NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • Israel says missile launched from Yemen was intercepted

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Israeli military said on Thursday that a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted after air raid sirens sounded in several areas across the country.

    The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes.

    Houthis have repeatedly said that their attacks are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s military assault since late 2023 has killed more than 57,000 people, Gaza authorities say.

    Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Death at O’Sullivan Beach

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are investigating after a body was located at O’Sullivan Beach this morning.

    Just before 10.30am on Thursday 10 July, police and paramedics were called to the O’Sullivan Beach boat ramp after a person was seen floating in the water.

    The 29-year-old Christie Downs man was brought to shore but sadly could not be revived.

    The death is not being treated as suspicious, and police are preparing a report for the Coroner.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gang jailed for 65 years for large drug dealing operation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    An organised crime group who supplied cocaine across the UK have been jailed for more than 65 years following an extensive investigation from the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency

    A joint Met and National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation has led to an organised crime group being jailed for their role in the supply of cocaine across the capital and the United Kingdom. Their efforts signify officers’ efforts to crack down on drug supply and associated anti-social behaviour and violence, which causes misery to Londoners and those beyond.

    The investigation unveiled that Redon Bushi, 32, (27.04.1993), of Cherry Crescent, Brentford, was operating in the leading role of this enterprise over a number of years, with multiple importers and couriers working with him.

    He pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court on Monday, 10 July 2024 to –

    • two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs,
    • conspiracy to transfer criminal property,
    • possessing criminal property.

    He was sentenced to a total of 24 years’ and 10 months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

    Encrypted messaging services EncroChat and Signal revealed Bushi had conspired to supply a minimum of 832kg of cocaine, with a street value of up to £81,640,000, across London and the entirety of the UK. Once the Encrochat messages had been discovered, a targeted operation followed and Met detectives started work to dismantle the illegal drug-dealing operation.

    The investigation

    Met detectives discovered Bushi was using Encrochat under the username of ‘Sealvermouth’ after the platform was cracked by international law enforcement, supported by the NCA.

    Their investigation showed that Bushi took precautions to attempt to protect his wider criminal network. His couriers would only be provided post codes, times, and a loose description of the individual they would be providing to.

    However, his efforts were combatted by the tenacity of Met officers, who were able to uncover the group’s lines of communication. They thoroughly reviewed each and every device and chat pertaining to the group. They also trawled through hours’ worth of CCTV and were able to piece together the inner mechanics of the criminal operation.

    Using this material, officers stopped one of the vehicles belonging to Bushi’s couriers, Ahmad Jabarkhill in June 2020 and found nearly £700,000 on him.

    The Met and NCA officers also used covert tactics and intelligence to identify three more of Bushi’s couriers – Arline Sida, Luke Ferguson and Kelvin Hoxha, gathering evidence to show the scale of the enterprise.

    In addition to the chats, which were found between the group, fake identity cards were also found, as well as a van with a sophisticated concealment. There was also a camera set up at the location where drugs were being stored so it could be remotely monitored.

    Acting on this information, Sida and Hoxha were both arrested in Brentford in August 2023. Searches were carried out at the address and they were found in possession of six kilograms of cocaine.

    Luke Ferguson, another member of the criminal enterprise, was then arrested at a ‘safe house’ in Brentford and found in possession of 72kg of cocaine, worth an estimated street value of £6.24 million.

    Police and the NCA then launched a manhunt for Bushi after his team were arrested. He stayed in a series of hotels to evade officers, bought a new phone, clothing, and had more than £3,000 in cash. Whilst the manhunt was ongoing, Bushi directed others to check cameras at various addresses to identify any police attendance or surveillance.

    He was arrested in Reading in the following days.

    Detective Constable David Leitner, who led the investigation on behalf of the Met, said:

    “This case demonstrates our relentlessness in pursuing organised crime, while utilising the unprecedented opportunity that Encrochat represent to its fullest effect.

    “Bushi clearly believed that these messaging platforms protected him from law enforcement, but they only served to provide us the very evidence to convict him and his associates.

    “This shows the Met’s commitment to tackling offenders who are instrumental in supplying drugs to the streets of London.”

    The wider criminal enterprise

    Ahmad Jabarkhill, 32, (01.01.1993) pleaded guilty to the possession of criminal property at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday, 22 July 2020 and was sentenced on the same date to two years and three months’ imprisonment.

    Arline Sida, 23 (16.02.2002), of London Road West, Amersham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on Wednesday, 17 January 2024 at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court and was sentenced to 12 years’ 9 months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

    Kelvin Hoxha, 23, (15.04.2002), of Field Lane, Brentford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and driving while disqualified on Saturday, 26 October 2024 at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court and was sentenced to 11 years’ 8 Months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

    Luke Ferguson, 32 (14.04.1993), of Becklow Road, Shepherd’s Bush, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on Thursday, 21 November 2024 at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court and was sentenced to 14 years’ 5 months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Skorts revolutionised how women and girls play sport. But in 2025, are they regressive?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer E. Cheng, Researcher and Lecturer in Sociology, Western Sydney University

    If you watched any of the 2025 Wimbledon womens’ matches, you’ll have noticed many players donning a skort: a garment in which shorts are concealed under a skirt, or a front panel resembling a skirt.

    You may even remember skorts from your schooling days, as they’re commonly offered in girls’ uniforms throughout Australia.

    The skort (a portmanteau of skirt and shorts) has played a truly unique role in the history of women’s clothing. They were once a progressive item of clothing, as they afforded women the opportunity to partake in activities that would have been difficult in a skirt or dress.

    Their role in contemporary society, however, is a bit more complicated.

    Rebellious beginnings

    The first garments resembling skorts were developed in the 1890s so women could ride bicycles without their skirt getting caught in the chains. While the puffy “bloomers” had already been invented a few decades earlier, women who wore them often faced ridicule.

    Skorts were considered revolutionary at a time when men both figuratively and literally wore the pants.

    Back then, they were usually a pair of loose pants under a front panel resembling a skirt. The aim was to retain the wearer’s femininity, and not offend those who thought pants were a purely masculine article of clothing.

    A drawing from an 1896 patent of a ‘cycling skirt’.

    The skort as we know it today, and as is seen across the sporting world, was popularised in the 1960s by American fashion designer Leon Levin.

    This skirt was said to offer “the freedom of shorts and soft lines of a skirt”. The underlying message: even as women participate in traditionally “masculine” activities, they should be careful not to look too masculine.

    Sport management academic M. Katie Flanagan argues women may be convinced that exercising in a skort achieves an acceptable gender performance. In other words, they are socialised to think they have to “perform” their gender by wearing the “correct” clothing.

    Skorts in sport and school

    In the sporting world, skorts are deliberately designed to be trendy and attractive, rather than purely functional.

    One study on women golfers found they were more satisfied with their uniforms if they were happy with both the comfort and attractiveness, indicating women’s sportswear isn’t just about fit and practicality.

    Skorts have historically also had class associations. As recently as ten years ago, sport skorts were an expensive item reserved for those from the middle and upper classes. Women from lower economic classes also tended to not have the time and/or resources to engage in the activities skorts were designed for, namely tennis and golf.

    More recently, however, discount stores have made skorts accessible to those on a budget.

    School skorts, a topic of my ongoing research, are particularly affordable at discount stores. A generic discount store skort may cost about A$10, compared to A$20–40 for one purchased directly from a school.

    Some schools offer skorts to girls as the equivalent of sports shorts or as part of the everyday uniform. Other schools seem to prefer culottes as an alternative to a dress or skirt – shorts that are loose enough to resemble a skirt.

    Many schools still don’t offer shorts to girls as part of the everyday uniform. Whether or not girls are allowed to wear the “boys’” shorts comes down to the individual school.

