them.  They may well be perfectly respectable studies – I haven’t had time to look at them – but really the authors of the new paper should have been much clearer about what they were doing, if we are to be confident about their conclusions.  Also it’s usual in a systematic review to give some assessment of the quality of the research studies that were included, and that just isn’t done here.  None of this increases trust in how the work was done.”

    Dr Nerys Astbury, Associate Professor – Diet & Obesity, Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, said:

    “Here Nilson and colleagues report findings from a study reporting associations between consumption of Ultra Processed Foods (UPF), defined by the NOVA classification system, and premature mortality.

    “This study combines evidence on dietary intake of UPF from Columbia, Brazil, Australia, Canda, United Kingdom and USA and reports that for each 10% increase in proportion of UPF in the diet there was a 3% increase in all-cause mortality.  The authors then used a mathematical formula to estimate the population attributable fraction, which is an estimate of the number of deaths which could be prevented if the exposure (consumption of UPF) was eliminated.  It is important to note this does not mean that these deaths were caused by UPF consumption.  The methods of this study simply cannot determine this.

    “It’s been established for some time including in the Global Burden of Disease Consortium that consuming diets higher in energy, fat and sugar can have detrimental effects on health, including premature mortality.  This study adds to the body of evidence on the association between UPF and ill health and disease.  However, many UPF tend to be high in these nutrients, and studies to date have been unable to determine with certainty whether the effects of UPF are independent of the already established effects of diets high in foods which are energy dense and contain large amounts of fat and sugar.

    “The authors of the study conclude that advice to reduce UPF consumption should be included in national dietary guideline recommendations and in public policies.  However, rushing to add recommendations on UPF to these recommendations is not warranted based on this study in my opinion.  Many national dietary guidelines and recommendations already advise the reduction of consumption of energy dense high-fat high-sugar foods, which typically fall into the UPF group.  Adding additional recommendations based on UPF could cause consumer confusion – some foods may be considered unhealthy by nutrient standards, but not so by NOVA classification (and vice versa).

    “This study and other similar studies that have explored the association between UPF and diet related disease, have used the NOVA classification system invented by Dr Carlos Monteiro (an author on this paper).  In my view the NOVA system which defines foods according to different levels of food processing has many limitations, including arbitrary definitions and overly broad food categories, the over-emphasis of food ingredients opposed to the processing per se and the difficult practical application of the system in accurately classifying foods.  This is especially notable when attempting to classify foods from dietary data collected in large cohort studies, as in this study.

    “More research is needed to ascertain a causal link between UPF and disease and to establish the mechanisms involved.”

    Dr Stephen Burgess, statistician in the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, said:

    “This study assesses observational associations rather than interventions, and so it is not able to make reliable causal claims.  That is to say, it shows that individuals who consume higher levels of ultraprocessed foods have greater risk of premature mortality, rather than showing that increasing your consumption of ultraprocessed foods would increase your mortality risk.  However, the similarity of findings across populations is notable, as consistent associations were seen in a variety of contexts, including those where high consumption of ultraprocessed foods is a sign of relative wealth and those where it is a sign of relative deprivation.  This type of research cannot prove that consumption of ultraprocessed foods is harmful, but it does provide evidence linking consumption with poorer health outcomes.  It is possible that the true causal risk factor is not ultraprocessed foods, but a related risk factor such as better physical fitness – and ultraprocessed foods is simply an innocent bystander.  But, when we see these associations replicated across many countries and cultures, it raises suspicion that ultraprocessed foods may be more than a bystander.”

    ‘Premature Mortality Attributable to Ultraprocessed Food Consumption in 8 Countries’ by Eduardo A.F. Nilson et al. was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine at 05:05 UK time on Monday 28 April 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.02.018

    Declared interests

    Prof Nita Forouhi: “No conflicts of interest to declare.”

    Prof Kevin McConway: “Previously a Trustee of the SMC and a member of its Advisory Committee.”

    Dr Nerys Astbury: “No conflicts.”

    Dr Stephen Burgess: “No relevant conflict of interest to declare.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jeffries, Booker Conclude Day-Long Capitol Steps Sit-In Calling Americans to Action to Protect Medicaid, Safety Net Programs from GOP Budget Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have concluded a day-long sit-in on the US Capitol steps that began at sunrise today, calling Americans to action to protect Medicaid and other vital safety net programs from devastating cuts proposed in Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget bill.

    With Congress returning to session tomorrow, Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations.

    The sit-in – which began at 6:14am ET this morning with Booker and Jeffries opening a live streamed conversation with their social media followers as the sun was rising over the Capitol  – saw numerous guest speakers and passers-by participate, including families who rely on critical programs like Medicaid, people who administer nutrition programs that keep Americans from going hungry, union leaders who fight for fair wages and working conditions, experts on Social Security and civil rights, and Senators and members of Congress.

    The live stream concluded at 6:35pm ET, after more than 12 hours. 

    “Budgets are more than just numbers in a spreadsheet—they are moral documents,” said Senator Booker. “They reveal what we value, who we protect, and what we stand for. That’s why I came here today: to sit-in at a sacred civic space, to make clear the moral and practical stakes of the Trump budget proposal, and to call others to action. Republicans in Congress are proposing cuts that will take food from children, healthcare from the sick, and dignity from those already struggling. It’s wrong. To stop it, we all must say so—clearly, courageously, and together. Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”

    “Republicans are crashing the economy in real time,” said House Democratic Leader Jeffries. “Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it, destroy Social Security and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. As Democrats, we’re going to continue to stand on the side of the American people and we will not rest until we bury this reckless Republican budget in the ground.”

    For millions of Americans, Sundays are a day of faith, spirituality and moral reflection. In that spirit, Booker and Jeffries launched their sit-in this morning — an urgent conversation with the American people to focus on our common values, our faith traditions, and the moral moment facing our nation.

    Over the course of the day, Booker, Jeffries, and participants spoke to our shared American values and our nation’s religious and moral underpinnings, and how the Republican budget bill is antithetical to these beliefs. They also affirmed to Americans that their voices not only matter, but are needed in this moment in order to stop these harmful cuts.

    The conversation was live-streamed on multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LANCASTER – Shapiro Administration to Launch Pilot Program Providing On-the-Spot Birth Certificates to Help Pennsylvanians Obtain Personal Documents Faster and Join the Workforce

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 28, 2025 – Lancaster, PA

    ADVISORY – LANCASTER – Shapiro Administration to Launch Pilot Program Providing On-the-Spot Birth Certificates to Help Pennsylvanians Obtain Personal Documents Faster and Join the Workforce

    The Pennsylvania Departments of Labor & Industry (L&I) and Health (DOH) on Monday will announce a new initiative allowing Pennsylvanians to receive on-the-spot birth certificates at PA CareerLink® locations – helping more Pennsylvanians access the documents they need to enter the workforce, faster and more efficiently than before.

    The pilot program will kick off Monday at the PA CareerLink® Lancaster County and will initially serve pre-registered Pennsylvanians. This initiative reinforces the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to investing in the workforce and eliminating barriers to employment, such as a lack of a state-issued birth certificate.

    This service is set to be expanded later this year and offered at additional locations during PA CareerLink® Awareness Days.

    WHO:
    L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker
    DOH Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen

    WHEN:
    MONDAY, April 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM

    WHERE:
    PA CareerLink® Lancaster County, 1046 Manheim Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601

    RSVP:
    Media interested in attending should RSVP to dlipress@pa.gov with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 28, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 28, 2025.

    Reefs in the ‘middle’ light zone along NZ’s coast are biodiversity hotspots – many are home to protected species
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James J Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington James Bell, CC BY-SA The latest update on the state of New Zealand’s environment paints a concerning outlook for marine environments, especially amid the increasing push to use the marine estate for

    Pokies line the coffers of governments and venues – but there are ways to tame this gambling gorilla
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Livingstone, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Recently, much public attention has been given to the way online wagering and its incessant promotion has infiltrated sport and our TV screens. Despite a 2023 parliamentary inquiry that recommended new restrictions on online

    Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Asgary, Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada A car attack at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver just two days before Canada’s federal election has killed at least 11 people and injured many

    Is Canada heading down a path that has caused the collapse of mighty civilizations in the past?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Hoyer, Senior Researcher, Historian and Complexity Scientist, University of Toronto Canada is, by nearly any measure, a large, advanced, prosperous nation. A founding member of the G7, Canada is one of the world’s most “advanced economies,” ranking fourth in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s

    Rwanda’s genocide: why remembering needs to be free of politics – lessons from survivors
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Lakin, Lecturer, Clark University Memory and politics are inherently intertwined and can never be fully separated in post-atrocity and post-genocidal contexts. They are also dynamic and ever-changing. The interplay between memory and politics is, therefore, prone to manipulation, exaggeration or misuse by clever actors to meet

    In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey Fields, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences A mural on the outer walls of the former US embassy in Tehran depicts two men in negotiation. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Negotiators from Iran and the United States are set

    ‘I were but little happy, if I could say how much’: Shakespeare’s insights on happiness have held up for more than 400 years
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cora Fox, Associate Professor of English and Health Humanities, Arizona State University Joanna Vanderham as Desdemona and Hugh Quarshie as the title character in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of ‘Othello.’ Robbie Jack/Corbis via Getty Images What is “happiness” – and who gets to be happy? Since

