NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: A History of Self-Representation and How H.H. Holmes Represented Himself in His Criminal Trial

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    The following is a guest post by Emily Tejada, a former intern with the Digital Resources Division of the Law Library of Congress. She is a recent graduate from Southern New Hampshire University.

    One interesting aspect of the United States’ judicial law is defendants’ right to represent themselves in court. Many may ask, “Why would someone choose to represent themselves in court?” This mainly concerns defendants wanting to manage their own court proceedings as they see fit and the belief that exercising the right to self-represent offers them the best chance of achieving their goals. Self-representation in court proceedings is a constitutional right continuously protected under the United States’ judicial law. The right to represent oneself in court has resulted in a plethora of criminal cases in which defendants chose to waive the right to an attorney and conduct their own defense. One fascinating self-representation case pertains to America’s first serial killer, H.H. Holmes. Following Holmes’ court case, three major cases solidified the legal precedent for a defendant’s right to represent themself in a criminal case and the regulations that dictate these types of court proceedings.

    Self-Representation is also known as proceeding pro se, which is Latin for “for oneself, on one’s own behalf.” This term refers to a defendant’s right to advocate on their own behalf before a court by waiving their right to attorney representation. This judicial right has been strongly protected since the United States’ founding under the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established the national judicial court system and was signed into law by President George Washington himself. Section 35 of the Judiciary Act, which can be found in Statutes at Large Volume One, set forth into law the right for parties to manage their own court cases. Section 35 states “[a]nd be it further enacted, that in all the courts of the United States, the parties may plead and manage their own causes personally or by the assistance of such counsel or attorneys at law as by the rules of the said courts respectively shall be permitted to manage and causes therewithin. …”

    U.S. Statutes at Large, Volume 1 (1789-1799), 1st through 5th Congress. Law Library of Congress. https://lccn.loc.gov/mm80001287.

    The right of defendants to represent themselves in court is further protected under the Sixth Amendment, as it guarantees the rights of defendants, which include the right to a lawyer. Under this amendment, there is a basis that a defendant may acquire counsel representation by their own choice. The Judiciary Act of 1789 and the Sixth Amendment protect a defendant’s right to represent themselves in court.

    One fascinating case of self-representation in criminal court deals with America’s first serial killer, H.H. Holmes. H.H. Holmes was born in 1861 as Herman Webster Mudgett in New Hampshire. Holmes developed a gruesome fascination with death – this included stealing corpses from graves and morgues during his college years at the University of Michigan, where Holmes would either sell these corpses to medical schools or burn and disfigure them to commit insurance fraud. Holmes would take out life insurance policies on these bodies before staging accidents to collect the money. He moved to Chicago in 1884 under the alias Dr. Henry H. Holmes, where he constructed a three-story hotel that would later become known as the “Murder Castle.” Holmes insisted that his guests, employees, and romantic partners were required to have life insurance policies and to list him as the beneficiary. He took advantage of the 1893 Chicago World Fair to target and lure guests to his hotel, many of whom disappeared. Once the fair ended, he and his accomplice, Benjamin Pitezel, traveled the United States, where a trail of homicides and disappearances followed Holmes, including the murder of Pitzel.

    The Ogden Standard. [volume] July 4, 1914. Library of Congress Chronicling America. https://lccn.loc.gov/sn85058396.

    Holmes was arrested in Boston in 1894 as he was suspected of committing fraud. However, through a thorough investigation, the police soon connected Holmes to the murder of Benjamin Pitzel and his three children. Holmes eventually confessed to murdering 28 people; however, it is believed he could be responsible for up to 200 murders. Holmes was only formally charged with the murder of Benjamin Pitezel, and he requested to represent himself in court. Holmes’s choice to represent himself was quite unprecedented since no accused murderer had ever done so. Holmes refused to accept the services of attorneys Everett A. Schofield and Joseph R. Fahy, who were appointed to his case by the court of Philadelphia. According to court records, Holmes was nasty to the prosecutor, asked for scientific analysis on all evidence, claimed Benjamin Pitzel had committed suicide, and often deflected questions. He made a grave error when he requested a lunch break after a detailed and grotesque description of Pitzel’s corpse, and he continuously failed to support his claims of innocence. He eventually requested the assistance of his defense attorneys but was ultimately convicted of Pitzel’s murder and was subsequently hanged for his crimes on May 7, 1896. H.H. Holmes represents America’s first recorded serial killer and the first murderer to utilize his constitutional right to represent himself.

    The Evening Times. [volume] Oct. 28, 1895. Library of Congress Chronicling America. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024441/1895-10-28/ed-1/seq-1/

    The three major court cases that have set Constitutional standards for self-representation are Faretta v. California (1975), McKaskle v. Wiggins (1982 – 1984), and Indiana v. Edwards (2008). Anthony Faretta was charged with grand theft and requested to represent himself in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Faretta stated that he was literate, had previously represented himself in criminal court, and did not wish to accept a public defender. While the presiding judge originally accepted his request, he soon determined Faretta was unable to adequately represent himself after questioning him on California state law and appointed a public defender. While the California court of appeals affirmed the judge’s ruling, stating that Faretta had no constitutional right to represent himself, the Supreme Court held that under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, defendants in state criminal trials have a constitutional right to represent themselves when they “voluntarily and intellectually” elect to do so and that the California State courts denied Faretta that right. This 1975 decision set forth that the Sixth Amendment implies a constitutional right to represent oneself in the United States’ courts, and pro se proceedings are based on this decision.

    In the case of McKaskle v. Wiggins, Carl Edwin Wiggins was charged with robbing a Piggly Wiggly in San Antonio, Texas, and chose to waive his right to counsel. The court, however, chose to appoint Wiggins a standby counsel to assist him in understanding the basic rules of the courtroom. Wiggins frequently contested the role of his standby counsel and, after his conviction, argued for a new trial because his standby counsel interfered with his defense and deprived him of his constitutional right to represent himself, which was guaranteed under Faretta v. California. While the court of appeals held that Wiggins’ sixth amendment right to represent himself was violated by unsolicited participation of the standby counsel, the Supreme Court held that Wiggins’ constitutional right was not violated due to his ability to conduct his own defense as he saw fit and that the unsolicited intervention of the standby counsel was within reasonable limits. This case set the basic foundation for standby counsel to be allowed to participate in self-representation cases.

    In Indiana v. Edwards, Ahmad Edwards was charged with attempted murder after shooting an FBI agent, a security guard, and a bystander after stealing a pair of shoes. Edwards’s mental competency to stand trial was called into question, but after five years of psychiatric evaluation, he was deemed competent enough to stand trial. Edwards requested to represent himself in court; however, his medical records stated that he suffered from schizophrenia, and his requests were systematically denied. The

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EUROPE/ITALY – University and solidarity: the choice to be present

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 27 June 2025

    UER

    Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Another year of social responsibility activities, promoted by the university’s Center for Integral Formation, has come to an end at the European University of Rome (Università Europea di Roma, UER).These activities play a central role in the education and personal development of students by raising their awareness of social dynamics, the active practice of solidarity, and the recognition of the social value inherent in professional commitment. The students collaborate with various organizations operating in the social sector in the region (associations, non-profit organizations, foundations, workshops, volunteer organizations) and engage in various areas: supporting the homeless or people in socio-economic distress, helping minors and the disabled, protecting the environment, promoting culture and education, and supporting the elderly or the sick.One student describes her personal experience helping the homeless: “On our way home, we took with us much more than we gave. This encounter changed us. It broke through the invisible barrier that separates us from the pain of others. And perhaps in this small shift in our perspective lies the possibility of a greater change: in the city, in our relationships, in ourselves.” Another student reported on the “Angel for a Day” project, which she spent with children in Rome’s family homes: “The experience taught me that volunteering is not just an act of generosity. It is a mirror. It shows you the reality of others, but also your own. It forces you to examine your priorities and focus on what is truly important. It teaches you respect, gratitude, and presence.”The goal of these initiatives is to provide students with both technical and scientific training and human skills, enabling them to treat others with sensitivity and respect, and to experience their profession not only as personal fulfillment but also as a service for the transformation of society. (Agenzia Fides, 27/6/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China is ready to maintain trade and economic contacts with the US – Deputy Minister of Finance

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — China is willing to maintain economic and trade exchanges with the United States on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to benefit both countries and the world, Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said in a statement released by the ministry on Friday.

    Liao Min made the remarks during a meeting with Harvard University Professor Graham Allison on June 20. The two sides held an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations, bilateral economic and trade ties, and issues of common interest.

    Guided by the important agreements reached by the two heads of state, the China-US negotiating teams on trade and economic issues have reached fundamental agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during the telephone conversation on June 5 and on the framework of measures to consolidate the results of the trade and economic talks in Geneva, which has played an important role in stabilizing both China-US relations and bilateral trade and economic ties, Liao Min noted.

    He stressed that China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, while at the same time being willing to maintain economic and trade contacts with the United States on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to benefit both countries and the whole world.

    Mr. Allison, in turn, said that relations between the US and China are one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, and it is extremely important for both sides to maintain and deepen communication.

    He noted that China has made significant progress in advancing economic reforms, expanding openness and creating a fair market environment. Given the high interdependence of the US and Chinese economies, further deepening trade and economic exchanges is in the common interests of both countries and the entire world, he concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why energy markets fluctuate during an international crisis

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Skip York, Nonresident Fellow in Energy and Global Oil, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University

    Stock and commodities traders found themselves dealing with various price swings as energy markets responded to Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Imagesf

    Global energy markets, such as those for oil, gas and coal, tend to be sensitive to a wide range of world events – especially when there is some sort of crisis. Having worked in the energy industry for over 30 years, I’ve seen how war, political instability, pandemics and economic sanctions can significantly disrupt energy markets and impede them from functioning efficiently.

    A look at the basics

    First, consider the economic fundamentals of supply and demand. The risk most people imagine in the current crisis between Israel, the U.S. and Iran is that Iran, which is itself a major oil-producing country, might suddenly expand the conflict by threatening the ability of neighboring countries to supply oil to the world.

    Oil wells, refineries, pipelines and shipping lanes are the backbone of energy markets. They can be vulnerable during a crisis: Whether there is deliberate sabotage or collateral damage from military action, energy infrastructure often takes a hit.

    For instance, after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Iraqi forces placed explosive charges on Kuwaiti oil wells and began detonating them in January 1991. It took months for all the resulting fires to be put out, and millions of barrels of oil and hundreds of millions of cubic meters of natural gas were released into the environment – rather than being sold and used productively somewhere around the world.

    Scenes of Kuwaiti life during and after the Gulf War of 1990 and 1991 include images of oil wells burning as a result of Iraqi sabotage.

    Logistics can mess markets up too. For instance, closing critical maritime routes like the Strait of Hormuz or the Suez Canal can cause transportation delays.

    Whether supply is lost from decreased production or blocked transportation routes, the effect is less oil available to the market, which not only causes prices to rise in general, but it also makes them more volatile – tending to change more frequently and by larger amounts.

    On the flip side, demand can also shift radically. During the 1990-1991 Gulf War, demand rose: U.S. forces alone used more than 2 billion gallons of fuel, according to an Army analysis. By contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, industries shut down, travel came to a halt and energy demand plummeted.

    When crisis looms, countries and companies often start stockpiling oil and other raw materials rather than buying only what they need right now. That creates even more imbalance, resulting in price volatility that leaves everyone, both consumers and producers, with a headache.

    Regional considerations

    In addition to uncertainties around market fundamentals, it’s important to note that many of the world’s energy reserves are located in regions that have not been models of stability. In the Middle East, wars, revolutions and diplomatic disputes there can raise concerns about supply, demand or both.

    Those worries send shock waves through the world’s energy markets. It’s like walking on a tightrope: One wrong move – or even the perception of a misstep – can make the market wobble.

    Governments’ economic sanctions, such as those restricting trade with Iran, Russia or Venezuela, can distort production and investment decisions and disrupt trade flows. Sometimes markets react even before sanctions are officially in place: Just the rumor of a possible embargo can cause prices to spike as buyers scramble to secure resources.

    In 2008, for example, India and Vietnam imposed rice export bans, and rumors of additional restrictions fueled panic buying and nearly doubled prices in months.

    In those scrambles, the role of investor speculation enters the picture. Energy commodities, such as oil and gas, aren’t just physical resources; they’re also traded as financial assets like stocks and bonds. During uncertain times, traders don’t wait around for actual changes in supply and demand. They react to news and forecasts, sometimes in large groups, which can shift the market just with the actions that result from their fears or hopes.

    The events on June 22, 2025, are a good example of how this dynamic works. The Iranian parliament passed a resolution authorizing the country’s Supreme Council to close the Strait of Hormuz. Immediately, oil prices started rising, even though the strait was still open, with oil tankers steaming through unimpeded.

    The next day, Iran launched a missile strike on Qatar, but coordinated in advance with Qatari officials to minimize damage and casualties. Traders and analysts perceived the action as a de-escalatory signal and anticipated that the Supreme Council was not going to close the strait. So prices started to fall.

    It was a price roller coaster, fueled by speculation rather than reality. And computer algorithms and artificial intelligence, which assist in making automated trades, only add to the chaos of price changes.

    Shipping activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz decreased after Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    A broader look

    International crises can also cause wider changes in countries’ economies – or the global economy as a whole – which in turn affect the energy market.

    If a crisis sparks a recession, rising inflation or high unemployment, those tend to cause people and businesses to use less energy. When the underlying situation stabilizes, recovery efforts can mean energy consumption resumes. But it’s like a pendulum swinging back and forth, with energy markets caught in the middle.

    Renewable energy is not immune to international crisis and chaos. The supply is less affected by market forces: The amount of available sunlight and wind isn’t tied to geopolitical relations. But overall economic conditions still affect demand, and a crisis can disrupt the supply chains for the equipment needed to harness renewable energy, like solar panels and wind turbines.

    It’s no wonder energy markets are so jittery during international crises. A mix of imbalances between supply and demand, vulnerable infrastructure, political tensions, corporate worries and speculative trading all weave together into a complex web of volatility.

    For policymakers, investors and consumers, understanding these dynamics is key to navigating the ups and downs of energy markets in a crisis-prone world. The solutions aren’t simple, but being informed is the first step toward stability.

    Skip York is a nonresident fellow for Global Oil and Energy with the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. He also is the Chief Energy Strategist at Turner Mason & Company, an energy consulting firm.

    – ref. Why energy markets fluctuate during an international crisis – https://theconversation.com/why-energy-markets-fluctuate-during-an-international-crisis-259839

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What Trump’s budget proposal says about his environmental values

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stan Meiburg, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University

    The president’s spending proposal doesn’t leave much behind. Alexey Kravchuk/iStock / Getty Images Plus

    To understand the federal government’s true priorities, follow the money.

    After months of saying his administration is committed to clean air and water for Americans, President Donald Trump has proposed a detailed budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for fiscal year 2026. The proposal is more consistent with his administration’s numerous recent actions and announcements that reduce protection for public health and the environment.