    From rebellion to restriction

    One 2019 review of school uniform policies in South Australia found 98.6% of public schools included shorts as a uniform option for girls, compared to just 26.4% of private schools.

    Researchers Sarah Cohen-Woods and Rachel Laattoe found girls in private schools were often restricted in their choices, having to choose between skorts and culottes as an alternative to a skirt or dress.

    Across Australia, all state and territory education policies – most of which came into effect between 2017 and 2019 – mandate public schools must offer girls the option of wearing shorts and pants.

    However, the wordings of these policies differ widely. While New South Wales, Victoria and Norther Territory specifically mention shorts and pants must be offered to girls, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania specify schools must offer unisex or gender neutral items to all students.

    South Australia’s and Australian Capital Territory’s policies further state uniform items should be categorised by type of clothing, or in non-gender specific terms.

    However, in some states, including New South Wales, schools are free to interpret the policy as they wish, which is why some only offer culottes or skorts to girls. There is generally no oversight or enforcement of policies to force schools to offer actual shorts to girls.

    A similar debate is happening in women’s sports. Ireland’s Camogie Association only ended the compulsory skorts policy in May, after years of complaints by players. Dublin captain Aisling Maher said she was “sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose”.

    “In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?” Maher said.

    A camogie team pictured in Waterford, Ireland, 1915. The Irish stick-and-ball team sport is played by women.
    Wikimedia

    A garment for the male gaze

    In recent years, many stores have advertised skorts for fashion. Target, for instance, currently sells a tailored skort described as a “must have for any trendsetter looking to stand out in a crowd”.

    There are conflicting arguments about whether skorts are progressive or regressive. On one hand, they allow women and girls to move freely during physical activities, without having to worry about their underwear being visible.

    On the other, they set a precedent in regards to how women and girls ought to perform their gender, by avoiding looking too “masculine” – which makes them somewhat misogynistic.

    The skort is an object of dual meanings: at once a skirt and a pair of shorts – at once progressive and regressive.

    Jennifer E. Cheng 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. Skorts revolutionised how women and girls play sport. But in 2025, are they regressive? – https://theconversation.com/skorts-revolutionised-how-women-and-girls-play-sport-but-in-2025-are-they-regressive-260420

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Incessant rains lash Delhi-NCR; waterlogging disrupts life, Himachal toll rises amid monsoon fury

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Delhi and several parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) have been experiencing continuous rainfall since Wednesday night, bringing relief from the recent spell of high temperatures and intense humidity.

    The downpour, which began on Wednesday evening, led to overcast skies across the region and brought much-needed respite to residents. However, the incessant rainfall also triggered widespread waterlogging in various parts of Gurugram, causing severe traffic disruptions. Vehicles were seen navigating through waterlogged roads as the city struggled with drainage issues.

    According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is likely to witness a “generally cloudy sky with moderate rain” over the coming days. The IMD has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by rain for the national capital over the next three days. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chandigarh has predicted similar conditions for Gurugram, with cloudy skies and intermittent spells of rain or thundershowers expected to continue for at least two more days.

    In Haryana, Ambala city also received a fresh spell of rainfall. The weather department has predicted that the region will continue to experience a generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers until tomorrow.

    Rajasthan’s Ajmer district has similarly been affected by heavy rainfall, with reports of waterlogging emerging from several areas of the city. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms with rain to persist in Ajmer until July 13.

    The IMD earlier confirmed that active monsoon conditions are expected to continue across the central parts of the country for the next four to five days, potentially impacting several states with heavy rainfall.

    In Himachal Pradesh, the monsoon season has turned devastating. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), a total of 85 lives have been lost so far. Of these, 54 deaths were directly attributed to rain-related disasters, while 31 others were caused by road accidents during poor weather conditions.

    The SDMA’s cumulative report reveals that landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, and drowning incidents account for the majority of fatalities. Mandi district has emerged as the worst-hit area, with 17 rain-related deaths. Other severely affected districts include Kangra, Hamirpur , and several others such as Kullu, Chamba, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, and Kinnaur, which have reported lower but still significant numbers. The report also notes 129 injuries and 34 people currently missing in connection with these natural calamities.

    As heavy rains continue to lash North India, authorities remain on high alert, especially in vulnerable districts, to mitigate further loss of life and damage to infrastructure.

    (With agencies inputs)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UK and French leaders pledge to jointly combat illegal migration

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    LONDON, July 10 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with French President Emmanuel Macron at his Downing Street residence on Wednesday, vowing to work together to combat illegal migration.

    “The leaders agreed that tackling the threat of illegal migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires joint solutions,” said a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.

    “Both leaders agreed on the need to move forward and make progress in developing new and innovative solutions, including new deterrents to disrupt the business model of these gangs,” the statement said.

    Despite joint funding and collaboration, more than 20,000 people have arrived in the UK from France on small boats across the English Channel this year, a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

    Both leaders are under enormous pressure in their countries over a surge in far-right and anti-immigration political sentiment. In a speech to the British parliament on Tuesday, Mr Macron called the issue a “burden” for both countries. It remains unclear whether the two sides will reach a new deal to combat illegal migration during the French president’s three-day visit.

    During their meeting on Wednesday, the leaders also discussed joint efforts to further deepen the partnership, from strengthening defense cooperation to increasing bilateral trade and investment.

    A British-French summit is planned for Thursday, at which both sides aim to make concrete progress in these areas, the statement said.

    Macron began a state visit to the UK on Tuesday, the first such visit by a French president since 2008. Macron is also the first head of state from the European Union to visit the UK on a state visit since Brexit. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In the birthplace of Confucius, world experts seek common ground for joint development

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    JINAN, July 10 (Xinhua) — Scholars and experts from around the world gathered in Qufu, east China’s Shandong Province, on Wednesday for a two-day dialogue and cultural exchanges aimed at finding paths to harmonious coexistence among civilizations and common solutions for global development.

    The Nishan Forum on World Civilizations brought together over 560 guests from over 70 countries in Nishan, the historic site where the eminent philosopher and educator Confucius was born in 551 BC. For thousands of years, he has been revered as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture.

    Among other things, the forum participants discussed how Confucian culture continues to resonate in the modern world, the critical role of global cooperation in driving modernization, and the far-reaching impact of artificial intelligence on the future of civilization.

    Speaking at the opening of the forum, Sun Chunlan, Chairperson of the International Confucian Association, noted that an in-depth study of the regulation of relations between different civilizations and their role in promoting modernization is of great practical importance.

    Today, China is seeking to offer the world new opportunities through its achievements on its unique path of modernization and to inject new impetus into global partners through its vast domestic market, she added.

    “This clearly reflects the Chinese nation’s long-standing approach to ‘being friends with its neighbors and strengthening harmony among all countries,’” she added.

    Scholars participating in the forum emphasized the important role that cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress.

    Zhao Rui, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that since modern times, such exchanges have promoted deep integration and innovation in political systems, economies, cultures and lifestyles around the world.

    He added that these exchanges not only stimulate academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, but also provide valuable information for solving global problems, opening up various paths for modernization.

    This view was echoed by other participants. Vice President of the Republic of Maldives Hussain Mohammed Latheef stressed that in times of global uncertainty, promoting dialogue, encouraging cultural exchanges and working together to build a better future is more important than ever.

    He also praised China’s Global Civilization Initiative, calling it a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand different cultures around the world. The initiative promotes universal values, seeks to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchanges and development, he added.

    Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar to China Jean Louis Robinson Richard stressed the importance of the Nishan Forum as a platform for dialogue among civilizations in the context of today’s global turbulence.