    What will the UK Supreme Court gender ruling mean in practice? A legal expert explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Maine, Senior Lecturer in Law, City St George’s, University of London jeep2499/Shutterstock The Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers will mean changes in how trans people in the UK access services and single-sex spaces. In the highly anticipated judgment announced

    What are ‘penjamins’? Disguised cannabis vapes are gaining popularity among young people
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Chung, PhD Candidate, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland Stenko Vlad/Shutterstock E-cigarettes or vapes were originally designed to deliver nicotine in a smokeless form. But in recent years, vapes have been used to deliver other psychoactive substances, including cannabis concentrates and

    Used EV batteries could power vehicles, houses or even towns – if their manufacturers share vital data
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryoush Habibi, Professor and Head, Centre for Green and Smart Energy Systems, Edith Cowan University EV batteries are made of hundreds of smaller cells. IM Imagery/Shutterstock Around the world, more and more electric vehicles are hitting the road. Last year, more than 17 million battery-electric and hybrid

    Climate change and the housing crisis are a dangerous mix. So which party is grappling with both?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher and Sustainable Future Lead, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Australia is running out of affordable, safe places to live. Rents and mortgages are climbing faster than wages, and young people fear they may never own a home. At the same time,

    Why film and TV creators will still risk it all for the perfect long take shot
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristian Ramsden, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Apple TV In the second episode of Apple TV’s The Studio (2025–) – a sharp satirical take on contemporary Hollywood – newly-appointed studio head Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) visits the set of one of his company’s film productions. He finds

    Is there a best way to peel a boiled egg? A food scientist explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paulomi (Polly) Burey, Professor in Food Science, University of Southern Queensland We’ve all been there – trying to peel a boiled egg, but mangling it beyond all recognition as the hard shell stubbornly sticks to the egg white. Worse, the egg ends up covered in chewy bits

    Australia once had ‘immigration amnesties’ to grant legal status to undocumented people. Could we again?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior Lecturer, International Migration and Refugee Law, University of Technology Sydney The year is 1972. The Whitlam Labor government has just been swept into power and major changes to Australia’s immigration system are underway. Many people remember this time for the formal end of the

    Independents may build on Australia’s history of hung parliaments, if they can survive the campaign blues
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University Major parties used to easily dismiss the rare politician who stood alone in parliament. These MPs could be written off as isolated idealists, and the press could condescend to them as noble, naïve and unlikely to succeed. In

    Peter Dutton: a Liberal leader seeking to surf on the wave of outer suburbia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In searching for the “real” Peter Dutton, it is possible to end up frustrated because you have looked too hard. Politically, Dutton is not complicated. There is a consistent line in his beliefs through his career. Perhaps the shortest cut

    Albanese has been a ‘proficient and lucky general’. But if he wins a second term, we are right to demand more
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University Barring a rogue result, this Saturday Anthony Albanese will achieve what no major party leader has done since John Howard’s prime-ministerial era – win consecutive elections. Admittedly, in those two decades he is only the second of the six

    Peter Dutton declares Welcome to Country ceremonies are ‘overdone’ in heated final leaders’ debate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships, Western Sydney University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have had their fourth and final leaders’ debate of the campaign. The skirmish, hosted by 7News in Sydney, was moderated by 7’s Political Editor Mark Riley. Cost of

    Election Diary: a cost-of-living election where neither leader can tell you the price of eggs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The fourth election debate was the most idiosyncratic of the four head-to-head contests between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Apart from all the usual topics, the pair was charged with producing one-word responses to pictures of

    Trump’s war on the media: 10 numbers from US President’s first 100 days
    Reporters Without Borders Donald Trump campaigned for the White House by unleashing a nearly endless barrage of insults against journalists and news outlets. He repeatedly threatened to weaponise the federal government against media professionals whom he considers his enemies. In his first 100 days in office, President Trump has already shown that he was not bluffing.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Education – Success Tutoring expands globally with New Zealand centre launch

    Source: Success Tutoring

    The global tutoring revolution has arrived in New Zealand. Success Tutoring, Australia’s fastest growing and most innovative education and tutoring franchise, has officially opened its first centre in Papanui, Christchurch, marking the beginning of a bold global expansion into New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
     
    “This is an incredibly exciting time for our company and for tutoring globally,” Success Tutoring founder and CEO, Michael Black said.
     
    “We have redefined how students learn in Australia and now we’re bringing that same energy and innovation to the world, starting right here in Christchurch.”
     
    Success Tutoring breaks away from the traditional one-size-fits-all tutoring model. Instead, it delivers a highly flexible, student-first approach, giving families unlimited access to personalised sessions through a subscription model that fits modern life.

    It’s more than academic support, it’s about building confidence, curiosity and a mindset for success.

    “Our students aren’t just lifting grades, they’re unlocking their potential,” Black said.

    “We’ve helped kids significantly improve their academic results, earn scholarships, get into selective schools and most importantly, feel proud of themselves again.”

    Results from across the Australian network in 2024 were outstanding with Success Tutoring seeing strong academic improvements in Math and English, scholarships and school-entry success for many students and the majority of students reported significant boosts in confidence and self-esteem.

    The Christchurch launch is being led by powerhouse pair Abhishek Gupta (Abhi) and Jalvanti Bhanderi (Jayvee), franchisees with a powerful combination of business smarts, education experience and passion for youth development.

    Gupta, with a master’s in economics and a background in banking, consulting and teaching, has spent years empowering learners. Bhanderi, who grew up in Nairobi and speaks four languages, brings a background in accounting, operations and people-focused leadership.

    “We’re not just running a tutoring centre, we’re creating a space where young people can grow, be inspired and realise what they’re capable of,” Gupta said.

    Bhanderi added that they have seen the gap, the average student who gets left behind. Success Tutoring is here in New Zealand to give all students the tools and support to soar.

    As the brand goes global, Success Tutoring is also offering a life-changing business opportunity for passionate tutors and entrepreneurs. With a turnkey system, national marketing and world-class support, the franchise model is designed to deliver exceptional results for students as well as franchise business owners.

    “The majority of Success Tutoring franchises are cashflow-positive from day one, deliver high profit margins and rapid growth potential and boast purpose-driven ownership backed by proven national systems,” Black said.

    “This is a business where your success is measurable in both income and impact. It’s a model that delivers for students, for families and for the people who run it.”

    With Christchurch opening and already accepting bookings, Success Tutoring is actively recruiting new franchisees across New Zealand, from Auckland to Queenstown, looking for people who want to change lives and build a business with heart.

    “We’re on a mission to empower the next generation and we’re calling on visionary leaders to join us,” Black said.

    “If you want to inspire, uplift and grow a business that matters, there’s never been a better time.”

    About Success Tutoring

    Founded by Michael Black in 2017, Success Tutoring is Australia’s fastest growing education centre with multiple locations and a further 150 cities planned worldwide by 2026. The company offers weekly tutoring sessions in English and Math for students aged five to 17, with a school readiness program for kids even younger, and selective school exam preparation tutoring also available. The Success Model not only empowers students to work at their own pace towards progress but also finds success in the social aspect of students coming together and working as a community of students to find motivation, inspiration and a lifelong love of learning.

    https://successtutoring.com.au/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Comments on New Forecast Board Projections

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Comments on New Forecast Board Projections

    LINCOLN, NE – The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board (NEFAB) voted today to take away $190 million from current fiscal year revenue projections for General Fund receipts.

    Additionally, the Forecasting Board decreased projected revenue receipts by $90 million for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025-2026, and by $100 million for the following Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Together, these decreases account for $380 million that will need to be addressed to support a balanced state budget that delivers critical investments in education and property tax relief.

    “The foundations of Nebraska’s economy are stable and resilient because of our farmers, ranchers, businesses, and workers,” said Governor Jim Pillen. “Today we have a great opportunity to be strong fiscal conservatives. I am looking forward to working with the Legislature to close the budget gap while delivering the property tax relief that Nebraskans expect and deserve.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Joins Over 175 Members of Congress to Demand Trump Administration Preserve and Expand Free Tax Filing Program

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – In response to recent reporting that the Trump administration plans to end the Direct File program, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led over 175 Congressional Democrats in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Acting IRS Commissioner Michael Faulkender, slamming the administration’s reported decision and demanding instead that officials preserve and expand Direct File. 

    Direct File is a free, easy-to-use tax filing program that has already delivered significant benefits to taxpayers. In 2024, during the program’s pilot phase, Direct File saved the average user $160 in tax return fees and hours of effort preparing their return. Users overwhelmingly love the program: 98 percent of Direct File taxpayers in 2025 were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their experience, a world-class figure. Yet, new reporting indicates that the Trump Administration “plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program.”

    “The Trump Administration’s dismantling of a program that makes tax filing easier and free for millions of Americans is shameful. Taxpayers have spoken loudly and clearly: Direct File works well for them, and more Americans want access to it,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    Even before reports that the Trump Administration planned to end Direct File, the Trump Administration had already sabotaged the program during its time in office. This filing season, the Trump Administration fired the team at the Treasury Department that had been running awareness campaigns about Direct File, scaled back communications promoting the program, and did little to partner with local groups and media outlets to promote the program. In February, Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tweeted that the team that helped build Direct File, “has been deleted.” While Direct File remained operational after Musk’s tweet, “Direct File usage immediately fell by roughly one quarter.”