    To us, former EPA leaders – one a longtime career employee and the other a political appointee – the budget proposal reveals a lot about what Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin want to accomplish.

    According to the administration’s Budget in Brief document, total EPA funding for the fiscal year beginning October 2025 would drop from US$9.14 billion to $4.16 billion – a 54% decrease from the budget enacted by Congress for fiscal 2025 and less than half of EPA’s budget in any year of the first Trump administration.

    Without taking inflation into account, this would be the smallest EPA budget since 1986. Adjusted for inflation, it would be the smallest budget since the Ford administration, even though Congress has for decades given EPA more responsibility to clean up and protect the nation’s air and water; handle hazardous chemicals and waste; protect drinking water; clean up environmental contamination; and evaluate the safety of a wide range of chemicals used in commerce and industry. These expansions reflected a bipartisan consensus that protecting public health and the environment is a national priority.

    The budget process in brief

    Federal budgeting is complicated, and EPA’s budget is particularly so. Here are some basics:

    Each year, the president and Congress determine how much money will be spent on what things, and by which agencies. The familiar aphorism that “the president proposes, Congress disposes” captures the Constitution’s process for the federal budget, with Congress firmly holding the “power of the purse.”

    EPA’s budget can be difficult to understand because individual programs may be funded from different sources. It is useful to consider it as a pie sliced into five main pieces:

    • Environmental programs and management: the day-to-day work of protecting air, water and land.
    • Science and technology: research on pollution, health effects and new environmental tools.
    • Superfund and trust funds: cleaning up contaminated sites and responding to emergency releases of pollution.
    • State and Tribal operating grants: supporting local implementation of environmental laws.
    • State capitalization grants: revolving loans for water infrastructure.

    The Trump administration’s budget proposals for EPA represent a striking retreat from the national goals of clean air and clean water enacted in federal laws over the past 55 years. In the budget document, the administration argues that the federal government has done enough and that the protection of gains already achieved, as well as any further progress, should not be paid for with federal money.

    This budget would reduce EPA’s ability to protect public health and the environment to a bare minimum at best. Most dramatic and, in our view, most significant are the elimination of operating grants to state governments, drastic reductions in funding for science of all kinds, and elimination of EPA programs relating to climate change and environmental justice, which addresses situations of disproportionate environmental harm to vulnerable populations. It would cut regulatory and enforcement activities that the administration sees as inconsistent with fossil energy development. Other proposed changes, notably for Superfund and capitalization grants, are more nuanced.

    These changes to EPA’s regular budget allocation are separate from changes to supplementary EPA funding that have also been in the news, including for projects specified in the Inflation Reduction Act and other specific laws.

    Environmental programs and management

    Funding for basic work to protect the environment and prevent pollution would be cut by 22%. The reductions are not spread equally, however. All activities related to climate change would be eliminated, including the Energy Star program and greenhouse gas reporting and tracking. Funding for civil and criminal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations would be cut by 69% and 50%, respectively.

    The popular Brownfields program would be cut by 50%. Since 1995, $2.9 billion in federal funds have produced public and private investments totaling $42 billion for cleaning and redeveloping contaminated sites, and created more than 200,000 jobs.

    A program to set standards and conduct training for safe removal of lead paint and other lead-containing materials from homes and businesses would be eliminated.

    The administration has been clear that EPA will no longer do environmental justice work, such as funding to monitor toxic air emissions in low-income neighborhoods adjacent to industrial areas. This budget is consistent with that.

    Science and technology

    Scientific support functions would be cut by 34%. The Office of Research and Development would go from about 1,500 staff to about 500 and would be redistributed throughout the agency. This would diminish science that supports not just EPA’s work but that of organizations, industries, health care professionals and public and private researchers who benefit from EPA’s research.

    A former uranium mill in Colorado is just one of the nation’s extremely contaminated Superfund sites awaiting federal money for cleanup.
    RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    Superfund and other trust funds

    Superfund is by far the largest of EPA’s cleanup trust funds. It allows EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work. When there is no viable responsible party, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites.

    Prior to 2021, Superfund was funded through EPA’s annual budget. In 2021 and 2022, Congress restored taxes on selected chemicals and petroleum products to help pay for Superfund. During the Biden administration, EPA reduced the Superfund’s line in the general budget, with the expectation that the Superfund tax revenues would more than make up for the reduction. Administrator Zeldin, who has said that site cleanup is a priority, is proposing to shift virtually all funding for cleanups to these new tax revenues.

    There is risk in this approach, however. The Superfund tax expires in 2031 and has raised less than Treasury Department predictions in both 2023 and 2024. In fiscal year 2024, available tax receipts were predicted to be $2.5 billion, but only $1.4 billion was collected. Future funding is uncertain because it depends on the amounts of various chemicals that companies actually use. Experts disagree on whether this is significant for the Superfund program. The petrochemical industry, on whom this tax largely falls, is lobbying for its repeal.

    Funds to address leaks at gas station tanks would be cut nearly in half. Funds to clean up oil and petroleum spills would be cut by 24%.

    State operating grants

    The budget proposal seeks to reset the EPA’s relationship with state agencies, which implement the vast majority of environmental regulations.

    EPA has long delegated some of its powers to state environmental agencies, including permitting, inspections and enforcement of regulations that govern air, water and soil pollution. Since the 1970s, EPA has helped fund those activities through basic operating grants that require minimum state contributions and reward larger state investments with additional federal dollars.

    The proposed budget would eliminate all of those grants to states – totaling $1 billion. The document itself explains that federal funding over decades has totaled “hundreds of billions of dollars” and has resulted in programs that “are mature or have accomplished their purpose.”

    States disagree. They note that EPA has delegated 90% of the nation’s environmental protection work to state authorities, and states have accepted that workload based on the expectation of federal funding. The states say reduced funding would greatly diminish the actual work of environmental protection – site inspections, air and water monitoring, and enforcement – across the country.

    State capitalization grants

    Since 1987, EPA has given states money for revolving loan programs that provide low-interest loans to state and local governments to clean up waterways and provide safe drinking water. The proposed budget would cut that funding by 89%, from $2.8 billion to $305 million.

    These capitalization grants were originally envisioned as seed money, with future loans available as the initial and subsequent loans were repaid. But the need for water infrastructure continues to grow, and Congress has for many years allocated additional money to the program.

    In protecting the environment, you get what you pay for. In past years, Congress has refused to accept proposed drastic cuts to EPA’s budget. It remains to be seen whether this Congress will go along with these proposed rollbacks.

    Stan Meiburg is a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network. He was an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1977 to 2017.

    i have worked at the US EPA twice. During the Obama Administration, i was first principal deputy to the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation and then Acting Assistant Administrator. During the Biden Administration, I was Deputy Administrator. I am also a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network.

    – ref. What Trump’s budget proposal says about his environmental values – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-budget-proposal-says-about-his-environmental-values-258962

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral primary could ripple across the country

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lincoln Mitchell, Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

    New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters in Brooklyn on May 4, 2025. Madison Swart/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

    Top Republicans and Democrats alike are talking about the sudden rise of 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a state representative who won the Democratic mayoral primary in New York on June 24, 2025, in a surprising victory over more established politicians.

    While President Donald Trump quickly came out swinging with personal attacks against Mamdani, some establishment Democratic politicians say they are concerned about how the democratic socialist’s progressive politics could harm the broader Democratic Party and cause it to lose more centrist voters.

    New York is a unique American city, with a diverse population and historically liberal politics. So, does a primary mayoral election in New York serve as any kind of harbinger of what could come in the rest of the country?

    Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Lincoln Mitchell, a political strategy and campaign specialist who lectures at Columbia University, to understand what Mamdani’s primary win might indicate about the direction of national politics.

    New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, center, greets voters with New York Comptroller Brad Lander, right, on the Upper West Side on June 24, 2025.
    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Does Mamdani’s primary win offer any indication of how the Democratic Party might be transforming on a national level?

    Mamdani’s win is clearly a rebuke of the more corporate wing of the Democratic Party. I know there are people who say that New York is different from the rest of the country. But from a political perspective, Democrats in New York are less different from Democrats in the rest of country than they used to be.

    That’s because the rest of America is so much more diverse than it used to be. But if you look at progressive politicians now in the House of Representatives and state legislatures, they are being elected from all over – not just in big cities like New York anymore.

    Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, ran an absolutely terrible mayoral campaign. He tried to build a political coalition that is no longer a winning one, which was made up of majorities of African Americans, outer-borough white New Yorkers and orthodox and conservative Jews. Thirty or 40 years ago, that was a powerful coalition. Today, it could not make up a majority.

    Mamdani visualized and created what a 2025 progressive coalition looks like in New York and recognized that it is going to look different than the past. Mamdani’s coalition was based around young, white people – many of them with college degrees who are worried about affordability – ideological lefties and immigrants from parts of the Global South, including the Caribbean and parts of Africa, South Asia and South America.

    When you say a new kind of political coalition, what policy priorities bring Mamdani’s supporters together?

    Mamdani reframed what I would call redistributive economic policies that have long been central to the progressive agenda. A pillar of his campaign is affordability – a brilliant piece of political marketing because who is against affordability? He came up with some affordability-related policies that got enough buzz, like promising free buses. Free buses are great, but it won’t help most working and poor New Yorkers get to work – they take the subway.

    He has been very critical of Israel and has weathered charges of antisemitism.

    In the older New York, progressive politicians such as the late Congressman Charlie Rangel were very hawkish on Israel.

    What Mamdani understood is that in today’s America, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party does not care if somebody is, sounds like or comes close to being antisemitic. For those people, calling someone antisemitic sounds Trumpy, and they understand it as a right-wing hit, rather than the legitimate expression of concerns from Jewish people. Some liberals think that claims of antisemitism are simply something done just by those on the right to damage or discredit progressive politicians, but antisemitism is real.

    Therefore, Mamdani’s record on the Jewish issue did not hurt him in the campaign, but he needs to build bridges to Jewish voters, or he will not be able to govern New York City.

    How else did Mamdani appeal to a base of supporters?

    He got the support of “limousine liberals” – including rich, high-profile, progressive people. His supporters include Ella Emhoff, a model and the stepdaughter of Kamala Harris, and the actress Cynthia Nixon, but there were many others. Supporting Mamdani became stylish – almost de rigueur – among certain segments of affluent New York.

    Mamdani is also a true New Yorker and the voice of a new kind of immigrant. His parents are from Uganda and India. But he is also the child of extreme privilege – his mother, Mira Nair, is a well-known filmmaker, and his father is an accomplished professor. Mamdani went to top schools in New York and knows how to play in elite circles, and with white people. He is a Muslim man whose roots are in the Global South, not threatening because he knows how to speak their language.

    But to people of color and immigrants, Mamdani is also one of them. Because of Mamdani’s interesting background, he brought the limousine liberals together with the aunties from Bangladesh.

    Finally, on the charisma scale, Mamdani was so far ahead of other Democratic candidates. Who is going to make better TikTok videos – the good-looking, young man whose mother is a world-famous movie producer, or the older guy who is a loving father and husband but gives off dependable dad, rather than hip young guy, vibes?

    People arrive to vote in the New York mayoral primary in Brooklyn on June 24, 2025.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Is New York City so distinct that you cannot compare politics there to what happens nationwide?

    I think that nationwide or at the state level there is a potential for something similar to a Mamdani coalition, but not a Mamdani coalition exactly. But in a place like Oklahoma, there are people who are in bad economic shape and who will also respond positively to an affordability-focused, Democratic political campaign. Mamdani remade a progressive New York coalition for this moment. Other progressives politicians should copy the spirit of that and reimagine a winning coalition in their city, state or district.

    When Trump was campaigning, he focused at least on making groceries cheaper. Mamdani is one of the few Democrats who took the affordability issue back from Trump and addressed it head on and in a much more honest and relevant way. Trump has the phrase, “Make America Great Again!” That’s a popular slogan on baseball caps for Trump supporters.

    If Mamdani wanted to make a baseball cap, he could just print “Affordability” on it. Boom.

    Other Democratic politicians can take that approach of affordability and reframe it in a way that works in Kansas City or elsewhere.

    Lincoln Mitchell supported Brad Lander in the primary election.

    – ref. How Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral primary could ripple across the country – https://theconversation.com/how-zohran-mamdanis-win-in-the-new-york-city-mayoral-primary-could-ripple-across-the-country-259951

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Cascading disasters like those created by Hurricane Helene show why hazard models can’t rely on the past

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

    The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

    Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.

    Mudslides buried roads and reshaped river channels. Uprooted trees left soil on hillslopes exposed to the elements. Sediment that washed into rivers changed how water flows through the landscape, leaving some areas more prone to flooding and erosion.

    Helene was a powerful reminder that natural hazards don’t disappear when the skies clear – they evolve.

    These transformations are part of what scientists call cascading hazards. They occur when one natural event alters the landscape in ways that lead to future hazards. A landslide triggered by a storm might clog a river, leading to downstream flooding months or years later. A wildfire can alter the soil and vegetation, setting the stage for debris flows with the next rainstorm.

    Satellite images before (top) and after Hurricane Helene (bottom) show how the storm altered landscape near Pensacola, N.C., in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    Google Earth, CC BY

    I study these disasters as a geomorphologist. In a new paper in the journal Science, I and a team of scientists from 18 universities and the U.S. Geological Survey explain why hazard models – used to help communities prepare for disasters – can’t just rely on the past. Instead, they need to be nimble enough to forecast how hazards evolve in real time.

    The science behind cascading hazards

    Cascading hazards aren’t random. They emerge from physical processes that operate continuously across the landscape – sediment movement, weathering, erosion. Together, the atmosphere, biosphere and the earth are constantly reshaping the conditions that cause natural disasters.

    For instance, earthquakes fracture rock and shake loose soil. Even if landslides don’t occur during the quake itself, the ground may be weakened, leaving it primed for failure during later rainstorms.

    That’s exactly what happened after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, which led to a surge in debris flows long after the initial seismic event.

    A strong aftershock after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008 triggered more landslides in central China.
    AP Photo/Andy Wong

    Earth’s surface retains a “memory” of these events. Sediment disturbed in an earthquake, wildfire or severe storm will move downslope over years or even decades, reshaping the landscape as it goes.

    The 1950 Assam earthquake in India is a striking example: It triggered thousands of landslides. The sediment from these landslides gradually moved through the river system, eventually causing flooding and changing river channels in Bangladesh some 20 years later.

    An intensifying threat in a changing world

    These risks present challenges for everything from emergency planning to home insurance. After repeated wildfire-mudslide combinations in California, some insurers pulled out of the state entirely, citing mounting risks and rising costs among the reasons.

    Cascading hazards are not new, but their impact is intensifying.

    Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, storms and extreme rainfall. At the same time, urban development continues to expand into steep, hazard-prone terrain, exposing more people and infrastructure to evolving risks.

    The rising risk of interconnected climate disasters like these is overwhelming systems built for isolated events.