    China has provided a platform for in-depth exchanges of views among people of different nationalities, backgrounds and cultures, making great contributions to world peace, he said.

    This reflects the meaning of the saying in the Lunyu (Conversations and Judgments): “A noble person is in harmony with others while holding different views,” which emphasizes the ideal of peaceful coexistence without imposing uniformity, the ambassador added.

    The Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, now in its 11th year since its launch in 2010, has become an important global platform for dialogue among different cultures. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s auto market grew at a steady pace in the first half of 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — China’s automobile production and sales grew by double digits in the first six months of this year, indicating robust domestic consumption, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAA).

    According to the CAA, China’s total automobile output was nearly 15.62 million units, up 12.5 percent year on year, while automobile sales were 15.65 million units, up 11.4 percent year on year.

    NEV production soared 41.4 percent year-on-year to 6.97 million units in the period. NEV sales rose 40.3 percent year-on-year to about 6.94 million units. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pulsed Laser Metrology Workshop

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology is sponsoring a one-and-a-half-day workshop bringing together international experts from industry, academia, and government organizations to identify key optical metrology needs for extreme pulsed lasers (high peak power Terawatt to Petawatt class or high pulse energies).

    Goals:

    • Develop a list of key optical measurements for these pulsed lasers including achievable measurement uncertainty.
    • Identify the roadblocks preventing researchers from being able to report trusted error bars for these measurements.
    • Outline next steps to improving these measurement capabilities.
    • Generate a publicly available report from the information gathered above.

    Format: A series of invited talks on extreme pulsed laser metrology needs along with break-out groups to generate recommendations. All talks are “Invited” with an emphasis on discussion. In this true workshop format the attendees will be as important as the speakers. Attendance is limited to 30-50 participants.

    Workshop program committee:

    • Luis Miaja-Avila (Co-chair, NIST)
    • Paul Williams (Co-chair, NIST)
    • David Garand (Sydor Technologies)
    • Bryan Holtsberry (U.S. Army)
    • Hiromitsu Kiriyama (QST)
    • Daniel Kramer (ELI Beamlines)
    • Mike Litos (University of Colorado)
    • Marco Lopez (PTB)
    • Daniel Short (U.S. Army)

    Boulder Courtyard by Marriott 
    4710 Pearl E Cir, Boulder, CO 80301
    Room Block for Pulse laser Metrology Workshop

    Courtyard Boulder for 173.00 USD per night – Last Day to Book : Wednesday, July 16, 2025

    Please use this link to book your room 

    Link:
    Book your group rate for NIST Pulsed Lase Metrology Wkshp

    Note: for questions regarding your reservation please reach out to Jennifer Ford | jennifer.g.ford [at] marriott.com (jennifer[dot]g[dot]ford[at]marriott[dot]com)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 NIST Time and Frequency Seminar

    Source: US Government research organizations

    NIST Time and Frequency Division’s annual seminar covers precision clocks and oscillators, atomic frequency standards, rf and optical synchronization, optical oscillators, quantum information, optical cooling and heating; making precise frequency, time, phase-noise, and jitter measurements; and establishing measurement accuracy and traceability. This 3-day course is the most comprehensive available.

    Visitor Access Requirement:

    • For Non-US Citizens:  Please have your valid passport for photo identification.*
    • For US Permanent Residents: Please have your green card for photo identification.*
    • For US Citizens: Please have your state-issued driver’s license. Regarding Real-ID requirements, all states are in compliance or have an extension through May 2025.*
      NIST also accepts other forms of federally issued identification in lieu of a state-issued driver’s license, such as a valid passport, passport card, DOD’s Common Access Card (CAC), Veterans ID, Federal Agency HSPD-12 IDs, and Military Dependents ID.
      *Use of apps, physical photocopies, and/or digital screenshots of your ID, Passport or Green card will not be accepted.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2053 Advanced Mass Seminar

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Participants must have successfully completed the newly redesigned (2 week) Mass Course or the older Mass Seminar AND Intermediate Seminar.  State laboratory participants must have successfully completed all required Laboratory Auditing Program problems.  All participants should have evidence of successfully completing mass proficiency testing (at a level higher than Class F, or OIML M, or ASTM 4, 5, 6, or 7 class weights).

    Confirmation letters will not be issued until it has been determined that the class has sufficient students AND the proposed participant has successfully completed the course pre-work.  

    Complete a laboratory internal audit) assessing your laboratory compliance to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, NISTIR 6969, and NISTIR 5672 for each of the following topics related to advanced mass, use of weighing designs, and precision mass calibrations.  Provide tables/data as requested in this list.

    1. Provide a high-level overview of the laboratory goals upon completion of this course;
    2. Personnel, Staff Training (6.2): Describe the staff training, education/experience related to mass calibrations;
    3. Facility, Accommodations (6.3): Describe the environmental controls in the laboratory that will enable compliance to Echelon I limits as described in NISTIR 5672, SOP 5 and SOP 28, also describe the area where standards (internal and incoming) will be stored;
    4. Equipment (6.4): Provide an inventory of the balances that will be used to perform advanced weighing designs and include the current standard deviation of the measurement process that designate the procedures currently in use (See NISTIR 5672);
    5. Standards, Calibration Program, and Traceability (6.5, Annex A): Provide a current and proposed traceability hierarchy/inventory of standards and their calibration dates, calibration sources, and describe if changes are in process (See also GMP 11 and GMP 13 from NISTIR 6969);
    6. Procedures (7.2): Describe the mass calibration and uncertainty calculation and reporting procedures in current use in the laboratory;
    7. Care and Handling of Standards and Items Submitted for Calibration (7.4): Describe the process by which standards are accepted for calibration as well as current practices for cleaning, stabilization, and equilibration;
    8. Uncertainty (7.6): Provide a summary of mass calibration uncertainties for the laboratory that includes a description of each component that is currently incorporated as well as an uncertainty budget table and current Scope of recognition or Accreditation (See SOP 29 from NISTIR 6969 as well);
    9. Measurement Assurance (7.7): Describe the current control charts and assessments that are in place in the laboratory for mass measurements and describe the proficiency tests that you have completed for precision mass calibrations (See NISTIR 6969, SOP 9 and SOP 30); and
    10. Calibration Certificates (7.8): If your laboratory has already been working at this level, assess the calibration certificates issued for calibrations done at this level against the criteria in section 7.8 of 17025:2017 (See also SOP 1, NISTIR 6969 for a checklist).  If your laboratory is not working at the Echelon I or weighing design level, assess a mass calibration certificate at the highest level of mass calibrations that is on your Scope.

    Pre-Work Deadline

    The pre-work must be completed and submitted to Micheal Hicks (micheal.hicks [at] nist.gov (micheal[dot]hicks[at]nist[dot]gov)) by Thursday, April 29, 2025. You may send the audit files as Word, PDF and/or associated Excel files for review.

    A mandatory pre-work and Action Plan review will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, via Adobe Connect Pro webinar.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The 31st Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS) School on Methods and Applications of Neutron Spectroscopy

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The 31st annual Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS) “School on Methods and Applications of Neutron Spectroscopy” will be held from Monday, July 28 to Friday, August 1, 2025. This year’s summer school is devoted to methods and applications of neutron spectroscopy.  Please note that neutron reflectometry and small angle scattering techniques will not be covered in this school.

    The school is targeted at those with little or no previous experience with neutron scattering methods. The combination of introductory lectures and training in scattering techniques will provide participants with a unique opportunity to become familiar with neutron scattering methods and their application to current research topics.

    Attendance for the summer school is limited to up to 37 students and to people affiliated with North American universities and US industry.