    The lawmakers demanded that Secretary Bessent and Acting IRS Commissioner Faulkender provide a written commitment to preserve and expand Direct File for the 2026 tax season and beyond by May 5, 2025. 

    You can read the full letter to Secretary Bessent and Commissioner Michael Faulkender here or below:

    Dear Secretary Bessent and Acting Commissioner Faulkender:

    We write in response to public reporting indicating that the Trump Administration plans to end the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Direct File program. Ending this free, easy-to-use, and popular program would be an insult to American taxpayers, eliminating an important alternative to commercial options provided by the tax prep industry. We write to seek your written commitment that you will preserve and expand Direct File for next year’s tax filing season and beyond.

    In the first two years of its existence, Direct File has already delivered significant benefits to taxpayers across the country. In 2024, during the program’s pilot phase, Direct File saved the average user $160 in return fees and hours of effort preparing their return. Ninety percent of users rated their experience with the program positively. A year later, Direct File has improved in important ways. For this year’s tax filing season, Direct File was accessible in 25 states and used pre-populated taxpayer data to make the filing process smoother. Users delivered rave reviews: 98 percent of Direct File taxpayers in 2025 were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their experience, a world-class figure.

    However, the tax prep industry has fought Direct File at every turn, even before its inception. It’s no secret why: a free, easy-to-use tax filing program requires the industry to compete for taxpayer business and is a direct threat to the industry’s bottom line. Accordingly, these companies have spent millions on lobbying in the hopes of ending Direct File, encouraging Republican Members of Congress to ask the Trump Administration to kill the program.

    New reporting indicates that the Trump Administration “plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program.” But even before this reporting, the Trump Administration had been sabotaging Direct File’s success since taking office. For example:

    • The Trump Administration fired the team at the Department of the Treasury that had been running awareness campaigns about Direct File
    • The Trump Administration dramatically scaled back communications efforts at the IRS and Treasury to promote Direct File. In contrast to the Biden Administration’s efforts last year, the Trump Administration issued almost no public statements promoting the program and did little to partner with local organizations and media outlets to promote Direct File.
    • Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tweeted that 18F, a group that helped agencies build digital services like Direct File, had been “deleted.” In response to the tweet, public reporting, with little pushback from the Trump Administration, suggested that Direct File had been ended as well. While Direct File remained operational after Musk’s tweet, “Direct File usage immediately fell by roughly one quarter.”

    According to partners and state governments, uncertainty about Direct File’s future and the future of the IRS itself created by DOGE’s attacks on the IRS and public reports of DOGE’s improper access to taxpayer data may also have hampered the program’s success.

    The Trump Administration’s dismantling of a program that makes tax filing easier and free for millions of Americans is shameful. Taxpayers have spoken loudly and clearly: Direct File works well for them, and more Americans want access to it. On behalf of those taxpayers, we seek your written commitment by May 5, 2025 that you will preserve and expand Direct File for the 2026 tax season and beyond.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    The following Senators also signed the letter: Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Timothy Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elisa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 

    The following Representatives signed the letter as well: Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Gabo Amo (D-R.I.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.), Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.), Steven Cohen (D-Tenn.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.),, Herbert Conaway (D-N.J.), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Suzan K. DelBene (D-Wash.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Cleo Fields (D-La.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Valerie P. Foushee (D-N.C.), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Al Green (D-Texas), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Md.), Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-Ill.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-Ga.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), William R. Keating (D-Mass.), Robin L. Kelly (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), George Latimer (D-N.Y.), Summer L. Lee (D-Pa.), Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Jennifer L. McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Robert J. Menendez (D-N.J.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-Md.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-Calif.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Bradley Scott Schneider (D-Ohio), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.I.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Ohio), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Derek T. Tran (D-Calif.), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Marc A. Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Eugene Simon Vindman (D-Va.), and George Whitesides (D-Calif.). 

    The following groups endorsed the letter: Americans for Tax Fairness, Public Citizen, Economic Security Project Action, MoveOn, United for Respect, P Street, 20/20 Vision, Young Invincibles, Patriotic Millionaires, Groundwork Action, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, Meals4Families, Beyond Careers, Grow Brooklyn, National Consumer Law Center, Color of Change, End Child Poverty California, Consumer Action, United Ways of the Pacific Northwest, Northwest Progressive Institute, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Accountable.US, United for a Fair Economy, Responsible Wealth, National Association of Social Workers, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Golden State Opportunity, OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling, North Carolina Council of Churches. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah:

    “This year marks eight decades since Allied forces broke open the gates of Auschwitz and Dachau, Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen, among numerous other Nazi concentration camps across Europe. What they saw inside forever changed not only them but our understanding of humanity itself. Their arrival came too late for the 6 million Jews and 5 million others who were murdered in the Nazis’ genocidal campaign. Although they could not save those already lost, the liberators and survivors of the camps made a pledge: never again.

    “On Yom HaShoah, we reaffirm that commitment. This year, we do so at a time when the same antisemitic hate, prejudice, and violence that fueled the Holocaust is skyrocketing in America and beyond. Billionaires have made Nazi salutes at presidential rallies. Individuals with known histories of antisemitism and ties to neo-Nazi organizations have found influence in the administration. Certain books about the Holocaust have been removed from libraries at the U.S. Naval Academy and other institutions. An arsonist set the home of a Jewish governor ablaze. All of these acts come after years of rampant antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel.

    “Antisemitism ought to concern all of us because it endangers all of us. It threatens not only Jews but democracy itself. The rise of Nazi fascism was intertwined with antisemitism. ​Failing to stand up to antisemitism – to the people who downplay, deny, distort, or even glorify the Holocaust – creates a hotbed for authoritarianism. Never again demands that we never sit by when we see hate threaten human rights, democracy, and freedom.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Statement on the Retirement of Senator Dick Durbin

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) issued the following statement after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will not run for re-election in 2026:

    “I’ve been proud to serve alongside my friend Senator Dick Durbin ever since he became a Member of the House of Representatives in 1983. He is the same person now that he was then: a principled leader, a gifted consensus builder, and an energetic advocate for Illinoisans and all Americans. That will remain true after he retires from the Congress at the end of the 119th Congress, as he announced earlier today.

    “Dick is a model legislator. That was evident from working with him on the House Appropriations Committee early in his career in Congress. He knew how to bring Democrats and Republicans together to fulfill our institution’s most basic responsibility of funding the government. Crucially, as the second highest ranking Democratic leaders in the Senate and House respectively, Dick and I coordinated closely to secure groundbreaking legislation. He was invaluable in the effort to unite Democrats behind historic bills like the Affordable Care Act, the American Rescue Plan, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also helped us garner modest Republican support on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and other critical legislation.

    “Dick has delivered results at a time when gridlock is the norm in the Senate. That is a testament to his congeniality, pragmatism, and determination. From his successful effort to regulate smoking to his ongoing leadership on the DREAM Act, he knows how to cut through the partisan noise and find common ground. His retirement is a great loss for our Congress and country. I have no doubt that my friend’s legacy of accomplishment will only grow in the 119th Congress and beyond.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Asgary, Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada

    A car attack at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver just two days before Canada’s federal election has killed at least 11 people and injured many more.

    The carnage along a street lined with food trucks took place shortly after one of the men vying to become Canada’s prime minister — New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh — attended the event. A shell-shocked Singh observed a moment of silence in Penticton, B.C., during another campaign stop the next day.

    A 30-year-old Vancouver resident has been arrested, but the motivation behind the attack is unknown.

    Vancouver police say the suspect has mental health issues and was known to police prior to the attack. Police also told a news conference there was no indication there was a need for extra policing at the festival, deeming it to have a “low threat level.”

    What goes into making that calculation, and is a public event ever truly low-risk?

    Vancouver police hold a news conference on the SUV attack. (CTV News)

    Difficulties of crowd management

    The Vancouver SUV attack is now classified as a crowd-related or mass gathering type of disaster. There have been cases of public vehicle-ramming attacks in Canada in the past, in particular the 2018 Toronto van attack that left 10 people dead.

    While it’s not yet known whether the Vancouver attack was targeted, there were clearly weaknesses in crowd management for such a large gathering. These types of attacks have been on the increase over the past decade and are now considered one of the prime threats to mass gatherings in public spaces and streets.

    Unfortunately, many mass gathering events do not allocate either sufficient resources or time for crowd management procedures, particularly those related to risk and emergency management.

    Organizing mass gathering events in public spaces should factor in different threats, including the potential for car ramming, and implement effective mitigation and preparedness measures.

    ‘Soft targets’

    Many public spaces where these events take place are vulnerable to car attacks. Evidence shows that mass gatherings are soft targets, meaning they’re easily accessible to large numbers of people and have limited security, protective and warning measures in place. Extreme precautions are needed to protect the public from such attacks so that they don’t become mass casualty events.

    Those in attendance should be aware that public spaces generally lack physical barriers, or the proper distribution of them, to resist car or vehicle attacks.