    Yet climate change is only part of the equation. Earth processes – such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – also trigger cascading hazards, often with long-lasting effects.

    Mount St. Helens is a powerful example: More than four decades after its eruption in 1980, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to manage ash and sediment from the eruption to keep it from filling river channels in ways that could increase the flood risk in downstream communities.

    Rethinking risk and building resilience

    Traditionally, insurance companies and disaster managers have estimated hazard risk by looking at past events.

    But when the landscape has changed, the past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future. To address this, computer models based on the physics of how these events work are needed to help forecast hazard evolution in real time, much like weather models update with new atmospheric data.

    A March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range wiped out trees in its path.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025
    A drone image of the same March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range shows where it temporarily dammed the river below.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025

    Thanks to advances in Earth observation technology, such as satellite imagery, drone and lidar, which is similar to radar but uses light, scientists can now track how hillslopes, rivers and vegetation change after disasters. These observations can feed into geomorphic models that simulate how loosened sediment moves and where hazards are likely to emerge next.

    Researchers are already coupling weather forecasts with post-wildfire debris flow models. Other models simulate how sediment pulses travel through river networks.

    Cascading hazards reveal that Earth’s surface is not a passive backdrop, but an active, evolving system. Each event reshapes the stage for the next.

    Understanding these connections is critical for building resilience so communities can withstand future storms, earthquakes and the problems created by debris flows. Better forecasts can inform building codes, guide infrastructure design and improve how risk is priced and managed. They can help communities anticipate long-term threats and adapt before the next disaster strikes.

    Most importantly, they challenge everyone to think beyond the immediate aftermath of a disaster – and to recognize the slow, quiet transformations that build toward the next.

    Brian J. Yanites receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    – ref. Cascading disasters like those created by Hurricane Helene show why hazard models can’t rely on the past – https://theconversation.com/cascading-disasters-like-those-created-by-hurricane-helene-show-why-hazard-models-cant-rely-on-the-past-259502

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: Free IQ Test Online with Instant Results – Fast, Accurate & Free: QuickIQTest.org Launches Updated 2025 Free IQ Testing Service

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QuickIQTest.org launches free IQ test with Instant results and no registration required. The company is proud to announce the official release of its updated free IQ test online, offering instant results through a scientifically designed, user-friendly platform. The new version allows users worldwide to complete an accurate cognitive assessment in under 10 minutes, entirely free and without requiring any personal information or registration.

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    QuickIQTest.org is a leading online resource for cognitive self-assessment. Focused on accessibility, scientific accuracy, and honest reporting, the platform has helped millions of users worldwide better understand their cognitive skills without fees, sign-ups, or invasive data practices.

    Already used by millions, QuickIQTest.org’s latest IQ testing tool provides a fast, accessible way to evaluate fluid intelligence, logical reasoning, numerical comprehension, and spatial pattern recognition. Whether accessed from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, the test offers a seamless experience across devices.

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    “We created this test to be practical, honest, and available to everyone without barriers,” said a spokesperson for QuickIQTest.org. “With the 2025 update, we’ve focused on delivering speed and scientific accuracy, without compromising user privacy or simplicity.”

    Unlike many free IQ test online service providers that rely on gimmicks or upsells, QuickIQTest.org delivers immediate IQ scores along with a basic breakdown of performance across core cognitive areas. For users seeking a deeper understanding, an optional advanced analysis provides further interpretation of results.

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    This release reinforces the platform’s mission to offer a credible, no-cost tool for individuals looking to understand their cognitive strengths and thinking style better. The test is ideal for:

    • Students exploring their learning profile
    • Educators seeking classroom-ready assessment tools
    • Professionals curious about their problem-solving abilities
    • Anyone interested in how they process and analyze information

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    Key Features of the Updated Free IQ Test at QuickIQTest.org:

    • ✅ 100% Free IQ Test Online
    • ✅ Instant Results with No Sign-Up Required
    • ✅ Mobile & Desktop Friendly
    • ✅ Scientifically Designed Questions
    • ✅ Basic and Advanced Score Interpretation Options
    • ✅ No Data Collection to View Results

    As global demand grows for free IQ tests with instant results, QuickIQTest.org sets itself apart by offering a transparent, science-based testing experience without distractions, ads, or misleading scoring tactics.

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    What Is an IQ Test?

    IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient. It is a score derived from standardized tests to measure a person’s ability to reason, solve problems, and recognize patterns. An IQ score reflects how someone performs compared to others in their age group. The average IQ is typically set at 100, with most people scoring between 85 and 115.

    These tests are often used in academic and professional settings to assess cognitive performance. While they don’t measure creativity or emotional understanding, they are a common method for evaluating specific mental skills.

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    The Purpose of IQ Testing

    The primary function of an IQ test is to evaluate how effectively a person processes information. These assessments focus on areas such as:

    • Logical reasoning
    • Pattern recognition
    • Numerical analysis
    • Visual-spatial awareness
    • Short-term memory

    IQ tests are used in education, research, career planning, and personal development. Many people also take them out of curiosity, looking for a clearer picture of how their thinking compares to others.

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    A Brief History of IQ Tests

    The first modern IQ test was created in France in the early 1900s. Psychologist Alfred Binet developed a method to identify students who needed additional academic support. Lewis Terman later adapted his system in the United States at Stanford University, resulting in the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.

    This version introduced the idea of comparing mental age to actual age, which became the foundation for the IQ scoring model that is still in use today. Over the years, new tests have been developed to include broader types of reasoning and improved scoring accuracy.

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    IQ Testing Today

    Modern IQ tests are often taken online. These tests typically use timed multiple-choice questions designed to measure core thinking abilities. Thanks to digital platforms, users can now take a free IQ test online and receive their score within minutes without needing an in-person appointment or long wait times.

    One widely used option is the test offered at QuickIQTest.org. It provides a science-based format that includes logical and visual tasks. No registration is required, and results are available immediately.

    IQ Tests for Children

    IQ testing is not limited to adults. There are versions specifically designed for children that use age-appropriate questions and scoring. A free IQ test for kids can help parents better understand how their child approaches problem-solving and which tasks they respond to most effectively. The test at QuickIQTest.org offers this option using the same standard of accuracy as the general version.

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    How Do Free IQ Test Online Work?

    Online IQ tests are built around structured tasks that aim to measure specific areas of cognitive function. The most common formats include:

    • Logic puzzles: Identify relationships between shapes or sequences
    • Visual reasoning: Complete or match patterns using spatial awareness
    • Numerical sequences: Find missing values or detect number patterns
    • Short-term memory tasks: Recall and manipulate sets of information

    These formats are designed to measure fluid reasoning and problem-solving ability under controlled conditions.

    The test questions are usually multiple-choice. Users are asked to select the correct answer based on the data presented. Each question is intended to be objective and free from cultural or language bias.

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    Structure of the Test on QuickIQTest.org

    The online IQ test at QuickIQTest.org uses a clear layout and simple instructions. The test begins immediately after the user starts. No login or email is required to initiate or see the results.

    The structure includes a series of progressively challenging tasks. The sequence of questions has been designed by cognitive assessment professionals. All items are displayed one at a time to reduce distractions.

    Most users complete the test in 10 minutes or less. The design allows for fast processing without sacrificing test quality.

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    Timed vs. Untimed Tests

    QuickIQTest.org uses a timed model. Each question must be answered within a certain period. This helps measure how quickly a user can recognize patterns or solve problems. A consistent time limit also allows scores to be compared across various users.

    Some IQ tests allow unlimited time. While this format may reduce pressure, it can produce less reliable results. Users may perform better or worse depending on test-taking habits rather than cognitive processing speed when speed is not controlled.

    The timed approach used at QuickIQTest.org is consistent with most standardized IQ assessments. It helps provide a balanced view of both accuracy and pace.

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    Scoring and Instant Results

    Once the test is complete, scores are generated immediately. This is one of the main advantages of using an online IQ test that is free from QuickIQTest.org.

    The platform uses a proprietary scoring system based on established intelligence testing models. The user’s performance is compared to normative data to produce an IQ score. That score represents where a person falls relative to others in their age group.

    The user receives performance feedback across specific questions along with the overall result. This includes reasoning accuracy, speed, and problem type. No additional sign-up is needed to access these details.

    This format provides a quick and reliable assessment that reflects real cognitive ability for users looking for a free IQ test with instant results.

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    Benefits of Taking a Free IQ Test Online

    Immediate Access to Results

    One of the main reasons people choose to get a free IQ test online is speed. After completing the test on QuickIQTest.org, results are provided instantly. There is no waiting period, and users do not need to provide personal information to receive their scores. This makes the process efficient for anyone seeking immediate feedback.

    For those comparing options, a free accurate IQ test that delivers real-time scoring offers a practical solution. The structure used by QuickIQTest.org allows for quick test completion while maintaining consistency in how answers are evaluated.

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    No Registration Required

    QuickIQTest.org does not require users to create an account or submit contact information. The test can be accessed directly from the homepage, and users receive their results immediately after completion.

    This approach appeals to individuals who prefer to keep testing private. There are no follow-up emails or prompts to share results. The focus remains on allowing users to measure their cognitive ability without added steps.

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    Practical Use Cases

    IQ tests are used for a variety of reasons. Some take them to evaluate personal strengths. Others use the results to support academic or professional planning.

    • Students may use IQ scores to identify areas of strength or prepare for standardized testing.
    • Professionals may take a test to assess their problem-solving ability in preparation for interviews or advancement opportunities.
    • Parents may use a test to better understand their child’s learning style or reasoning skills.

    A free IQ test and results allow exploring these areas without cost or commitment.

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    Compatible Across Devices

    The test at QuickIQTest.org works on most devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The interface is built for responsive access, with no downloads required.

    This level of access makes it easy for users to complete the test when it is most convenient for them. Whether at home or on a break at work, the platform supports a flexible testing experience.

    Focused Format

    Online testing also removes some of the obstacles found in traditional assessments. There is no need to travel, schedule an appointment, or complete paperwork. Instead, the test is available anytime, and users can begin as soon as they are ready.

    Since the test follows a simple, focused layout, users are not distracted by unrelated content or advertising interruptions.

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    Free vs. Paid Online IQ Tests

    What Free Tests Typically Provide

    A free IQ test online usually offers a short series of timed questions to give a basic overview of a person’s reasoning ability. These questions often cover visual patterns, logic, and numerical sequences. Many users try free versions to get a general sense of how they perform these tasks.

    At QuickIQTest.org, the free IQ test includes a full set of questions and provides an immediate score once the test is completed. Registering or entering an email is not required to see the result. The structure allows users to complete the assessment without delays or access issues.

    The free IQ test with free results includes a performance summary across different types of reasoning. While more detailed reporting is available through the platform’s paid option, the basic score is presented clearly and without restriction.

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    How Paid Versions Compare

    Some users may choose to upgrade for a more detailed breakdown of their score. Paid versions typically offer extended insights into cognitive categories, including logic, spatial awareness, numerical reasoning, and timing accuracy.

    Paid IQ tests can also include downloadable reports, percentile rankings, and score interpretation guides. These may be helpful for individuals using their test results for academic or professional purposes.

    QuickIQTest.org offers this option, but it does not restrict the free version in a way that forces users to pay. The full test and core results remain free to access.

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    When Paid Upgrades Make Sense

    A paid test may be helpful in the following situations:

    • When a user needs a full cognitive profile for documentation or planning
    • When applying for certain academic programs or training institutions
    • When preparing for high-level job assessments that include aptitude testing

    The extended score analysis can provide more detailed insight than the basic version in these cases.

    For casual users or those looking to test their ability quickly, the free IQ test online free from QuickIQTest.org is often sufficient.

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    Warning Signs to Watch For

    While many free IQ test sites claim to offer value, not all follow transparent practices. Some common issues include:

    • Requiring payment before showing the score
    • Showing inflated results with no explanation of how the score was calculated
    • Redirecting users to unrelated offers or subscriptions
    • Requiring full personal information to unlock any results

    These signs suggest that the test is focused on data collection or marketing, not accurate scoring.

    QuickIQTest.org avoids these tactics by providing a free IQ test with free results that are accessible, clear, and independent of promotional pressure.

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    How to Prepare for a Free IQ Test Online

    One of the most effective ways to prepare for a free IQ test online is to become familiar with the questions you will likely encounter. These usually include:

    • Number sequences
    • Visual pattern recognition
    • Logical reasoning tasks
    • Short-term memory questions
    • Word problems or analogies

    Practicing similar formats can help reduce hesitation during the actual test. These question types can be found in logic puzzle books or educational apps. Reviewing examples in advance can help build confidence.

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    Set Up a Focused Environment

    Taking the test in a quiet and comfortable space can help reduce distractions. Before beginning, it’s recommended to:

    • Choose a time of day when you feel alert
    • Turn off phone notifications or close other browser tabs
    • Use headphones if background noise is a concern
    • Have a pen and paper nearby if you prefer to make notes

    The test at QuickIQTest.org is timed, so being prepared before starting allows you to focus on answering questions without interruptions.

    Manage Test Anxiety

    Some users may feel pressure when taking a timed test, especially if unfamiliar with the format. Keeping expectations realistic can reduce unnecessary stress.

    Here are a few basic strategies to manage test anxiety:

    • Take a few minutes to breathe deeply before starting
    • Remember that the score reflects performance at one moment, not overall intelligence
    • Stay focused on one question at a time
    • Move on if a question takes too long, and return to it later if possible

    Staying calm often leads to better performance than over-preparing or worrying about the outcome.

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    Rest and Mental Warmups

    Being well-rested can improve concentration and reduce mistakes. Try to get adequate sleep the night before and avoid taking the test when tired or distracted.

    Before starting the test, consider doing a short mental warmup. This could include:

    • Solving a few basic math problems
    • Looking at a sample logic puzzle
    • Reading a short article to get your mind working

    These steps help activate the thinking processes used during the test without causing fatigue.

    Use the Test as a Self-Check

    An IQ test is one way to observe how you approach problem-solving under time pressure. It does not require weeks of preparation. Reviewing question types and setting up a calm space can be enough for most users to feel ready.

    For those looking to take a free IQ test and free results, QuickIQTest.org offers a format that requires no registration and gives results immediately. You can take the IQ test for free and repeat it later to see how consistent your scores are over time.

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    Most Accurate Free IQ Test Online With Instant Results in 2025


    What Accuracy Means in IQ Testing

    Accuracy in an IQ test refers to how well it measures the abilities it is designed to assess. A well-designed test should reflect actual reasoning skills, not test-taking tricks or memorized answers. This includes clear questions, controlled timing, and scoring models based on extensive sample data.

    Tests that adjust difficulty, apply consistent time limits, and avoid bias tend to produce more dependable scores. Randomized question order, structured answer formats, and logic-based scoring models help reduce user inconsistencies.