    The Summer School is sponsored by the NCNR and by the National Science Foundation under the Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS) cooperative agreement number DMR-2010792. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 76 State Laboratory Annual Submission Process

    Source: US Government research organizations

    At the end of this 2-hour session, participants will be able to submit a complete and on-time Recognition Application to NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM).

    • IDENTIFY the sequential phases of the recognition process (NIST HB 143-2023);
    • IDENTIFY the general submission and special technical audit requirements, acceptable submission methods, application period, and deadline (2023 Annual Submission Memo (In progress) and HB 143, Table 1);
    • USE recently updated job aids, such as the Traceability Assessments [new file available soon] (formerly Appendix B-D) and Management Review Outline Management Review Outline;
    • APPLY record organization and document control best practices that enable OWM assessors to efficiently locate, process, and interpret submitted information; and
    • AVOID problematic submission practices that can negatively impact a Recognition Application.

    New and experienced State legal metrology laboratory personnel who are seeking to obtain or renew OWM recognition. This webinar is useful for laboratory management who are responsible for achieving and maintaining laboratory recognition. Webinar participation is limited to U.S. state weights and measures officials.

    Successful Completion includes completing pre-work assignment, full attendance and participation in the session activities and discussion.

    This webinar is for State weights and measures staff participants only.  Registration fees for State weights and measures regulatory officials and metrologists are funded by NIST OWM.

    The webinar will be a live stream, so participants must have a constant connection during the webinar (hard-wired is preferred).
     
    1. Operating System (browser) configurations:

    • Windows
      • Windows 10, 8.1 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit/64-bit)
      • Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 or later, Windows Edge browser, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome
      • For HTML Client – Google Chrome (v70.0 & above), Mozilla Firefox (v65.0 & above), and Edge (v42.0 & above)
    • Mac OS
      • Mac OS X 10.12, 10.13 and 10.14
      • Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome
      • For HTML Client – Google Chrome (v70.0 & above), Apple Safari (v12.0 & above), and  Mozilla Firefox (v65.0 & above)
    • Linux
      • Ubuntu 16.04; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
      • No application support is available for Linux. Users on Linux can attend meetings in a browser.
      • Google Chrome, Adobe Flash Player 23.0

    2. Mobile

    The Adobe Connect app for iOS and Android requires Adobe Connect Server version 8.2 or later

    • Google Android 4.4 or later
    • Apple iOS: iOS 8.1.2 or later
    • Some features may not be enabled in all Adobe Connect meetings if one is using an Adobe Connect Server older than version 9.4.2 (required for Custom pods)
      • NOTE:  OWM discourages using the Adobe Connect app for iOS and Android because engaging with highly technical content and interactive polls are challenging on a small screen.

    3. Optional: If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:

    * Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat and Adobe Connect are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Brazil after spat with Lula

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. would impose a 50% tariff on all imports from Brazil after a spat this week with his Brazilian counterpart who called him an unwanted “emperor.”

    Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fired back on Wednesday, saying new tariffs would be met with reciprocal measures.

    In a letter, Trump linked the tariffs to Brazil’s treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial over charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in 2023.

    The levies were imposed due “in part to Brazil’s insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans,” the letter said.

    Brazil’s real currency added to earlier losses to fall over 2% against the dollar after the announcement, and companies such as planemaker Embraer EMBR3.SA and oil major Petrobras PETR4.SA also suffered setbacks in the stock market.

    Lula, his vice-president, his finance minister, and others held an emergency meeting in Brasilia on Wednesday night to discuss the new levies.

    In a lengthy post to social media after the meeting, Lula said Trump’s accusations that trade between the two countries was unfair to the U.S. were false, stressing the U.S. runs a trade surplus against Brazil.

    “Sovereignty, respect, and the unwavering defense of the interests of the Brazilian people are the values that guide our relationship with the world,” Lula wrote.

    The U.S. is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner after China and the tariffs are a major increase from the 10% announced in April. Trump’s letter said the 50% tariff will start August 1 and will be separate from all sectoral tariffs.

    On Monday, Lula pushed back against Trump after the U.S. leader threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on the BRICS group of developing nations, which he called “anti-American.”

    “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor,” Lula told reporters when asked at a BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro about the possible BRICS tariff.

    BOLSONARO ‘WITCH HUNT’

    Tensions between the United States and Brazil had already intensified on Wednesday after Brazil’s foreign ministry summoned the U.S. Embassy chargé d’affaires over a statement defending Bolsonaro.

    Around the same time, Trump, speaking to reporters at an event with West African leaders at the White House, said Brazil “has not been good to us, not good at all,” adding the tariff rates would be based on “very, very substantial facts” and past history.

    The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia confirmed on Wednesday its chargé d’affaires had a meeting with officials from Brazil’s foreign ministry, though it declined to share details about the conversation.

    Trump’s support for Bolsonaro echoed his support for other global leaders who have faced domestic legal cases like French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has called cases against those leaders a “witch hunt,” a term he used for cases he faced himself in the U.S. after the end of his first term in office.

    Trump said in a social media post on Monday that Bolsonaro was the victim of such a “witch hunt.” The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia issued a statement on Wednesday to the local press echoing his remarks.

    “The political persecution of Jair Bolsonaro, his family and his supporters is shameful and disrespectful of Brazil’s democratic traditions,” it said.

    In a post on social media, Bolsonaro did not mention Trump, but said he “is persecuted because he remains alive in the public consciousness. Even out of power, he remains the most remembered—and most feared—name.”

    In his letter, Trump also directed U.S. Trade Representative James Greer to initiate a probe into what he called unfair trade practices by Brazil, particularly on U.S. companies’ digital trade. Trump also criticized decisions from Brazil’s Supreme Court that he said censored social media firms.

    Brazil’s Supreme Court has long been criticized by Bolsonaro’s allies for ordering social media websites to take down content from leaders of their far-right movement. The court also imposed more responsibilities on those companies last month.

    In his post on Wednesday, Lula rebuffed Trump’s accusations of a witch hunt and said the case against Bolsonaro was up for the courts to decide and not subject to any “threats that could compromise the independence of national institutions.”

    Lula also defended his country’s Supreme Court and its ruling on social media and said “freedom of expression must not be confused with aggression or violent practice.”

    IMPACT ON FOOD EXPORTS

    The tariffs on Brazil could have a significant impact on food prices in the United States. Around a third of the coffee consumed in the U.S., the world’s largest drinker of the beverage, comes from Brazil, which is the world’s largest coffee grower. Annual Brazilian coffee exports to the U.S. are close to 8 million bags, according to industry groups.

    More than half of the orange juice sold in the U.S. comes from Brazil, which has an 80% share of the juice’s global trade. The South American agricultural powerhouse also sells sugar, beef and ethanol to the U.S., among other products.

    “This measure impacts not only Brazil, but the whole U.S. juice industry that employs thousands of people and has had Brazil as its main supplier for decades,” said Ibiapaba Netto, the executive director of Brazilian orange juice industry group CitrusBR.

    (Reuters)

  • People throng temples across India on occasion of Guru Purnima

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    People across India thronged temples and ashrams on Thursday to celebrate Guru Purnima, a sacred occasion dedicated to honouring spiritual and academic mentors.

    Marked by deep reverence and spiritual fervour, the day holds a special place in Indian tradition, as it acknowledges the guiding light of gurus in one’s journey from ignorance to enlightenment.

    Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, Guru Purnima—also known as Vyasa Purnima—commemorates the birth anniversary of Sage Veda Vyasa, the revered author of the Mahabharata and compiler of the Vedas.