    While public awareness programs exist for other hazards such as flooding, earthquakes and extreme weather events, it’s now clear that such awareness and education are needed for mass public gatherings too.

    Police should be aware that relying on limited surveillance may not be sufficient to identify such threats at the scene. Vehicle access and traffic control should be in place throughout such events. Lack of warning systems to quickly inform the crowd about an ongoing attack further increases the impacts of vehicular attacks.

    Much of the focus on these types of events has been on the motivations of the attackers. Since a considerable number of vehicle-ramming attacks have been attributed to terrorism, communities or events with the perception of lower terrorism threats may not pay close enough attention to this type of threat.



    Read more:
    Toronto’s most recent car attack was a targeted crime, not a mass attack

    Impact on the election?

    Canadians aren’t likely to get many more details about the Vancouver attack until after voting day on Monday. Could the tragedy have an impact on the outcome of the federal election?

    Past and recent studies have drawn different conclusions about the impact of disasters on election results.

    According to what’s known as retrospective voting theory, voters judge governments on how they manage disasters, particularly highly publicized, tragic events, when casting their ballots. Voters can evaluate governments based on their handling of the disaster and the amount of effort they have put into minimizing risk.

    Some studies have found that local governments were rewarded after disaster events, including Calgary after the 2013 floods, several Italian municipal governments after earthquakes, local government officials in Brazil amid municipal drought declarations and civic elections in Japan after earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.



    Read more:
    Why Canada needs to dramatically update how it prepares for and manages emergencies

    Voters can and do punish or reward governments and elected politicians based on the effects of recent disasters on them and governments’ responses to them.

    But given how soon the Canadian election is being held after the disaster occurred — and the record number of voters who have already cast their ballots in advance polls — this tragedy isn’t likely to have a substantial impact.

    Hopefully, however, it will have an influence on how organizers, police and other authorities manage public crowds and events at a time when vehicle-ramming attacks are becoming a recurrent threat. Those elected this election should prioritize efforts to ensure communities can have safer mass gathering events.

    Ali Asgary 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. Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election – https://theconversation.com/vancouver-suv-attack-exposes-crowd-management-falldowns-and-casts-a-pall-on-canadas-election-255395

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ali Asgary, Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada

    A car attack at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver just two days before Canada’s federal election has killed at least 11 people and injured many more.

    The carnage along a street lined with food trucks took place shortly after one of the men vying to become Canada’s prime minister — New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh — attended the event. A shell-shocked Singh observed a moment of silence in Penticton, B.C., during another campaign stop the next day.

    A 30-year-old Vancouver resident has been arrested, but the motivation behind the attack is unknown.

    Vancouver police say the suspect has mental health issues and was known to police prior to the attack. Police also told a news conference there was no indication there was a need for extra policing at the festival, deeming it to have a “low threat level.”

    What goes into making that calculation, and is a public event ever truly low-risk?

    Vancouver police hold a news conference on the SUV attack. (CTV News)

    Difficulties of crowd management

    The Vancouver SUV attack is now classified as a crowd-related or mass gathering type of disaster. There have been cases of public vehicle-ramming attacks in Canada in the past, in particular the 2018 Toronto van attack that left 10 people dead.

    While it’s not yet known whether the Vancouver attack was targeted, there were clearly weaknesses in crowd management for such a large gathering. These types of attacks have been on the increase over the past decade and are now considered one of the prime threats to mass gatherings in public spaces and streets.

    Unfortunately, many mass gathering events do not allocate either sufficient resources or time for crowd management procedures, particularly those related to risk and emergency management.

    Organizing mass gathering events in public spaces should factor in different threats, including the potential for car ramming, and implement effective mitigation and preparedness measures.

    ‘Soft targets’

    Many public spaces where these events take place are vulnerable to car attacks. Evidence shows that mass gatherings are soft targets, meaning they’re easily accessible to large numbers of people and have limited security, protective and warning measures in place. Extreme precautions are needed to protect the public from such attacks so that they don’t become mass casualty events.

    Those in attendance should be aware that public spaces generally lack physical barriers, or the proper distribution of them, to resist car or vehicle attacks.

    While public awareness programs exist for other hazards such as flooding, earthquakes and extreme weather events, it’s now clear that such awareness and education are needed for mass public gatherings too.

    Police should be aware that relying on limited surveillance may not be sufficient to identify such threats at the scene. Vehicle access and traffic control should be in place throughout such events. Lack of warning systems to quickly inform the crowd about an ongoing attack further increases the impacts of vehicular attacks.

    Much of the focus on these types of events has been on the motivations of the attackers. Since a considerable number of vehicle-ramming attacks have been attributed to terrorism, communities or events with the perception of lower terrorism threats may not pay close enough attention to this type of threat.



    Read more:
    Toronto’s most recent car attack was a targeted crime, not a mass attack

    Impact on the election?

    Canadians aren’t likely to get many more details about the Vancouver attack until after voting day on Monday. Could the tragedy have an impact on the outcome of the federal election?

    Past and recent studies have drawn different conclusions about the impact of disasters on election results.

    According to what’s known as retrospective voting theory, voters judge governments on how they manage disasters, particularly highly publicized, tragic events, when casting their ballots. Voters can evaluate governments based on their handling of the disaster and the amount of effort they have put into minimizing risk.

    Some studies have found that local governments were rewarded after disaster events, including Calgary after the 2013 floods, several Italian municipal governments after earthquakes, local government officials in Brazil amid municipal drought declarations and civic elections in Japan after earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.



    Read more:
    Why Canada needs to dramatically update how it prepares for and manages emergencies

    Voters can and do punish or reward governments and elected politicians based on the effects of recent disasters on them and governments’ responses to them.

    But given how soon the Canadian election is being held after the disaster occurred — and the record number of voters who have already cast their ballots in advance polls — this tragedy isn’t likely to have a substantial impact.

    Hopefully, however, it will have an influence on how organizers, police and other authorities manage public crowds and events at a time when vehicle-ramming attacks are becoming a recurrent threat. Those elected this election should prioritize efforts to ensure communities can have safer mass gathering events.

    Ali Asgary 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. Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election – https://theconversation.com/vancouver-suv-attack-exposes-crowd-management-falldowns-and-casts-a-pall-on-canadas-election-255395

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I were but little happy, if I could say how much’: Shakespeare’s insights on happiness have held up for more than 400 years

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cora Fox, Associate Professor of English and Health Humanities, Arizona State University

    Joanna Vanderham as Desdemona and Hugh Quarshie as the title character in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of ‘Othello.’ Robbie Jack/Corbis via Getty Images

    What is “happiness” – and who gets to be happy?

    Since 2012, the World Happiness Report has measured and compared data from 167 countries. The United States currently ranks 24th, between the U.K. and Belize – its lowest position since the report was first issued. But the 2025 edition – released on March 20, the United Nations’ annual “International Day of Happiness” – starts off not with numbers, but with Shakespeare.

    “In this year’s issue, we focus on the impact of caring and sharing on people’s happiness,” the authors explain. “Like ‘mercy’ in Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice,’ caring is ‘twice-blessed’ – it blesses those who give and those who receive.”

    Shakespeare’s plays offer many reflections on happiness itself. They are a record of how people in early modern England experienced and thought about joy and satisfaction, and they offer a complex look at just how happiness, like mercy, lives in relationships and the caring exchanges between people.

    Contrary to how we might think about happiness in our everyday lives, it is more than the surge of positive feelings after a great meal, or a workout, or even a great date. The experience of emotions is grounded in both the body and the mind, influenced by human physiology and culture in ways that change depending on time and place. What makes a person happy, therefore, depends on who that person is, as well as where and when they belong – or don’t belong.

    Happiness has a history. I study emotions and early modern literature, so I spend a lot of my time thinking about what Shakespeare has to say about what makes people happy, in his own time and in our own. And also, of course, what makes people unhappy.

    From fortune to joy

    Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
    Tony Hisgett/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    “Happiness” derives from the Old Norse word “hap,” which meant “fortune” or “luck,” as historians Phil Withington and Darrin McMahon explain. This earlier sense is found throughout Shakespeare’s works. Today, it survives in the modern word “happenstance” and the expression that something is a “happy accident.”

    But in modern English usage, “happy” as “fortunate” has been almost entirely replaced by a notion of happiness as “joy,” or the more long-term sense of life satisfaction called “well-being.” The term “well-being,” in fact, was introduced into English from the Italian “benessere” around the time of Shakespeare’s birth.

    The word and the concept of happiness were transforming during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and his use of the word in his plays mingles both senses: “fortunate” and “joyful.” That transitional ambiguity emphasizes happiness’ origins in ideas about luck and fate, and it reminds readers and playgoers that happiness is a contingent, fragile thing – something not just individuals, but societies need to carefully cultivate and support.

    For instance, early in “Othello,” the Venetian senator Brabantio describes his daughter Desdemona as “tender, fair, and happy / So opposite to marriage that she shunned / The wealthy, curled darlings of our nation.” Before she elopes with Othello she is “happy” in the sense of “fortunate,” due to her privileged position on the marriage market.

    Later in the same play, though, Othello reunites with his new wife in Cyprus and describes his feelings of joy using this same term:

    …If it were now to die,
    ‘Twere now to be most happy, for I fear
    My soul hath her content so absolute
    That not another comfort like to this
    Succeeds in unknown fate.