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    Key Features That Contribute to Accuracy

    Several technical factors improve the reliability of an online IQ test:

    • Standardized scoring: Results are calibrated against age-based norms
    • Balanced question design: Covers a wide range of reasoning tasks
    • Time control: Limits help reduce inflated scores caused by prolonged thinking
    • Adaptive feedback: Some platforms tailor scores based on speed and accuracy

    These features help prevent results from being skewed by guessing, overthinking, or external interference.

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    Why QuickIQTest.org is Considered a Leading Option

    QuickIQTest.org is often recommended by users who want a reliable, fast, and unbiased cognitive test. It includes:

    • A fixed set of logic-based tasks
    • A consistent, timed format
    • Instant scoring based on data models that reflect a broad user base
    • No registration or user tracking required to access the results

    Each score uses established test theory principles modeled after long-standing IQ frameworks in education and psychology. This positions the site as a strong option for users seeking the most accurate IQ test available for free.

    The test has been used by students, professionals, and teachers across different fields. Many have cited its simplicity and fairness as reasons they recommend it to others.

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    Understanding Your IQ Score

    How Scores Are Calculated

    An IQ score is a number used to indicate how a person performed on a structured reasoning ability test compared to others in the same age group. Most modern IQ tests use a scale where the average score is 100.

    This number does not change significantly between test platforms that follow recognized standards. A proper scoring system compares individual results to a large sample of test-takers. Scores are then grouped into categories for interpretation.

    General Score Ranges

    IQ scores are often organized into bands that reflect different types of performance. While specific labels can vary by test, the general breakdown is as follows:

    • Below 85: Below average
    • 85 to 99: Low average
    • 100 to 114: Average range
    • 115 to 129: Above average
    • 130 and above: High ability or gifted range

    QuickIQTest.org uses this common structure to present scores clearly. After finishing the test, users receive their number score and an explanation of the performance range.

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    What the Score Means

    The score reflects how well the user completed reasoning tasks under controlled conditions. It does not measure creativity, motivation, knowledge, or communication skills. It is also not a prediction of future success. Instead, it shows how someone performed on a specific type of problem-solving under time pressure.

    For this reason, scores may change slightly between attempts, especially if a user is more familiar with the format the second time. Consistency across attempts is one way to check for reliability.

    How QuickIQTest.org Presents Results

    After completing the free IQ test with results, users are shown:

    • Their overall IQ score
    • A basic breakdown of task types (e.g., logic, patterns, numbers)
    • A brief interpretation of the score range

    There is no requirement to register to access these details. The feedback is available immediately after completing the test.

    The platform also allows users to try the test again at any time. This can help track progress or compare scores across different days or devices.

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    Free IQ Tests for Kids, Teens, and Adults

    Why Age Matters in IQ Testing

    IQ scores reflect how a person performs with others in the same age group. This is why age is a key factor in the test format and the interpretation of results. A test that does not account for age can produce misleading outcomes.

    Children, teens, and adults often process information differently. The types of tasks they handle best and the time needed to complete them may vary. An accurate IQ test should use a scoring model that adjusts for these differences.

    Use Cases by Age Group

    IQ tests are used for different purposes depending on the age of the person taking them:

    • Kids: Educators and parents may use test results to understand learning strengths or to determine if further evaluation is needed for gifted programs or academic support.
    • Teens: Testing during high school can help students explore their problem-solving skills before choosing courses or college plans.
    • Adults: Some adults take IQ tests to assess their general reasoning ability or prepare for assessments in employment or training programs.

    Each group benefits from a structured test and scores according to typical performance ranges for that age.

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    How QuickIQTest.org Accommodates All Age Groups

    QuickIQTest.org offers a consistent testing format appropriate for a wide range of users. The questions reflect general reasoning ability without relying on specific academic knowledge. This makes the test suitable for children, teens, and adults.

    For younger users, a version of the free IQ test for kids includes simpler language and visual-based questions. The scoring is adjusted to reflect developmental benchmarks rather than adult standards. Parents can use this version to get a general understanding of their child’s reasoning style.

    Teens and adults use the standard version, which includes a broader mix of logic, pattern, and number-based tasks. All users receive a clear score at the end of the test, and the process remains the same across devices.

    QuickIQTest.org provides an IQ test online free of charge with no registration needed. The test is timed, results are given instantly, and users can retake it to check consistency.

    Whether used in a school setting, at home, or during career planning, the platform supports access for users at different stages of learning and development.

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    Is a Free Online IQ Test Legitimate?

    Traditional IQ assessments are often administered by licensed psychologists in a controlled setting. These tests may take one to two hours, involve verbal interviews, and include subtests scored manually. They are sometimes used in academic placement, psychological evaluations, or legal matters.

    Online IQ tests, by comparison, are self-directed and usually shorter. While they do not replace a full clinical evaluation, they can still offer valid feedback when built on recognized test design principles.

    The key difference is scope. A clinical test may assess more variables. An online test focuses on speed, logic, and pattern-based reasoning.

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    What Makes a Free Online IQ Test Credible

    A legitimate online IQ test follows specific practices that support fair scoring and user trust. These include:

    • Standardized test structure
    • Clear question formatting
    • Time limits for each section
    • Results based on sample population scoring models
    • No requirement to pay or register to access scores

    A site that uses inconsistent timing, does not explain scores, or inflates results without justification should be viewed cautiously.

    A real IQ test online also avoids advertising pressure or unrelated offers during test-taking. If a user is constantly redirected or asked for irrelevant information, it may not be a trustworthy source.

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    Why QuickIQTest.org Is Considered Reliable

    QuickIQTest.org is a legit and accurate free IQ test online used by individuals seeking a fast, structured way to evaluate basic reasoning ability. It uses a fixed test format, applies a consistent time frame for each user, and presents results immediately after the test.

    The scoring model is based on standard cognitive testing practices. The test includes logical reasoning, visual sequencing, and numeric analysis, all scored against a baseline designed to reflect average performance ranges.

    Users do not need to sign up or pay to access their scores. The platform does not collect personal data in exchange for results. This approach supports transparency and reduces barriers to testing.

    QuickIQTest.org has been used by students, job applicants, educators, and others looking to check cognitive problem-solving ability quickly. While it is not a substitute for a full clinical exam, it provides accurate feedback in a short format.

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    Conclusion

    QuickIQTest.org offers a free IQ test with instant results that is accurate, fast, and easy to access. The test follows a standardized structure, uses time-based scoring, and does not require registration. Users of all ages can complete the test on any device and receive immediate results backed by a real scoring model.

    Whether you’re looking for a legit IQ test online, a free accurate IQ test, or a iq test free online for kids, the platform provides a reliable option without unnecessary steps.

    FAQs

    What is the best free IQ test online with instant results?

    If you’re looking for a free IQ test with instant results, QuickIQTest.org offers one of the most trusted and scientifically designed options. It delivers fast scoring and immediate feedback without requiring registration.

    Can I really get an accurate IQ test for free?

    Yes, many platforms now offer an IQ test for free that is both reliable and informative. QuickIQTest.org provides a free IQ test online that evaluates core cognitive skills with a validated scoring model.

    Is there an IQ test free online with no registration needed?

    Absolutely. QuickIQTest.org offers a free IQ test online free of sign-ups. You can take the test instantly and receive results in under 10 minutes without creating an account or providing personal data.

    Where can I find a free IQ test with free results?

    You can access a free IQ test with free results at QuickIQTest.org. It’s completely free to take, and your score breakdown is available right after completion—no hidden fees or upsells.

    How long does it take to complete a free online IQ test?

    Most free online IQ test options take between 8 to 12 minutes. The one on QuickIQTest.org is designed to be efficient and accurate, offering a fast way to test your intelligence from any device.

    Do free IQ tests provide reliable results?

    While not all IQ test online free platforms are created equal, some like QuickIQTest.org use standardized question patterns and deliver credible results. It’s a free IQ test with results that reflect core aspects of intelligence.

    Are free IQ tests suitable for students and professionals?

    Yes, a high-quality free IQ test with results can be valuable for students, professionals, and anyone curious about their cognitive abilities. It helps identify strengths in logic, reasoning, and problem-solving.

    Can I take a free IQ test on my phone or tablet?

    Definitely. QuickIQTest.org offers a free IQ test online that’s fully optimized for mobile and desktop. You can complete the test on any device without downloading anything.

    What’s included in a free IQ test with instant results?

    typical free IQ test with instant results includes a score summary and performance breakdown across areas like pattern recognition, logic, and numerical reasoning—all delivered immediately after the test.

    Is there a free IQ test and free results option with no hidden costs?

     Yes. Platforms like QuickIQTest.org provide a free IQ test and free results with no hidden fees or tricks. You can test your IQ and view your score instantly without entering payment information.

    Media Contact
    Company: Quick IQ Test
    Contact Person: Sean C. Bailey
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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gregory J. Dick, Professor of Biology, University of Michigan

    A satellite image from Aug. 13, 2024, shows an algal bloom covering approximately 320 square miles (830 square km) of Lake Erie. By Aug. 22, it had nearly doubled in size. NASA Earth Observatory

    Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season. However, anyone who comes in contact with the blooms can face health risks, and it’s worth remembering that 2014, when toxins from algae blooms contaminated the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was considered a moderate year, too.

    We asked Gregory J. Dick, who leads the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, a federally funded center at the University of Michigan that studies harmful algal blooms among other Great Lakes issues, why they’re such a concern.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction for harmful algal bloom severity in Lake Erie compared with past years.
    NOAA

    1. What causes harmful algal blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms are dense patches of excessive algae growth that can occur in any type of water body, including ponds, reservoirs, rivers, lakes and oceans. When you see them in freshwater, you’re typically seeing cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

    These photosynthetic bacteria have inhabited our planet for billions of years. In fact, they were responsible for oxygenating Earth’s atmosphere, which enabled plant and animal life as we know it.

    The leading source of harmful algal blooms today is nutrient runoff from fertilized farm fields.
    Michigan Sea Grant

    Algae are natural components of ecosystems, but they cause trouble when they proliferate to high densities, creating what we call blooms.

    Harmful algal blooms form scums at the water surface and produce toxins that can harm ecosystems, water quality and human health. They have been reported in all 50 U.S. states, all five Great Lakes and nearly every country around the world. Blue-green algae blooms are becoming more common in inland waters.

    The main sources of harmful algal blooms are excess nutrients in the water, typically phosphorus and nitrogen.

    Historically, these excess nutrients mainly came from sewage and phosphorus-based detergents used in laundry machines and dishwashers that ended up in waterways. U.S. environmental laws in the early 1970s addressed this by requiring sewage treatment and banning phosphorus detergents, with spectacular success.

    How pollution affected Lake Erie in the 1960s, before clean water regulations.

    Today, agriculture is the main source of excess nutrients from chemical fertilizer or manure applied to farm fields to grow crops. Rainstorms wash these nutrients into streams and rivers that deliver them to lakes and coastal areas, where they fertilize algal blooms. In the U.S., most of these nutrients come from industrial-scale corn production, which is largely used as animal feed or to produce ethanol for gasoline.

    Climate change also exacerbates the problem in two ways. First, cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures. Second, climate-driven increases in precipitation, especially large storms, cause more nutrient runoff that has led to record-setting blooms.

    2. What does your team’s DNA testing tell us about Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms contain a mixture of cyanobacterial species that can produce an array of different toxins, many of which are still being discovered.

    When my colleagues and I recently sequenced DNA from Lake Erie water, we found new types of microcystins, the notorious toxins that were responsible for contaminating Toledo’s drinking water supply in 2014.

    These novel molecules cannot be detected with traditional methods and show some signs of causing toxicity, though further studies are needed to confirm their human health effects.

    Blue-green algae blooms in freshwater, like this one near Toledo in 2014, can be harmful to humans, causing gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. They can be lethal for pets.
    Ty Wright for The Washington Post via Getty Images

    We also found organisms responsible for producing saxitoxin, a potent neurotoxin that is well known for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning on the Pacific Coast of North America and elsewhere.

    Saxitoxins have been detected at low concentrations in the Great Lakes for some time, but the recent discovery of hot spots of genes that make the toxin makes them an emerging concern.

    Our research suggests warmer water temperatures could boost its production, which raises concerns that saxitoxin will become more prevalent with climate change. However, the controls on toxin production are complex, and more research is needed to test this hypothesis. Federal monitoring programs are essential for tracking and understanding emerging threats.

    3. Should people worry about these blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms are unsightly and smelly, making them a concern for recreation, property values and businesses. They can disrupt food webs and harm aquatic life, though a recent study suggested that their effects on the Lake Erie food web so far are not substantial.

    But the biggest impact is from the toxins these algae produce that are harmful to humans and lethal to pets.

    The toxins can cause acute health problems such as gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. Dogs can die from ingesting lake water with harmful algal blooms. Emerging science suggests that long-term exposure to harmful algal blooms, for example over months or years, can cause or exacerbate chronic respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems and may be linked to liver cancers, kidney disease and neurological issues.

    The water intake system for the city of Toledo, Ohio, is surrounded by an algae bloom in 2014. Toxic algae got into the water system, resulting in residents being warned not to touch or drink their tap water for three days.
    AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

    In addition to exposure through direct ingestion or skin contact, recent research also indicates that inhaling toxins that get into the air may harm health, raising concerns for coastal residents and boaters, but more research is needed to understand the risks.

    The Toledo drinking water crisis of 2014 illustrated the vast potential for algal blooms to cause harm in the Great Lakes. Toxins infiltrated the drinking water system and were detected in processed municipal water, resulting in a three-day “do not drink” advisory. The episode affected residents, hospitals and businesses, and it ultimately cost the city an estimated US$65 million.

    4. Blooms seem to be starting earlier in the year and lasting longer – why is that happening?

    Warmer waters are extending the duration of the blooms.

    In 2025, NOAA detected these toxins in Lake Erie on April 28, earlier than ever before. The 2022 bloom in Lake Erie persisted into November, which is rare if not unprecedented.

    Scientific studies of western Lake Erie show that the potential cyanobacterial growth rate has increased by up to 30% and the length of the bloom season has expanded by up to a month from 1995 to 2022, especially in warmer, shallow waters. These results are consistent with our understanding of cyanobacterial physiology: Blooms like it hot – cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures.

    5. What can be done to reduce the likelihood of algal blooms in the future?

    The best and perhaps only hope of reducing the size and occurrence of harmful algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the Great Lakes.

    In Lake Erie, where nutrients come primarily from agriculture, that means improving agricultural practices and restoring wetlands to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and into the lake. Early indications suggest that Ohio’s H2Ohio program, which works with farmers to reduce runoff, is making some gains in this regard, but future funding for H2Ohio is uncertain.