    In Ayodhya, a powerful display of devotion unfolded at the Saryu Ghats, where lakhs of devotees gathered from early morning to take a holy dip. The spiritual city resonated with chants and prayers as followers, after bathing in the sacred river, visited their gurus to seek blessings and performed rituals in accordance with the ancient guru-disciple tradition.

    Varanasi too witnessed a sea of devotees, especially at revered sites like the Aghor Peeth Keenaram Ashram. Long queues wound through the city as people bowed at the feet of their gurus and prayed for spiritual growth.

    “Today is Guru Purnima — a very auspicious day for us. It feels like a festival,” a devotee told IANS.

    Another visitor said, “We are here to offer prayers to Baba Keenaram. I wish that Guru Ji showers his blessings on everyone.”

    “After taking a holy dip, I prayed for Guru Ji’s blessings. The arrangements here are excellent. I feel blessed to be here with my family,” shared another devotee.

    In Maharashtra, large crowds gathered at the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, where the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust organised a three-day Guru Purnima festival. The main day drew thousands of devotees.

    CEO Goraksh Gadilkar extended greetings to all Sai devotees, stating that the event was being conducted with utmost devotion.

    Purohit Gopal Das reflected on the spiritual essence of the day, saying, “Guru Purnima celebrates the glory of the Guru, who shows the path to reach God.”

    In Prayagraj, devotees took holy dips at the Triveni Sangam, followed by visits to temples and monasteries to seek blessings from saints and spiritual leaders.

    “This is Purnima, and it is especially significant as Guru Purnima — a day dedicated to the Guru, who connects us to Brahma, imparts divine knowledge, and shows us the right path,” said one devotee.

    Another devotee added, “I took a holy dip in the Ganga and prayed to the Goddess. Now, we’re heading to seek blessings from saints and seers.”

    Guru Purnima continues to resonate across India as a profound celebration of the sacred bond between guru and disciple — observed with devotion, gratitude, prayer, and reverence.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • Over 1.28 lakh pilgrims perform Amarnath Yatra so far; fresh batch of 7,307 heads to Kashmir

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The annual Amarnath Yatra continues with strong participation, as over 1.28 lakh devotees have undertaken the pilgrimage over the past seven days. On Thursday, another batch of 7,307 pilgrims departed from Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to join the Yatra.

    Officials confirmed that the batch left from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys. The first convoy, comprising 137 vehicles and carrying 3,081 pilgrims, departed at 3:15 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. The second convoy, consisting of 147 vehicles with 4,226 pilgrims on board, left at 3:58 a.m. for the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam.

    According to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which oversees the management of the Yatra, many pilgrims are also arriving directly at the Baltal and Nunwan base camps for on-the-spot registration, in addition to those coming via Jammu.

    The Meteorological Department has forecast rain across Jammu and Kashmir over the next 12 hours, with isolated intense showers and thunderstorms expected, particularly in the Jammu region.

    This year’s Yatra is being held under tight security, following the April 22 terror attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. In response, security has been significantly enhanced. An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to support the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB, and local police. The entire pilgrimage route, including transit camps and roads from Jammu to the cave shrine, is under strict surveillance.

    Local residents have once again shown their support and hospitality. On July 6, people from Srinagar travelled 30 km to Nuner village along the Baltal-Srinagar road to offer cold drinks and clean water to returning pilgrims. The gesture was warmly received by the Yatris.

    The Yatra began on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 9, coinciding with the festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. The holy cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the Kashmir Himalayas, can be accessed through two main routes.

    The traditional route from Pahalgam spans 46 kilometres and takes about four days to complete on foot, passing through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni. The shorter Baltal route covers 14 kilometres and allows pilgrims to return the same day after darshan. Due to security concerns, helicopter services are not being offered to pilgrims this year.

    Inside the sacred cave, an ice stalagmite naturally forms and is believed by devotees to represent Lord Shiva.

    (With agencies inputs)

  • MIL-Evening Report: Envoy’s plan to fight antisemitism would put universities on notice over funding

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The government’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has recommended universities that fail to properly deal with the issue should have government funding terminated.

    In her Plan to Combat Antisemitism, launched Thursday, Segal says she will prepare a report card “assessing each university’s implementation of effective practices and standards”.

    This would cover complaints systems and whether the campus and online environment “is conducive to Jewish students and staff participating actively and equally in university life”.

    “Should significant problems remain at universities by the start of the 2026 academic year, as assessed by the Envoy’s report card, a dedicated judicial inquiry should be undertaken to address systemic issues,” the Envoy’s report says.

    That should include “investigation of foreign sources of funding for antisemitic activities and academics at universities”.

    “Universities must embrace cultural change to end their tolerance for anti-semitic conduct,” the Segal report says.

    It says the envoy will work with government to enable funding “to be withheld, where possible, from universities, programs or individuals within universities that facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism”.

    The envoy also wants public grants to university centres, academics or researchers to be subject to termination if the recipient engages in antisemitic or other hateful speech or actions.

    In the wake of the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israelis, and Israel’s military response in Gaza, a number of Australian universities saw big pro-Palestinian protests, including encampments. At some universities Jewish students and staff felt unsafe going to classes or to their offices.

    More generally, antisemitism has been rife since the October attacks, with most recently a spate of incidents in Melbourne in the last week. These included setting fire to the door of a synagogue and protesters rampaging through a restaurant that is part of an Israeli chain.

    The envoy’s report was launched at a joint press conference attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, and Segal.

    The ambitious plan is broad, also covering security, law enforcement, and online regulation among other areas.

    But it is unclear how much of it the government will take up.

    Asked whether the government was committed to the plan “in full”, Albanese was noncommittal.

    “We welcome the plan, to be very clear. Some of the plan requires a long-term approach, some of it requires action by state governments, some of it requires action by society.

    “What we will do is work constructively with the envoy,” he said.

    “This isn’t something that is okay on the 10th of July, done, tick, and we move on. This will be a process.”

    The plan includes embedding Holocaust and antisemitism education in school curricula.

    Research the envoy commissioned found a substantial difference between the attitudes of Australians under 35 and those older. These reflected differences between the generations in media consumption and perceptions younger people have of the Middle East the the Jewish community.

    “There also appears to be generational differences in the understanding of the Holocaust and its impacts on society,” the report says.

    The envoy flags her intention, with the support of government, to “review, and where appropriate strengthen federal, state and territory legislation addressing antisemitism and other hateful or intimidatory conduct”.

    Among the recommendations is the removal of tax deduction status from any charitable institution which promotes speakers or engages in conduct that promotes antisemitism.

    The report says that from October 2023 to September 2024 antisemitic incidents increased by 316%, with more than 2,000 cases reported. These included threats, assaults, vandalism and intimidation.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Envoy’s plan to fight antisemitism would put universities on notice over funding – https://theconversation.com/envoys-plan-to-fight-antisemitism-would-put-universities-on-notice-over-funding-259685

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Larissa Waters on why we deserve more than a government that just tinkers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The Greens had a poor election. They lost three of their four lower house seats including that of their leader Adam Bandt. This despite their overall vote remaining mostly steady. But they did retain all their Senate spots – though later they lost a senator through her defection to Labor – and they now effectively have the sole balance of power in the Senate.

    The Greens last term played hard ball on various pieces of legislation like the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), wanting to gain more concessions from the government. They prioritised issues such as the difficulties facing renters as well as the war in Gaza.

    With the government’s big win at the election, how hard will the Greens push on legislation this term, and how will the party fare under new leadership?

    To answer these questions and to tell us about her plans, the greens new leader, Larissa Waters, joins the podcast.

    On what drives her Waters says,

    I’ve certainly spent my working life trying to empower the community, to protect the planet. And I’m a really proud feminist and I’ve been really excited by the work that I’ve been able to do on gender equality and women’s safety for the last 10 years in that portfolio. But I’m a really strong advocate for a fairer society.