    Desdemona responds,

    The heavens forbid
    But that our loves and comforts should increase
    Even as our days do grow!

    They both understand “happy” to mean not just lucky, but “content” and “comfortable,” a more modern understanding. But they also recognize that their comforts depend on “the heavens,” and that happiness is enabled by being fortunate.

    “Othello” is a tragedy, so in the end, the couple will not prove “happy” in either sense. The foreign general is tricked into believing his young wife has been unfaithful. He murders her, then takes his own life.

    The seeds of jealousy are planted and expertly exploited by Othello’s subordinate, Iago, who catalyzes the racial prejudice and misogyny underlying Venetian values to enact his sinister and cruel revenge.

    James Earl Jones playing the title role and Jill Clayburgh as Desdemona in a 1971 production of ‘Othello.’
    Kathleen Ballard/Los Angeles Times/UCLA Library via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Happy insiders and outsiders

    “Othello” sheds light on happiness’s history – but also on its politics.

    While happiness is often upheld as a common good, it is also dependent on cultural forces that make it harder for some individuals to experience. Shared cultural fantasies about happiness tend to create what theorist Sara Ahmed calls “affect aliens”: individuals who, by nature of who they are and how they are treated, experience a disconnect between what their culture conditions them to think should make them happy and their disappointment or exclusion from those positive feelings. Othello, for example, rightly worries that he is somehow foreign to the domestic happiness Desdemona describes, excluded from the joy of Venetian marriage. It turns out he is right.

    Because Othello is foreign and Black and Desdemona is Venetian and white, their marriage does not conform to their society’s expectations for happiness, and that makes them vulnerable to Iago’s deceit.

    Similarly, “The Merchant of Venice” examines the potential for happiness to include or exclude, to build or break communities. Take the quote about mercy that opens the World Happiness Report.

    The phrase appears in a famous courtroom scene, as Portia attempts to persuade a Jewish lender, Shylock, to take pity on Antonio, a Christian man who cannot pay his debts. In their contract, Shylock has stipulated that if Antonio defaults on the loan, the fee will be a “pound of flesh.”

    “The quality of mercy is not strained,” Portia lectures him; it is “twice-blessed,” benefiting both giver and receiver.

    It’s a powerful attempt to save Antonio’s life. But it is also hypocritical: Those cultural norms of caring and mercy seem to apply only to other Christians in the play, and not the Jewish people living alongside them in Venice. In that same scene, Shylock reminds his audience that Antonio and the other Venetians in the room have spit on him and called him a dog. He famously asks why Jewish Venetians are not treated as equal human beings: “If you prick us, do we not bleed?”

    Actor Henry Irving as Shylock in a late 19th-century performance of ‘The Merchant of Venice.’
    Lock & Whitfield/Folger Shakespeare Library via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Shakespeare’s plays repeatedly make the point that the unjust distribution of rights and care among various social groups – Christians and Jews, men and women, citizens and foreigners – challenges the happy effects of benevolence.

    Those social factors are sometimes overlooked in cultures like the U.S., where contemporary notions of happiness are marketed by wellness gurus, influencers and cosmetic companies. Shakespeare’s plays reveal both how happiness is built through communities of care and how it can be weaponized to destroy individuals and the fabric of the community.

    There are obvious victims of prejudice and abuse in Shakespeare’s plays, but he does not just emphasize their individual tragedies. Instead, the plays record how certain values that promote inequality poison relationships that could otherwise support happy networks of family and friends.

    Systems of support

    Pretty much all objective research points to the fact that long-term happiness depends on community, connections and social support: having systems in place to weather what life throws at us.

    And according to both the World Happiness Report and Shakespeare, contentment isn’t just about the actual support you receive but your expectations about people’s willingness to help you. Societies with high levels of trust, like Finland and the Netherlands, tend to be happier – and to have more evenly distributed levels of happiness in their populations.

    Shakespeare’s plays offer blueprints for trust in happy communities. They also offer warnings about the costs of cultural fantasies about happiness that make it more possible for some, but not for all.

    Cora Fox has received funding from an NEH grant for activities not directly related to this research.

    – ref. ‘I were but little happy, if I could say how much’: Shakespeare’s insights on happiness have held up for more than 400 years – https://theconversation.com/i-were-but-little-happy-if-i-could-say-how-much-shakespeares-insights-on-happiness-have-held-up-for-more-than-400-years-198583

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is Canada heading down a path that has caused the collapse of mighty civilizations in the past?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Hoyer, Senior Researcher, Historian and Complexity Scientist, University of Toronto

    Canada is, by nearly any measure, a large, advanced, prosperous nation. A founding member of the G7, Canada is one of the world’s most “advanced economies,” ranking fourth in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Better Life Index, which measures things like national health outcomes, security, safety and life satisfaction.

    However, all of this prosperity and ostensible stability can mask social tensions, which can simmer for years, even decades, before boiling over into widespread unrest, civil violence and even societal collapse.

    Along with more than a dozen collaborators as part of the Seshat: Global History Databank project, I have spent over a decade studying the rise and fall of societies from around the globe and throughout history. This provides a unique insight to understand the challenges facing modern nations.

    Our new organization, Societal Dynamics (SoDy), works to translate what we learn from observing historical patterns into lessons for today.

    Even the most powerful empires can collapse

    Devoting my time to studying historic crises has shown me just how fragile societies are. Even big, powerful, famous civilizations can succumb to crises.

    For instance, colleagues recently published a study comparing three large, wealthy imperial powers of the past: the Roman, Han and Aztec Empires.

    Historians consider these to be some of the most successful, wealthy, stable societies of the pre-modern world.

    They lasted centuries, controlled vast stretches of territory, oversaw innovations in technology, politics and philosophy and produced some of the most famous works of art and architecture from history that we still talk about today — the incredible Roman Colosseum, the stunning jade carvings and other artwork of the Han period and the amazing Aztec pyramids and intricate artwork.

    But not long after they reached their apex, all three of these mighty civilizations experienced devastating crises:

    Rome was torn apart by civil warfare starting in the early third century CE. Ambitious military generals from the provinces marched on each other, looking to gain even more power. They were supported by legions of loyal soldiers dissatisfied with their lot in life.

    Western Han imperial rule came to a crashing end in the 9 CE when a wealthy and prominent courtier named Wang Mang led a successful coup. As in Rome, Wang rallied military leaders and officials frustrated in their ambitions. He amassed a large following of commoners weary of impoverishment by decrying the luxurious excesses of the Han court.

    Aztec authority was already weakened by civil strife by the time the invading Spanish armies arrived in 1519 CE. The Aztecs ultimately proved unable to withstand the vicious warfare and disease outbreaks that accompanied the Spanish arrival.

    Hidden vulnerabilities

    What happened to these once-mighty empires? The aforementioned study gives some answers. The authors explored the distribution of wealth and income in these empires, comparing it to the modern United States.

    They found that each of these empires permitted fairly high disparities to accumulate.

    In each case, the richest five per cent and one per cent of citizens controlled an outsized share of their society’s wealth. This leads to fairly high “gini index” values as well. The gini is a commonly used measure of inequality in nations — the higher the number up to one, the more inequitable a society is. For comparison, the current average gini among OECD countries is 0.32, notably lower than each of the four societies shown above.

    The researchers suggest this high level of inequality contributed to the eventual collapse of these empires.

    This is consistent with our own findings on the dynamics of crisis. Inequality tends to breed frustration as impoverishment spreads.

    It creates conflict as the upper classes become bloated with too many wealthy and powerful families vying for control of the vast spoils that accumulate at the top. It also erodes society’s ability to respond to acute shocks like ecological disasters or economic downturns as the government loses capacity and authority.

    If allowed to persist, it becomes more and more likely for the society to end in collapse.

    How does Canada compare?

    Canada today bears several similarities with these and other famous civilizations of the past — and that should make Canadians nervous.

    Canada, like the Romans, Han, Aztecs and many other once great societies, has maintained a relatively peaceful and secure rule over a large territory for a time. It’s generated a great deal of wealth, has facilitated the exchange of technology, ideas and movement of people over vast distances and has produced amazing works of art. But Canada has also allowed inequality to grow and linger for generations.

    My group has been exploring the historic patterns of wealth creation and distribution in different countries, including Canada. We focus on what’s known as the “Palma ratio,” generally considered a more reliable measure of inequality than the gini.

    The measurement quantifies the ratio of wealth or income between the richest 10 per cent and the poorest 40 per cent of citizens. Higher numbers indicate that the richest are capturing the lion’s share of a country’s overall wealth.

    Canada’s economy has been growing steadily as measured by GDP per capita — with a few notable exceptions — since the Second World War.

    Initially, inequality held steady, but starting in about 1980, the Palma ratio jumps up sharply. This suggests the bulk of this growth was making its way into the hands of the wealthy. After a downturn in the late 2000s, inequality has begun to grow again in recent years.

    By comparison, the U.S. has experienced similar trends, though without the momentary downturn in the 2000s. Note also that these two graphs show different levels — the Palma ratio in the U.S. in 2022 (the latest available data) is about 4.5, while it’s just over two in Canada.