    In places like Lake Superior, where harmful algal blooms appear to be driven by climate change, the solution likely requires halting and reversing the rapid human-driven increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

    Gregory J. Dick receives funding for harmful algal bloom research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Institutes for Health. He serves on the Science Advisory Council for the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

    – ref. Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets – https://theconversation.com/toxic-algae-blooms-are-lasting-longer-in-lake-erie-why-thats-a-worry-for-people-and-pets-259954

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Successfully Pushes to Restore $17 Million for Vermont Schools Cancelled by the Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, June 27 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today announced that the Department of Education reversed its decision to cancel nearly $17 million in federal K-12 COVID-19 funding for Vermont school districts and some $2.5 billion for schools across the country. The administration’s announcement follows a successful lawsuit led by 16 states and the District of Columbia to prevent the department from revoking this important education funding. 
    Sanders worked with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to make certain that Vermont received its fair share. Sanders and his staff also worked with 19 school districts in Vermont to submit 88 applications to appeal these cancellations. 
    “I am very happy to announce that the U.S. Department of Education has reversed its decision to deny $17 million of COVID-19 funding to schools in Vermont and billions across the nation. This means that 19 school districts in our state will receive funding that had been denied so that they can go forward with a variety of projects — summer programs, afterschool programs and school renovation,” Sanders said in a video message. “At a time when so many of our school districts are suffering and struggling economically, this is an important step forward.” 
    In March, the Trump administration canceled an estimated $2.5 billion nationwide in unspent funding for K-12 schools provided under the American Rescue Plan Act and established a bureaucratic appeals process. Sanders had several conversations with the Secretary of Education to urge her to change course. 
    Sanders’ office promptly contacted all affected school districts and worked with local school leaders to overcome administrative barriers to appeal the cancelations. The department is expected to provide funding to states next week. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New expertise joins NI Public Sector Transformation Board

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New expertise joins NI Public Sector Transformation Board

    Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP welcomes the news of the appointment of two new members to the Public Sector Transformation Board.

    • The expansion of the Board follows a productive agreement with the Finance Minister John O’Dowd MLA to update the Terms of Reference for the Transformation Board.
    • The two new expert board members are; Gareth Hetherington, Director of Ulster University Economic Policy; and, Professor Helen McCarthy, the NI Executive’s Chief Scientific Officer.
    • The Second Call has now launched to allocate the remaining £102 million of UK Government funding which will help improve public services, and address many of the challenges faced by people across Northern Ireland.

    Hilary Benn MP said:

    The significant progress made since the establishment of the Board has been really important. I was delighted to welcome the first tranche of funding in March this year when £129m was confirmed to help fund six transformation projects across the Departments of Health, Justice, Education and Infrastructure.

    The appointment of Gareth Hetherington and Professor Helen McCarthy will bolster the expertise of the Board as it assesses projects eligible for the remaining £102m allocation for transformation of public services in Northern Ireland. This funding will help build more resilient and responsive public services that better meet the needs of people across Northern Ireland.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New expertise joins NI Public Sector Transformation Board

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New expertise joins NI Public Sector Transformation Board

    Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP welcomes the news of the appointment of two new members to the Public Sector Transformation Board.

    • The expansion of the Board follows a productive agreement with the Finance Minister John O’Dowd MLA to update the Terms of Reference for the Transformation Board.
    • The two new expert board members are; Gareth Hetherington, Director of Ulster University Economic Policy; and, Professor Helen McCarthy, the NI Executive’s Chief Scientific Officer.
    • The Second Call has now launched to allocate the remaining £102 million of UK Government funding which will help improve public services, and address many of the challenges faced by people across Northern Ireland.

    Hilary Benn MP said:

    The significant progress made since the establishment of the Board has been really important. I was delighted to welcome the first tranche of funding in March this year when £129m was confirmed to help fund six transformation projects across the Departments of Health, Justice, Education and Infrastructure.

    The appointment of Gareth Hetherington and Professor Helen McCarthy will bolster the expertise of the Board as it assesses projects eligible for the remaining £102m allocation for transformation of public services in Northern Ireland. This funding will help build more resilient and responsive public services that better meet the needs of people across Northern Ireland.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ‘Godfather of Human Rights’ Ken Roth on genocide, Trump and standing up for democracy

    By Richard Larsen, RNZ News producer — 30′ with Guyon Espiner

    The former head of Human Rights Watch — and son of a Holocaust survivor — says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials.

    Speaking on 30′ with Guyon Espiner, Ken Roth agreed Hamas committed “blatant war crimes” in its attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which included the abduction and murder of civilians.

    But he said it was a “basic rule” that war crimes by one side do not justify war crimes by the other.

    There was indisputable evidence Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza and might also be pursuing tactics that fit the international legal standard for genocide, Roth said.

    30′ with Guyon Espiner Kenneth Roth    Video: RNZ

    “The acts are there — mass killing, destruction of life-sustaining conditions. And there are statements from senior officials that point clearly to intent,” Roth said.

    He cited comments immediately after the October 7 attack by Hamas from Israel’s former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who referred to Gazans as “human animals”.

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog also said “an entire nation” was responsible for the attack and the notion of “unaware, uninvolved civilians is not true,” referring to the Palestinean people. Herzog subsequently said his words were taken out of context during a case at the International Court of Justice.

    The accusation of genocide is hotly contested. Israel says it is fighting a war of self-defence against Hamas after it killed 1200 people, mostly civilians. It claims it adheres to international law and does its best to protect civilians.

    It blames Hamas for embedding itself in civilian areas.

    But Roth believes a ruling may ultimately come from the International Court of Justice, especially if a forthcoming judgment on Myanmar sets a precedent.

    “It’s very similar to what Myanmar did with the Rohingya,” he said. “Kill about 30,000 to send 730,000 fleeing. It’s not just about mass death. It’s about creating conditions where life becomes impossible.”

    ‘Apartheid’ alleged in Israel’s West Bank
     Roth has been described as the ‘Godfather of Human Rights’, and is credited with vastly expanding the influence of the Human Rights Watch group during a 29-year tenure in charge of the organisation.

    In the full interview with Guyon Espiner, Roth defended the group’s 2021 report that accused Israel of enforcing a system of apartheid in the occupied West Bank.

    “This was not a historical analogy,” he said, implying it was a mistake to compare it with South Africa’s former apartheid regime.

    “It was a legal analysis. We used the UN Convention against Apartheid and the Rome Statute, and laid out over 200 pages of evidence.”

    Kenneth Roth appears via remote link in studio for an interview on season 3 of 30′ with Guyon Espiner. Image: RNZ

    He said the Israeli government was unable to offer a factual rebuttal.

    “They called us biased, antisemitic — the usual. But they didn’t contest the facts.”

    The ‘cheapening’ of antisemitism charges
     Roth, who is Jewish and the son of a Holocaust refugee, said it was disturbing to be accused of antisemitism for criticising a government.

    “There is a real rise in antisemitism around the world. But when the term is used to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel, it cheapens the concept, and that ultimately harms Jews everywhere.”

    Roth said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had long opposed a two-state solution and was now pursuing a status quo that amounted to permanent subjugation of Palestinians, a situation human rights groups say is illegal.

    “The only acceptable outcome is two states, living side by side. Anything else is apartheid, or worse,” Roth said.

    While the international legal process around charges of genocide may take years, Roth is convinced the current actions in Gaza will not be forgotten.

    “This is not just about war,” he said. “It’s about the deliberate use of starvation, displacement and mass killing to achieve political goals. And the law is very clear — that’s a crime.”

    Roth’s criticism of Israel saw him initially denied a fellowship at Harvard University in 2023. The decision was widely seen as politically motivated, and was later reversed after public and academic backlash.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Stronger Health Through Smarter Taxes in Mauritius


    Download logo

    WHO has joined forces with VISA NGO and the University of Cape Town to assess the impact of increasing health taxes in Mauritius. Using a simulation tool, the study examined how tax hikes affect tobacco use, government revenues, and premature deaths.

    A 15% annual cigarette tax increase could:

    • Boost excise revenue by 55%
    • Reduce smoking prevalence from 18.1% to 17.4%
    • Prevent 11,600 premature deaths by 2029

    Even more ambitious action—a 25% annual increase—could:

    • Double excise revenues
    • Lower smoking prevalence to 16.3%
    • Save 19,300 lives by 2029

    On 20 June 2025, WHO convened high-level officials from the Ministries of Health and Finance to discuss the findings, presented by the University of Cape Town’s Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products and a WHO taxation expert.

    WHO and VISA echoed the study’s call for regular, significant tax increases—one of the most effective ways to curb noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) 

    Earlier, on 26 May, VISA and WHO presented the findings to key stakeholders including the Mauritius Revenue Authority, Ministries of Education and Youth, the University of Mauritius, NGOs, and consumer groups.

    WHO also applauded the Government’s recent decision to raise taxes by 10% on tobacco and alcohol, and 100% on sugary drinks, extending it to products like chocolate and ice cream.

    “This is a gift to public health,” said Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO Representative. “Higher prices on unhealthy products help reduce consumption—especially in a country where obesity, diabetes and cardio-vascular diseases are leading causes of death and disability.”

    Dr. Ancia also stressed the urgent need to enforce the Tobacco Law 2022, particularly the ban on single-stick sales, which undermines progress in reducing tobacco use through higher prices.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Mauritius.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: PH Embassy in Rabat, Kontra-GaPi Hosts Music and Dance Workshops for Moroccan Students


    Download logo

    The Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-GaPi), a Filipino performing arts ensemble from the University of the Philippines, in their visit to Morocco organized by the Philippine Embassy in Rabat, conducted a series of interactive workshops for Moroccan students to promote Philippine music and dance. Professor Pedro Abraham, Jr., founder of Kontra-GaPi, expressed elation at the opportunity to promote Philippine culture as their visit coincided with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philippine-Moroccan relations.

    At the workshop held on 20 June 2025 at Ecole Internationale de Musique et Danse (EIMD), young Moroccan musicians aged 8 to 13 tried their hands at playing various indigenous instruments such as kulintang, gangsa, tongatong, angklung, kubing, eliciting smiles in their faces. Parents in attendance expressed gratitude to the Embassy for giving their children a rare and unforgettable experience and even shared their intention to visit the Philippines afterwards.

    On 21 June 2025, another workshop was held at the Dati Drouk dance studio where Professor Abraham said “I admire Morocco’s rich history, which spans more than 5,000 years—about the same length as the Philippines’ pre-colonial history. I believe that music and dance transcend national boundaries, and I hope to share with you the rich traditions of Filipino gamelan music and indigenous dance.”

    Energized by the brief performance of Kontra-GaPi and the workshop that followed, the members of Dati Drouk performed a full dance sequence composed of movements from various Filipino ethno-linguistic groups. The workshop culminated in a spontaneous cultural exchange, as Dati Drouk members responded with an extemporaneous dance performance to the hypnotic rhythms of gnaoua music.

    EIMD is a premier institution in Rabat offering comprehensive music, dance, and theater training for over 1,500 students annually and supporting both aspiring professionals and amateurs. On the other hand, Dati Drouk is the first institution in Morocco offering structured professional training in contemporary dance.

    The two workshops were conducted on top of the performances of Kontra-GaPi before the Diplomatic Corps on 17 June 2025 and the Filipino community on 22 June 2025. Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja expressed great satisfaction at the opportunity to showcase Philippine culture, saying that “culture is a bridge linking the Philippines and Morocco”.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Language campaign concludes

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Education Bureau and the Standing Committee on Language Education & Research (SCOLAR) today held the “Closing & Award Presentation Ceremony of the Biliteracy & Trilingualism Campaign 2025”.

    The ceremony was attended by around 400 people, including guests from the business sector, the arts and cultural sector, and community organisations, as well as teachers, parents and students. The awards celebrated efforts to promote biliteracy and trilingualism in Hong Kong over the past six months.

    Officiating at the event, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin said that as an international metropolis where East meets West, Hong Kong requires a large pool of biliterate and trilingual talent to fulfill its role as a “super connector”.

    She added that languages are crucial to the city’s status as an international education hub in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and emphasised that biliteracy and trilingualism are essential for the city’s development of the “eight centres” outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan, and for seizing opportunities arising from the Belt & Road Initiative and the development of the Greater Bay Area.

    “Under the ‘one country, two systems’, biliteracy and trilingualism stands as one of the advantages of education in Hong Kong,” she said.

    The education chief outlined that over the years, the bureau and SCOLAR have worked together to promote biliteracy and trilingualism. Measures introduced in recent years have allowed teachers to improve their Putonghua proficiency with help from the Language Fund.

    Additionally, a one-off grant has been provided to schools for the promotion of self-directed language learning of English and Putonghua by students.

    Ms Choi said that through the collective efforts, Hong Kong’s language and talent capital can be strengthened, enabling the city to fully leverage its advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland while being closely connected to the world.

    The results of a one-minute video production competition were presented. The award-winning works were produced by students who integrated different creative elements.

    The event also gave the winners the opportunity to share their insights with attendees.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • US stock futures rise ahead of inflation data as investors anticipate dovish Fed

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. stock index futures surged on Friday, putting the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq on track for record highs as investors geared up for a key inflation report amid signs of a dovish policy outlook from the Federal Reserve this year.

    Personal Consumption Expenditure data – the U.S. central bank’s preferred inflation gauge – for May is due to be released at 08:30 a.m. ET and will be scrutinized to assess the Fed’s interest-rate path as tariffs weigh on prices.

    As the ceasefire in the Middle East holds, investor focus has turned to the prospect of a dovish Fed after the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump toyed with the idea of announcing Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s replacement by September or October.

    “News that Donald Trump may announce his pick to be the new Fed chair with months to go has led the interest rate futures market to ramp up bets that interest rates in the U.S. will be cut sharply over the coming months and years,” Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said in a note.

    A spate of economic data this week, including a weaker-than-expected first quarter GDP reading as well as jobless claims reaching multi-year highs, has supported the case for the central bank to cut borrowing costs this year.

    Traders now price in a 20.7% chance of a rate cut in July, compared with 14.5% last week, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

    At 06:30 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis YMcv1 were up 103 points, or 0.24%, S&P 500 E-minis EScv1 were up 13.5 points, or 0.22%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis NQcv1 were up 63.5 points, or 0.28%.

    Nike’s NKE.N shares rose 9.2% in premarket trading after the retailer forecast a smaller-than-expected drop in first-quarter revenue.

    Retailer Lululemon Athletica LULU.O rose 1.4% after Nike’s results, while Hoka-owner Deckers Outdoor DECK.N added 2.1%.

    On the flip side, gold stocks slipped in premarket trading as bullion neared a one-month low. Top miners such as Newmont NEM.N and U.S.-listed Barrick Mining B.N were down 2.3% and 2%, respectively.

    The benchmark S&P 500 .SPX and the Nasdaq .IXIC are on track for their best weekly performance in six weeks, while the blue-chip Dow .DJI is set for a weekly advance, if gains hold.

    UBS Global Wealth Management raised its year-end target for the S&P 500 index .SPX to 6,200 from its prior forecast of 6,000, banking on softening trade uncertainty.

    Adding to the upbeat sentiment, Washington reached an agreement with China on expediting rare-earth shipments to the United States, a White House official said, days ahead of the July 9 deadline for Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs.

    Also on tap is the final reading of consumer sentiment for June, measured by the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, due at 10:00 a.m. ET.