    On reforms she wants to get done in parliament, Waters says the focus should be on delivery,

    I would like for the parliament to not just spend its time as a kind of peacocking about, talking about ourselves, and actually spend its time delivering for people. I think that’s the least people could expect is that the collective focus of the parliament be about how we can help community members and nature.

    We remain willing to work on reforms that will help people and will help the planet. And I think there’s a lot of people who are waiting to see how this parliament works and who are really hoping that with such an overwhelming number of seats […] the Labor Party will use their numbers in the parliament to do good things. And I think there’ll be a lot of broken hearts if they don’t find the courage to do what’s needed.

    Asked about the recent antisemitic attacks in Melbourne and the broader issue of pro-Palestine protests, Waters explains where she stands.

    Well firstly, can I say that the places of worship should always be off-limits for protest activity and I think that’s not a controversial statement. But can I also say that a lot of people feel really strongly about human rights and Gaza and Palestine and the Greens are really proud that we have always stood to end the genocide. And we think that Australia should play a stronger role in terms of sanctioning [Benjamin Netanyahu’s] war cabinet and that regime and for there to be a lasting peace in that region.

    On AUKUS and the US alliance more broadly Water’s isn’t shy with her criticism,

    We are wasting A$370 billion on nuclear submarines that actually may never even eventuate and that the US is now reconsidering their provision to us anyway. The whole thing is speculative and a massive waste of money, importantly, that makes us less safe. I think hitching our wagon to the increasingly unstable US administration under particularly the current president, is not how we make ourselves safe. And I certainly don’t think we should be taking any lectures from Donald Trump about how much money we should spending on defence.

    We remain of the view, as we have been for decades, that Australia deserves an independent foreign policy, one that shamelessly puts our own interests at heart and front and centre, and is not just when the US says jump we say how high, that doesn’t make the world safer.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Larissa Waters on why we deserve more than a government that just tinkers – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-larissa-waters-on-why-we-deserve-more-than-a-government-that-just-tinkers-260812

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: First the dire wolf, now NZ’s giant moa: why real ‘de-extinction’ is unlikely to fly

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor in Ancient DNA, University of Otago

    Colossal Biosciences, CC BY-SA

    The announcement that New Zealand’s moa nunui (giant moa) is the next “de-extinction” target for Colossal Biosciences, in partnership with Canterbury Museum, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and filmmaker Peter Jackson, caused widespread alarm among scientists.

    This follows the US company’s recreation of a “dire wolf”, which was essentially a genetically engineered grey wolf. But that project was probably easy compared to the latest plan to resurrect the moa.

    I think it’s a pipe dream and there are several reasons why.

    Firstly, birds are harder to “de-extinct” than placental mammals. One would need a surrogate egg to bring chicks to term, and for many moa species there are no eggs from living birds big enough to house a developing chick. In this case, artificial eggs would need to be developed.

    Then there is evolutionary history. From my own work and the research of others, we know the moa is most closely related to the tinamou, a small flying bird in South America.

    To get to the common ancestor of the moa and tinamou, you’d have to go back some 60 million years of evolution. That’s a lot of time for mutations to evolve in genes controlling how moa look, that would need to be re-engineered to bring back moa traits.

    The evolutionary history of the palaeognath group is even deeper. Formerly known as ratites, this group includes the tinamou and lineages of living flightless birds (emu, kiwi, cassowary, rhea, ostrich) and extinct ones (New Zealand’s moa and Madagascar’s elephant birds).

    Genetically engineering a tinamou or any other birds in this group to create a moa hybrid would be challenging given this deep evolutionary timescale – certainly much harder than genetically engineering a grey wolf. And in any case, this would not recreate a moa, but merely something that may look like a moa. As one critic put it, it would not have the mauri (life force) of a moa.

    There are no living analogues of moa within the palaeongath group. We don’t know whether birds created through de-extinction methods would function like a moa in the ecosystem.

    Moa are unique, even among other flightless birds, in that they had no wings – all other flightless birds still have remnant wings. As a start, any genetic engineering would need to target regions of the genome that control the expression of genes for wing formation. This could have unintended consequences.

    Working with moa ethically

    I’m involved in an ongoing project to sequence high-quality genomes of several species of moa in New Zealand to study their evolutionary history.

    In our conversations with tangata whenua around the country, there has been no support for de-extinction. Iwi (tribes) also want moa bone samples and all DNA extracts and sequence data to stay in New Zealand.

    A major question is whether Colossal has undertaken wider engagement. Ngāi Tahu is a very large iwi with lots of individual rūnanga (tribal councils) throughout the South Island.

    My research team has engaged with individual rūnanga, and we know they are opposed to de-extinction. I would like Colossal, Canterbury Museum and the Ngāi Tahu Research Center to disclose how widely they consulted across Ngāi Tahu.

    The numerous iwi at the top of the South Island are also against the de-extinction of the giant moa (or any moa) which also lived in their rohe (region). De-extinction of a giant moa would really need a South Island-wide or even national consensus before going ahead.

    Ecological concerns with de-extinction

    Māori have expressed longstanding concerns about not being involved in discussions about genetic engineering and the potential of bone samples or genetic material going offshore.

    With this announcement, it’s encouraging to see the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre is driving the project and that there are discussions around the need to restore habitat that would be suitable for moa.

    This is a challenge in its own right as there is little left. Parts of the eastern South Island were once covered in mosaics of open forest shrubland that were dominated by kowhai and lancewood, which have no analogue today.

    Even if we were to bring back an extinct species and kept individuals in a game reserve, we would need to produce enough (at least 500) to avoid inbreeding and genetic drift (random loss or retention of genes in a population).

    The birds would require sufficient funding for their ongoing conservation. This raises worries that money could be pulled from efforts to save living endangered species, pushing them closer to extinction.

    It’s undeniable the genetic engineering technology Colossal is developing could have real benefits to the conservation of New Zealand’s endangered species. Let’s say we could genetically engineer a kākāpō so it becomes resistant to a disease. That’s perhaps a project worth doing if there was widespread community support.

    Investing the money that goes into this project in the conservation of New Zealand’s currently endangered biodiversity would, in my view, be better than bringing back moa as an ecotourism venture.

    Nic Rawlence receives funding from Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund.

    – ref. First the dire wolf, now NZ’s giant moa: why real ‘de-extinction’ is unlikely to fly – https://theconversation.com/first-the-dire-wolf-now-nzs-giant-moa-why-real-de-extinction-is-unlikely-to-fly-260797