    Heading down a dangerous path

    Most citizens living in the heyday of these once mighty empires probably thought that collapse was unfathomable, just as few living in the U.S. or Canada today feel that we’re headed that way.

    But there have been familiar signs growing in the U.S. in recent years. Americans appear to be further ahead on the road to a potential collapse than Canadians are, but not by that much.

    Canada is starting to exhibit many of these same indicators as well, including significant spikes in social unrest evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasingly hostile rhetoric we have seen among Canadian politicians. Persistent, heightened material inequality stands out as core driver in all of these cases.



    Read more:
    The ‘freedom convoy’ protesters are a textbook case of ‘aggrieved entitlement’

    Canada remains, in many ways, a stable, thriving, modern democratic-socialist country. But it’s on a dangerous path.

    If Canada allows inequality continue to rise unchecked as it has over the last few generations, it risks ending up where Rome, Han, the Aztecs and hundreds of other societies have been before: widespread unrest, devastating violence and even complete societal collapse.

    As Canadians head to the polls, the country is at another crossroads. Will it continue down this all-too-familiar path, or will it take the opportunity to forge a different route and avoid the fate of the fallen societies of the past?

    Daniel Hoyer is director of SoDy and affiliated with ASRA Network, Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, and the SocialAI lab at the University of Toronto. He has received funding from: the Tricoastal Foundation; the Institute for Economics and Peace; and the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation.

    – ref. Is Canada heading down a path that has caused the collapse of mighty civilizations in the past? – https://theconversation.com/is-canada-heading-down-a-path-that-has-caused-the-collapse-of-mighty-civilizations-in-the-past-254378

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy Sector – NZ energy professional selected for World Energy Council delegation

    Source: BusinessNZ

    New Zealand energy professional Esther Tomkinson has been selected to join the World Energy Council’s Future Energy Leaders Programme.
    Esther Tomkinson is a Sustainability and Strategy Analyst at Mercury Energy and Co-Chair of the Young Energy Professionals Network of the BusinessNZ Energy Council.
    The Future Energy Leaders Programme is a global network of young energy professionals who contribute to national, regional, and international activities aimed at solving the world’s most pressing energy and sustainability challenges.
    Tina Schirr Executive Director of the BusinessNZ Energy Council said, “We are incredibly proud of Esther Tomkinson’s selection for the Future Energy Leaders Programme. Her dedication to sustainability and the local Future Energy Leaders Programme – YEPN – will be extremely valuable to the global and New Zealand energy community. This recognition also highlights the exceptional talent we have in New Zealand’s energy sector.”
    The first opportunity to convene with future energy leaders from across the globe will be at the World Energy Week in Panama from 6-9 October 2025, followed by the World Energy Congress in Saudi Arabia from 26-29 October 2026.
    Schirr says, “This year, 25 young energy professionals from 21 countries will join the Future Energy Leaders Programme, including Esther Tomkinson, the only New Zealand delegate.
    “At the same time, we farewell two outstanding Kiwis from the Future Energy Leaders Programme, Emily Hilton, the HSEQ Manager at Hiringa Energy, and Mark Todoroff, Business Development Director at Yes Energy.”
    The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: JEFFRIES, BOOKER SIT ON CAPITOL STEPS, BEGIN LIVE STREAM SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH AMERICANS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Washington, DC — For millions of Americans, Sundays are a day of faith, spirituality and moral reflection. In that spirit, today, just before sunrise, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Cory Booker sat down on the steps of the US Capitol and began an urgent, live-streamed conversation with the American people to focus on our common values, our faith traditions and the moral moment facing our nation.

    With Congress returning to session tomorrow, Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations.

    During the action, Senator Booker and Leader Jeffries will speak to our shared American values and our nation’s religious and moral underpinnings, and how the budget bill is antithetical to these beliefs. They will also affirm to Americans that their voices not only matter, but are needed, in this moment in order to stop these harmful cuts.

    “Budgets are more than just numbers in a spreadsheet—they are moral documents,” Booker said. “They reveal what we value, who we protect, and what we stand for. That’s why I’m here today: to sit in at a sacred civic space, to make clear the moral and practical stakes of the Trump budget proposal, and to call others to action. 

    Booker continued, “Republicans in Congress are proposing cuts that will take food from children, healthcare from the sick, and dignity from those already struggling. It’s wrong. To stop it, we all must say so—clearly, courageously, and together. Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”

    “Republicans are crashing the economy, undermining American values, assaulting our democracy and driving us toward a recession. Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. Enough. This is not America,” said Leader Jeffries. “We will continue to show up, speak up and stand up until we end this national nightmare.”

    The conversation is being live-streamed on multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Used EV batteries could power vehicles, houses or even towns – if their manufacturers share vital data

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryoush Habibi, Professor and Head, Centre for Green and Smart Energy Systems, Edith Cowan University

    EV batteries are made of hundreds of smaller cells. IM Imagery/Shutterstock

    Around the world, more and more electric vehicles are hitting the road. Last year, more than 17 million battery-electric and hybrid vehicles were sold. Early forecasts suggest this year’s figure might reach 20 million. Nearly 20% of all cars sold today are electric.

    But as more motorists go electric, it creates a new challenge – what to do with the giant batteries when they reach the end of their lives. That’s 12 to 15 years on average, though real-world data suggests it may be up to 40% longer. The average EV battery weighs about 450 kilograms.

    By 2030, around 30,000 tonnes of EV batteries are expected to need disposal or recycling in Australia. By 2040, the figure is projected to be 360,000 tonnes and 1.6 million tonnes by 2050.

    Is this a problem? Not necessarily. When a battery reaches the end of its life in a vehicle, it’s still got plenty of juice. Together, they could power smaller vehicles, houses or, when daisy-chained, even whole towns.

    For this to work, though, we need better information. How healthy are these batteries? What are they made of? Have they ever been in an accident? At present, answers to these questions are hard to come by. That has to change.

    Gauging the health and reliability of a used EV battery is harder than it should be.
    Fahroni/Shutterstock

    Huge potential, challenging reality

    Old EV batteries have huge potential. But it’s not going to be easy to realise this.

    That’s because it’s hard to get accurate data on battery performance, how fast it’s degrading and the battery’s current state of health – how much capacity it has now versus how much it had when new.

    Unfortunately, vehicle manufacturers often make it difficult to get access to this crucial information. And once a battery pack is removed, we can’t get access to its specific data.

    This comes with real risks. If a battery has a fault or has been severely degraded, it could catch fire when opened or if used for an unsuitable role. Without data, recyclers are flying blind.

    Reusing EV batteries will only be economically viable if there’s sufficient confidence in estimates of remaining capacity and performance.

    Without solid data, investors and companies may hesitate to engage in the repurposing market due to the financial risks involved.

    Extracting minerals from a battery

    EV batteries are full of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium and manganese. Nearly everything in an EV battery can be recycled – up to 95%.

    Here, too, it’s not as easy as it should be. Manufacturers design batteries focusing on performance and safety with recyclability often an afterthought.

    Battery packs are often sealed shut for safety, making it difficult to disassemble their thousands of individual cells. Dismantling these type of EV batteries is extremely labour-intensive and time-consuming. Some will have to be crushed and the minerals extracted afterwards.

    EV batteries have widely differing chemistries, such as lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt. But this vital information is often not included on the label.

    EV batteries require significant quantities of critical minerals. Pictured: lithium salt evaporation ponds in Argentina.
    Freedom_wanted/Shutterstock

    Better ways of assessing battery health

    Used EV batteries fall into three groups based on their state of health:

    High (80% or more of original capacity): These batteries can be refurbished for reuse in similar applications, such as electric cars, mopeds, bicycles and golf carts. Some can be resized to suit smaller vehicles.

    Medium (60-80%): These batteries can be repurposed for entirely different applications, such as stationary power storage or uninterruptible power supplies.

    Low (below 60%): These batteries undergo shredding and refining processes to recover valuable minerals which can be used to make new batteries.

    Researchers have recently succeeded in estimating the health of used EV batteries even without access to the battery’s data. But access to usage and performance data would still give better estimates.

    What’s at stake?

    An EV battery is a remarkable thing. But they rely on long supply chains and contain critical minerals, and their manufacture can cause pollution and carbon emissions.

    Ideally, an EV battery would be exhausted before we recycle it. Repurposing these batteries will help reduce how many new batteries are needed.

    If old batteries are stockpiled or improperly discarded, it leads to fire risk and potential contamination of soil and water.

    Right now, it’s hard for companies and individuals to access each battery’s performance data. This means it’s much harder and more expensive to assess its health and remaining useful life. As a result, more batteries are being discarded or sent for recycling too early.

    Recycling EV batteries is a well-defined process. But it’s energy-intensive and requires significant chemical treatments.

    What needs to change?

    At present, many battery manufacturers are wary of sharing battery performance data, due to concerns over intellectual property and other legal issues. This will have to change if society is to get the fullest use out of these complex energy storage devices. But these changes are unlikely to come from industry.

    In 2021, California introduced laws requiring manufacturers to give recyclers access to data and battery state of health. Likewise, the European Union will require all EV batteries to come with a digital passport from January 2027, giving access to data on the battery’s health, chemistry and records of potentially harmful events such as accidents or charging at extreme temperatures.