    Remarks from New York Fed President John Williams, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack and Fed Board Governor Lisa Cook are expected later in the day.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: China willing to maintain economic, trade exchanges with U.S.: vice finance minister

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

    China willing to maintain economic, trade exchanges with U.S.: vice finance minister

    BEIJING, June 27 — China is willing to maintain economic and trade exchanges with the United States based on equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit to deliver benefits to both countries and the world, Vice Minister of Finance Liao Min said, according to a statement released by the ministry on Friday.

    Liao made the remarks when meeting with Graham Allison, a professor from Harvard University, on June 20. The two sides had in-depth exchanges on China-U.S. relations, bilateral economic and trade ties, and issues of mutual concern.

    Guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, the Chinese and U.S. economic and trade teams reached a consensus during high-level talks in Geneva and a principled agreement on consolidating those outcomes in London, and these developments have played an important role in stabilizing both China-U.S. relations and their economic and trade ties, Liao noted.

    He stressed that China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. And China is also willing to maintain economic and trade exchanges with the United States based on equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit to deliver benefits to both countries and the world.

    Allison said that the relationship between the United States and China is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world, and it is of vital importance that both sides maintain and deepen communication.

    He noted that China has achieved notable progress in advancing economic transformation, expanding opening up, and fostering a fair and just market environment. Given the high interdependence of the U.S. and Chinese economies, further deepening economic and trade exchanges serves the common interests of both countries and the world, he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Big Dreams Take Flight: Delhi-NCR and Chandigarh Youth Shine at Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Open House

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Solve for Tomorrow applicants at Chandigarh University
     
    In the buzzing classrooms of Khaitan Public School, spirited debates and whiteboard sketches gave way to something bigger — a new generation of changemakers emerging through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. The national innovation contest, launched on April 29, 2025, continues to energize students across the country, and its recent roadshows in Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida and Chandigarh are proving just how powerful young minds can be when given the right tools.
     
    The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow programme empowers 14-22-year-olds to identify real-world problems and build tech-based solutions using design thinking. The winning four teams receive INR 1 crore, expert mentorship from Samsung and IIT Delhi, investor connects, and prototyping support to help them bring their vision to life.
     
    In recent weeks, the Samsung team engaged with students at Khaitan Public School in Ghaziabad, Lingua Institute and Galgotias College in Delhi, and ITS College in Noida, sparking curiosity and inviting questions from teens eager to make a difference.
     
    For Ishita, a class 12 student from Khaitan Public School, the roadshow was a wake-up call. “I always thought innovation was something for scientists or tech giants. But now I see that even a student like me can solve a local issue using creativity and tech,” she said, already brainstorming a solution around water conservation in her locality.
     
    Her classmate Tanya Chaudhary came in with a rough idea to help senior citizens navigate healthcare access. “After the session, I feel like I finally know how to start. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gave me the confidence to build something that matters,” said Tanya.
     
    Astha Nautiyal, also from Khaitan, wants to use AI to address the rise in teenage anxiety. “Mental health is something we all deal with, but no one talks about it enough. I want to create something that helps teens feel seen and supported,” she said.
     
    Enthusiasm was at its peak at Khaitan Public School in New Delhi
     
    At Galgotias, students discussed a range of topics — from pollution control to AI-based traffic solutions. One group even explored using recycled materials to build smart street furniture that serves both utility and sustainability goals.
     
    The open houses weren’t just information sessions — they were a platform for exchange, inspiration, and self-belief. Students walked out not just with ideas, but with a roadmap.
     
    “Through Solve for Tomorrow, I got the opportunity to treat my ideas not just as a concept but a working prototype. What started as a classroom project is now being shaped with feedback from mentors and experts across disciplines. Meeting other young innovators has been incredibly motivating—it made me believe that with the right support, even students like me can solve real-world problems that impact millions. I am really motivated to apply,” said Mahak Singh, Chandigarh University.
     
    As the roadshows continue to roll across India, these open houses in Delhi-NCR are proving that innovation doesn’t start in labs — it starts in classrooms, in conversations, and in the minds of students who dare to ask what if?
     
    Samsung Solve for Tomorrow isn’t just shaping ideas — it’s shaping a generation that’s ready to solve, lead, and inspire.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young People’s bus fares reach million ticket milestone

    Source: City of York

    York’s bus improvement programme is celebrating a major milestone this week with the news that over one million £1 fares have been sold to young people since September 2023.

    The fare subsidy aims to improve access to education, work and leisure for York’s under 19-year-olds by reducing the cost of travel. The scheme was launched as part of the city’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funded by central government; between 2023 and 2025 it was managed by City of York Council working with all six of York’s bus operators, and from 1 April 2025 the funds have been managed by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. The offer is ongoing and young people can still travel for £1.

    Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Economy and Transport at City of York Council, said:

    “We are proud of the support we continue to give York’s young people and I’m delighted we have reached the one million tickets sold mark.

    “This support was one of the first projects started under our BSIP and it’s clear the £1 fare has proved a huge success. We know that it’s used to get around for leisure, school and college, as well as to get to work, opening up a wealth of opportunities for young people across the city. Encouraging young people onto the bus and to keep using it as they grow older is so important, not only to help them get around efficiently in their daily lives, but also to contribute to the city’s objective of reducing congestion”.

    Historically, young people’s bus fares have varied in cost depending on operators and age ranges, but were around £1.40 to £2 for a single journey, with many older teenagers being charged adult fares. The average saving is 70p per trip, although this varies between operators and age groups. The biggest savings are seen by 16-18’s travelling with operators that would otherwise treat them as adult farepayers.

    The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, said: “No one should miss out on learning, seeing their friends or work because they can’t afford to travel. 

    “Young people rely on public transport and particularly our buses, so that’s why I protected the £1 fare cap for people aged under 19. I am proud to continue this initiative across York and North Yorkshire so there aren’t barriers for our young people in the region.

    “Making public transport affordable, accessible and reliable for everyone is at the heart of our plans. Giving people more sustainable options to move around York and North Yorkshire and connecting our communities to opportunities.

    “I’m continuing to work on identifying the gaps in our bus network to deliver an integrated transport network that works for all.” 

    Minister for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood said:

    “When public transport is affordable, it’s easier for people to get to work, make doctors’ appointments, and stay connected with their community. That’s why we’ve put £12.6 million into York and North Yorkshire’s buses – to give people cheaper fares and more regular, reliable services.

    “We’ve also extended the £3 bus fare cap up to 2027, to keep fares affordable and put more money back in peoples pockets, all part of the Government’s Plan for Change.”

    York College & University Centre Principal & Chief Executive Ken Merry said;

    “We’re really pleased to see the success of the £1 fares across the City of York. This is a real benefit to many of our students and apprentices, especially those who have to get to work placements and rely on public transport to get there.”

    More widely, York’s BSIP has also delivered improvements to bus stops themselves, with over 270 improvements across York’s villages, rural areas and city centre. Work has included installing more accessible seating, better lighting and shelter from the weather, plus real time information and safer, more accessible kerbs.

    Note for Editors

    York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan

    In April 2022, the Department for Transport (DfT) made an indicative funding award of £17.3m to City of York Council in respect of its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

    York’s BSIP sets out a new vision to help improve York’s bus network, aiming to make it more inclusive, accessible, attractive and welcoming – becoming a source of pride for the city and its residents.

    The key objectives in the BSIP are:

    • Upgrades to bus infrastructure, including stops, shelters and real-time information screens
    • New bus priority measures
    • Improved ticketing and cheaper fares for young persons
    • Improved bus information
    • Improvements to local bus service levels
    • Restarting the Poppleton Bar Park & Ride service
    • Upgrading Park & Ride sites to include overnight parking and better connections to longer-distance bus services
    • Proposals for new developments to include provision of high-quality bus infrastructure and services

    About York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority 
    The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been created by the City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council and is a legally recognised, single body. Our role is to use some of the money and powers, that up to now have been held by central government, and work with local leaders and communities to invest in ways that will help to make York and North Yorkshire a better place for you to live, work and do business. The Combined Authority is led by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire. 
     
    For further information please contact:

    Lara Thornton, Communications Manager E: lara.thornton@york.gov.uk or M: 07923 206096 / Newsdesk, City of York Council, Newsdesk / Out of hours: 01904 555515 / Email: newsdesk@york.gov.uk

    Rebekah Fairbairn, Communications Officer, E: rebekah.fairbairn@yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk / Combined Authority website / Facebook / X / LinkedIn / YouTube 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Address to the Maritime Industry Australia Decarbonisation Summit, Melbourne

    Source: Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions

    **CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY**

    Thank you, Angela for your kind introduction, and congratulations to you and your team on organising this important event for the maritime industry.

    I begin by respectfully acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today. 

    I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and I extend that respect to any and all First Nations people joining us today.

    Australia’s First Nations people were our first maritime traders. 

    This rich and deep history included trade with Macassan ships from Indonesia along our Northern frontier, and seafaring trade in the Torres Strait, and along the coast of Papua New Guinea. Our modern maritime industry builds on this tradition.

    I’d also like to acknowledge, from the Victorian Government, Melissa Horne MP, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Ports and Freight, and Roads and Road Safety.

    And Professor Rod Sims AO, from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU – thank you for joining us today.

    The theme of this Summit is ‘progress’ and we come together on the International Day of the Seafarer. 

    It couldn’t be more timely given the current geopolitical state of the world and the imperative of decarbonisation. 

    These are the realities of our times.

    It is more important than ever for Australia to have a strong and sovereign maritime sector, and for us to embrace both the challenges and the opportunities of decarbonisation. 

    The maritime industry is absolutely vital for Australia’s prosperity. 

    As the lyrics of our national anthem state, ours is a nation ‘girt by sea’.

    Our coastline extends across some 60,000 kilometres and includes 12,000 islands.

    It is the great sea roads and maritime highways leading from our shores that connect Australia with the world, and centres us in the Asia-Pacific region. 

    Our society and economy depend utterly on the ships that ply these routes. 

    These are our supply chains.

    Shipping is responsible for over 99 per cent of our nation’s international trade.

    We are the fifth largest user of shipping services in the world, and the world’s largest bulk commodities exporter.

    Our ports handle over 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo, and welcome 29,000 visits every year from international trading ships. 

    A substantial proportion of our domestic freight also depends on coastal shipping. 

    And let’s not forget that the maritime sector is an important employer – ports activities alone account for an extraordinary one in 20 jobs in our country.

    This morning, I’d like to give you an overview of what our government is doing to support your vital industry.

    The Prime Minister has made clear a major focus this term would be supporting industries across the economy to drive productivity, and to do that while also lifting job security and job quality. 

    In the lead up to the Treasurer’s upcoming Reform Roundtable, I intend to host a meeting with key transport and logistics industry representatives, including the maritime sector, to discuss ways to grow the economy and increase productivity. 

    We want to build an economy where growth, wages and productivity rise together.

    And we are committed to modernising Australia’s maritime sector; including through its regulatory framework.

    The Shipping Registration Act came into being in 1981, in very different times.

    Modernising it is another of our Government’s priorities, to ensure it is fit for purpose and supports the long-term sustainability of an Australian strategic fleet. 

    Our independent review of the Shipping Registration Act is now complete. 

    I’d like to thank its leaders — Former Public Service Commissioner Lynelle Briggs, and Nicholas Gaskell, Emeritus Professor of Maritime and Commercial Law at the University of Queensland — for their efforts.

    Lynelle and Nick conducted comprehensive stakeholder consultation as part of their review, and they have incorporated extensive feedback into their report. 

    They are continuing with their parallel review of the Coastal Trading Act 2012, which is due to report later this year.

    Another crucial step we are taking to improve maritime resilience and capability is the establishment of a strategic fleet ― 12 Australian flagged and crewed vessels that will enable the movement of critical cargo during crises and emergencies.  

    Our Government committed funding in the 2024-25 Budget to establish a five-year Strategic Fleet Pilot Program comprising three vessels.

    These will be privately owned, commercially operated and will be available to the Australian Government to requisition in times of need. 

    Tenders for the Pilot program are currently being evaluated through a competitive, open and transparent process that will ensure the government achieves value for money.

    The Strategic Fleet provides the opportunity for growth and transformation in Australia’s maritime sector in a way that supports Australia’s economic prosperity, security and way of life well into the future.

    The Pilot will provide an evidence-base for future proposals to expand the fleet and fully deliver on our Government’s commitment.

    Once procurement for the Pilot Fleet is complete we will make a public announcement regarding the outcome and indicative timing for the first vessels on the water.

    Industry has been heavily involved in shaping the government’s Strategic Fleet policy through consultation processes, and this engagement will continue in the implementation stage.

    Our domestic policy needs to progress our national interests, and it also needs to be in-step with global developments.

    Australia’s presence at International Maritime Organisation enables this.

    Shipping is by nature a global industry, and Australia’s interests are represented in this world forum.

    Australia’s presence at the IMO also enables our engagement with international efforts to reduce emissions and prevent ship-based pollution of all kinds.

    During our first term, our Government supported the IMO to adopt a Revised Strategy on the Reduction of Emissions from Ships, and reach Net Zero emissions by 2050.

    The Strategy’s decarbonisation pathway includes mid‑term measures such as annual fuel intensity targets, a greenhouse gas emissions economic measure, and a reward system for sustainable fuel adoption.

    It sets target reductions of 30 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2040 compared to 2008 levels, as well as a target of 10 percent for the uptake of zero-emission fuels by 2030.

    In April, the IMO made the historic decision to circulate measures that will achieve these targets.

    Interestingly, the measures also include a ‘feebate’ mechanism that will subsidise green maritime fuels, which supports our Government’s Low Carbon Liquid Fuels policy.

    As our Government was in caretaker mode in April, Australia abstained from voting on these measures at the time. 

    They will be further considered by IMO in October, and if agreed will establish the world’s first ever truly international carbon market. 

    The Government is carefully considering what role it will play in October, and I understand that my department is hosting a roundtable with industry later this week to continue the conversation on how the measures might impact industry.

    The Secretary-General of the IMO is also visiting Australia in August and I hope to catch up with him to discuss Australia’s maritime interests.

    The year 2030, the deadline for the first of the IMO’s targets, is not that far away.

    Our government recognised this in our first term, and we laid plans to ensure that Australia’s maritime industry is prepared for the future, ready to contribute to our national emissions targets, and able to thrive in a decarbonised global economy.

    Now in our second term, we have a strong mandate to continue the work we’ve started.

    There are challenges to meet on the road to decarbonisation, but also incredible opportunities in new jobs and new industries. 

    Our Government’s ambition for a Future Made in Australia will form a comprehensive, coordinated and practical strategy to seize all the benefits on offer.

    As part of the Future Made in Australia plan, the Government is fast-tracking support for our nation’s growing domestic Low Carbon Liquid Fuels, or LCLFs. 

    In March, we announced the delivery of $250 million to accelerate the pace of Australia’s growing domestic LCLF industry. 

    This funding is part of the $1.7 billion Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, and is being provided as grants to support pre-commercial innovation, demonstration and deployment.