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chair Ernst Leads Senate in Confirming William Briggs at SBA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) urged her Senate colleagues to confirm Mr. William Briggs to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration to continue restoring strong leadership at the agency.
    After she spoke, the Senate confirmed Briggs by a vote of 49-45.
    Earlier this year, Ernst led the charge to advance Briggs’ nomination out of committee and touted the new direction at the SBA as the driving force behind renewed optimism on Main Street.
    Watch Chair Ernst’s full remarks here.
    Ernst full remarks:
    “Today the Senate will have the opportunity to advance the nomination of Mr. William Briggs to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).
    “I strongly urge my colleagues to vote yes in support of his nomination.
    “As Chair of the Small Business Committee, I have had the honor of getting to know Mr. Briggs and have seen firsthand what he brings to the table.
    “He is sharp, he is steady, and he is the right person for this job. 
    “Throughout the Committee’s rigorous nomination process, Mr. Briggs showed up prepared, he was respectful, and ready to engage.
    “The professionalism and seriousness with which he approached the Committee made it clear that he would be ready to lead on day one.  
    “In fact, Mr. Briggs is no stranger to the responsibilities of SBA leadership, having previously served as the Acting Administrator of the Office of Capital Access. 
    “During his nomination hearing, he emphasized how his previous work rolling out the Paycheck Protection Program equipped him with practical knowledge and the necessary experience to effectively root out fraud and waste throughout the SBA.
    “As we continue to uncover and pursue fraud, it is critical that we have a Deputy Administrator who can identify and evade pitfalls while simultaneously ensuring the agency’s day-to-day operations are running smoothly.
    “Mr. Briggs has also committed to working hand-in-hand with SBA’s field offices to ensure that small businesses from any community – instead of just certain demographics – can access the support that they deserve. 
    “This position isn’t just professional for Mr. Briggs, but it’s also personal.
    “As a former entrepreneur who ran two small businesses, he knows what it’s like to balance the books, tackle red tape, and manage employees.
    “He also understands the pressures and uncertainty that so many small business owners face every single day. 
    “The one-two punch of his government experience and private sector entrepreneurship makes Mr. Briggs the perfect candidate to help Administrator Loeffler make the SBA more accountable, more efficient, more transparent, and more focused on its core mission: which is helping America’s job creators succeed.  
    “Let’s give Main Street America someone who will fight with them, and for them.
    “Again, I urge all of my colleagues to support Mr. Briggs’ nomination for Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu Welcomes Organizers of the City2Surf:TW Runners

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu warmly welcomed the organizers of TW Runners, including President Ming-Jen Chang of the National Chengchi University Alumni Association of Sydney, along with co-organizer Charles Lin, President-Elect of the Distinguished Citizens Society NSW, and team member Frederick Liao. They discussed preparations and showcased exquisite Taiwan-Australia themed gifts prepared for TW Runners participants.
    TW Runners, officially registered for City2Surf, is included in the “National Day Cup Marathon” as part of the “National Day in Motion” series of three sports events organized by the 114th Double Tenth National Day Celebration Committee in Sydney. Join the World’s largest fun run, combining health and charity—don’t miss out!

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu Attends the Performance of the Kuang-Jen Catholic Elementary and Junior High School Music Class Orchestra of Taipei at the Australian International Music Festival in Sydney

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    This week, under the leadership of Principal Mr. Liang Kun-Ming, Music Class Director Ms. Tso Yi-Chun, Conductor Mr. Chen Shun-Fa, and PTA President Mr. Huang You-Liang — along with incredible support from parents — the talented students of Guangjen’s music programs are proudly representing Taiwan at the Australian International Music Festival in Sydney.
    On July 8 noon, they gave a stunning performance at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu along with Director Ms. Chiang Chia-Hui, Cultural Division Director Ms. Chen Chih Yi, and Senior Policy Officer Ms. Jessica Li were also in attendance to show their support.
    The young musicians wowed the crowd with Taiwanese folk classics like “Diu Diu Deng,” a lively puppet show, and wrapped up the show with a high-energy dance to Little Tigers’ “Green Apple Paradise”! The audience couldn’t get enough — calling out for an encore!

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McCreery Aviation finance director admits to $1.2 million mail fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 57-year-old Mission resident has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and diverting company funds for her own benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Elizabeth Batten was the director of financing at McCreery Aviation in the Rio Grande Valley from 2019 to 2023. As part of her plea, she admitted that during her tenure, she diverted company funds to pay for her personal expenses. She used signed blank company checks, intended for legitimate business purposes, to settle her personal credit card accounts.

    She also used the U.S. Postal Service to conceal her behavior and actions by mailing her fraudulent payments to multiple credit card companies in different states.

    The investigation into Batten began after a McCreery Aviation employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks in late 2023.

    It revealed she had fraudulently diverted a total of $1.2 million as part of her scheme.

    U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing Oct. 7. At that time, Batten faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    As a part of the plea, Batten agreed to pay $1.191 million in restitution to McCreery Aviation.

    She was permitted to remain on bond pending her sentencing hearing.

    The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McCreery Aviation finance director admits to $1.2 million mail fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 57-year-old Mission resident has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and diverting company funds for her own benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Elizabeth Batten was the director of financing at McCreery Aviation in the Rio Grande Valley from 2019 to 2023. As part of her plea, she admitted that during her tenure, she diverted company funds to pay for her personal expenses. She used signed blank company checks, intended for legitimate business purposes, to settle her personal credit card accounts.

    She also used the U.S. Postal Service to conceal her behavior and actions by mailing her fraudulent payments to multiple credit card companies in different states.

    The investigation into Batten began after a McCreery Aviation employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks in late 2023.

    It revealed she had fraudulently diverted a total of $1.2 million as part of her scheme.

    U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing Oct. 7. At that time, Batten faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    As a part of the plea, Batten agreed to pay $1.191 million in restitution to McCreery Aviation.

    She was permitted to remain on bond pending her sentencing hearing.

    The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Charged with Smuggling Protected Toucans

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Carlos Abundez of San Ysidro, California, appeared in federal court today to face charges that he smuggled 14 live, bound Keel-billed toucans concealed inside the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat.

    Federal agents detained Abundez at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after a Customs and Border Protection canine showed a change of behavior while screening the car. When a CBP officer further inspected the car, the officer found a bound bird, wrapped in cloth, duct taped to the underneath of the dash.

    At the time, the officer did not know what the object was until it began to move and flutter. Officers then pried open the side panel of the dashboard and discovered a total of 14 sedated juvenile Keel-billed toucans concealed within the compartment.

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents and inspectors responded to the scene.  A wildlife inspector identified the birds as Keel-billed toucans of the species Ramphastos sulfuratus. The 14 birds were identified as juveniles. Some had injuries including broken tails and a broken leg.

    The birds were initially cared for by Veterinary Services at the southern border, before being transferred to a Department of Agriculture Animal Import Center for quarantine. The birds are now reported to be in stable condition.

    Keel-billed toucans are native to southern Mexico down through Ecuador, including Venezuela, Columbia and Nicaragua. Because of their threatened status as a species, Keel-billed toucans are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (“CITES”), an international treaty among approximately 183 governments, including the United States and Mexico, to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that may become threatened with extinction. They are illicitly sold as pets and can cost up to $5,000 per bird.

    The arrest follows the recent prosecution of three other individuals caught smuggling Amazon parrots and parakeets through the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry, highlighting a troubling pattern of illegal wildlife trade through Southern California.

    “Smuggling endangered birds by sedating them, binding their beaks, and hiding them in car compartments is not just cruel—it’s criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This disturbing trend of trafficking exotic wildlife through Southern California ports poses a serious threat to public health and agriculture. These birds bypass mandatory quarantine and screening, potentially carrying devastating diseases like avian influenza. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who treat living creatures as contraband and put our communities and ecosystems at risk.”

    Avian influenza (bird flu), for instance, can spread through feathers, droppings, or even airborne particles and has previously caused massive culls of farm birds in the U.S. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia and death in humans and other birds including birds in United States poultry farms.  Many other diseases that can be transmitted from different animals and can have disastrous effects, that is why it is necessary to quarantine animals entering the United States to limit and safeguard against this potential disease transmission.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Jimenez.

    DEFENDANT                                                Case Number 25-mj-3726                           

    Carlos Abundez                                              Age: 35                                   San Ysidro, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Smuggling Merchandise – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    Importation Contrary to Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Charged with Smuggling Protected Toucans

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Carlos Abundez of San Ysidro, California, appeared in federal court today to face charges that he smuggled 14 live, bound Keel-billed toucans concealed inside the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat.

    Federal agents detained Abundez at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after a Customs and Border Protection canine showed a change of behavior while screening the car. When a CBP officer further inspected the car, the officer found a bound bird, wrapped in cloth, duct taped to the underneath of the dash.