    Australia should follow suit – before we have a mountain of EV batteries and no way to reuse them.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Used EV batteries could power vehicles, houses or even towns – if their manufacturers share vital data – https://theconversation.com/used-ev-batteries-could-power-vehicles-houses-or-even-towns-if-their-manufacturers-share-vital-data-248677

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What are ‘penjamins’? Disguised cannabis vapes are gaining popularity among young people

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Chung, PhD Candidate, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland

    Stenko Vlad/Shutterstock

    E-cigarettes or vapes were originally designed to deliver nicotine in a smokeless form. But in recent years, vapes have been used to deliver other psychoactive substances, including cannabis concentrates and oils.

    Cannabis vapes, also sometimes known as THC vape pens, appear to have increased in popularity in Australia over the past few years. Among those Australians who had recently used cannabis, the proportion who reported ever vaping cannabis increased from 7% in 2019 to at least 25% in 2022–23.

    The practice appears to be gaining popularity among young people, who are reportedly using devices called “penjamins” to vape cannabis oil. These are sleek, concealable vapes disguised as everyday objects such as lip balms, earphone cases or car keys.

    On social media platforms such as TikTok, users are sharing tips and tricks for how to carry and use penjamins undetected.

    So what’s in cannabis vapes, and should we be worried about young people using them?

    Are cannabis vapes legal in Australia?

    While medicinal cannabis is legal for some users with a prescription, recreational cannabis use remains illegal under federal law.

    In Australia, recent vaping reforms have made it illegal to sell disposable vapes such as penjamins.

    But there appears to be a robust illicit market for vaping products, including cannabis vapes.

    Are cannabis vapes safe?

    Cannabis vaping is often perceived to be less harmful than smoking cannabis as it does not involve combustion of the cannabis, which may reduce some respiratory symptoms. But that doesn’t mean it’s without risk.

    Most forms of cannabis can be vaped, including cannabis flower and cannabis oil. The difference is, cannabis oil typically contains much higher concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compared to cannabis flower.

    THC is the ingredient responsible for the “high” people feel when they use cannabis. THC works by interacting with brain receptors that influence our mood, memory, coordination and perception.

    The strength of these effects depends on how much THC is consumed. Vaping can produce a more intense high and greater cognitive impairment compared to smoking cannabis, as less THC is lost through combustion.

    Our research in the United States and Canada found many people who vape cannabis are moving away from traditional cannabis flowers and increasingly preferring highly potent products, such as oils and concentrates.

    Cannabis oil typically contains much higher concentrations of THC compared to cannabis flower.
    Nuva Frames/Shutterstock

    Prolonged consumption of products with high THC levels can increase the risk of cannabis use disorder and psychosis.

    Young people are particularly vulnerable to the risks of high THC exposure, as their brains are still developing well into their mid-20s. Those without previous experience using cannabis may even be more susceptible to the adverse effects of vaping cannabis.

    Our study found those who vape and smoke cannabis reported more severe mental health symptoms, compared to those who only smoke cannabis.

    Cannabis vaping can also affect the lungs. Findings from large population-based surveys suggest respiratory symptoms such as bronchitis and wheezing are common among those who vape cannabis.

    Cannabis vapes don’t just contain cannabis

    The risks associated with cannabis vapes do not just come from THC, but also from the types of solvents and additives used. Solvents are the chemicals used to extract THC from the cannabis plant and produce a concentrated oil for vaping.

    While some can be safe when properly processed, others, such as vitamin E acetate, have been linked to serious lung injuries, including E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).

    This condition hospitalised more than 2,500 people and caused nearly 70 deaths in the US between late 2019 and early 2020. Common symptoms of EVALI include chest pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever.

    This raises concerns about product safety, particularly when it comes to unregulated cannabis oils that are not subjected to any quality control. This may be the case with penjamins.

    Vapes don’t always contain only the ingredients you think.
    B..Robinson/Shutterstock

    Which is worse: cannabis or nicotine vapes?

    There’s no simple answer to this question. Both nicotine and cannabis vapes come with different health risks, and comparing them depends on what you are measuring – addiction, short-term harms or long-term health effects.

    Nicotine vapes can be an effective way of helping people quit smoking. However, these vapes still contain addictive nicotine and other chemicals that may lead to lung injuries. The long-term health effects of inhaling these substances are still being studied.

    Cannabis vapes can be used to deliver highly potent doses of THC, and pose particular risk to brain development and mental health in young people. Regular cannabis use is also linked to lower IQ and poorer educational outcomes in young people.

    In unregulated markets, both these products may contain undisclosed chemicals, contaminants, or even substances not related to nicotine or cannabis at all.

    The “worse” option depends on the context, but for non-smokers and young people without any medical conditions, the safest choice is to avoid
    both.

    If you or anyone you know needs help to quit vaping, you can contact
    Quitline on 13 78 48,
    Healthdirect on 1800 022 222, or the
    Alcohol and Drug Foundation on 1800 250 015.

    Jack Chung receives research scholarship funding from the University of Queensland. He has not received any funding from the alcohol, cannabis, pharmaceutical, tobacco or vaping industries.

    Carmen Lim receives funding from the National Medical Health Research Council (2024–2028). She has not received any funding from the alcohol, cannabis, pharmaceutical, tobacco or vaping industries.

    Wayne Hall 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. What are ‘penjamins’? Disguised cannabis vapes are gaining popularity among young people – https://theconversation.com/what-are-penjamins-disguised-cannabis-vapes-are-gaining-popularity-among-young-people-254572

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia once had ‘immigration amnesties’ to grant legal status to undocumented people. Could we again?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior Lecturer, International Migration and Refugee Law, University of Technology Sydney

    The year is 1972. The Whitlam Labor government has just been swept into power and major changes to Australia’s immigration system are underway. Many people remember this time for the formal end of the racist White Australia Policy.

    A lesser-known legacy of this period was the introduction of Australia’s first immigration amnesty. This amnesty, implemented later in 1974 with bilateral support, provided humane pathways to permanency or citizenship for undocumented people in Australia.

    In other words, people living without lawful immigration status could “legalise” their status without risk of punishment or deportation.

    More immigration amnesties were promised during later election campaigns and then implemented in 1976 and 1980.

    These amnesties occurred under successive Labor and Liberal federal governments, and each enjoyed enthusiastic bipartisan support.

    So, how did these amnesties work – and could they happen again?

    Started by Whitlam

    Australia’s first amnesty was announced in January 1974, as part of the Whitlam government’s official policy of multiculturalism.

    Its purpose was to grant permanency to people who had been living in Australia “illegally” and at risk of labour exploitation.

    The amnesty was open for five months, from late January until the end of June 1974.

    The main eligibility criteria was that the person:

    • had to have been living in Australia for three years or more and
    • be of “good character”.

    This program had only a modest uptake. However, it set the path for more successful initiatives in the future.

    Continued by Fraser

    During the 1975 election campaign, then caretaker Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser promised another amnesty if his government won the election.

    He committed to “do everything we can” to allow undocumented people

    to stay here and make Australia their permanent home.

    After the election, Fraser’s Liberal government implemented a broad amnesty for “overstayed visitors” in January 1976.

    Departmental figures show 8,614 people sought legal status in the amnesty period.

    The vast majority (63%) lived in New South Wales. The main nationalities of these applicants were:

    • Greek (1,283 applicants)
    • UK (911 applicants)
    • Indonesian (748 applicants)
    • Chinese (643 applicants).

    Australia’s third broad immigration amnesty came in 1980, again as a result of a bipartisan election promise.

    Immigration Minister Ian Macphee announced a six-month Regularisation of Status Program. It aimed, he said, to deal “humanely with the problem of illegal immigration” while also seeking to curb such unauthorised migration in the future.

    Not a trick

    Many migrants worried these amnesties were a government “trick” to facilitate deportations.

    In an attempt to reassure the public, Prime Minister Fraser insisted in 1980 that the program was

    not a trap to lure people into the open so that they can be seized, jailed and deported.

    By the end of the amnesty period in December 1980, it was reported that more than 11,000 applications had been received. This covered more than 14,000 people.

    What made the past amnesties successful?

    Our research looked at what motivated the amnesties and how they worked.

    We found several key factors that drove success, including the need for:

    • simple and inclusive criteria for eligibility
    • a clear application process
    • a careful campaign for promotion, to build trust with migrant communities, and
    • durable outcomes that offer of clear pathways to citizenship.

    The 1980 amnesty program involved an effective campaign to publicise successful cases.

    A 21-year-old Greek waitress working in her aunt’s Goulburn restaurant was widely publicised as the first person to be granted immigration amnesty status in July 1980. A Uruguayan refugee was profiled as the 1,000th.

    The Department of Immigration also translated amnesty information into 48 languages, publicised in non-English language press and radio.

    Of the three amnesties, the 1974 one was the least successful, due to:

    • stringent eligibility criteria
    • limited media publicity, and
    • no official outreach strategy to build trust with migrant communities.

    Precarious lives

    Recent calls for an immigration amnesty has focused on two groups in Australia:

    The Department of Home Affairs estimates more than 70,000 people live in Australia today without immigration status.

    Undocumented workers are highly vulnerable to exploitation and deportation.