    Australia has all the ingredients to support a thriving biofuels sector – especially if the IMO measure for a global subsidy is adopted and provided.

    We have an abundance of renewable energy resources and significant refining and port infrastructure.

    We have the potential to grow LCLF production for domestic consumption and for export.

    And our Government is committed to supporting a sovereign biofuel industry that Australia controls, and which serves our interests.

    Our Government is committed to maritime decarbonisation, as part of our drive to reach our legislated target of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

    Our Government will soon release its Net Zero Plan for the economy, along with six sector-decarbonisation plans.

    Amongst these sector plans is one for the Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap.

    And within that plan is one that speaks specifically to the unique challenges and opportunities of the maritime industry – the Maritime Emissions Reduction National Action Plan, or MERNAP for short.

    The MERNAP will outline how we aim to support Australia’s national emissions reduction targets, contribute to the global decarbonisation of shipping, and future-proof the Australian maritime sector to avoid costly and disruptive transitions later.

    It will ensure an equitable transition, particularly for the maritime workforce, and it will safeguard jobs and skills for the future.

    Our vision is that by 2050, Australia will fully leverage the global maritime decarbonisation transition, for the benefit of our ports, vessels, and the broader energy sector.

    Work on the MERNAP began in 2023-24, with an industry consultation process, and the MERNAP Consultative Group has played a vital role in shaping this action plan.

    They engaged with us on topics such as:

    • regulatory challenges and gaps
    • energy sources and technologies
    • skills and training
    • and international partnerships.

    I’d like to thank those stakeholders who were part of the group, and especially Angela Gilham and MIAL for the key role they’ve played in this process. 

    I am now considering the MERNAP, and the timing of its release. 

    Our next step will be to develop an implementation plan to progress the MERNAP’s proposed action items. 

    Our Government will continue to progress reform in the maritime sector. We must. 

    There are so many cross currents reshaping global maritime trade right now, and addressing these requires comprehensive and future-focused action.

    No doubt these issues ― and the opportunities ― facing the sector will be discussed at length in coming days, and I wish you well in these.

    Thank you once again for the invitation to speak this morning. 

    I look forward to working with all industry stakeholders in our government’s second term. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: “West Africa has the potential to sustainably transform its food systems,” says Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, Acting Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Subregional Coordinator for West Africa


    Download logo

    The 2025 Regional Report on Food and Nutrition Security in the Sahel and West Africa, reveals that nearly 52 million people in the region are affected by food insecurity. In an interview with the African Press Agency (APA news), Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, Acting Subregional Coordinator of the FAO Office for West Africa said that despite the alarming figures reported, “the region has all it takes to sustainably transform its food systems,” said.

    Recently appointed to head the office overseeing 15 West African country programs, she focuses on innovation, resilience, and inclusion to address the structural and cyclical challenges facing West African agriculture.

    During the interview, Ms. Tchicaya presented the priorities of her mandate. She outlined her vision and ambition for the subregion to “build more inclusive, sustainable, competitive, and nutrition-sensitive food systems, based on the “Four Betters” strategy promoted by the FAO: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.”

    She also emphasized that despite the combined effects of conflict, climate change, and economic volatility, viable solutions can be found. These include participatory approaches such as Farmer Field Schools (FFS), support for nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies, and the implementation of green hubs as part of the Great Green Wall initiative. “In Senegal, for example, we contributed to updating the agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation law, which now includes the fisheries sector, food systems and the climate change dimension,” she explained.

    “On the operational front, FAO has developed participatory approaches such as Farmer Field Schools and Dimitra clubs, which after years of implementation, have proven effective in driving behavior change and strong community engagement. These approaches are now being scaled up by the government and civil society organizations”, she said, adding “On the environmental front, the FAO supports the Senegalese government in implementing the Reforestation Agency and the Great Green Wall program, a bold initiative aiming to establish seventy resilient green hubs across arid and semi-arid areas between 2023 and 2032.”

    Faced with the decline in traditional funding, Ms. Stephen-Tchicaya calls for increased and diversified resource mobilization, focusing on: “Public-Private Partnerships, a multi-donor approach, climate and green financing, strengthened engagement with non-traditional donors (emerging countries, philanthropic foundations, regional financial institutions), increased inter-agency cooperation, community and civil society involvement, as well as South-South and triangular cooperation.”

    Ms. Stephen-Tchicaya also emphasized FAO’s strategic role in strengthening early warning systems, supporting agricultural governance, and using digital technologies and artificial intelligence to increase productivity, improve livestock traceability, and combat livestock theft, a phenomenon that is on the rise in the region.

    “FAO actively contributes to surveillance and early warning, particularly in the area of ​​food security, through its participation in the regional system for the prevention and management of food crises (PREGEC), coordinated by the CILSS. FAO also has tools such as the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), which enables precise monitoring of the agricultural season and provides harvest forecasts. FAO will continue this support while investing more in disaster risk prevention and reduction, particularly through anticipatory actions implemented before crises worsen. FAO’s true added value in the region lies in this connection between early warning and rapid response.”

    Furthermore, Ms. Tchicaya emphasized the importance of digital solutions for securing pastoral livelihoods: “We are convinced that the digitalization of the livestock sector constitutes an innovative and essential solution to protect pastoralists in the face of this unprecedented phenomenon in West Africa,” she argued.

    In her closing remarks, Ms. Tchicaya issued a strong call for collective mobilization. “We must act together—governments, technical and financial partners, the private sector, and civil society—to build resilient and sustainable food systems that meet the aspirations of West African populations,” she pleaded.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eastern Cape June floods declared a national disaster

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Eastern Cape Province has officially been declared a national disaster zone in response to the widespread destruction caused by recent severe weather events.

    Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC, Zolile Williams said the declaration, made under the Disaster Management Act (Act No. 57 of 2002), comes amid heavy rainfall, flooding, strong winds, and snowfall that have battered large parts of the country, with the Eastern Cape being the hardest hit.

    Highlighting the provincial government response to the June disaster, Williams said the Department of Social Development, in partnership with private sector organisations, has extended crucial psychosocial support to displaced families, bereaved communities, and schools affected by the loss of learners.

    “These services, which encompass counselling and emotional debriefing, are foundational to the healing and recovery process. Given the profound impact of the incident, we recognise this journey may be prolonged for those most deeply affected,” the MEC said. 

    The Department of Health has also deployed on-site healthcare services, providing medical assistance and replacing chronic medication that was swept away by the floods to those in need.

    Ongoing assessments are also being conducted to assess health risks in temporary shelters.

    Over 400 ID applications received

    Williams also reported that the Department of Home Affairs has been active in various shelters across the Amathole and OR Tambo districts, assisting families with applications for essential documents, including Identity Documents (ID), birth and death certificates.

    To date, 478 identity document replacement applications have been submitted, through assistance from three mobile units deployed in each of the two districts.

    Local schools have resumed classes and provisions were made for learners who missed exams due to the disaster. Postponed examination papers were also written on 23 June 2025.

    “Through the Department of Education, we have begun to deliver Learner and Teacher Support Material lost or destroyed during the disaster. We are also ensuring that uniform sets for learners in the flood affected schools has also resumed through the Provincial Department of Education.” 

    Restoration of basic services 

    Despite the devastation, significant progress has been made with the restoration of water and electricity in affected areas. 

    According to Williams, the electricity supply has been restored to over 80% of affected customers, with over 95% of the water supply having been restored in OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities, which were the most affected areas. 

    However, Williams noted that the floods caused significant damage to roads, schools, and healthcare facilities.

    He said the costs of repairing damaged infrastructure is estimated at R5. 1 billion, and this include about R3. 2 billion required across sector departments and R 1. 8 billion for the Municipal Infrastructure, as per MISA [Municipal Infrastructure Support Management] assessments. 

    A total of 6 869 households were affected, with 4 724 people left homeless across the province, except for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, whilst 2 145 homes were partially damaged.

    “R461 million is required for Temporary Residential Units (TRUs), however, the province has R120 million rand, and we are looking to national government for an intervention in this area,” Williams said.

    Housing support and temporary shelters

    The Department of Human Settlements, in partnership with OR Tambo District Municipality, has activated mass-care shelters, including community halls and bed-and-breakfast facilities for displaced families in OR Tambo and Mnquma. 

    Williams said these arrangements will be operational for at least 30 days.

    “The Provincial Government is [also] securing land to facilitate the delivery of Temporary Residential Units and permanent housing, ensuring that our response addresses both urgent needs and long-term stability for these vulnerable communities. 

    “Currently, land has been identified in Mnquma for approximately 1 100 temporary residential units, while in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, land has been identified and we await a council resolution on the matter,” the MEC said.

    The floods caused extensive damage to road infrastructure, with the total repair estimated at R935 million. The Department of Transport has reprioritised R102 million from its budget, leaving a shortfall of R832 million.

    Emergency road clearance operations are underway, but 29 roads in Chris Hani and 22 in OR Tambo districts remain impassable. Internal teams began major repairs on 23 June 2025, and alternative routes are currently being used.

    In terms of public facilities, 431 schools and 69 health centres have been affected across the province. suffered damage. Repair work to the value of R600 000 has been completed on healthcare facilities.

    In the agricultural sector, interventions have been made in terms damage assessment, provision of veterinary services and technical advice.

    “In the main, farmers have lost 1 339 units of livestock, 1 803 hectares of crops have been destroyed, suffered damages to machinery, irrigation material such as pipes and risers, water tanks and fencing materials,” Williams said. – SAnews.gov.za 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center Opening in Hazelwood

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Opening in Hazelwood

    Disaster Recovery Center Opening in Hazelwood

    A Disaster Recovery Center with FEMA Individual Assistance staff is opening in St

    Louis County to help people affected by the May 16 tornado and storms

    The Disaster Recovery Center opens this Friday, June 27

    At all locations, FEMA and the U

    S

    Small Business Administration will help impacted residents with their disaster assistance applications, answer questions, and upload required documents

    An additional location in St

    Louis County will be announced in the coming days

    Opening Friday, June 27LOCATIONHOURS OF OPERATIONSt

    Louis County Library – Prairie Commons Branch915 Utz Ln

    Hazelwood, MO 63042Monday-Thursday: 8 a

    m

    -7 p

    m

    Friday-Saturday: 8 a

    m

    -5 p

    m

     Sunday: ClosedLocations Currently Open in St

    Louis CityLOCATIONSHOURS OF OPERATIONSumner High School — Parking Lot                             4248 Cottage Ave

    St

    Louis, MO 63113Monday-Saturday: 8 a

    m

    -7 p

    m

    Sunday: 8 a

    m

    -6 p

    m

     Union Tabernacle M

    B

    Church626 N

    Newstead Ave

    St

    Louis, MO 63108Monday-Saturday: 8 a

    m

    -8 p

    m

    Sunday: ClosedTo save time, please apply for FEMA assistance before coming to a Disaster Recovery Center

    Apply online at DisasterAssistance

    gov or by calling 800-621-3362

     If you are unable to apply online or by phone, someone at the Disaster Recovery Center can assist you

     You may visit any location, no matter where you are staying now

    If your home or personal property sustained damage not covered by insurance, FEMA may be able to provide money to help you pay for home repairs, a temporary place to live, and replace essential personal property that was destroyed

    sara

    zuckerman
    Thu, 06/26/2025 – 22:03

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Curiosity Blog, Sols 4580-4581: Something in the Air…

    Source: NASA

    Written by Scott VanBommel, Planetary Scientist at Washington University in St. Louis
    Earth planning date: Monday, June 23, 2025
    Curiosity was back at work on Monday, with a full slate of activities planned. While summer has officially arrived for much of Curiosity’s team back on Earth, Mars’ eldest active rover is recently through the depths of southern Mars winter and trending toward warmer temperatures itself. Warmer temperatures mean less component heating is required and therefore more power is freed up for science and driving. However, the current cooler temperatures do present an opportunity to acquire quality short-duration APXS measurements first thing in the morning, which is what Curiosity elected to do once again.
    Curiosity’s plan commenced by brushing a rock target with potential cross-cutting veins, “Hornitos,” and subsequently analyzing it with APXS. A sequence of Mastcam images followed on targets such as “Volcán Peña Blanca,” “La Pacana,” “Iglesia de Jarinilla de Umatia,” and “Ayparavi.” ChemCam, returning to action after a brief and understood hiatus, rounded out the morning’s chemical analysis activities with a 5-point analysis of Ayparavi. After some images of the brush, and a handful of MAHLI snaps of Hornitos, Curiosity was on its way with a planned drive of about 37 meters (about 121 feet).Curiosity’s night would not be spent entirely dreaming of whatever rovers dream, but rather conducting a lengthy APXS analysis of the atmosphere. These analyses enable Curiosity’s team to assess the abundance of argon in the atmosphere — from a volume about the size of a pop can (or soda can, depending on your unit of preference) — which can be used to trace global circulation patterns and better understand modern Mars. Recently, Curiosity has been increasing the frequency of these measurements and pairing them with ChemCam “Passive Sky” observations. These ChemCam activities do not utilize the instrument’s laser, but instead use its other components to characterize the air above the rover. By combining APXS and ChemCam observations of the atmosphere, Curiosity’s team is able to better assess daily and seasonal trends in gases around Gale crater. A ChemCam “Passive Sky” was the primary observation in the second sol of the plan, with Curiosity spending much of the remaining time recharging and eagerly awaiting commands from Wednesday’s team.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: I Am Artemis: Patrick Junen

    Source: NASA

    For some people, a passion for space is something that might develop over time, but for Patrick Junen, the desire was there from the beginning. With a father and grandfather who both worked for NASA, space exploration is not just a dream; it remains a family legacy.
    Now, as the stage assembly and structures subsystem manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the BOLE (Booster Obsolescence Life Extension) Program — an advanced solid rocket booster for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) heavy lift rocket — Junen is continuing that legacy.
    “My grandfather worked on the Apollo & Space Shuttle Programs. Then my dad went on to work for the Space Shuttle and SLS Programs,” Junen says. “I guess you could say engineering is in my blood.”
    In his role, he’s responsible for managing the Design, Development, Test, & Evaluation team for all unpressurized structural elements, such as the forward skirt, aft skirt, and the integration hardware that connects the boosters to the core stage. He also collaborates closely with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to coordinate any necessary modifications to ground facilities or the mobile launcher to support the new boosters.
    Junen enjoys the technical challenges of his role and said he feels fortunate to be in a position of leadership — but it takes a team of talented individuals to build the next generation of boosters. As a former offensive lineman for the University of Mississippi, he knows firsthand the power of teamwork and the importance of effective communication in guiding a coordinated effort.
    “I’ve always been drawn to team activities, and exploration is the ultimate team endeavor,” Junen says. “On the football field, it takes a strong team to be successful — and it’s really no different from what we’re doing as a team at NASA with our Northrop Grumman counterparts for the SLS rocket and Artemis missions.”
    As a kid, Junen often accompanied his dad to Space Shuttle launches and was inspired by some of the talented engineers that developed Shuttle. Years later, he’s still seeing some of those same faces — but now they’re teammates, working together toward a greater mission.
    “Growing up around Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, there was always this strong sense of family and dedication to the Misson. And that has always resonated with me,” Junen recalls.
    This philosophy of connecting family to the mission is a tradition Junen now continues with his own children. One of his fondest NASA memories is watching the successful launch of Artemis I on Nov. 16, 2022. Although he couldn’t attend in person, Junen and his family made the most of the moment — watching the launch live beneath the Saturn V rocket at Huntsville’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center. With his dad beside him and his daughter on his shoulders, three generations stood beneath the rocket Junen’s grandfather helped build, as a new era of space exploration began.
    In June, Junen witnessed the BOLE Demonstration Motor-1 perform a full-scale static test to demonstrate the ballistic performance for the evolved booster motor. This test isn’t just a technical milestone for Junen — it’s a continuation of a lifelong journey rooted in family and teamwork.
    As NASA explores the Moon and prepares for the journey to Mars through Artemis, Junen is helping shape the next chapter of human spaceflight. And just like the generations before him, he’s not only building rockets — he’s building a legacy.