    At the time, the officer did not know what the object was until it began to move and flutter. Officers then pried open the side panel of the dashboard and discovered a total of 14 sedated juvenile Keel-billed toucans concealed within the compartment.

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents and inspectors responded to the scene.  A wildlife inspector identified the birds as Keel-billed toucans of the species Ramphastos sulfuratus. The 14 birds were identified as juveniles. Some had injuries including broken tails and a broken leg.

    The birds were initially cared for by Veterinary Services at the southern border, before being transferred to a Department of Agriculture Animal Import Center for quarantine. The birds are now reported to be in stable condition.

    Keel-billed toucans are native to southern Mexico down through Ecuador, including Venezuela, Columbia and Nicaragua. Because of their threatened status as a species, Keel-billed toucans are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (“CITES”), an international treaty among approximately 183 governments, including the United States and Mexico, to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that may become threatened with extinction. They are illicitly sold as pets and can cost up to $5,000 per bird.

    The arrest follows the recent prosecution of three other individuals caught smuggling Amazon parrots and parakeets through the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry, highlighting a troubling pattern of illegal wildlife trade through Southern California.

    “Smuggling endangered birds by sedating them, binding their beaks, and hiding them in car compartments is not just cruel—it’s criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This disturbing trend of trafficking exotic wildlife through Southern California ports poses a serious threat to public health and agriculture. These birds bypass mandatory quarantine and screening, potentially carrying devastating diseases like avian influenza. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who treat living creatures as contraband and put our communities and ecosystems at risk.”

    Avian influenza (bird flu), for instance, can spread through feathers, droppings, or even airborne particles and has previously caused massive culls of farm birds in the U.S. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia and death in humans and other birds including birds in United States poultry farms.  Many other diseases that can be transmitted from different animals and can have disastrous effects, that is why it is necessary to quarantine animals entering the United States to limit and safeguard against this potential disease transmission.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Jimenez.

    DEFENDANT                                                Case Number 25-mj-3726                           

    Carlos Abundez                                              Age: 35                                   San Ysidro, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Smuggling Merchandise – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    Importation Contrary to Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Who Ran $7-Million-Dollar Cryptocurrency Investment Scheme Sentenced To Four Years In Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN FRANCISCO – Douglas Jae Woo Kim was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for his scheme to defraud investors of over $7 million in cryptocurrency and other funds.  Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer handed down the sentence.

    At the conclusion of a three-week trial in February 2025, a federal jury convicted Kim, 32, of New York, New York, on 14 counts of wire fraud, international money laundering, and money laundering, and acquitted him on one count of international money laundering.  At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Breyer dismissed one count of laundering of monetary instruments, one of the 14 counts on which Kim had been found guilty, on venue grounds.  

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between October 2017 and June 2020, after moving to San Francisco, Kim engaged in a scheme to defraud investors, many of whom were friends and acquaintances, of over $7 million in money and cryptocurrency by holding himself out as a legitimate trader of cryptocurrency.  Kim falsely represented that he was seeking short-term liquidity in the form of loans or investments for cryptocurrency trading or other legitimate business purposes, told victims that the loans carried no risk or very low risk, promised high rates of return on their loans, and claimed that he had sufficient funds to personally guarantee the loans.  

    In October 2017, Kim contacted a victim by text message and said he was looking for investors interested in making what he called a short-term loan for a “fairly modest operation.”  Kim represented that he was investing in a cryptocurrency operation in which he would make a profit from fees charged to a peer-to-peer network and from exchange transactions, and informed the victim that the operation “isn’t very risky to me.”  Kim obtained over a million dollars’ worth of funds from this victim over the course of the scheme, the majority of which went to offshore sports betting sites.

    In November 2017, Kim contacted another victim by email and said he was looking for cryptocurrency for a trading strategy.  Kim assured that the victim that “my activities are fairly low risk.”  In total, Kim obtained over $500,000 in funds from this victim, most of which he sent to offshore sports betting sites.

    In an agreement dated Jan. 1, 2018, Kim set out the terms of a similar investment with a third victim.  The agreement called for the victim to provide cryptocurrency valued at approximately $200,000 at the time.  The same day, Kim converted more than half of the funds to bitcoin and, in the following days, transferred substantially all the converted cryptocurrency to his account with an offshore casino.  Kim went on to obtain over $4 million in funds from this victim.

    Kim defrauded numerous other victims, including nine who testified at trial, until at least July 2020, when he was charged by federal complaint.

    United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer sentenced Kim to a three-year period of supervised release.  A hearing will be scheduled to determine issues regarding restitution.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Maya Karwande are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Maryam Beros, Andy Ding, Lynette Dixon, and Christine Tian. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Who Ran $7-Million-Dollar Cryptocurrency Investment Scheme Sentenced To Four Years In Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN FRANCISCO – Douglas Jae Woo Kim was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for his scheme to defraud investors of over $7 million in cryptocurrency and other funds.  Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer handed down the sentence.

    At the conclusion of a three-week trial in February 2025, a federal jury convicted Kim, 32, of New York, New York, on 14 counts of wire fraud, international money laundering, and money laundering, and acquitted him on one count of international money laundering.  At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Breyer dismissed one count of laundering of monetary instruments, one of the 14 counts on which Kim had been found guilty, on venue grounds.  

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between October 2017 and June 2020, after moving to San Francisco, Kim engaged in a scheme to defraud investors, many of whom were friends and acquaintances, of over $7 million in money and cryptocurrency by holding himself out as a legitimate trader of cryptocurrency.  Kim falsely represented that he was seeking short-term liquidity in the form of loans or investments for cryptocurrency trading or other legitimate business purposes, told victims that the loans carried no risk or very low risk, promised high rates of return on their loans, and claimed that he had sufficient funds to personally guarantee the loans.  

    In October 2017, Kim contacted a victim by text message and said he was looking for investors interested in making what he called a short-term loan for a “fairly modest operation.”  Kim represented that he was investing in a cryptocurrency operation in which he would make a profit from fees charged to a peer-to-peer network and from exchange transactions, and informed the victim that the operation “isn’t very risky to me.”  Kim obtained over a million dollars’ worth of funds from this victim over the course of the scheme, the majority of which went to offshore sports betting sites.

    In November 2017, Kim contacted another victim by email and said he was looking for cryptocurrency for a trading strategy.  Kim assured that the victim that “my activities are fairly low risk.”  In total, Kim obtained over $500,000 in funds from this victim, most of which he sent to offshore sports betting sites.

    In an agreement dated Jan. 1, 2018, Kim set out the terms of a similar investment with a third victim.  The agreement called for the victim to provide cryptocurrency valued at approximately $200,000 at the time.  The same day, Kim converted more than half of the funds to bitcoin and, in the following days, transferred substantially all the converted cryptocurrency to his account with an offshore casino.  Kim went on to obtain over $4 million in funds from this victim.

    Kim defrauded numerous other victims, including nine who testified at trial, until at least July 2020, when he was charged by federal complaint.

    United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer sentenced Kim to a three-year period of supervised release.  A hearing will be scheduled to determine issues regarding restitution.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Maya Karwande are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Maryam Beros, Andy Ding, Lynette Dixon, and Christine Tian. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering, for his role in a scheme to claim refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Ryan Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits.  Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.

    In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.

    Glidewell is set to be sentenced on Nov. 12, 2025.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

                                                                                                                             ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering, for his role in a scheme to claim refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Ryan Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits.  Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.

    In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.

    Glidewell is set to be sentenced on Nov. 12, 2025.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

                                                                                                                             ###

    MIL Security OSI –