    Yet, these workers often fulfil crucial labour market shortages. Many have been living in Australia for years or even decades.

    Asylum seekers and refugees on temporary or no visas cannot return “home” for fear of persecution. They risk lapsing into irregular status with no rights or entitlements.

    Lessons from past amnesties

    Amnesties are a humane and cost-effective response to unauthorised migration.

    Australia currently spends millions, if not billions of dollars, on the detention and deportation of people without visas.

    In the lead up to both the 1976 and 1980 amnesties, successive governments acknowledged such a “detection and deportation” approach would be unnecessarily costly. It would require “increased resources in manpower”.

    An amnesty, instead, was in the words of then Immigration Minister Macphee a chance to:

    clean the slate, to acknowledge that no matter how people got here they are part of the community.

    These historical precedents show Australia’s migration system and politicians could, if they wanted, accommodate initiatives and reforms that fundamentally value migrants and prioritise migrant access to permanency.

    Our research also shows Australian election campaigns can be opportunities for advancing policies that embrace the reality of immigration and offer hope, not fear.

    Sara Dehm receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a co-convenor of the interdisciplinary academic network, Academics for Refugees.

    Anthea Vogl receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Commonwealth Departure of Health and Aged Care. She is a Board Member of the Forcibly Displaced People Network and co-convenor of the interdisciplinary academic network, Academics for Refugees.

    – ref. Australia once had ‘immigration amnesties’ to grant legal status to undocumented people. Could we again? – https://theconversation.com/australia-once-had-immigration-amnesties-to-grant-legal-status-to-undocumented-people-could-we-again-252294

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Williams Introduces Resolution Backing the Second Amendment on National “2A Day”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, in honor of National Second Amendment Day, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25) introduced a resolution reaffirming the House of Representatives’ continued support for the Second Amendment and commending the Trump Administration’s actions to protect American gun owners by dismantling Biden’s infringements on our constitutional freedoms.

    “Our founding fathers fought to establish a nation where every citizen has the right to protect themselves, their property, and their family,” said Congressman Roger Williams. “For too long, the Biden Administration and radical leftists went to extreme lengths to criminalize law-abiding gun owners, jeopardizing the Second Amendment. My resolution reaffirms Congressional support for the Second Amendment and commends President Trump’s actions to protect American gun owners by dismantling Biden’s infringements on our constitutional freedoms.”

    Background:

    • April 17th is a national day of observation and commemoration of the Second Amendment to honor our forefathers’ wisdom and the freedoms protected by the U.S. Constitution.
    • Original cosponsors: Reps. Babin, Biggs, Cline, Cloud, Crane, Crenshaw, Downing, Fallon, Haridopolos, Hudson, Luna, McDowell, Schmidt, Taylor, Weber, and Wied.
    • Supporting orgs: National Rifle Association (NRA), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
    • First reported on Fox.

    Read the bill text here.

    ###

    Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Cleaver, Davids Join Town Hall, Highlight Work for KC Region and Pushback Against Extreme Trump Policies

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Kansas City, MO) – Tonight, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO-05) and Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) joined KCUR for a livestreamed town hall to discuss their efforts to deliver results for the Kansas City region and push back against the Trump Administration’s extreme policies, including cuts to Social Security, reckless tariffs driving up prices, and threats to reproductive health care.

    “As the President continues to demonstrate a dangerous level of recklessness on everything from basic governance to managing the economy, Missouri families are paying the price with higher costs, less reliable services, and the rapid decline of hard-earned retirement benefits,” said Congressman Cleaver. “As we heard this evening, rather than enabling the president’s extreme policies, Americans want Congress to provide a check on the Executive Branch and seek bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our communities—which is precisely what I will continue to advocate in the People’s House.” 

    “Kansans are facing massive uncertainty because of the Trump Administration’s reckless policies. They deserve answers and leaders who will protect their freedoms, lower costs, and actually get things done,” said Congresswoman Davids. “That means standing firm against dangerous political games, while also working to find common ground where possible. I’m glad I had the opportunity to share the work I’m doing in Congress, listen to people’s concerns, and discuss solutions that will help move us forward.”

    The event, hosted by KCUR, included questions from local residents on topics ranging from federal firings and government accountability to border security and the economy. Both Members discussed recent legislative efforts and stressed the importance of uniting to fight the Trump Administration’s attempts to raise costs and dismantle essential programs in favor of tax giveaways for billionaires.

    Rep. Cleaver underscored his commitment to working across the aisle to deliver for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District — while continuing to oppose extreme policies that threaten rights, freedoms, and the rule of law. More on his work to push back against the Trump Administration’s extreme agenda can be found here.

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cleaver Hosts Former Governor and Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley for Community Conversation with Local Seniors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) hosted former Maryland Governor and Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley for a conversation with local seniors at John Knox Village. The discussion focused on key issues facing seniors under the Trump administration, like threats to Social Security and veteran’s benefits, as well as potential cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Social Security provides benefits to nearly 70 million Americans, including nearly 50 million seniors – and lifts more than 15 million seniors out of poverty each year.

    “Today’s conversation with former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley and local seniors underscored the real-world consequences that come with the Trump administration’s push to dismantle the social safety net,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Whether it is backdoor cuts to Social Security by firing essential workers and ending critical services at the Social Security Administration, or the broader Congressional Republican agenda to gut pivotal programs like Medicaid and SNAP, we’re witnessing an unprecedented assault on programs that Americans have paid into and rely upon. The so-called ‘efficiency’ measures, led by an unelected and unaccountable billionaire in Elon Musk, in reality, are thinly veiled attempts to erode the foundational promises made to our seniors – and I stand committed to defending these essential programs against any ongoing efforts to undermine them.”

    “I was honored to join Congressman Cleaver and hear the concerns of his fellow Missourians as he works tirelessly to protect their earned benefits,” said Former Maryland Governor and Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley. “Americans of every background are rising up to say ‘hands off’ our earned benefits, and with fighters like Congressman Cleaver, I know their voices will be heard.”

    Trump, DOGE, and Congressional Republicans put Social Security at risk by:

    • Attacking Social Security programs with repeated false claims of mass fraud, providing a pretext for actions that could undermine access to benefits
    • Making deep cuts to frontline staff and SSA field offices while adding new restrictions to phone-based services that will result in millions more in-person visits to a field office
    • Jeopardizing system reliability and benefit delivery by pushing sudden, substantial policy and procedure changes alongside a massive loss of technical expertise
    • Threatening data security by providing untrained DOGE political appointees unprecedented access to sensitive SSA data

    From proposals to cut Social Security and raise the retirement age, to efforts that would weaken Medicare and Medicaid through privatization and budget restrictions, the safety net our seniors rely on is under threat.

    In Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, there are 141,832 Social Security recipients who receive $252 million in monthly benefits, including:

    • 103,730 retirees
    • 19,488 disabled workers
    • 9,377 children
    • 7,121 widows
    • 2,116 spouses

    Photos from the event can be found here.

     

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: The Day After Canada Votes, 500 Innovation Leaders Gather to Chart the Country’s Economic Future

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OTTAWA, Ontario, April 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On April 29, the morning after Canada’s federal election, over 500 entrepreneurs, investors, job creators, and innovation leaders from across Canada will convene directly across from Parliament Hill for the NACO Summit 2025 at Ottawa’s iconic National Arts Centre.

    This is the first major national gathering of Canada’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem immediately following the federal election, marking a pivotal moment for reflection and opportunity.

    What: NACO Summit 2025 is a two-day national conference featuring Canada’s most influential voices in innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development.

    When & Where:

    • April 29–30, 2025
    • National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
    • Media check-in opens at 8:00 AM, April 29 (Media access: 8:00–11:00 AM)

    Why It Matters: With a new federal government starting its mandate, the summit will highlight bold ideas and collaborative strategies to shape Canada’s economic future.

    • Timely discussion immediately after the federal election
    • Venue strategically located opposite Parliament Hill
    • Policy roundtables, fireside chats with prominent national leaders, and showcases of angel-backed ventures
    • Moonshots showcase featuring 20 high-growth Canadian companies collectively raising over $160M

    Media Opportunities:

    • A dedicated backdrop and designated area will be available for media.
    • Media access limited to 8:00–11:00 AM on April 29.
    • Please note, due to logistical constraints, interviews with speakers or attendees cannot be guaranteed.
    • Visual and multimedia opportunities capturing Canada’s innovation community within a landmark venue.

    Event Agenda: Full agenda available at: https://nacosummit.com/agenda

    To Attend: Request media accreditation: https://lu.ma/q109y4qr

    Media Inquiries: media@nacocanada.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64f0a5b8-1fd9-454f-8f69-0975c92bb91a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jim Costa: Lance Cpl. Marcelino Gamino was a Proud Son and Hero of Fresno

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    FRESNO, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement after the death of a Marine from Fresno who was identified as one of the victims in a fatal crash during a convoy in New Mexico.
    “We mourn the tragic loss of Lance Corporal Marcelino M. Gamino, a proud son of Fresno who gave his life in service to our nation. At just 28, he served with honor in the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and fellow Marines as they grieve this profound loss. His memory will endure as a testament to the strength, service, and spirit of the San Joaquin Valley,”said Congressman Costa.
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    MIL OSI USA News –