    Jonathan DealMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 6.26.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 26, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Kira Younger, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer and Director of the Finance and Accounting Division at the California Department of Social Services. Younger has been Chief of Fiscal Forecasting at the California Department of Social Services since 2021, where she has held several roles since 2016, including Budget Officer and Staff Services Manager. She was Financial Manager at the California Office of Systems Integration from 2018 to 2019. Younger earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Western Governors University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $176,160. Younger is a Democrat. 

    Lauren Gavin Solis, of Los Angeles, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration at the Department of Health Care Services. Solis has been Acting Group Director for the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since 2025, where she has held several roles since 2013, including Team Lead and Health Insurance Specialist. She was a Health Policy Scholar at the National Coalition on Health Care from 2012 to 2013. Solis was a Presidential Management Fellow at the National Institutes of Health from 2011 to 2013. She held several roles at Triage Consulting Group from 2005 to 2010, including Legal Services Manager, Senior Associate, and Associate. Solis earned a Master of Public Health degree in Health Systems and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $187,020. Solis is a Democrat. 

    Julia Parish, of Oakland, has been appointed Deputy Director of Legislation, Regulation, and Policy at the California Civil Rights Department. Parish has been a Senior Staff Attorney at Legal Aid at Work since 2019, where she has held multiple positions since 2011, including Staff Attorney, and Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow. She was a Research Assistant to Professor David Oppenheimer at University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2010. Parish earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, a Master of Science degree in Education from Pace University, and a Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science and Spanish from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $146,268. Parish is a Democrat.

    Juliet Michelson Wahleithner, of Fresno, has been appointed Director of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Wahleithner has been a Special Consultant for the Office of Policy and Continuous Improvement at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing since 2025. Wahleithner has been an Associate Professor for Literacy Education at California State University, Fresno since 2021, where she has held several roles since 2015 including Director of Educator Preparation and Accreditation, Director of San Joaquin Valley Writing Project, and Assistant Professor. She held several roles at University of California, Davis School of Education from 2008 to 2015, including Postdoctoral Researcher, Lecturer, Accreditation coordinator, and Graduate Student Assistant. Wahleithner held several roles at Lodi Unified School District from 1999 to 2007, including Differentiated Instruction Curriculum Coach and an English and Journalism Teacher. She is a Member of the American Educational Research Association, California Council on Teacher Education, and Board of Directors of Saint Agnes Child Development Center. Wahleithner earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education, a Master of Arts degree in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $163,788. Wahleithner is a Democrat.

    Sophear Price, of Santa Rosa, has been appointed Skilled Nursing Facility Administrator at the Yountville Veterans Home of California. Price has been the Standards Compliance Coordinator at the Yountville Veterans Home of California since 2018. Price held multiple roles at the Sonoma Development Center from 2014 to 2017, including Community Programs Specialist II and Individual Programs Coordinator. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Sonoma. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $159,120. Price is registered without party preference. 

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 26, 2025

    News What you need to know: La Passeggiata on Lindsey Street in Stockton is the latest site to be transformed from excess, underutilized state land into affordable housing under Governor Newsom’s executive order. STOCKTON — Today, state leaders broke ground on a new…

    Jun 25, 2025

    News What you need to know: There are many disingenuous claims swirling about California gas prices “set to soar” – the truth is that gas prices won’t come anywhere close to increasing by 65 cents, as many would have you believe.   SACRAMENTO – California gas prices…

    Jun 25, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced $135 million is available for wildfire prevention grants – protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire at the same time as President Trump adds new strain to firefighting resources. SACRAMENTO – As President…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Bolsters the Judiciary Through Signing of Key Legislation

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    June 26, 2025

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed three bills into law today in support of the Hawai‘i State Judiciary’s efforts to facilitate fair and effective justice, promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.

    The signed legislation includes the Judiciary’s budget bill, which appropriates funds to meet the resource needs — ensuring that the courts function efficiently and continue to serve the people of our state at a time when demand for judicial services is increasing. Additional measures support initiatives aimed at bridging gaps in the justice system, particularly for nonviolent offenders who are disproportionately affected and face a higher risk of recidivism due to their circumstances.

    “This is a proud moment. Signing these bills demonstrates the power of collaboration between all branches of government to advance legislation that strengthens Hawai‘i’s judiciary and benefits the people we serve,” said Governor Green. “We are not only facilitating change — we are doing so through a restorative approach that addresses the root causes of recidivism.”

    “These justice reform bills strengthen the support systems that help people avoid legal trouble in the future and make the community safer,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Karl Rhoads (District 13 – Dowsett Highlands, Pu‘unui, Nu‘uanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown and Downtown). “By expanding key programs like the Adult Client Services Branch, Community Outreach Court and Women’s Court, we are building a more effective justice system that helps keep our communities in Hawai‘i safer and stronger.”

    HB 400: RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY
    House Bill 400, Act 227, appropriates $214 million for fiscal year 2026 and $212 million for fiscal year 2027 for the Judiciary’s operating budget. The funds established in this bill will support operating costs and new permanent staff positions, including an additional District Court Judge and support staff in Kona. The bill also funds the permanent establishment of three specialty courts on O‘ahu: Women’s Court, Driving While Impaired Court, and Truancy Court and Early Education Intervention Court, as well as essential support for cybersecurity and technology costs across the judiciary.

    Additional funds are appropriated in the budget for the planning and design of a new South Kohala District Courthouse to improve access to judicial services for residents on the Hawaiʻi island.

    By signing this measure, Governor Green ensures that residents across the island chain continue to have access to essential judicial services that grow in step with the evolving needs of the judicial system.

    HB 727: RELATING TO THE WOMEN’S COURT
    In response to the increasing number of women in the criminal justice system, a need arose to assist nonviolent women in the criminal justice system by providing resources and guidance to those who have suffered abuse, trauma, poverty, substance-use disorders and mental illness. From Session Laws of Hawai‘i 2022, Act 243 established Mohala Wahine, a three-year pilot program that offers women at high risk of recidivism access to critical resources such as substance abuse treatment, housing assistance, and therapy, while helping nurture and educate participants throughout the program.

    HB 727, now Act 228, makes the Mohala Wahine pilot program permanent in the First Circuit Court of O‘ahu, continuing its invaluable work supporting the most vulnerable women. To further expand access to trauma-informed, evidence-based practices, HB 727 additionally establishes a two-year Women’s Court pilot program in the Third Circuit Court in Kona. This new program addresses a critical need for community-based services on Hawai‘i Island and offers the same supportive services established under Mohala Wahine. This measure appropriates $514,900 for fiscal year 2026 and $557,000 for fiscal year 2027.

    “HB727, championed by the Women’s Legislative Caucus, seeks to permanently establish the Mohala Wahine program in the First Circuit as a proven alternative to incarceration and a pathway to reintegration for women,” said Representative Mahina Poepoe, introducer of the bill and vice chair of the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. “I believe that all women who find themselves in a position of being involved with our court system for nonviolent offenses could benefit from having the option of a pathway that avoids incarceration. Many of these women are mothers and caregivers  and with personalized, supportive care focused on healing rather than punishment, we can help them rehabilitate. Expanding this program to Hawaiʻi Island will strengthen families and communities across our state.”

    The complete list of bills signed includes the following. Click the links to see full details of the bills enacted into law.

    HB280 HD3 SD1 CD1 RELATING TO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH COURT – Act 229

    HB398 HD1 SD2 CD1 – RELATING TO COMPENSATION FOR COURT-APPOINTED REPRESENTATION – Act 230
    HB399 HD1 SD2 CD1 – RELATING TO DISTRICT COURT JUDGES – Act 231
    HB401 HD1 SD2 CD1 – RELATING TO DISTRICT COURT JUDGES – Act 232
    SB304 SD1 HD2 CD1 – RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY – Act 233

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: What do future IT specialists want: results of a survey by VK and HSE

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    According to the survey, 8 out of 10 school graduates prepare for admission on their own, 69% participate in specialized Olympiads for this purpose, and 60% study in additional courses. Most respondents are convinced that studying at a university should give them the skills necessary for a career (82%) and, as a result, they expect to become sought-after specialists (75%).

    When choosing a university, applicants focus on the prestige of the educational institution (76%), the availability of programs in the chosen specialty (74%) and the demand for graduates in the labor market (73%).

    63% of respondents expect to continue their education in a master’s program, and 20% – on the employer’s side. After completing their studies, every second respondent (51%) plans to develop IT products and technologies, 18% – to create their own startup, and 9% – to engage in science and research. A fifth of respondents (21%) have not decided on their career plans before enrolling.

    Prospective students choose a specialty based on their personal interest in a specific area (79%), the prospects of the field (68%), and the potential for high income from work in this field (55%). The most popular IT areas among the surveyed applicants were artificial intelligence (67%), data analysis (55%), IT infrastructure development (44%), information systems development (41%), and systems programming (37%).

    More than half of future IT specialists (52%) are convinced that basic knowledge in AI is necessary regardless of their training profile. Among specific AI specialties, applicants named machine learning (67%), generative AI (55%), computer vision (42%), intelligent systems (35%) and natural language processing (34%) as the most interesting. The list of in-demand specializations among applicants also included recommender systems (29%) and ethical aspects and regulation of AI (17%).

    The survey was conducted in June 2025 among 1.3 thousand applicants planning to enroll in IT programs.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The sentencing of Cassius Turvey’s killers shows courts still struggle to deal with racism

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people.

    The brutal homicide of 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, by a group of white men revealed the racial schisms in Western Australian society. Turvey was walking home from school in October 2022 when he was abruptly beaten to death.

    On Friday, the Western Australian Supreme Court sentenced the three perpetrators. Twenty-nine-year-old Brodie Palmer and 24-year-old Jack Brearley were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

    A third man, 27-year-old Mitchell Forth, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

    This was an opportunity for the Supreme Court to send a strong message against racial violence. While the punishment of the men involved is clear, the role of race, and what legally qualifies as racially motivated crime, is muddier.

    Wrong place, wrong time?

    Racism has been front and centre of the public discussion of this tragedy from the outset.

    Shortly after the 2022 attack, Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch said of the homicide:

    it may be a case of mistaken identity, it may be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    This was met with strong condemnation from the First Nations community.

    Rallies in solidarity with Turvey’s family were held across the country, with Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung, and Dunghutti activist Lizzie Jarrett declaring:

    no black child is ever, ever, ever in the wrong place at the wrong time on their own land.

    Racism at trial

    Over the course of the trial, the court heard Turvey and his peers, a group of Aboriginal high school students, were approached by an angry group.

    This comprised the three men convicted and a woman, 23-year-old Aleesha Gilmore, who was acquitted of homicide, and 21-year-old Ethan McKenzie, who with Gilmore, was convicted of other offences relating to the attack.

    Turvey was chased and Brearly fatally beat him with a metal pole.

    Earlier this year, the trial of the three perpetrators heard arguments by the defendants that the actions were not racially motivated.

    Rather, the defence argued they were acting out of self-defence on the basis that Brearly had his car window smashed a few days prior.

    In contrast, the prosecution brought evidence of a phone call that revealed Brearley was bragging about beating Turvey, stating that “he learnt his lesson”.

    The prosecution argued the homicide was not a personal gripe, but a collective response.

    The prosecution didn’t allege the attack was racially motivated, but it was open to the judge to consider this basis for the homicide.

    At trial, 91 witnesses came forward. Witnesses gave evidence that the accused were using racial slurs.

    This direct racism raises the issue of race as a motive in the attack, and is consistent with evidence of systemic racism in Western Australia.

    The killing of Turvey comes after 14-year-old Elijah Doughty was targeted and killed in Kalgoorlie in 2016.

    Both cases show white male motorists seeking to avenge Aboriginal children for alleged vehicle offences.

    This is reinforced by a penal system in which Aboriginal children are 53 times more likely to be detained than non-Aboriginal children.

    What did the judge say?

    On the morning of the sentence hearings, Cassius Turvey’s mother, who described her son as respected, bright, loving and compassionate, said the killing was a “racially motivated” and based on “discriminatory targeting”.

    This sentiment has been echoed across the country, including by June Oscar, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, in 2022.

    Chief Justice Peter Quinlan strongly condemned the attacks.

    However, he stated the attack was not racially motivated, despite recognising that the perpetrators were “calling them n-words and black c—ts — you in particular Mr Brearley used language like that”.

    He noted that it creates a “fear” of racial vilification:

    it’s no surprise […] that the kids would think they were being targeted because they were Aboriginal, and the attack would create justifiable fear for them and for the broader community that this was a racially motivated attack.

    This amounts to a message of general deterrence about violence and vigilante behaviour.

    But messages to deter racial targeting and racial violence specifically were omitted from the public safety concerns expressed by the court.

    Making racial violence invisible

    Munanjahli and South Sea Islander professor Chelsea Watego, and colleagues, have remarked that the Australian psyche is more comfortable with an “abstract concern with racism; racism without actors, or rather perpetrators”.

    This, they argue, sanitises racial violence and holds no one responsible.

    The court demonstrated this abstract concern for racism.

    This Supreme Court’s reasoning has set an impossibly high bar for racial vilification, and specifically racial violence, to be identified, denounced and redressed.

    The judgement seems to relegate racism to being an unfortunate and unintended incident of co-existence, rather than willed harm.

    The failure to regard the racial slurs, the targeting of a group of Aboriginal children, and the killing of one of these children, as “racially motivated”, upholds the idea that white people’s racist treatment and crimes against Aboriginal people exist in a vacuum free of a long history of colonial violence, massacres and occupation.

    Thalia Anthony receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Matthew Walsh 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. The sentencing of Cassius Turvey’s killers shows courts still struggle to deal with racism – https://theconversation.com/the-sentencing-of-cassius-turveys-killers-shows-courts-still-struggle-to-deal-with-racism-259541

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –